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The issue of Special Occasion Permits and the BC catering industry has come to head and they need your support. Please see below this special letter from Debra Lykkemark, President & CEO of Culinary Capers.
Dear Industry Friends,
Re: Special Occasion Licenses (SOLs)
I am representing a group of BC caterers that came together early this year to work on getting our liquor policy changed. We have spent countless hours and many dollars on our lobbying efforts and now we need your help. We are asking for your support to get our liquor policy changed so caterers and hotels can get a liquor license on your client’s behalf when they are hosting an event in a venue that does not have a liquor license. Please read the following and if you are in agreement please send a letter to your MLA as well as Minister Coleman’s office, referencing the solution we are recommending at the end of this article. The liquor policy is in review right now, so it is important that your letter of support is sent very soon.
Sincerely,
Debra Lykkemark, President and CEO
Culinary Capers Catering and Special Events
Issue:
The Liquor Control and Licensing Branch Policy 2.4.3 states “caters, event planners and other businesses which plan and manage events are not eligible to apply for SOL licenses. The license must be obtained by the individual or organization hosting the event. The licensee may choose to hire an event organizer, caterer, bartender, or staff to run the event or serve the liquor which the host has purchased under its SOL. The licensee is always responsible for purchasing the liquor and transporting it to the event and is always legally responsible for liquor service”.
Implications:
The implications of this policy are very significant to the Province’s tourism and hospitality sector especially for convention groups or individuals outside of British Columbia wanting to hold an event using an SOL. The following are examples from my company:
· In the first week of May, 2011 Culinary Capers catered nine large events for between 200 to 800 international guests for the RIM conference. These parties were hosted by international insurance firms such as Marsh Insurance, Trust Risk Control and Aon Reed Stenhouse. The parties were hosted at the Richmond Oval, The Vancouver Art Gallery, Science World, Rocky Mountaineer Rail Station, Bill Reid Gallery and Holt Renfrew. All of these venues require a SOL (Special Occasion Liquor License). The holder of the SOL has to also purchase and transport the liquor.
Re: Special Occasion Licenses (SOLs)
Implications: continued
Caterers and Event Planners are not allowed to get an SOL or transport the liquor on their client’s behalf. Our international clients had to get the license, purchase the liquor and hire a delivery company to transport the liquor to the venue. They also had to accept liability for all their guests as the holder of the SOL assumes this responsibility. Being insurance companies they were very concerned about accepting this responsibility and could not understand why they had to get the liquor license and accept the responsibility when it is our staff pouring the liquor. The impact on our tourism and convention business could be massive if these international conferences decide not to return to BC because it is too difficult to do events here with the current liquor policies.
There are also serious issues with the current SOL regulations and accountability. The person required to the get the SOL license is not necessarily a BC resident or a Canadian citizen. If there are issues around the serving of liquor, how can they be enforced if the person holding the SOL has left BC or Canada?
The Presidents and CEO’s of Tourism Vancouver, Tourism Whistler, and Tourism Victoria feel
strongly that this policy needs to be changed.
The solution we are proposing:
Create a New Class of Liquor License: Alberta has a Class D License which would be exactly what we need. A Class D commercial caterer’s license may be issued to a qualified applicant who operates a business with a permanent kitchen facility to cater to private and public functions off premises.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you have any questions please call me at 604-875-0123 or email me at
debra@culinarycapers.com.
Please email your letters of support to your local MLA and to Minister Coleman’s office: rich.coleman.MLA@leg.bc.ca
Think Green at Your Next Special Event
by Sharon Bonner
Contrary to what many people believe, 'sustainable' doesn't automatically mean more expensive. Especially with special events. Less waste can also mean more savings. Bright Ideas' approach to eco-conscious events offers our clients a wide variety of options to make their event as earth-friendly as possible. We usually start by ensuring we divert as much waste as possible from landfills – recycling, composting, and finding alternatives to disposable items. Working with our vendors, we source eco-friendly food service ware, packaging and flatware. Through the use of electronic communications such as an event website, online promotion, invitations and registration we are able to reduce paper use. Bright Ideas can also assist with the purchase of carbon offsets if desired and can prepare cost-savings and environmental footprint reports, so that the benefits of going green can be measured.
Above all, we believe that sustainable options should be a choice… and a smart one at that. That's why we try to focus on those environmental initiatives that deliver real world benefits rather than just green-tinted window dressing. For an excellent overview of the various ways you can minimize the environmental impacts of your next special event, this guide prepared by the non-profit organization Bridging The Gap has a wealth of information and suggestions for events both large and small. You can also access Metro Vancouver's library of images and education materials, for signage and artwork you can use at your next eco-friendly event.
If you want assistance with an eco-responsible event, or need more information before choosing a sustainable special event, please contact us or take advantage of our easy-to-use quote request form. We'd love to help you find the best ways to incorporate sustainability into your next special event!
Canadianspecialevents.com (Mark Wyatt and Stacy Werier Wyatt and Eclectic Events Intl (Carolyn Luscombe CSEP) were honored in St Louis Missouri, this past weekend at the International Esprit Awards presented by the International Special Events Society.
The award was won in the category of Best Entertainment Production Under $25,000 for the 2010 Canadian Event Industry Gala, Windows on the East. The event was held in Toronto in March of 2010 and featured an authentic array of traditional Asian entertainment. The gala, which is the pinnacle event for Canada's event and meeting industry and played host to the country's most successful designers, planners and producers.
Producers from companies like Black Chalk Marketing, Solutions with Impact, aNd Logistix, Decor & More, The Design Exchange and hundreds more dined and celebrated in style at the spectacular Atlantis Pavilion in Toronto hosted by Dynamic Hospitality.
Thank you to the team of amazing suppliers who helped the event a huge success.
In March 2012 the Star Awards heads into its 15th year with the Biggest Party ever in Toronto on March 30th. Enter your events in the Canadian Event Industry Awards and be a part of the excitement. Entries are open Nov 15th and the deadline is Feb 4 2012.
We look forward to seeing your events.
Stacy Wyatt, Managing Editor of Canadianspecialevents.com announced today the formation of a new editorial team called OnSite featuring four fresh faces covering events across the country.
The OnSite Reporters will be out in full force over the next six months covering the local event scenes from Vancouver to Toronto. Their roving camera's will be on hand at everything from the MMVA's to Pride to the Canadian Cancer Foundations 24 Hour Relay. The Onsite reporters are available to cover public, private and corporate events and will be going behind the scenes all summer interviewing some of Canada's most acclaimed event designers and producers. They will be reporting back with the peek some of the hottest and most exciting events around town.
"This new program is a bold move for canadianspecialevents.com. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to bring our readers fresh, unique and interesting stories and perspectives from events across Canada. Our goal is to get backstage, first hand reports on what it takes to stage these major events and to share with our audience, the real stories about the ideas, inspiration and the people behind the events that make up our Canadian entertainment and events industry. From Fashion Week to the Frosh Festival canadianspecialevents.com will be there.
The 2011 On Site Team Is:
Lianne Gravitis; Lianne has organized and executed on-ice and arena promotions for various corporate sponsors of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment. She has an Advertising and Graphic Design Diploma from Humber College and a B.A. in Social and Applied Human Sciences from the University of Guelph, ON. She recently covered the Boost for Kids 14th Annual Butterfly Ball and Ride 4 Betty for the Trillium Hospital.
Tina Kessler is an Event Management student at Centennial College and has B.A. with Honours in German from the University of Waterloo. Tina has worked as a volunteer at a number of prodigious events in Toronto including: PDAC: International Convention, Scarborough Walk of Fame, Gold Medal Plates 2010 at the MTCC.
Margot Staples is a graduate of the Event & Meeting Management program at George Brown College. She has a great passion for events. is a creative writer and has been an active volunteer in the industry on many Toronto events.
Savia D’cunha is a Journalism student at Sheridan College and has studied at Humber. Savia has covered stories for the Sheridan Sun newspaper and worked as photographer at PCI . She has volunteered as a studio assistant at Rogers Television and was a volunteer script assistant with the Mississauga Players.
HUGE NEWS FROM ROGERS
Incentive Works & M&IT Sold to Business Information Group (BIG).
Business Information Group (BIG) has acquired Meetings & Incentive Travel magazine (M&IT), and the IncentiveWorks trade show and conference, from Rogers Publishing Ltd. and is strongly committed to taking the well-regarded trade publication in new and exciting directions.
One of the largest sources of trade information in Canada, BIG boasts a highly entrepreneurial culture that has cultivated a stable of strong trade-publication brands.
Business Information Group operates as part of Glacier Media Group
Visit Glacier Publishing for more info.
In an article posted on the Vancouver Sun's website BC caterers now face a $100,000 fine if they buy beer, wine or spirits for their customers even if they make no profit on the sale. Nor can they help out clients by applying for a BC Liquor special occasion licence on their behalf.
The BC Liquor Control and Licensing Branch policy requires event organizers and catered party hosts to independently buy and transport any alchohol they intend to pour at their event. They must also get the LCLB special occasion licence on their own.
Meanwhile, florists and gift basket businesses are allowed to buy and transport booze.
The seemingly arbitrary BCLC policy is hurting caterers, according to a Business in Vancouver story by Glen Korstom.
Stacy Wyatt wants to know what you think?
Not Canadian BUT Worth The Trip!
This cigar is EDIBLE!
We've never seen anything like it! We don't know if they can be hired for events but we have put a call into them to find out. This is just incredible stuff. Check out their site and then visit planetgreentv.com (search MOTO) and watch all the videos. Just a FABULOUS Idea!
Inventive. Innovative. Artistic. Imaginative. Thought provoking. Futuristic. Inspired. All words used to describe Homaro Cantu’s moto, an internationally recognized leader in the world of molecular gastronomy. A term with many interpretations, at moto molecular gastronomy is the application of both scientific and artistic principles in cuisine. Equal parts chef and inventor, Cantu challenges culinary convention and diners, stretching the boundaries of the former and taking the latter on a post-modern, interactive and fantastical gastronomical ride.
A “molecular tasting room,” dining at moto is like taking part in an ongoing multi-sensory science experiment. Cantu’s post-modern cuisine applies science to cuisine artistically, utilizing high-tech equipment such as Class IV lasers and liquid nitrogen with eclectic ingredients from around the world. The moto kitchen serves as a laboratory and a canvas for Cantu and his team, an incubation center for ideas that are revolutionizing the culinary landscape – ideas that focus on all things food-related, including menu items, packaging, tools, delivery and more. As Cantu says “to create is not to copy” and this philosophy of “food engineering” drives the moto team.
Incredibly well-rounded, the team focuses on the totality of each guest’s dining experience. Parallel to the intricately woven layers of taste, texture, and imagination in every bite of food is the detailed choreographed process of food preparation and presentation at moto. Each staff member pays attention to all elements of the total guest experience because each staff member has experience with every aspect of food preparation and presentation: at moto, every chef is a waiter and every waiter is a chef, as each employee rotates periodically from kitchen prep to tableside service, providing for a highly-knowledgeable staff.
Offering dinner service only, moto offers tasting menus – edible, by the way – and has been lauded by critics around the globe. Having been showcased in over 1000 articles appearing in nearly 40 countries, moto has struck a nerve with the thrill-seeking diner. While the foods are futuristic, they are not completely alien and though they may appear as if they are right out of a science-fiction movie, the fabulous flavor of this cuisine is very real. The dishes tend to be reinventions or outright transformations, including several American staples such as BBQ Pork with Cornbread and Baked Bean Spaghetti; Ben’s S’more, an inside-out version of the childhood favorite from Pastry Chef Ben Roche; and Chili-Cheese Nachos, a dish which looks like the savory appetizer but is actually a sweet dessert with crumbled chocolate serving as “chili” and flash-frozen strips of mango playing the part of grated cheese. Sommelier and Wine Director Matt Gundlach is on hand to offer wine pairings to complement the exquisite and extraordinary flavors. Simply put, moto is fine dining at its most adventuresome.
Tucked among the loading docks and 19th-century warehouses of Fulton Market – Chicago’s lively meatpacking district – are an enterprising new breed of chic boutiques, avant-garde art galleries, and trendy restaurants. In the midst of this energetic cultural emergence are the innovative sibling restaurants moto and otom, the latest ventures of leading Chicago restaurateur Joseph De Vito and his business partner Homaro Cantu. Featuring menus showcasing interactive postmodern cuisine at moto and the culinary mirror image of comfort food at otom, these sister restaurants each provide unforgettable dining experiences and are at the forefront of transforming Fulton Market into this city’s nouveau premier dining destination.
Since opening moto, Cantu has captivated adventurous diners and media alike with his imaginative interpretation of postmodern cuisine. Using science, technology and art in nouveau ways, the moto team continues to astound and astonish with novel, interactive dining experiences, redefining the boundaries of established culinary traditions of taste, texture and technique.
At moto, expect the unexpected.
Effective March 31st Martin Van Keken Jr will transition into the next stage in his professional and personal life. After 22 years as one of North America’s most successful event planners, he will cease operations as a special event production company. MVKA will still operate under its corporate identity but Martin will solely offer his services as a speaker and consultant.
Martin has been a driving force in the global special event community since starting his company in 1989. He has inspired so many young planners with his exceptional success and has been an industry leader around the world. Martin has been a strong supporter of canadianspecialevents.com since its inception and we will miss his presence and voice at our events and special productions.
We wish him the very best in all his future endeavors.
To view the official press release for MVKA click here http://mvka.com/press-release-2
Secrets of A Successful Tribute Video
By Bob Pomerantz
A lot is riding on your tribute video. Whether it's for a CEO's retirement party or a couple's 40th wedding-anniversary bash, the video is often the main entertainment event.
You don't want to get it wrong. Employees have been demoted, family feuds launched and, yes, event planners dismissed when the all-important video goes over like a lead balloon.
The good news is, when the video's a big hit the responsible parties are showered with praise and, in the case of suppliers, repeat business.
Whether you are producing it in-house or hiring an outside supplier, here are some tips to help ensure the video tribute gets "Two-Thumbs Way Up!"
1/ Know Your Mission:
What are you trying to accomplish? A reverential salute or a rollicking roast? Usually, a tribute video should be somewhere in-between: patting the honouree(s) on the back and also poking fun.
To execute your mission properly, be really clear on the key messages you want to convey (She was a great business visionary but a picky eater) and the tone (upbeat, but not syrupy sweet).
Helpful is to ask: "What would be appropriate for this honouree? What would be appropriate for this audience?"
2/ Who Do You Put In The Video:
One of the first issues that comes up in the planning: Who should appear in the video OR: How many people can be in the show?
The following question should be posed early on: "Who absolutely, positively must appear in the show?" — be it for political or emotional reasons. You don't want the honouree leaving the party, shaking their head and muttering: "why the heck did they leave out Johnny Baird?!" (or Aunt Sally). Likewise, you don't want Johnny or Sally complaining.
In determining who to feature, do your research. Ask the honouree's closest friends/relatives/colleagues who they think NEEDS to be in the video, then compare notes. If the same 5 or 10 names keep coming up, you are fairly safe. Naturally the really important people get more screen time.
3/ How Long Do You Make The Video:
The age old question: should it be 7 minutes or 17? Generally, less is more. But specific factors help determine the running time:
· The bigger the crowd, the shorter the video;
· If the video is the party's main entertainment, go longer: if there's also a stand-up comic and 7 live speeches, go shorter.
· If there are multiple tribute videos, like at an employee recognition event, each video should be short (2.5 – 4 minutes).
· No tribute video should run longer than 20 minutes.
4/ Scripted Or Un-Scripted:
The good news is, either kind can be extremely effective. Just to be clear: "scripted" features a live host and/or voiceover narration; "un-scripted" (or "pure-documentary" style) tells the story by inter-cutting interview sound bites using clever editing and structuring.
The bad news is, it's easy to screw up both types. Pick your poison: A lame, flabby scripted video full of inaccuracies, or an endless series of boring "talking heads". How many golf anecdotes can an audience stomach?
Every tribute video is important. Best advice? Use people who really know what they are doing. If the client company has its own, well-equipped A/V department, by all means use an able in-house camera-person and able in-house editor. But make sure the producer (or writer/producer) is an ace.
5/ Traditional Or 'Outside The Box':
Traditional doesn't necessarily mean boring. An old chestnut–"The Evening News" or "Special News Report" (scripted) is still a format that can work like a charm. In the "un-scripted" department; cutting together a series of pithy soundbites into cleverly-named sections, with great music and great photos, can make for a great video.
But there are so many other good ways to go: a person-on-the-street sequence; a phoney "Q and A" (Question and Answer vehicle), featuring real soundbites from the honouree juxtaposed with fake questions from an interviewer; a game show or TV specialty-channel based on the life, career and personality of the honouree. A mockumentary; a mock info-mercial. Creatively, the sky's the limit.
6/ Blast From The Past or Celebrity Appearance
If the particular family or company has the "reach", lend the video some cache by featuring a cameo appearance from a celebrity the honouree really likes: be it a favourite singer, actor, politician…
As for a "blast from the past"; try to locate a person the honouree hasn't seen in a long time. It could be a favourite high school teacher or first boss or mentor; an ex-boyfriend or long-lost boyhood pal.
It's also fun to introduce some other unexpected characters: the honouree's barber or hairdresser, or dentist; the cafeteria lady; the security guard in the building.
All of these help make the video special; a video people will marvel at and talk about for a long time to come.
(Bob Pomerantz is founder and president of Your Life Productions, a Toronto-based company specializing in highly creative, meticulously crafted tribute videos).
CSEME 2011, now in its 13th year at the MTCC, is the leading show in Canada specifically designed for people planning special events and meetings.
Whether your team is working on a new product launch, a fund raiser, company sales meeting, gala, corporate picnic, international incentive, wedding or private affair, CSEME 2011 is the place to find fresh ideas and get inspired to make those events the most creative, unique and affordable as possible. Whether you are an independent planner, a corporate planner, an admin assistant, PR or marketing executive or simply have a big event coming up, you'll find tremendous value and relevant tools at CSEME 2011.
From best selling authors & industry experts to the most innovative event suppliers, the new CSEME Mobile App, Meeting Technology Zone, New Cocktails & Catering Zone, fabulous networking events and spectacular theme displays, CSEME 2011 brings together an incredible line up of exciting features.
Show Highlights
Conference: 3 days of education ranging from entry level fundamentals to advanced planner sessions, world class speakers, panel discussions, forums and so much more.
Trade Show: Over 150 of the most innovative and affordable event suppliers in the industry. You'll discover a wealth of ideas, gather dozens of samples, find creative solutions and be able to touch, feel and experience a world of event possibilities.
Social Events: Network and connect with hundreds of planners, suppliers and creative people just like yourself at the Opening Night Party at Runway 224. Party in style at the industry's most prestigious night; the Star Awards Gala at the stunning Eglinton Grand and celebrate the success of Canada's best events.
Hundreds of Brilliant Ideas and Dazzling Suppliers are waiting for you at CSEME2011
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