On April 7, New Balance Canada and APEX PR welcomed partners, influencers and media to the VIP grand opening of the New Balance Toronto Exchange Tower store. Conveniently located within Toronto’s PATH system, shoppers of the downtown core can now access a full selection of New Balance footwear and apparel across the running, fitness and lifestyle categories.

With the goal to create a memorable experience for guests, New Balance (@newbalancecanada) enlisted its brand ambassador Jose Bautista (@JoeyBats19) as the guest of honour for a live Q&A session with sports anchor, Natasha Staniszewski (@tvnatasha).

Sports fans (of all ages) were excited to see the star athlete and showed their appreciation through generous bids on memorabilia in a silent auction supporting the Bautista Family Education Fund.

Over 45 media and influencers attended the event, including top outlets such as Toronto Life, Best Health, TSN, Sportsnet 590, Glow, Elle Canada, Canadian Living, Flare and Sharp. Camera crews were also present from CTV, CP24, CityNews, and Global News to capture the excitement for their evening news spots.

Guests had a chance to snap photos of Bautista and spent the remainder of the evening nibbling on bites and beverages provided by Oliver & Bonacini, while DJ Lissa Monet’s (@whoislissamonet) set-list kept the energy in the room at a bat-flip level high.

Images provided by Kareen Mallon on behalf of New Balance Canada.

Lauren Chin-You is one of our lovely consultants. Follow her on Twitter.