← StartWell Magazine

How the Elevated Stylist Retreat Went Online from StartWell in 2020

Since its inception their Salon's ethos was rooted in a strong value for education, culture and fun - something which lead to the cofounders' exploration of mindfulness, meditation, yoga and other wellness modalities.

Sonia Yarkhani and Jody Kezar met each other 10 years ago as hair stylists who worked together, which resulted in co-founding Evolve Salon and subsequently launching an annual event called the Elevated Stylist Retreat.

With an aim to share what they were learning, and benefit their industry as a whole, the Retreat's aim involves building community whilst encouraging a work/life balance for hair stylists.

Innovation Despite The Pandemic

Faced with difficult decisions this year when considering whether to host a 2020 session of their Retreat, Kezar and Yarkhani embraced out of the box thinking to evolve Elevated Stylist into a hybrid event - hosted from a single physical location with a broadcast that featured in-room wellness practitioners and speakers as well as offsite presentations, all merged into a live experience for their community connecting online.

"Our experience with StartWell has been nothing but amazing, it was literally the perfect space to do our online retreat ... it was good vibes all weekend and we loved it."

- Jody Kezar, Co-Founder, Elevated Stylist Retreat

Live-streaming From StartWell

As soon as the team visited our campus and StartWell's Hybrid Event Studio it was apparent that they understood its value for producing an intimate experience for their online community.

Watch highlights from the 2020 Elevated Stylist Retreat

With exclusive access to our Hybrid Event Studio that has its own entrance on King Street, the team felt safe and comfortable - something which seems to have translated on screen to help the 20 hours production stay engaging for the virtual audience who participated for morning yoga sessions, daytime talks and even a DJed party in the evening time. Our in-house AV team handled camera and microphone work plus live video switching to allow the production team to focus on stage content plus interacting online with participants through chat, polls and 1-on-1 video sessions.


Photos from Behind The Scenes

 

More in "It happened at StartWell"

Meeting room rentals at StartWell in Toronto

Book any of our meeting rooms or venues on-demand for small or large company gatherings. We include presentation technology with complimentary barista service and a great vibe that your team will love.

  • The StartWell Event Studio

    The StartWell Event Studio

    The StartWell Event Studio

    Seating capacity: 150

    Purpose-built facility for high impact visual presentations, live-streams/broadcasts and memorable corporate events. Detached building with parking on-site, 2 washrooms, open concept kitchenette, flexible furnishing options for theatre/rows, workshops, cocktails, conferences and media shoots. Full AV package with professional theatrical lighting and mics, 4 massive projectors, PA and video conferencing plus white boards on wheels. Cinematic stage production optional.

  • Level Up

    Level Up

    Level Up

    Seating capacity: 150

    This spacious suite is perfect for all types of large corporate gatherings - from meetings to thought leadership sessions to seminars/trainings to socials. Fully furnished with layout options - plus full AV for stage presentations, content recording and live streaming. The space has a mixture of comfy lounge seating, hightop bar/eating areas and row seating plus a presentation space - all located just above our espresso bar at reception and looking onto King Street from a glass wall.

  • Dedicated Offsite Venue

    Dedicated Offsite Venue

    Dedicated Offsite Venue

    Seating capacity: 100

    Unique private suite with its own retail access from King Street, lounge setup, open concept bar with cold storage, flexible furnishing options for theatre/rows, workshops, cocktails and conferences. Full AV package with professional stage lighting, 2 large connected TVs, mic packages, PA, video conferencing and 3 whiteboards on wheels. 

  • The Third Floor

    The Third Floor

    The Third Floor

    Seating capacity: 50

    Large suite perfect for large team sessions - exposed brick and high ceilings combined with large West facing windows. Three 6-person breakout rooms included, plus open concept lounge and 2 washrooms. 4 large connected TVs with video conferencing and white boards on walls.

  • Bitmap

    Bitmap

    Bitmap

    Seating capacity: 16

    Comfortable large meeting room a large conference setup for 16 people just past our reception cafe. With a large connected TV, video conferencing, 3 white boards and 2 windows.

  • JPEG

    JPEG

    JPEG

    Seating capacity: 10

    A comfy board room featuring exposed brick at the back of the first floor in our main building.  With a large connected TV, video conferencing and 3 white boards.

  • Cube

    Cube

    Cube

    Seating capacity: 12

    A glass-enclosed board room next to the cafe on the first floor of our main building.  With a large connected TV, video conferencing, white board and privacy blinds.

  • Fast Forward

    Fast Forward

    Fast Forward

    Seating capacity: 4

    A cosy exposed brick meeting room on the first floor of our main building near the library. With a connected TV, large white board and window.  

  • Patio

    Patio

    Patio

    Seating capacity: 6

    An intimate board room just past the cafe on the first floor of our main building, across from our common hot desk workspace.  With a large connected TV, white board and sliding glass doors.

1 9