Objective: KidSport Edmonton hosts a fundraising roast every year. Typically, a local hockey hero/former Oiler is chosen as the subject of the roast. This year hockey legend, Kevin Lowe, was selected! 

Tycoon Events was brought on board to elevate the event by creating ease of communication, registration and donation opportunities for attendees, and creating a one-of-a-kind experience that the organization had never done before. 

When planning an event of this scale (we were initially anticipating 750 people), we had several elements to think about: sponsorship, decor, silent auction, cash call, 50/50 ticket sales, attendees, communications, accessibility, marketing, registration and staffing. Being the largest fundraiser of the year for KidSport Edmonton, the main objectives were to meet or surpass the goals set by the Board of Directors for each revenue generating initiative. 

Outcome: The event was a great success, with the organization raising over $100,000 on event night! 

Here is a breakdown of the night: 

  • 524 attendees came to support KidSport Edmonton 
  • 6 Roasters brought some laughs to the night and gave Kevin Lowe their best shots 
  • Over $6,500 was raised through the 50/50 
  • The silent auction raised over $38,000, with the biggest ticket item being a week stay in the Shuswaps at Kevin & Karen Lowe’s personal cabin, including a hosted dinner by Kevin & Karen.
  • The goal of $50,000 for the cash call was exceeded by a few thousand dollars. 

Attendees walked the red carpet towards a sports desk themed check in counter where they were greeted by Board members and KidSport Edmonton staff. Upon receiving their program for the evening, attendees were encouraged to partake in the custom designed photo booth area and grab a drink from any of the bars. 

The focus of the main event space (Hall D) was the elaborately designed stage, where the entirety of the night’s entertainment took place. With four screens positioned around the room, attendees were able to see everything regardless of where they were seated. 

Throughout the evening guests enjoyed a 3-course meal, wine at their tables and endless laughs! In addition to having the roasters on stage with roastee, Kevin Lowe, there were a handful of thoughtful and comical videos played throughout the evening from special guests including Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Ron MacLean, and more. One by one, all of the roasters stood up and gave Kevin a piece of their mind; Kevin had the opportunity to take off his gloves and dish it out back to them at the end.

To facilitate donations, the cash call and the silent auction, we used the platform Givergy. The silent auction items were both displayed in person at the event and online via Givergy (accessible through one’s phone or an ipad that was on each guest table). The 50/50 was facilitated through Rafflebox.

After the roast was over, the 50/50 winner was announced and the silent auction ended, at which time guests picked up all of their great prizes. By the end of the night, many guests hung around to have a drink with the celebrity roasters. 

Overall, the event was thoroughly enjoyed by attendees and a substantial amount of money was raised for KidSport Edmonton to support their goal of ensuring ‘All Kids Can Play’.