May 18th 2010 FastLane “Wine and Chocolate"

Repeating April 2009’s wine and chocolate theme, FastLane once again held the event to a great success.

Wineries and agents joined us for the evening; they did sampling a variety of wines that complemented the delicious hors d’oeuvres of the evening.

Thanks to all vendors and partners for making this event more tasty and fun, and Anthony Parazo for capturing those special moments.

Stay tuned for the next event!

Theme: Patio Party
Date: July 13th, 2010
Time: 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Location: TBA

Renata Altrão & The Gatherings Team

Hope House fundraiser tonight!

The Hope House fundraiser was inspired by the Oscar winning film "Born into Brothels" and we are raising money to build a wonderful facility to help 100 girls from the red light district of Calcutta. Your support will allow girls to live in safety, receive an education, and escape their vicious life cycle.

There is a special BRING A FRIEND 2 for 1 ticket sales special.

For $100, receive two entrance tickets and one drink ticket per person (equal to $50 per person).

We have a terrific line-up for the evening including:

In Attendance
Oscar winning Director and Executive Producer flying into Toronto for the event.

Entertainment
Exclusive engagement with Hip Hop legend Maestro Fresh Wes from Los Angeles performing classics and new music (Let your Backbone Slide!).

Rare appearance by Juno nominated singer Ivana Santilli performing her R&B/pop hits.

World renowned DJ Rekha (as seen on CNN and David Letterman) from New York City with Dhol Circle drummers.

Drinks and Delicious Food
Tickets will also include two bevvies and catering by Babaluu Supperclub, Palais Royale, Cheesecake Lolli's and Couture Cupcakes.

And that's not all! Enter a world inspired by India's magic with Fantasy Lounge, Fortune Tellers and Tarot Card readers, a Maharani's Salon (Henna Beauty Bar & Make-up Artistry), Fashionistas Shopping Haven, Photography Expo, and much more!

Event Details
Date: Thursday, May 27, 2010
Time: 8:30pm - 12am
Location: Palais Royale, 1601 Lake Shore Boulevard W

To buy tickets http://torontohopehouse.eventbrite.com/ or telephone 647-801-3159.

VIP guest at Gatherings...

Guess who?
Spencer Miller!!
He came for a quick visit and spent the afternoon with us...it was great to chat with him, listen to his stories and ideas...he always inspiring and making people laugh.

Spencer Miller is a motivational speaker, hosts his own radio show called "Sounding Off With Spencer Miller", is an entrepreneur and author of the book "The Man Without Boundaries".

Essentially 'the book chronicles his life from growing up in a dysfunctional family, dealing with a debilitating affliction, fighting against the odds to become a voice in his community, to becoming the Ambassador to people with disabilities for the Hugh MacMillan center.

Thanks Spencer for the visit!
Renata Altrão & The Gatherings Team

Dragons' Den Brett Wilson and me...

Photo by Timothy Grotrian

I had the honour to meet and listen to Brett Wilson last week at The Rostie Rainy Lake.

He spoke to a group of students and business owners. His inspirational talk touched on entrepreneurship & goal setting.

W. Brett Wilson (born on July 1, 1957) is a Canadian entrepreneur, philanthropist, and panelist on the CBC Dragons' Den.

Known as the newest member of the CBC's Dragon's Den, Brett Wilson's knowledgeable, energetic and down-to-earth nature has endeared him to many. He has been a key player in the development and success of a number of investment-based companies including FirstEnergy Capital Corporation and the Prairie Merchant Corporation. Brett's extensive entrepreneurial experience, made him an ideal fit for the Dragon's Den, where he has offered invaluable advice, support and funding for a number of entrepreneurial ideas. In addition to his professional success, he is one of Canada's most significant philanthropists, having raised or helped to raise millions of dollars for non-profit organizations.

It was awesome to meet him :)

Kendra Court
Gatherings Event Planning

Places to Gather...

We will start a series of posts called "Places to Gather" and highlight new venues in the city. Hope you like it.

The first one is the newly renovated Luna Lounge, an upscale restaurant located at Lawrence and Avenue Road, Toronto, ON.

The 150-person, 3000 square foot space has been completely renovated and re-designed by acclaimed design company HE Designs. The venue features 3 intimate bar areas, plus front & back outdoor patios.

Headed by Chef Mathew Alexander, the lounge features an exciting Tapas menu of small food items that includes key menu dishes such as Jerked Australian Lamb Pops, Seafood Tian, Stuffed Zucchini Flowers and Beef Carpaccio. A wide arrange of jazz, rhythm & blues, soul, funk & rare-grooves serves as the perfect musical backdrop.

Let us know if you like this place. :)
Renata Altrão & The Gatherings Team

The benefits of utilizing a virtual office...

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to have a prestigious Bay Street address for your home-based business?
Do you need to increase your businesses profile, and professionalism in your chosen market?
Then you will want to have a closer look at what I truly believe should be of consideration. The "Virtual Office" is the best option for small businesses, and start-ups. It’s an amazing way to get your company up off the ground, or further your company’s goals, and efforts; in a fast, efficient, and cost effective way.

Perfect for a home based businesses, or for companies expanding into a new markets. A virtual office is an easy, cost-effective way to give the best impression from the get go. Enjoy all the benefits of having a fully functioning office without moving from your present location; including priority access to offices and meeting rooms. Executive Business centre’s like "The Rostie Group", offer the following virtual office solutions, completely tailor able to fit your businesses needs:

• Prestigious business address - for use on your business cards, letterhead and marketing materials
• Mail collection and forwarding - Mail is collected, packages are signed for and sent to you according to your instructions
• Preferred rates on office supplies and couriers - Receive discounted rates on FedEx and more
• Access ready-to-use offices and meeting rooms - preferred rates
• On-demand administrative and technical support - Access to administrative and technical IT support teams
• Incoming and outgoing faxes - Use local fax number; collection and sending faxes to you, wherever you are
• A local phone number - Provide a local phone number to all your contacts
• Personalized call answering - Professional receptionist answers your calls in your company’s name according to your specifications
• Call redirecting - Specialized technology enables call redirection to your primary number
• Voice mailbox - Remote setup and retrieval of your personal voicemail 24/7
• Lobby listing - Your company will be listed in the lobby along with all building tenants
• 16 hours of private office time - Work from a professionally furnished and equipped office, in your location, for 16 hours a month

Read more about Virtual Offices:

Rostie Group, How Stuff Works, CBC, A Better Virtual, PR Web, Los Angeles Times, TMC Net, SCPR, Philly.com, TreeHugger, TreeHugger, NPR, YouTube

The Rostie Group
Downtown Toronto Location
WaterPark Place, 20 Bay Street, 11th Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5J 2N8
Email: info@rostiegroup.com
Tel: (416) 214-1840
Toll Free: 1-800-648-1840

Looking for casual work in Toronto?

Gatherings Event Planning & Fundraising, a full service event planning in Toronto, is always seeking reliable, friendly people with positive attitude for casual work . So whether you are a server or bartender, we want to hear from you.

Also, we are always looking for volunteers to help out with fundraising events, it's a great opportunity for networking, meet people and get some experience.

Please e-mail renata@gatheringseventplanning.com with the following information:

• Are you Smart Serve Licensed?
• Are you looking for work as server, bartender or both?
• Do you have experience?
• Are you looking for volunteer opportunities?

Don't forget to include your cell phone at the end of the e-mail and attach your resume.
Cheers!

Renata Altrão
Gatherings Event Planning