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Modern Concierge Inc. hosted a stunning evening at Berkeley Fieldhouse event venue Toronto as part of their signature event series. The event was a stunning ensemble of traditional Japanese favourite.
What was the inspiration behind this beautiful event?
The inspiration for the event was the cherry blossom season in Japan…I was lucky to be in Japan a few years ago during the season and it’s absolutely enchanting. From that inspiration, the team gets to work and we start the planning process.
The event design was so well integrated with the space – each element tied in seamlessly. What are some of the components of your process you attribute to this success?
It’s all in the vision. Once that is determined, then the next big decision is the selection of the venue. Some venues are a blank canvas, so you must create every single element of the vision from scratch. While other venues, add to the vison and there is very little to be done. That was the case of The Fieldhouse for us. The Fieldhouse has the elements to mimic a Japanese traditional country home, specially with the creek in the yard and the open large windows. The next step is selecting the right vendors for the vision and for the guests. But above all of this, people are the most valuable component of the event…from the event team, the people at the venue, the servers, vendors and the guests., they are the ones that make an event successful.
The sake experience at your event was developed into an experiential method of storytelling as guests were taken through the depth and history of the products. How important is it to you that events have this engaging element?
One of my favourite quotes from the great Maya Angelou is — ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”. With each one of our events we want to create an experience that guests will remember…to take them on a journey. With all the noise in the world and so much coming at people all the time. We try to bring an experience that will be simple, engaging and if we are lucky our guests leave learning something. Michael Tremblay, our Sake master was a no brainer. He trained with world renowned sake educator John Gauntner in New York and Tokyo,becoming Ontario’s first certified Advanced Sake Professional (ASP). His knowledge and love for sake is impressive and he judges International Sake competitions around the world. So, having him at the event was such a privilege.
The performance of the traditional Japanese kimono ceremonial dress was captivating and beautiful. The subtle gestures and quiet beauty was a welcome respite in the heart of downtown Toronto. What was the thinking behind this addition to the event?
For us it was important to bring certain traditional elements of Japan to the event. The kimono is such a traditional representation of the Japanese culture…subtle, detailed, intriguing, complex, beautiful and elegant.
The sushi was an another experience that guests could get involved with the process. This decision to make the process transparent and visceral for the guests was hugely successful. How was this decision arrived at ?
With the sushi, we wanted something different, unexpected. Chef John Hoffman from “Roll This Way”, certainly brought that… Tattoos, baseball cap, blow torch,…he’s our own rebel sushi chef. He takes the fundamentals of sushi making and turns it upside down with his own creative inspiration and interpretations. While still respecting the history of this traditional Japanese favourite.
This event was part of a series developed by Modern Concierge Inc. How did this series evolve and what are you impressions of the advantages of doing series of events?
“The Series” has evolved a lot since it’s inception three years ago. All the guests are established professionals at the top of their game and they like to mingle with like-minded individuals. It’s great to do the Series because we know the high standards our clients expect. However, it’s always a challenge because with each passing event the bar is raised even higher. We always aim to add something different, unique and unexpected to each event.
What are the various elements of your business and how does each element strengthen the other components?
All the components are interrelated. Our clients trust us with every facet of their lives. We free our clients from doing their day to day tasks from running errands to planning their travel to finding the next best restaurant in the city. We become their trusted advisors in their life which helps build confidence in our team to planning and executing unique experiences that their clients or guests won’t forget.
You describe your colleagues at Modern Concierge as Lifestyle Managers what is the significance of this title?
Modern Concierge provides concierge, travel and event planning services for busy executives, entrepreneurs and high-net worth individuals. Our Lifestyle Managers become the right-hand person to our members. As a full-service concierge company, we help our members live the kind of life they deserve and have worked very hard to obtain.
You have this quote as a feature on your site. “Time = Life – Therefore, waste your time and waste your life, or master your time and master your life.” – Alan Lakein. What drew you to this quote and how does it manifest in your work and experience.
Time is everything! Our members value their time. They are the most productive when they are doing the things they enjoy and delegate everything else. We help them work towards their “unique ability”. The quote illustrates this masterfully.
You have a quote “we manage your lists you manage the waves”. Can you elaborate on this?
We afford our members the time to do the things they enjoy, whether that’s spending more time with family, traveling, relaxing, or just having fun. We will take care of their “to do “ list and let them work on those things that bring them joy or is important to them.
Modern Concierge Inc. creates an immersive and enchanted evening of Japanese culture
