Tastemakers Lounge Canadian gifting suite announces new sponsors for 2015

The countdown to the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) is on with only a few more days until everything kicks off including the festival’s most coveted gifting suite – the Tastemakers Lounge presented by SOREL and ELLE Canada. With a full range of lifestyle sponsors lined up including health, beauty, pampering and beverages, the Tastemakers Lounge is sure to be a hot spot for talent and influencers.

tastemakersOpen from Sept. 10 to 15 at the InterContinental Toronto Centre (225 Front St. W.), Tastemakers Lounge presented by SOREL and ELLE Canada will celebrate local and international talent in style with the ELLE Canada portrait studio. Guests of the suite will have interactive opportunities with brands and receive a covet-worthy gift bag filled with special treats.

Tastemakers has hosted and gifted many notable names over the course of its eleven-year tenure including Woody Harrelson, Brad Pitt, Ellie Goulding, Ethan Hawke, Elisha Cuthbert, Colin Firth, Kat Dennings, Freida Pinto and Samuel L. Jackson, among many others.

Founded in 2005 by Debra Goldblatt-Sadowski (president and founder of Tastemakers and rock-it promotions) and Leesa Butler (VP operations of Tastemakers and president and founder of Divine Lab), the Tastemakers Lounge invites guests to relax in the lounge this year with title sponsors SOREL and ELLE Canada and the following additional sponsors: Sahajan, Dr. Liza from [the fix], Rhone Valley Wines, Pommies Cider Co., The Remy Cointreau Group, Tweezerman, Phantom Glass™ and Hudson’s Bay Company.

“We’re so excited to bring the Tastemakers Lounge back for another year.  It’s a celebratory time in Toronto and we’re happy to be a part of the party. Our sponsors are better than ever this year and we especially look forward to our first-ever photo studio with ELLE Canada,” said Goldblatt-Sadowski.

SOREL joins the Tastemakers Lounge for the second year in a row, now as a title sponsor. SOREL boots are a staple for talent and the style-conscious alike. Guests of the lounge will snag a pair of the iconic boots from the fall 2015 collection.  Made with heritage expert craftsmanship, flawlessly constructed using a combination of felt, wool and premium leathers, SOREL will offer guests a personalized boot fitting with a variety of its classic looks, as well as new styles that express the season’s hottest trends.  SOREL is also launching a new line of apparel – European goose down with 800 fill – and guests of the Tastemakers Lounge will get an exclusive sneak peek of this exciting new line.

New to the Tastemakers Lounge this year is ELLE Canada, Canada’s leading fashion magazine. ELLE will present an interactive portrait studio on-site capturing unique moments and talent visiting Toronto by veteran photographer Luis Mora.

Sahajan, a first-of-its-kind Ayurvedic and organic beauty brand, made in Canada, will be giving guests a chance to sample and interact with the entire collection. The products are designed for women who are mindful of the health of their skin and hair and will also be included in the gift bag.

Red carpets can be stressful with press yelling questions and continual flashbulbs, so this year, the lounge welcomes one of Toronto’s most esteemed chiropractors, Dr. Liza from [the fix] who will be onsite providing personalized adjustments and foot treatments to guests. [the fix] gift certificates will also be offered to guests of the lounge for a more in-depth service.

Guests of the Tastemakers Lounge will be treated to a tasting of up to thirteen different appellations of Rhone Valley Wines. Once the tasting is complete, guests will be gifted with a bottle to take home.  To keep the party going, Pommies Cider Co. will be sampling and giving away their delicious Canadian-made ciders, Pommies Dry and Pommies Farmhouse, during their appointments with talent. Pommies is one of Culture Addicts’ fave beverages – yum! And just in case guests haven’t had enough fun, The Rémy Cointreau Group will be creating three specialty cocktails for everyone (The Rickey, the Botanist Basil Gimlet and the Black Barrel Daisy) and gifting their premium liquor to attendees.

To ensure a photo worthy look, Tweezerman will be onsite offering their latest beauty tools, which will also be included in every guest’s gift bag. Guests will be treated to a full range of products including the Brush iQ Finishing Contour Brush, Tweezerman Glitterati Safari Animal Print Slant Tweezer and the Smooth Finish Facial Hair Remover.

Gift bags will also include tempered glass screen protectors from Canadian brand Phantom Glass™. The Phantom Glass™ technology ensures maximum impact and scratch protection for mobile phones, tablets and cameras. It’s definitely a must-have for people on the go.

To beat those post-party hangovers, Canadian-made Plan C is making a welcome addition to the gift bag this year. The most comprehensive product on the market, Plan C is a combination of high quality, all natural supplements and it is used to relieve your hangover symptoms.

Guests will collect their goodies in iconic HBC striped tote bags provided by Canadian retailer, Hudson’s Bay Company, so all jet-setting guests can take a piece of Canada with them wherever they go. Also making an appearance at Tastemakers, Hudson’s Bay ‘shoefie’ carpet where guests of the lounge will be invited to take a ‘shoefie’ of themselves. If they choose to post their “shoefies” to Twitter or Instagram, tagging #starsonstripes and @hudsonsbay, they’ll be given a chance to win a VIP shopping experience and tickets to a closing night TIFF film.  Twenty eight interactive Hudson’s Bay ‘shoefie’ carpets will also be set up around Toronto and in store at Hudson’s Bay Queen, Yorkdale and Sherway Gardens locations.

The lounge will be expertly styled by Canadian designer, Lisa Canning, giving guests that much needed atmosphere of stylish relaxation. Lisa has held roles both in front of, and behind the camera, including production design for W Network’s / HGTV US’ Buying and Selling with the Property Brothers, HGTV’s For Rent, and Slice Network’s Beautiful People. Lisa writes regularly for publications like Toronto Star and has appeared as a design guest expert on CTV’s The Marilyn Denis Show, Global News and Breakfast Television. Her work has also appeared in the pages of Style At Home, Chatelaine, Canadian Family, Home Decor and Renovations and more.

And, the best part, Tastemakers has announced that a portion of the lounge’s proceeds will support SickKids Foundation. Inspiring communities to invest in scientific advances to improve the lives of children and their families around the world, SickKids Foundation raises funds on behalf of The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto.

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