Since 1985, the gala has had over 22,000 attendees and has raised over $25 million. Thanks to Toronto Businessman, philanthropist and CFPDP founder, Vim Kochhar, The Great Valentine Gala has become an annual tradition in celebrating the accomplishments and achievements of physically challenged Canadians everywhere.

This year, with approximately 500 guests in attendance, balloons will be sold at a value of $60 in the exciting Tombola raffle. Guests can purchase a balloon at the raffle where they gain a chance to win a mystery prize.

All attendees are welcome to attend a beautiful reception before the main event where they can have a drink or two as well as mix and mingle with new and familiar faces. Following the reception, a fabulous dinner will be served promptly at 7:00 PM and afterwards a night of awards and great music presented by The Caverners, a Beatles tribute band, can be enjoyed.

After the awards are handed out and all the group photos are taken, a real party to end the night will begin where guests can enjoy great beverages, great food and best of all great company!

This year’s opening night party for the Canadian Special Events Expo was both ‘UnExpected’, and unforgettable; with a scrumptious variety of food, memorable entertainment, and ample networking opportunities, this event was a huge success. Approximately 700 event industry professionals from across Canada came out to UpCountry in the heart of Toronto, to mix and mingle at UnExpected ’13 on March 20^th.

From delicacies provided by Presidential Gourmet, Cheeseworks, Parts and Labour & Neptuno, beverages from Griffin Gastropub & Wandering Bean Coffee, and desserts by Bucket and Whisk, to performances from Sarah Violin, Jordan Clark, EH440, and Becky Hoops & David Fiset; UnExpected ’13 had something for everybody’s tastes. The event also featured ‘unexpected’ elements such as a sidewalk chalk drawing by Toronto’s own Chalkmaster Dave, an Easter bunny distributing Cadbury eggs & goodies out front, a puzzle by Master Pieces, and captivating projections from Apex Sound.

The CityEvents team sponsored the social media management for this event, and were on-site to execute several contests, interact with guests, and encourage online engagement. We hosted online contests leading up to the event in which we gave away passes to both the UnExpected party, and the Canadian Special Events Expo: Tradeshow. Our on-site contests were based on guests’ involvement with social media including activity on Crowd Activation’s Social Mosa, a combination Twitter & Instagram wall, and the event’s mobile app from The App Labb. Winners went away with a Bucket & Whisk gift basket, a fondue set or gift card from CHEESEWERKS, a Parts & Labour gift card, or tickets to Sensation: Ocean of White from Nasco Staffing and the Rogers Centre.

We at CityEvents had an amazing time at this year’s UnExpected opening night party, and we are already looking forward to the next one!

Check out our photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cityeventstoronto/sets/72157633048285693