The TIFF party for eOne Studio was at the Moss Park Armoury on Sunday night. A military building might not seem like an obvious place for a party, but add some blue carpet, dark lighting and chandelier-style balloons and all of a sudden it's a winter wonderlandGEORGE PIMENTEL
After more than two decades in the party business, Jeffry Roick knows the all the secrets to a spectacular bash. The Toronto-based event designer has worked his magic for royals, A-listers and most recently at the TIFF party for eOne Studio, held at the Moss Park Armoury on Sunday night. A military building might not seem like an obvious place for a party, but add some blue carpet, dark lighting and chandelier-style balloons and all of a sudden it's a winter wonderland. Here, Roick shares some of his notable party triumphs and why, even at a free party, everyone wants to be treated like they're Brad Pitt.
For Sunday night's eOne party, you transformed a Canadian Armed Forces facility into a fantasyland. Would you consider that a drastic makeover?
Well not exactly, because the venue is really a blank shell. Now on the flip side it's a blank shell, so you have to try to create an environment within the space and the eOne's goal was an intimate environment for 1,500 people. We did that by creating six different couch pod areas and by filling all of that airspace with white balloons that were inspired by that round lowercase "e" in the eOne logo. It's not an easy venue in that it's normally used as an event space. It's literally a drill hall for the military.
I was there for a birthday party there once and we had to walk by soldiers sleeping with their guns to get to the bathroom.
The building was cleared for our event, so we didn't have to share the space. We had to get special permission from Petawawa.
Are you involved in picking the location or do you deal with the venue you're dealt?
It depends, but generally I do concept to completion. My team will sit down with a client, listen to their message and their goals with the event. I select and appropriate venue, consult on the menu. The eOne party had really unique food, which was so great. Not the normal party fare. We had a pretzel wall, sushi on a conveyor belt.
And a cereal bar! I have never seen that before.
I loved that it was totally unexpected. People went nuts when they came in and saw Captain Crunch or Coco Puffs.
I believe the expression is cuckoo for Coco Puffs. How does a guest list affect the type of event you create?
It doesn't really, except when you are creating a VIP space, in which case there are a bunch of different factors to consider in terms of size, location, accessibility. We did the Hugo Boss party on Saturday night, which was at Colette in the Thompson Hotel. That had a VIP area because of all the hype and the celebrities on the guest list.
What is the most A-list affair you've ever done?
Probably a party I did for Prince Phillip at the Carlu in 2004. People tend to go pretty crazy over royalty. I have done a few fashion show events with Suzanne Rogers, for Oscar de la Renta, Zac Posen, Marchesa. I did the One X One TIFF party the year that we had Brad Pitt and Matt Damon. That one had a lot of celebrities.
When Matt and Brad attend, other celebs tend to follow. Have you ever designed an event even you couldn't get into?
Well if I'm coordinating a party, not being able to get in is going to be a problem. There are certainly a lot of events where I can't even get a plus one. Hugo Boss was one. I wasn't allowed to bring a single person. The list was too tight.
I'm guessing you get a lot of phone calls around TIFF time.
Oh yeah. It's amazing how many friends you have at this time of year.
Last spring you did a party at an abandoned power station in Toronto. What are some of the other more unusual venues you have created events in?
Abandoned buildings for sure, some in Europe. For the premiere of Miss Saigon back in the mid-nineties we transformed an abandoned warehouse on the waterfront. We hung the helicopter outside the venue. That was pretty great.
What are your biggest party-throwing no-nos?
You really have to make sure there are no lineups to the bar and food. People are coming to a free event, but they still want to be treated as if they spent $10,000 on a ticket.
Okay, geography and permission are no object. Where is the one place you would absolutely love to throw an event?
St Petersburg, Russia. No specific building, I would just love to do an event there. Something that is just super-decadent and opulent like a Russian czar's palace.
Sort of a Doctor Zhivago vibe?
Yes! Zhivago with a twist.
What is an event you've been to where you thought, man, I wish I had done this?
The Olympics. All of them. The opening ceremonies are so mesmerizing to me. Also, I still want to recreate Truman Capote's Black and White party. The people in the photos just look like they're having the time of their life.