Steampunk: Yesterday's Future

As described in wikipedia, Steampunk is a sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery, especially in a setting inspired by industrialized Western civilization during the 19th century, or a post apocalyptic environment. We really enjoy this pseudo-Victorian mechanical “steampunk” style because it makes for beautiful visuals that stand out from cookie-cutter events.

We were intrigued by the idea of a Steampunk-themed gala and also, who puts on better events than a community of professional event planners? This was definitely an event we didn’t want to miss! The ISES (International Special Events Society of Toronto) chapter annual gala gathered members and friends for a jam-packed evening full of entertainment from live performances, some magic, and great music.

The evening started with a reception of cocktails and hors d’oeurves, a set of violin renditions of popular music by Grenville Pinto.

Guests were then greeted into the dining area by the evening’s host, Michael Coombs, of Michael Coombs Entertainment, with ISES Toronto Annual Leadership Awards, mixed with a vast array of entertainment from aerial performances by A2D2, a great musical performance by Devah Quartet, a magic show by Mental Floss Sideshow, dancing by Dragonfly Belly Dance group, and Well Rounded Hoops. Our favourite performance was Devah Quartet, four young ladies who had great costumes and electrifying string music. They were like a refreshing version of Apocalyptica. Definitely check them out when you get the next chance!

The amazing Devah Quartet

The amazing Devah Quartet

Award recipients included:
Bryan Bell at Decor & More for the ISES Toronto Supplier of the Year Award
Larry Cuthbertson for the ISES Toronto Dedication Award

This annual event was planned and prepared by Eclectic Events International, who have been ISES Toronto members for years. We first met them at the recent Atlantis Pavilion open-house which was also a great event with many impressive attractions to enjoy.

The amazing DeVah Quartet

Mental Floss Sideshow

Mental Floss Sideshow

Julie Danaylov, President of ISES Toronto and Michael Coombs, MC and host of the evening

Photo: Eclectic Events International

Mental Floss Sideshow

DeVah Quartet

DeVah Quartet

Thanks very much to Eclectic Events for having us and putting on a great ISES Toronto gala for the special events community!

About ISES Toronto
ISES Toronto is a Chartered Chapter of ISES Canada, which is an Affiliate of ISES International.

The International Special Events Society was founded in 1987 to foster enlightened performance through education while promoting ethical conduct. ISES works to join professionals to focus on the “event as a whole” rather than its individual parts.

ISES’s worldwide membership has grown to involve over 5,000 members active in 35 countries throughout the world. Membership brings together professionals from a variety of special events disciplines including caterers, meeting planners, decorators, event planners, audio-visual technicians, party and convention coordinators, educators, journalists, hotel sales managers and many more professional disciplines.

[print_gllr id=4515]
An evening of hands-on molecular cuisine
Chef's Challenge Pre-event with Chef Mark McEwan

Nick Lee

Editor and Photos at BestOfToronto.net