As guests walked into the reception space, a string quartet warmed the atmosphere, setting the stage perfectly for silent auction bidding, while guests sipped a glass of bubbly, and wondered what the ballroom holds in store for the evening.
From the moment they stepped onto the event floor, they were fully enveloped in the starry night theme. The goal was to the make the room more intimate, so we used a unique ceiling and centre stage design, and entertainment. Each entertainment piece enveloped the entire room and created a 360-degree feeling, everywhere the guest looked, there was video, a musician or lighting effects. Curated music created energy throughout a night of speeches to help the guest feel engaged at all times.
Throughout the evening, entertainment hits composed specifically for the evening were curated with multimedia content on-screen and choreographed between all stages, and the notes and melodies revised by a local composer. Opera singers opened the evening with an oil “painting” on water on-screen and a film by an artist in Istanbul, who granted the rights to display the video at the Gala.
The final act that brought all the entertainers together to work with our dance band was energetic and an inspiring end to the night. The VGH foundation CEO announced the total funds raised which triggered a shooting star to explode and launch the final entertainment act into action.
From dueling opera signers to a roving violinist paired with DJ tracks, we found a way to bring an edge to a classical theme. Our composer designed music and numbers for all of the acts and speakers.
One of the Night’s highlights included a presentation of the prestigious VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation Leadership Award to an individual, family, or corporate supporter in our community for their exemplary philanthropic leadership in advancing health care for all British Columbians. Past recipients include the Ilich Family, Syd and Joanne Belzberg, Robert and Lily Lee, Joseph and Rosalie Segal, Gordon and Leslie Diamond, David and Brenda McLean, Peter Bentley and the late Jack Poole.
The evening ended with Nearly Neil, a tribute to Neil Diamond, pairing Cracklin’ Rose to on screen content and opera singers/a string quartet, starting on the centre stage, and leading people out into the Twilight Lounge, where further dancing and drinks ensued. The Twilight Lounge was installed in the reception space during the show in the ballroom, a surprise room flip for the guests.
