Finding unique bars is one of my favorite activities whenever I visit a city. Most of the time, I rely on friends that live in some place to show me their locals and haunts. But the most exciting finds are those just stumbled across out of the blue. 

Co-editor Michael and I were walking last night in Vancouver's Gastown looking for a bar to experience. We were about to enter one when Michael saw a sign pointing to a nearby basement bar. Well now, what do we have here, we thought. What we have, we discovered, was greatness. 

The place is Guilt and Company. The vibe is welcoming and fun. The staff all wear suspenders and hats. The music is jazzy (at least last night it was).  

"Our stage is an experiment. We bring artists (who may never have even met before) together to improvise on stage. It is a format that is entirely new to Vancouver…and it is exciting! Every performance is one of a kind," said the venue's website. Our kitchen is an experiment. We make pickles and antipastos from scratch. We make our own mustards and potato chips. You can buy a chunk of cheese off the wheel behind the bar. Our bar is an experiment. We infuse alcohols. We make all of our own bitters, tinctures and garnishes. Some of our drinks have aphrodisiac qualities. Others come with Polaroid pictures. We encourage collaboration, socialization, mingling and playing one or more of our 14 board games…preferably with people you’ve never met before."

Encouraging collaboration, socialization and mingling with people you've never met before sounds exactly like one of the many goals of WEC, of actually the whole meeting industry. In fact, let's just expand that and say that's what life is about. 

Guilt and Company features a comedy night on Wednesdays and live music Thursday through Saturday. I'll be going back there tonight after the Welcome Reception. Perhaps you'll join me?