CANADA

CANCER RESEARCH SOCIETY

ONE BBQ, TWO HOURS, A THOUSAND PEOPLE, ZERO PROBLEMS!

The Cancer Research Society (CRS) challenged TKNL to plan a midday event featuring a cocktail reception, gourmet meal, keynote presentations, thematic entertainment, and a budget-sustaining fundraiser.

All of this in just two hours.

TKNL responded with a plan for an "Urban BBQ".

Our first consideration was the atmosphere. We chose an offbeat (but recognizable) mecca of barbecue and holiday travel: Argentina! This choice was identified as the central theme for the event as inspiration for the delicious food, the sultry entertainment, and the vibrant decor. TKNL designed an environment that immersed guests in Buenos Aires' colorful La Boca district with music, bold images, and location-appropriate furnishings.

Second came the food. Serving 1,000 people in a very short time―in a room without a kitchen while offering exceptional quality―is no easy task. In order to offer guests a memorable barbecue experience, two renowned chefs were recruited to develop and prepare a gourmet menu with the able assistance of an army of sous-chefs. The meal was plated and served at the tables, adding to the time guests could spend with each other while avoiding queuing at the buffet.

Our final challenge was space. One of the weaknesses of past editions was the ability for some of the guests to see everything on stage as it happened. After more than a dozen back and forths between the client and the drawing board, we optimized the space by adding two new stages, and, in doing so, managed to create two more “front rows” that allowed everyone a prime place to enjoy performances, presentations, and entertainment.

The addition of the two stages was a challenge in itself, as the “we’ve always done it that way” mentality was that the room could not accommodate more than one stage for the given number of guests. So we went back to the drawing board, again and again, more than a dozen times, and eventually managed to optimize the plan so that the room could accommodate the three stages AND 300 additional guests - 50% more than the initial capacity of the room - all quite comfortably seated.

All of this in two hours
Without sacrificing comfort
With delighted guests back to the office on time
And more than half a million dollars raised to fund cancer research

''Placing a thousand chairs one by one was a painstaking task but that's what made the logistics work perfectly. This is the kind of detail that nobody sees, but that makes all the difference.''

- Sylvain Reeves, account manager, TKNL