The annual and very famous Calgary Stampede wrapped up a week ago tonight. Soggy weather, the worst I can ever remember, and a depressed economy put a “damper” on the event and reduced attendance significantly this year – the lowest in 22 years.
Calgary is a city that is filled with people from all over the world. I’ve always joked and said that I’ve one of the six people who were actually born here. The other five people get REALLY excited about Stampede and I have to admit that I’ve grown really complacent over the years. Working downtown during this event is VERY difficult: between people out for the traditional pancake breakfasts first thing in the morning, long lunches where people don’t come back to the office until the next day, country music everywhere, and basically being an impossible time to get work done if you need to rely on other people. I know, I know, I sound like a real party pooper, but I have to say that until this year, I’ve seen that, been there, and done that! The event that I’m about to tell you about turned all that around for me.
Through one of the companies that I consult for, several co-workers and I received an invitation to an event that really piqued my interest. The event was called a The Spaghetti Western Networking Breakfast 2016, the “Unfamished”, sponsored by Geologic Systems for a select group of their system users, and catered at a gorgeous venue on Prince’s Island called River Café. This restaurant has long been a favourite of mine in Calgary as they feature “the best tasting local ingredients in season” in a beautiful restaurant in an extraordinary setting.
I have to be honest that it was the menu that captured my interest and inspired me to attend the event:
Fairwinds Farm Feta & Roast Tomato Frittata
Poplar Bluff Potato Rosti with Highwood Crossing Aioli
Croissant French Toast with Okanagan Cherries Bourbon Sabayon
Fresh Local Berries
Grilled Cheese with Maple Bacon Jam
Breakfast Flatbread with Wild Boar Bacon
Fior di Latte
Spragg’s Sausage
House Made Pastries with Saskatoon Berry Danish
Mountain Grana Scones
Gluten-Free Rhubarb White Chocolate Muffins
Highwood Crossing Shortbread Granola with Schipper’s Strawberries
Nino Franco Prosecco Island Fizz
Craft Cocktails
Iced Coffees
Rhubarb Lemonade
We were all met on the way to the restaurant by a friendly and welcoming team of people from Geologic Systems, all dressed in their signature red shirts, who made everyone feel instantly comfortable and set the stage for a brilliant networking (and culinary!) event. We were blessed with beautiful weather that morning, so the event was inside the restaurant as well as flowing out to their gorgeous outdoor patio areas.
Photo courtesy of Geologic Systems
Although there was a traditional buffet set up, most of us were engaged in conversations with industry peers and acquaintances, new and old, spread around the patio, being served bite-sized portions of the AMAZING food prepared and served by the professional and informative staff of River Café. The staff from Geologic Systems mingled with guests and everyone had, I believe, a great experience. THIS was the epitome of what a Stampede Breakfast should be – in every sense!
Photo courtesy of Geologic Systems
Geologic Systems, “a Calgary-based company that offers a data browser and analytical tools bundled with current well data for all of western Canada”, showed tremendous class through the planning and execution of this event. In a time when most companies are cutting WAY back, they reached out to their client base and put on an incredibly successful networking event for them and showed them REAL appreciation for their business.
I applaud Geologic Systems and their catering partner, River Café, for setting an absolute new and high standard of western hospitality and creating the ultimate Stampede breakfast! Kudos and congratulations to all!
