Meetings + Events

Add some zip to your next corporate event with an unexpected and novel addition.

By Sherryll Sobie

Set the stage. Forego the standard string quartet for something edgier to get your attendees buzzing. Jazz quintet Tom Collins, for example, puts a loungy tempo twist on retro classics like ZZ Top’s Sharp Dressed Man and Madonna’s Material Girl. Lead singer Carol Ritchie’s silky vocals turn heads and then, raise eyebrows, says Kim George, president of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia-based LimeLight Communications Group, which represents Tom Collins and other entertainers. “It’s so unexpected!” www.limelightgroup.com.

Colour their World. Give a group of left-brained executives a jolt of right-brained intuitiveness with an aura reader to read and interpret the mystical electromagnetic field surrounding the body’s exterior in a rainbow of colours. Wistaria, an Oakville, Ont.-based psychic says, other than the pure entertainment, hiring an aura reader can impact productivity. “If you’re holding a sales meeting, I can help people focus on blue, because blue improves communication,” she says. “I can also help event planners choose décor colours to achieve the best outcome for their event.” www.tarotcardreader.ca.

Lip Service. For meeting planners looking for something that smacks of originality at their corporate event, lip print analysis is it. Here’s how it’s done: Apply lipstick (yes, even guys can do this and, if possible, attendees should bring their own) and kiss a piece of paper. Lip-print analyst David LeFort, who can be hired through Markham, Ontario-based Arato Events, will read your shape and lines to come up with a list of characteristics: you’re strong minded but have a tendency to take on too much, you’re romantic and so on. “It’s fresh and interactive,” says president, Debbie Arato, CSEP. “It’s great for a product launch or holiday reception.” www.aratoevents.com.

Raise the Bar. Provide an open bar at your next corporate event that won’t leave heads pounding the next day. Element Oxygen Bars dispense 90% pure oxygen infused with aromas such as Eucalyptus and chocolate-cherry. This striking and colour mobile bar can be the main feature of a cool, modern theme, or can just as easily be tucked in a corner as an escape from a lively event. Owner Dave McNamara says in addition to being fun and unique, there are clear health benefits. “Five to 10 minutes is a sure-fire pick-me-up, and works wonders on aching heads.” www.elementoxygen.ca.

Get it in Writing. In our text-based business world, show guests how fun and revealing penmanship can be by procuring the services of a handwriting analyst for the evening. Toronto-based certified handwriting analyst Elaine Charal, for example, is a corporate event veteran and can entertain a large group or do any number of individual readings. “Reactions are great,” says Charal, who is quick to point out guests’ high capital letters (which indicate confidence and dynamism), or their sharply angled connective strokes along the baseline (which illuminate a drive to achieve). www.handwritinganalysistoronto.com.