The floorplan was created as a journey through Oz, start-
ing at Auntie Em's kitchen in the pre-function room where
passed canapes and cocktails were served. The activations
in the main room included the Yellow Brick Road LED
dancefloor and Emerald City DJ Booth, The Witch's Castle
photo op, Poppy Field lounge, Farmhouse VIP lounges,
Muchkinland oxygen bar, a silent auction and silent disco.
Given the interactive nature of the floorplan, the menu
aimed to keep guests moving and exploring. Along with
passed hors d'oeuvres, food stations served lamb, tacos,
smoked salmon, chicken sliders and artisanal cheese.
The event has become known for having a big "reveal"
moment. This year, the team challenged itself to create an
experience that was "as close as possible to a real tornado,"
says Porter. Here's how it went down: Dorothy ran frantically
though the crowd, desperately searching for Toto with a tor-
nado looming. When the tornado "struck", power failed and
emergency warning lights engaged. The room swirled with
strobe lightning and CO
2
cannons emulated the dangerous
wind. An audio cue of thunder, rain and wind enveloped the
crowd in 3D sound, accompanied by sound clips such as
"Follow the Yellow Brick Road" and "Pay no attention to the
man behind the curtain." When the house "crashed," two
54-foot runs of kabuki drape dropped on either side if the
room, revealing Oz in a full wash of colour, projection map-
ping, LED wall and indoor pyrotechnics.
Learn more about the event and see a list of suppliers at
vancouvereventindustry.com
Photos:
Vision
Event
Photography,
with
the
exception
of
centre
far
right
(page
36)
and
Munchkinland
photo
(page
37),
Brian
Dennehy
Photography
Muchkinland oxygen bar
Watch a video of the
event. Scan the QR
code on page 32 or
visit ignitemag.ca
Glinda's dress held
takeaway candy
and Christmas
ornaments.
Alex Bickers (producer), Lion, Jennifer Winter
(production manager), Dorothy, Robert Porter
(creative director), Scarecrow and Tinman.
