Corporate Carnival Event for Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto

The Ask:

When the Great Canadian Casino Resort Toronto management approached our Toronto corporate event design team (Whim X Princess), the ask was for a vibrant carnival-themed customer appreciation event. We got to work creating a custom design proposal that featured ideas on the design of the room. The room in question was spacious but had specific immovable features, like columns and benches. We knew we had to get creative to make the design work in that type of space.

Setting the Scene

We have a design team that we work with on our corporate events, and so we got together and brainstormed the event. The first step is to understand who the key players are and who the audience is and how we can design a corporate event to serve them best. After putting together that information, we were able to create a polished design proposal that outlined cuisine, decor, giveaways, and entertainment for a Parisian-style carnival fete. The most important part of planning a corporate event is to understand the profile of the guests and create an event that is truly memorable and enjoyable for them. A great corporate host acts as a sponsor but makes the event about the attendees, and this was the case for this event too.

Design and DecOr

To give the impression of a Parisian-style carnival, we focused on a rich but muted colour palette. We used a colour palette of deep crimson red, midnight blue and gold. We wanted to strictly stay away from child-like carnival colours and imagery as this was an event for adults in a professional setting. We started with an entrance tunnel drape in deep crimson velvet over a red carpet, complete with spotlights to welcome guests as they entered the space. As they entered, they were greeted by a host and hostess and offered a glass of Prosecco with an accent of cotton candy on the rim of the glass.

We brought in lounge and cocktail furniture to complement the design and did a full room and ceiling drape to completely transform the room. We accented all of the tables with luxury floral centrepieces featuring blood red roses and others with adorable vintage parasol accents. The key to using an in-house space is really to change the atmosphere and nothing does that better than room and ceiling liners and lighting!

Entertainment

We also incorporated fun interactive features into this carnival-themed corporate event. We had an illusionist walking around wowing guests as they sipped cocktails and enjoyed the delicious fare from renowned Toronto caterer Food Dudes. Our design team also put together 3D interactive carnival game booths that doubled as photo opportunities for guests that they could step into and take photos.

Menu & Catering

The Food Dudes, one of our favourite catering teams, featured up-market comfort foods. The menu included wagyu smash burgers, oyster shooters, lobster mac and cheese, shrimp cocktail and tuna tartare. Talk about delicious!

How to Plan an Elegant Carnival-Themed Corporate Event

The most important aspect, in my mind, is to understand who your guests are and what the ultimate outcome of the event is supposed to be. After that, evaluating the correct space for the design, balancing fun with professionalism and leaving room for experiential elements to really wow your guests.

Inspired by our carnival-themed corporate event? Let us bring your vision to life—contact us today!