If you've paid for parking almost anywhere in North America, there's a good chance you've used HONK. The platform now runs at more than 10,000 parking locations across the continent, serving private lot operators, universities and cities. And it's built right here in downtown Toronto.
HONK is also one of our favourite repeat clients. For the past couple of years, the team has come to StartWell for its annual company offsite. This year's edition, the Big Honk Huddle, brought the whole company together in our Dedicated Offsite Venue on King Street West. Watch the video above, then read on for how the day came together.
From 40 to 70 in a year
In 2025, 40 people from HONK gathered at StartWell for their corporate offsite. In 2026, we welcomed 70.
That's 75% headcount growth in twelve months, and it mirrors the growth we've seen in the use of their platform. Watching a local company scale like this, year over year, is one of the best parts of hosting returning teams.
It also meant the venue had to grow with them. A room that felt right for 40 needed to comfortably hold 70 for a full day, without anyone feeling squeezed. The Dedicated Offsite Venue seats up to 100 in rows facing the stage, so there was plenty of room to spare.
How the day ran
The team walked in straight off King Street through the venue's dedicated street entrance. No lobby, no elevator queue, no hunting for the right floor. Just doors open and the day begins.
They started with coffee and snacks, giving everyone time to catch up before settling in. Then all 70 people took their seats in front of our turnkey stage.
From there, team leads took turns presenting the latest company news and what's ahead for each department. Microphones, lighting, screens and back-wall projection were all set up and run by our production staff, so presenters could focus on what they wanted to say rather than on cables and clickers.
After the presentations, the same room carried the rest of the day: activities, meals, learning from one another, and simply hanging out.
Why the space kept the energy up
Anyone who has sat through an all-day offsite in a windowless hotel ballroom knows how quickly a room can drain a team. The HONK crew stayed engaged from start to finish, and the room had a lot to do with it.
- High ceilings and exposed brick give the venue a sense of openness, even with 70 people inside.
- Natural light pours in through windows on three walls, with King Street's streetcars rolling past outside.
- One space for the whole day meant no shuffling between rooms. Stage, lounge, dining and bar areas all sit on a single floor.
- AV included with the rental, set up and run by our team, so nobody had to troubleshoot a laptop connection in front of the whole company.
For teams that want even more room, the venue can be booked with its lower level, which adds three breakout rooms, a library lounge and a catering kitchen behind its own street entrance.
Steal this idea: give your offsite a name
One thing we loved about this year's event was its name. "The Big Honk Huddle" is playful, on-brand, and impossible to forget.
We recommend this to every team planning an offsite. Give each year's gathering its own name and theme. It turns a generic "company retreat" into a moment people can point back to. A year from now, someone will say "remember what we decided at the Huddle?" and everyone will know exactly what they mean.
A name also gives you a hook for everything around the event: invites, slides, swag, and the branding we can put up on screens around the venue.
Planning your own team offsite?
Thank you to the whole HONK team for coming back again this year. We can't wait to see how big the Huddle gets next time.
If you're planning an offsite for 20 to 150 people in Toronto, the Dedicated Offsite Venue can be booked for a half or full day, with AV, furniture setup and espresso bar service included. It sits at 782 King Street West, a short streetcar ride from the financial district and Union Station. And yes, if your team is driving in, there's a lot right across the street where you can pay with HONK.
Book a tour to see the space in person, or browse more client offsite stories.
