RÄNDĀ VO͞O: Elevating Ottawa’s Social Scene

For the past three years, RÄNDĀ VO͞O has been a staple of Ottawa’s business landscape. The business networking social club brings together high-achieving professionals, entrepreneurs and small business owners from diverse industries to network with like-minded individuals.

RÄNDĀ VO͞O—a phonetic twist on the French word ‘rendezvous’—was started by 36-year-old Aaron McFarlane in 2019 to create a space for the city’s business community to learn, engage and unwind in an upscale yet relaxed ambience, with live music, entertainment, eclectic food and cocktails.

“A lot of bigger cities in Canada have some very vibrant platforms that bring people with diverse backgrounds and very different perspectives together. I sensed the need for a similar platform in Ottawa for business professionals to inspire, motivate and collaborate—in essence changing the way the business community comes together. All this at stylish soirees that combine hospitality, art, fashion and entertainment in beautiful venues,” avers Aaron.

While RÄNDĀ VO͞O took a break during the pandemic, since April 2022 it has been flourishing, with quarterly business events that are open to all working professionals. Events are advertised on RÄNDĀ VO͞O’s website, on LinkedIn and in the subscription-based email newsletter.

WHERE GREAT MINDS GATHER

To date, RÄNDĀ VO͞O has had events at exclusive venues, including Ottawa Art Gallery, Venue TwentyTwo at The Westin Ottawa, National Arts Centre, La Terrasse at Fairmount Chateau Laurier, and Buyers + Cellars Tasting Room, among others.

“We position ourselves as a premium experience for business professionals. Our events attract individuals who are high achievers, ambitious, want to support other professionals on their journey and have a philanthropic mindset. Guests can enjoy a first-class experience at top-notch venues in the city that inspire innovation and energy and have great aesthetic appeal,” says McFarlane.

Event attendees get to experience and discover a venue in Ottawa that they may not have visited before. They also stand to benefit from the knowledge sharing of leaders from various fields, including dentists, doctors, engineers, architects and real estate developers who regularly attend RÄNDĀ VO͞O events.

The events are useful for relationship-building while also providing business opportunities. “One developer told me that he clinched a million-dollar real estate deal by attending my event. Another insurance broker told me he landed the largest client that he’s ever had in his career at a RÄNDĀ VO͞O gathering,” reveals McFarlane.

Economic development is yet another aspect of RÄNDĀ VO͞O events. McFarlane estimates that RÄNDĀ VO͞O has contributed at least a quarter of a million dollars in food and drink spending since 2022, benefiting Ottawa’s downtown core hospitality and nightlife economy, with the thousands of professionals who have attended the events over the years. Moreover, business from RÄNDĀ VO͞O guests who may revisit these venues is an added advantage. RÄNDĀ VO͞O also supports Ottawa’s arts community through the live entertainment component of each event.

Considering the visibility, exposure and sizeable economic footprint, McFarlane has been able to bag several high-end sponsors, including Ottawa Tourism, Brazeau Seller Law, TAAG, Meridian Credit Union Ottawa, Smart Parking App, Surmesur, La BOTTEGA Nicastro, Brookstreet Hotel, Intega IT, Mirabel Management Inc., I4C Consulting, Meatings Catering, Chandos Construction, MacMillian Keeping Wealth Management, Altis Recruitment & Technology, Chantal Hackett Band, AMTI Model Management, Grey Loft Studio and Sarah Marie Lacy.

ABOVE: RÄNDĀ VO͞O Business Network raised 15,500 for the Ottawa Youth Service Bureau.

Community building is also an important element of each RÄNDĀ VO͞O gathering. The events bring together people from different organizations in the city who may have not otherwise crossed paths, such as people from the nonprofit sector who get to meet potential partners and donors.

An integral part of every RÄNDĀ VO͞O event is giving back. A portion of the proceeds go to support charitable organizations that support at-risk youth. To date, RÄNDĀ VO͞O has raised $7500 for Dreams Take Flight, $6,000 for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa, $15,500 for Ottawa Youth Service Bureau (including through fundraising for the Coldest Night of the Year campaign), $2800 for United Way, $2000 for Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre and $750 for Ottawa Art Gallery.

ABOVE: Aaron McFarlane receives the United Way Community Builder Award from Rogers TV Ottawa producer Derick Fage.

The RÄNDĀ VO͞O business network has also raised $15,000 for the Coldest Night of the Year campaign. McFarlane believes that at-risk youth can lead great lives if they have the right support and guidance and the hope that their circumstances can change for the better. “A community can only be a truly great place to live if everyone has a chance to succeed and prosper; and youth are the future,” says Aaron.

Earlier this year, McFarlane was presented with the United Way Community Builder Award in recognition of his efforts to go the extra mile to give back to the community and support at-risk youth.

RÄNDĀ VO͞O Prestige

In April 2024, McFarlane launched RÄNDĀ VO͞O Prestige, an elevated business networking platform for decision-makers, executives, and the upper echelon of the business community. RÄNDĀ VO͞O Prestige events offer a more intimate, curated experience for a smaller collective of 20-50 business leaders from various industries to engage in VIP business networking in luxe settings. So far, there have been four Prestige events, the most recent one being a unique Luxury Hockey Night Experience at the Canadian Tire Centre on November 25.

RÄNDĀ VO͞O MÄVVĪN CLASS 

In November 2024, MÄVVĪN CLASS by RÄNDĀ VO͞O was also launched. Derived from the word ‘maven’, a trusted expert in a particular field who seeks to pass knowledge on to others, it is a premier education platform delivering dynamic, and engaging learning experiences for high-achieving professionals.

The idea was to create a platform providing high-impact, in-person, micro-learning sprints while also incorporating the signature RÄNDĀ VO͞O business networking experience. The format is a speaker series with industry-leading experts sharing their knowledge in concise speaker sessions that are typically held in the morning. The first event took place on November 14 at the Ottawa Art Gallery, featuring three TedX speakers and 50 participants. More speaker sessions will follow next year.

With a tagline that says, ‘Great minds learn together’, the mission of MÄVVĪN CLASS is to empower professionals with a growth mindset to elevate their business by learning from successful leaders, exchanging ideas, unlocking networking opportunities and building powerful partnerships across sectors.

The events are open to all business professionals and are competitively priced, ensuring a value offering. Registration is available through the website and LinkedIn.

BEHIND THE SCENES  

With a background in digital marketing and management, McFarlane was formerly a digital strategist with Invest Ottawa. However, in November 2022, he decided to focus on RÄNDĀ VO͞O full-time, turning it from a passion project to something that he could actually scale and grow. “I run all three brands myself, from the event production to marketing as well as community outreach. My marketing background helps me to create compelling stories, analyze what’s missing in the economy and use different technologies to build the right products for the platform. So, right now, it’s a very lean and agile venture. Like-minded businesses and community leaders lend their support through advocacy or investments into RÄNDĀ VO͞O,” McFarlane explains.

This entrepreneurial journey has been a very fulfilling growth experience for McFarlane, both professionally and personally. It’s given him an opportunity to learn about different organizations in Ottawa, expand his social network and gain insights into people’s journeys. It’s also helped him innovate and find solutions while witnessing the impact created by people coming together to collaborate. He also loves the community building and philanthropy aspects of Ottawa’s business community that help it thrive, with business leaders ever ready to contribute to their peers’ success, while also being eager to support the less fortunate and vulnerable youth.

“The challenge is to stay creative and push boundaries by coming up with something new and exciting each time. . .  Also, now with three brands under RÄNDĀ VO͞O, positioning the dates for events and ensuring the programming is balanced while continuing to provide value to the community is of utmost priority,” McFarlane adds.

WHAT NEXT FOR RÄNDĀ VO͞O

McFarlane is looking at integrating business networking and learning with other activities in upcoming RÄNDĀ VO͞O and Prestige events. “Following the positive response to the hockey-themed event, I want to combine business networking with sports by collaborating with our local sports teams like the Ottawa REDBLACKS, Ottawa Senators, or our new basketball team, Ottawa BlackJacks,” he says.

There are exciting plans in store for 2025 for RÄNDĀ VO͞O, RÄNDĀ VO͞O Prestige and MÄVVĪN CLASS, which will be revealed in the coming months. “My goal is to continue building more value and impact with these three brands and introduce new professionals to the RÄNDĀ VO͞O business network,” says McFarlane.

Connect with RÄNDĀ VO͞O via the website, on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or YouTube.

ALL PHOTOS: Courtesy RÄNDĀ VO͞O