Donavan Robinson

The National Institute for Play and its connection to Winnipeg. One small connection made the meeting even more memorable: Lauren told me her mother was from Winnipeg. We were talking across borders about play, and suddenly our city was part of the story, too.

Bringing more play to the Manitoba Children’s Museum’s Auction Gala. How do you add more play to one of Winnipeg's most playful places? You bring it right to the table. Pop CoLab teamed up with the Manitoba Children’s Museum to create a custom Game CoLab experience for its Play It Forward Gala. The goal was simple: help guests connect, have fun and play together.

A few years ago, when malls were struggling and major retailers were closing locations, I remember saying that I didn’t think physical retail was going away. I thought the reason we use those spaces would change. Less about simply going somewhere to buy something. More about giving people a reason to actually go somewhere. Experiences. Connection. Discovery. Play. And we’re starting to see that shift happen.