Downtown Buzz Te Metropolitan Entertainment Centre T


News from the Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone SPOTLIGHT


Te Metropolitan Entertainment Centre Located at 281 Donald Street


he Metropolitan Entertainment Centre manages to pay homage to the historic building’s past while reinventing itself


daily. “Every day I ask ‘am I in bride mode or


corporate mode, or who am I today?’” says general manager, Janet Harder. “We see everything from awards shows to weddings to rooftop parties – you name it for an event type, this space has held it.” While developing Te Met as a wedding


venue and optimal rooftop party space, plus running the multi-tiered restaurant, the team at Te Met has held strong to the 1919 building’s original function as a grand theatre for film and live entertainment. Linking with the Gimli Film Festival for a


screening, for instance, was a major win staff hopes to repeat. “To associate their production with our


theatre is monumental, especially for what we’re trying to accomplish,” says Harder. Te Met plans to evolve into a known des-


tination for documentary screenings and dinner-and-a-movie dates, plus, it’s in the plans to welcome touring bands and local artists to its stage, with space to host crowds of up to 600 with standing room. With the theatre and balconies, plus the


lounge and seasonal patio space, Te Met can host upwards of 1,000 attendees, putting it on the map for many of the heavy-hitting event opportunities that breeze through Winnipeg. Hosting Grey Cup and WE Day affiliated functions, plus the infamous signature Ex-


SPOTLIGHT


Corporate People Responsibility (CPR) T


Corporate People Responsibility (CPR) Located at 503 – 265 Portage Avenue


he end of the Canadian Wheat Board could have signaled a logical time for Human Resources (HR)


expert Diana Wiesenthal to wrap up an already storied career. But after 35 years, as she completed the


dismantling of the board’s HR function, Wiesenthal saw an opportunity to apply her experience to any number of busi- nesses who could use some strategic help. “I spent a lot of my career kind of watch-


ing management beliefs or practices that weren’t really the best,” says Wiesenthal. “And sometimes employees bring a lot of toxic stuff into the workplace too.” What she learned from observing some


of these dysfunctions was not that the situation was hopeless – but that you could “build healthy workplaces… an environ- ment where people are productive and enjoy what they’re doing. If the staff is suc- cessful then the business is successful.” Along with a few colleagues she brought


with her from former posts at the Wheat Board, Wiesenthal began an HR consul- tancy focused on empowering people at work called Corporate People Responsi- bility (CPR). Now headquartered at Te Avenue on


Portage building, Corporate People Re- sponsibility is well-positioned to attract big corporations and small businesses


seeking some help with organizational structure or leadership coaching. “We wanted to locate centrally be-


cause we wanted to have a presence in the downtown area,” says Wiesenthal. “Most of our clients are sort of in walking distance.” With testimonials from organizations


big and small on its website, like Women’s Health Clinic, Investors Group and the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, CPR can scale its efforts; offering customized HR programs can mean everything from in-kind work for non-profits, to executive leadership coaching for major companies. “Tat is one of the neatest things, learn-


ing about all the different companies and organizations that we have in Manitoba – a lot of innovation that’s happening,” says Wiesenthal. Wiesenthal finds working with non-


profits particularly rewarding work, since so few have the means to provide HR func- tions in-house. “Tere’s such a need and people are so


Anna Lang Room.


port “A” and Red Bull parties have been some of the more memorable capacity events for Te Met. But it’s not just the big ones that show off


Te Met’s glitzy appeal. From a catered lunch meeting to a fashion


show packed with stage cues, sound and lighting, Te Met is well-equipped to facili- tate an event of any size, in a location that evokes Old Hollywood glamour. “A lot of our guests don’t always have event


planners – we do that for them,” explains Harder.


“We have an unbelievable amount of


combined experience – and we give that up. All those elements coming together are what drive us. “When it blows the guests’ minds, that’s


exactly why we do this.” Any budget-conscious bride-to-be may


already be connecting the dots, but having trained, professional staff on-hand to assist on the day helps make things run exponen- tially smoother, and cuts out the need for hiring extra help (even relieving the bridal party of excessive duties!).


The Met Sign at night. “We’ve really been able to develop the


wedding market (at Te Met),” says Harder. “Half of it really decorates itself.” Te Met is open to diners Monday to Sat-


urday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and later on Friday and Saturday nights in the summer months. Visit www.themetwinnipeg.com/ events for a list of upcoming events and availability.


appreciative,” says Wiesenthal. “When you help people out of a jam situation you can just see the relief.” Tere are also so many benefits to hav-


ing executive coaching handled from an outside perspective. Discussing your leadership credentials, including gath- ering feedback and self-evaluation, and providing comparisons, is much easier when done confidentially and with some-


downtownwinnipegbiz.com (204) 958-4640


info@downtownwinnipegbiz.com 426 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3C 0C9 March 2018 www.smartbizwpg.com Smart Biz 9


one who has the academic training and experience, but who isn’t a coworker. “We completely understand what people


are going through,” says Wiesenthal, of CPR’s former senior executives who provide the coaching. “We have people who have walked in their shoes.” For more information on Corporate People


Responsibility and its services, visit www. cprinc.ca.


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