Better Meetings & Events in Toronto

A StartWell Guide to Offsites

We've hosted thousands of corporate gatherings since 2017 at StartWell on King West. This guide relates a wealth of lessons we've learned along the way to help you plan for successful and fun corporate offsites, meetings and events.

Hotels

Check out our list of recommended hotels in Toronto - these are curated to ensure a great experience for your guests when not in session here at StartWell. Expect a mix of creative atmosphere, great location and premium amenities.

Catering Companies

When you book meeting or event space at StartWell in downtown Toronto, you can choose the catering company you prefer.

You are welcome to use any caterer you prefer to work with when you book meeting or event space at StartWell – from UberEats for small gatherings to organising for served meals or buffets for full team offsites etc…. Here are just a few we recommend from past experience.

Restaurants & Bars

Want to take your team out to lunch, dinner or drinks in between or after offsite meeting sessions at StartWell? We've got some great recommendations nearby!

Activities for Company Offsites

Fun things to explore across Toronto and nearby the StartWell campus when here for company meetings and events.

Thoughts on Designing Collaboration

Make sure your team is engaged - with the content being presented, and with each other. Offsites should be opportunities to strengthen team culture in your company as well as for collaborative output to help performance. These posts contain a wealth of suggestions to help you design collaboration sessions with ease and effectiveness.

Meeting Space & Event Venue Setup

Explore tips and tricks for choosing the right spaces here at StartWell for your upcoming sesson, and for choosing the right setup and flow to support your programming agenda.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hosting At StartWell

Campus location and car parking

We are minutes away from the financial core and Union Station, close to the Exhibition GO station and just off Lakeshore Boulevard + the Gardiner Expressway.

Our campus on King Street does not have a parking lot, but there is plenty of street parking in our neighbourhood.

Parking Option:Green P / Street

Free 1hr street parking and paid parking lots are available.

Note - King St typically does not allow parking past 3pm (during rush hour) and you can check the Green P app for allowed timings on King Street - the location code for our stretch of King Street is 4312.

Parking Option: Private/Paid Lots

There are plenty of parking lots in our neighbourhood; across the road and within a 5 minute walk from us.

Here are some which our clients regularly recommend:

  1. Directly across the street from our King St buildings (entrance from Tecumseth, south of King Street) is a paid underground parking lot operated by Upark. You can drive into the lot and pay hourly, daily or monthly from meters near the elevator entrances in the lot itself. When you walk up to the exit at street level you’ll be directly across the road from our King Street buildings.
  2. Another open/uncovered lot is right next door: at 72 Tecumseth, which you can book a spot online for here, or drive up and use a meter to pay at.
  3. A short 4 minute walk up Niagara street from us towards Queen Street you'll also find an open/uncovered metered lot with plenty of parking at 81-95 Stanley Terrace
  4. One more covered/underground lot option is at 800 Richmond Street West

Are coffee, tea and filtered water included in venue rental?

All hosts and guests at StartWell enjoy complimentary espresso bar service at our main building's reception (786 King ST W.)

From Monday - Friday (9AM - 4PM) our staff baristas prepare espresso beverages and provide self-service pour-over coffee; all using micro-roaster ethically sourced beans. We also have a special robot that brews loose-leaf teas on demand and taps for reverse-osmosis filtered still and sparkling water at our reception cafe, available for 24hr self-service with bottles, cups and lids.

What is StartWell's Cancellation & Rebooking policy?

We like to keep things simple at StartWell - if you have to change dates or cancel your booking, we let you easily rebook using a store credit for the amount spent on your original booking.

So, if you book a full day in our larger venues and need to cancel because a keynote address had to be rescheduled, you can rebook the whole event when your speaker can make it... or use the credit to book a bunch of smaller meetings in the future.

What are the house rules on campus?

Here are the top level rules that help us maintain a safe and clean space for members and guests.

While at StartWell, you must:

  • Be respectful
  • Try to be helpful
  • Keep our campus as you found it – clean up after yourself
  • Leave garbage and recycling in bins provided
  • Not do anything illegal
  • Not bring any animals with you or let them into the buildings (sorry – we love pets but don’t allow them due to allergies and cleanliness)
  • Leave dishes which you can’t wash in the grey bins provided at wet areas (reception and next to sinks in large meeting venues)
  • Never use our espresso machine or computer equipment without approvals – that includes not going behind the concierge/cafe desk
  • Always ask for permission before filming or otherwise recording content of any media which captures the interior of StartWell. Typically, no content may be recorded in our common spaces (outside of rented/booked meeting rooms) and no furnishings may be moved to accomodate film or photo shoots without prior approval from management