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Waldorf Team Launches “Arrival” Agency, Set For Food Cart Fest, Block Party & More

From the inbox:

The group responsible for reimagining the Waldorf Hotel have announced the formation of Arrival, a new agency that will be collaborating on a series of projects, including the much hyped Fox Cabaret on Main Street. The team — led by Ernesto Gomez and Thomas Anselmi — will be producing events, booking live music and entertainment, and looking to consult and collaborate with other like-minded Vancouver organizations. Some initial projects for the agency will include:

• Programming for a massive outdoor block party.
• The relaunch of last year’s wildly popular Food Cart Festival.
• Developing a concept for a new multi-venue creative hub.
• The transformation of the Fox, a notorious porn theatre, into a new kind of venue.

“Our mission is to create cultural experiences that are exceptional and fun.” says Anselmi. “We are inspired to continue the work we did at The Waldorf, expanding it further into the city.”

For the past two years, the Arrival team undertook the revitalization of The Waldorf, a historic hotel located in a remote industrial area of East Vancouver. The team saw potential in the space as a creative compound where contemporary art, music, food and culture could convene under one roof. Under the leadership of this team, the hotel flourished as an essential gathering space for Vancouver’s diverse creative community. Sale of the hotel in early January forced the group to cease operations, causing a media and public outcry. The Globe and Mail described the closure as “the gutting of an art scene” for what they had dubbed “the new cultural headquarters not just for East Van, but for the city.”

“We’re sad to no longer have the hotel as our home base but continue to be excited about the potential to collaborate with new organizations and work in new spaces,” says Gomez, adding that “the possibilities are endless.”

The press release details several projects that Arrival is working on out of the gate:

Food Cart Fest 2013

Last summer, thousands of hungry Vancouverites flocked to The Waldorf Hotel’s parking lot every Sunday to sample the city’s best Food Cart offerings. Working with Street Food Vancouver again, Arrival is planning on mounting and expanding the festival in a new location starting the first week of July and going till Labour day.

KHATSAHLANO! Music + Art Festival

Arrival has signed with the West 4th BIA to curate the art and guest experience elements for Vancouver’s biggest FREE music festival which drew upwards of 80,000 people to Kitsilano last summer and is scheduled this year for Saturday, July 13, 2013. Working closely with Brand.LIVE, Arrival is proud to contribute our unique brand of programming to what is one of the most memorable events of the city’s summer.

Brand New Culture Hub

Arrival has formed a committee with a number of art organizations including: ON Main, New Forms, and The Cheaper Show. The group looking to build a new culture hub that picks up where the Waldorf’s multi-venue concept left off. The team envisions a multi-faceted project that will facilitate a mixture of entrepreneurial and art organizations combining work, performance, and leisure space.

The Fox Cabaret

Partnering up with David Duprey (the Rickshaw) and Rachel Zottenberg (Narrow, Rumpus Room), Arrival will be working to turn the infamous porn theatre at 2321 Main Street into a new kind of venue. The partners, who take possession on July 1st, are planning an extensive renovation and are hoping for a launch in early Fall.

Follow the new company on the web: www.arrivalagency.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

There is 1 comment

  1. How do I get involved in the Food Festival and Food Truck events?

    Thanks

    Jamie