Beanfield Centre car service in Toronto now means the Automotive Building (formerly Beanfield Centre / Allstream Centre) at 105 Princes' Boulevard, Exhibition Place. It is about 5 km and 10 to 20 minutes from Union Station and about 24 km and 25 to 40 minutes from Toronto Pearson. Check what else is on at Exhibition Place that day, and book an hourly chauffeur for galas with open-ended finishes.
Most invitations still say "Beanfield Centre", and some say "Allstream Centre". Exhibition Place now calls the building the Automotive Building, and our Beanfield Centre car service page explains the name history and the venue. This post is the event-day companion: what else might be happening on the grounds, how a gala night actually unfolds, when the GO train or the streetcar is a better choice, and the small decisions that make arrivals smooth.
Beanfield Centre car service: why does the rest of Exhibition Place matter?
Because the building does not stand alone. The Automotive Building sits within Exhibition Place, beside the Enercare Centre and near BMO Field, Coca-Cola Coliseum and Hotel X. On a quiet weekday, getting in and out is easy. On an evening when a Toronto FC or Argonauts game, a concert and a large show at Enercare coincide with your gala, the access roads and Lake Shore Boulevard fill up together.
The first planning step is simple: check the Exhibition Place visitor information and the events calendars for the grounds on your date. Our dispatchers do the same, and they time arrivals around the crowd, not into it.
Which Exhibition Place events affect traffic most?
A few recurring ones change the whole area:
- The CNE, from late August to Labour Day, transforms the grounds; see our CNE page and the CNE's official site for dates.
- Games at BMO Field, where kick-off and the final whistle bring tens of thousands of fans through the same gates; our BMO Field games page covers the timing.
- Large public shows at the Enercare Centre, such as the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in November.
- Summer festivals and concerts on and around the grounds.
If your event falls on one of these days, plan the arrival earlier and the departure later than you otherwise would. Tell guests too: a note on the invitation suggesting an earlier arrival on a game night saves a lot of anxious messages from cars stuck on Lake Shore Boulevard.
How does a gala night at the Automotive Building actually run?
A typical gala of several hundred guests follows a pattern:
- 5:45 p.m. Hosts and sponsors arrive for photographs and briefings.
- 6:00 to 6:45 p.m. The main arrival window; most guests come in a 45-minute wave.
- 7:00 p.m. Dinner and programme begin; the cars move to holding areas or nearby legal waiting spots.
- 9:45 p.m. The first guests, often those with babysitters or early flights, leave.
- 10:30 to 11:30 p.m. The main departure, staggered as guests linger.
An hourly chauffeur fits that shape exactly: the car is there when you are ready, not at a time guessed weeks ago. The hourly minimum is 3 hours for sedans, SUVs and Sprinters, with extra time in 30-minute blocks, so a gala from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. plus travel is a predictable booking.
GO train, streetcar, walking or a car: what is honest advice?
Exhibition Place is well served by transit, and for some guests it is the right answer. Exhibition GO station on the Lakeshore West line is next to the grounds; check GO Transit for times. TTC streetcars run to Exhibition Loop; check the TTC for current routes. Guests staying at King West hotels can walk.
| Option | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
| GO train | Guests from Oakville, Mississauga or Union Station | Evening timetables and a walk to the hall |
| TTC streetcar | Downtown guests travelling light | Crowds after big events on the grounds |
| Walking | King West and Liberty Village hotels | Weather, formalwear and heels |
| Taxi or ride-hail | Unplanned single trips | Surges and waits after events end |
| Hourly chauffeur | Hosts, sponsors, couples, guests from the suburbs | Book ahead; 3-hour minimum |
The car wins when the evening is long, the dress code is formal, the weather is poor, or the guest lives in the suburbs or near Pearson.
How far is the Automotive Building from where guests come from?
Planning figures from our dispatchers; event days add time:
| From | To the Automotive Building | Typical drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Union Station and the Financial District | about 5 km | 10 to 20 min |
| Toronto Pearson (YYZ) | about 24 km | 25 to 40 min |
| Billy Bishop (YTZ), Eireann Quay | about 3 km | 5 to 15 min |
| Yorkville and Midtown | about 8 km | 15 to 25 min |
| Mississauga City Centre | about 27 km | 25 to 40 min |
| Markham | about 35 km | 35 to 50 min |
From Pearson we use Highway 427 and the Gardiner Expressway, then Lake Shore Boulevard. We check Ontario 511 for Gardiner lane closures before every evening run.
Where should out-of-town guests stay for an Exhibition Place event?
Hotel X Toronto stands on the grounds themselves, a short walk from the building; our post on Hotel X Toronto car service covers its arrivals. King West and the Entertainment District are 1 to 4 km away, and our Entertainment District hotels page lists that area. Financial District hotels are about 5 km away. Our travel desk books rooms and flights on one search, so we can time the car to the right hotel.
What vehicle suits each guest at a Beanfield Centre event?
Match the car to the role:
- Honorees and keynote speakers: a first-class sedan by the hour.
- Sponsors hosting a table: a premier luxury SUV for up to six.
- Hotel shuttles for delegates: 12-seat Sprinters running timed waves.
- Wedding parties: our own sedans, SUVs and Sprinters, with stretch limousines from vetted partner operators.
Guests using a wheelchair can book our wheelchair-accessible vehicle in advance; tell us about the chair or scooter at booking.
How do congress delegates use cars over several days?
Association congresses often pair exhibitions in the Enercare halls with plenaries and banquets in the Automotive Building. Delegates staying downtown may walk or take transit by day and want a car only for the banquet night and the airport. Organisers often run Sprinter waves between the main hotels and the grounds each morning and evening. Our post on Enercare Centre parking and drop-off covers the neighbouring halls, and the event shuttle planning guide explains waves and staging.
What about weddings and private celebrations?
The building's large ballroom and lake views make it a choice for big weddings and cultural celebrations. Couples usually book one hourly car for themselves, another for close family, and shuttles for guests between hotels and the hall. One rule applies to every one of our vehicles: alcohol is not allowed on board, so no champagne in the car; save the toast for the reception. Our wedding limo page covers photo stops and timing.
What should organisers send dispatch before a big night?
A one-page brief prevents most problems. Include the event name as printed on the invitation, the arrival window and the programme timings, the expected end, the VIP list with each guest's car and pickup address, any arrival sequence or holding area the venue has set, and a single on-site contact with a mobile number. If security or a red-carpet photo call is involved, add the times. With that, dispatch can stagger the cars so VIPs arrive in the right order and nobody idles in the drop-off lane while others queue behind.
Can guests flying in be met at Pearson or Billy Bishop?
Yes, and for a weekend event it is often the first leg of the plan. Pearson is about 24 km and 25 to 40 minutes from the building; Billy Bishop is only about 3 km away, a 5 to 15 minute drive from the mainland pavilion on Eireann Quay, which makes it attractive for guests flying from Ottawa, Montreal and other short-haul cities. We track every flight. Curbside pickup in Pearson's pre-arranged area is included, and meet and greet inside arrivals with a name board is an add-on at booking.
Which mistakes cause delays at Exhibition Place?
- Using an old venue name with no address. Always give 105 Princes' Boulevard.
- Ignoring the calendar. A BMO Field game at the same time as your arrivals adds real minutes.
- Booking a one-way ride home for a gala. The finish time is a guess; book hourly.
- No agreed pickup point. On big nights the car may wait a short walk from the door.
- Late changes by group chat. Send changes to dispatch, not just to the chauffeur.
How should the end of the night be handled?
The worst moment of any event is the last 20 minutes, when everyone leaves at once. Three tactics help. First, agree a pickup point with the chauffeur in advance, which may be a short walk to a quieter road on the grounds. Second, message the chauffeur ten minutes before you plan to leave, so the car is moving when you reach the door. Third, if the evening runs late, simply extend the hourly booking by text in 30-minute blocks. For guests heading to different parts of the city, a few cars staged for a drop-off sequence beat one large vehicle doing a long tour of Etobicoke, Midtown and Markham after midnight.
What about winter and holiday-season events?
December brings company holiday parties and year-end galas, and with them freezing rain, wind off the lake and early darkness. Formalwear and winter coats make a door-to-door car especially welcome. Our cars run winter tires from November to April. Our Christmas parties and New Year's Eve page covers the busiest nights of the season; book early, because December evenings fill first.
What does the fare include?
The reservation engine shows the fixed, all-in fare before you confirm: chauffeur, vehicle, fuel, 407 ETR tolls on the planned route, airport fees and gratuity, with HST shown separately. No meter and no surge when the gala ends. What changes the fare is the vehicle class, the hours, the distance, extra stops and the date. Cancellation is free more than 72 hours before pickup.
How do I book?
Open the reservation engine, enter "Automotive Building, 105 Princes' Boulevard, Exhibition Place" as the address, add the event name exactly as it appears on your invitation, choose hourly service and the vehicle. For a group of cars, our corporate events and galas page explains how multi-vehicle evenings are coordinated. Exhibition Place's page for the building has venue details.
