One Events to bring Wonkaland to life

THE movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory can evoke feelings of whimsical wonder and maybe a craving for sweets.

For some, being in a candy factory could be an amazing fantasy come to life – a feeling that One Events Ltd hopes to provide with its ultra-premium all-inclusive event, Wonkaland.

Anthony Gomez, CEO of One Events, said the event was influenced by all three movies – the original 1971 movie, 2005's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and 2023's Wonka.

He recalled his team contemplating a theme for another event, when the 2023 version of the theme song for the movies, Imagination, came to mind. The opening lyrics stood out to him: “Come with me/And you’ll be/In a world of pure imagination.”

The words resonated with him, and right then, his imagination went into overdrive. He envisioned every detail of a chocolate-themed event, and when he told his team, they loved it. And so it seems, do many others, as early-bird tickets sold out quickly.

Gomez said he loves all three movies and he also loves chocolate, so the theme makes sense to him.

In fact, he loves chocolate so much he did a case study on local cocoa production and chocolate consumption for his executive masters in business administration at Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business.

“I travel the world and go to chocolate conventions and tastings. There are so many different chocolates available around the world that we don’t know about in Trinidad and Tobago.”

And why not?

Scientists say certain chocolates and cocoa products have theobromine, which is a stimulant that boosts energy levels. It also contains serotonin, a natural antidepressant, and phenylethylamine, which also improves a person’s mood.

In addition, some chocolates and cocoa contain the amino acid tyrosine, which is the precursor to dopamine, a chemical that causes feelings of pleasure and happiness.

With all that pleasure and happiness going around, it makes sense that Wonkaland is also a celebration of women, since they typically love chocolate.

Gomez said it will be a great opportunity for them to shine, which is why the dress code is pink, purple and gold.

“You don’t need a day to celebrate women, what they do for us and how valuable they are to society and the planet. I think any opportunity to celebrate women should be grabbed and milked to the last.”

At the event, he said, bite-sized food will be served so people can try more options. There will be truffles, chocolate bars, gummy bears, jelly beans, tamarind balls, kurma, rum-infused snow cones and more. Also available will be signature cocktails made with different types of chocolate such as chocolate martinis, Brandy Alexanders, mudslides
and chocolate espresso martinis.

But sweets are not the only fare on offer. There will be a wide variety of savoury items like Thai, Mexican, Creole, Italian and French dishes as well as sushi, steak house items, seafood and snacks as well as several surprises.

Gomez told Newsday he always wanted to run his own business. After secondary school he worked in sales, but left to start his own model agency in 1999, then Abstract magazine in 2007.

From Abstract came ET&T magazine as well as distribution, construction, media and other companies including the online shopping website Snaptrollee.com.

“It’s about being innovative and thinking out of the box. And I bring that to all my dealings, including my events.”

This innovation extends not only to the food and drink at Wonkaland, but also the decor and the idea of transporting people away from the mundane and stressful to the magical and wonderful.

“Decor is important. An event like this is about the experience. From the time you come out of your car you must be excited to go inside. You must feel like you entered something that is in a different realm.”

Local artistes and top DJs will be there to help complete the experience.

Wonkaland, which partnered with Hershey’s chocolate, will be held at Undercover, Santa Cruz, on July 6.

For more information and ticket inquiries, visit oneeventstt on Instagram.