Toronto Life celebrates the most influential Torontonians of 2016 at an exclusive cocktail reception

On November 24, Toronto Life celebrated the release of its annual list of the 50 Most Influential Torontonians, as revealed in the December issue (on newsstands now). The exclusive, invite-only event was held at The Omni King Edward Hotel and showcased the best in red-carpet style. Publisher Ken Hunt and editor Sarah Fulford welcomed an exclusive crowd of 500 notables.

The guests of honour—Toronto Life’s Most Influential people of 2016—arrived in style. These included John Tory, Cameron Bailey, John Ruffolo, Maureen Taylor, Tracey Cook, Michael Katchen, Kevin O’Leary, Piers Handling, Katie Telford, Sam Mizrahi, Matt Galloway, Ratna Omidvar and Mark Shapiro, among others.

The sophisticated crowd indulged in an exclusive menu of hors d’oeuvres and food stations from The Omni King Edward Hotel.

Guests loved the Pommies bar, where they could taste a special signature cocktail. The Glenfiddich custom bar, which featured tour guides who outlined the history of the Glenfiddich, was also a huge hit in Palm Court.

Taking over the space in Pall Mall, Belvedere hosted guests in an upscale cocktail lounge, complete with DJ entertainment.

Guests sipped on wine from Jackson-Triggs, beer from Amsterdam Brewing Co. and bubbles from Cuvee Catharine Sparkling Brut.

Highlights of the evening included the stunning Genesis lounge, featuring brand ambassadors introducing guests to the brand new 2017 G90 car. A selection of guests rode in style to and from the event in chauffeured cars from Genesis.

Greybrook Realty Partners provided a custom virtual reality experience, which was a favourite of the evening.

The welcome cocktail by Armani Code was a special touch, and the brand’s custom photobooth—where guests had the chance to appear on the cover of Toronto Life alongside a bottle of Armani Code, their newest fragrance—was a huge social media hit.

The Vanity Fair ballroom was elegantly decked out with Most Influential decals and Toronto Life‘s striking December cover featuring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. The star of the evening was a 3-D cover of the special December issue, featuring a photo of the PM.

Remarks from Ken Hunt and Sarah Fulford were a special moment in the evening. They paid tribute to this year’s listmakers for their success in making Toronto one of the most-watched cities in the world.

The evening ended with special gift bags, containing items such as Lindt Canada chocolate and a gorgeous UNIQLO cashmere scarf from the brand’s newest collection.

Check out #MOSTINFLUENTIAL on Twitter and Instagram and re-watch the Facebook Live stream from the event: PART 1 and PART 2 .

See all the photos from the event, taken by George Pimentel Photography, below: