Winner: ILEA Minnesota Star Awards: An Undercover Affair
Submitted by ILEA Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter
ILEA Minnesota-St. Paul Chapter’s 14th annual awards ceremony in April had an international espionage theme, inviting guests to wear creative disguise get-ups and James Bond-style tuxedos to the Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake. The event, which drew 166 attendees during a snowstorm, featured spy-inspired highlights focusing on various countries. Elements included a Heathrow Airport-theme pre-function with a “Smoking Gun” culinary station that had smoke-infused duck breast and Scotch eggs served in metal briefcases; and a Pan Am-theme waiting room that had pillows printed in Russian, Tokyo, and British Airways vintage logos. Winners walked up to accept their awards to the Mission Impossible score.
Photo: Joe Szurszewski
Winner: CNN Political Hangover Brunch 2018
Submitted by Advoc8 & Occasions Caterers
Held every year on the morning following the White House Correspondents’ Dinner in Washington, CNN’s Political Hangover Brunch celebrates the news network’s talent, shows, and teams involved in White House reporting. This year’s event featured an Alice in Wonderland theme with traditional tea sandwiches, a tater tot bar, and bite-size breakfast pastries, plus the “Mad Hatter’s Rabbit Hole” crudite display, which stood five feet tall and featured dangling vegetables and playing cards.
Photo: Andy DelGiudice
Winner: C2 Montréal
Submitted by C2 Montréal
For the seventh edition of buzzy international business conference C2 Montréal in May, organizers used out-of-the-box networking experiences, innovative decor, and a diverse slate of speakers to foster attendee interaction. Appropriately, the event adopted the theme of “Transformative Collisions,” and more than 73,500 connections were made through the conference’s Klik event scheduling platform and smart badge. This year’s C2 Montréal drew more than 7,000 people from 60 countries in 34 different industries, the conference’s largest attendance to date.
Photo: Courtesy of C2 Montréal
Winner: TNT The Alienist Premiere Experience
Submitted by Civic Entertainment Group
For the red-carpet premiere of TNT’s The Alienist, held in Los Angeles in January, Civic Entertainment Group transformed the New York City set at Paramount Pictures with hand-built decor elements, lounge furniture, and props inspired by the show’s 1896 setting. Vaudeville acts performed, food served from wagons created a vintage night market-like setting, and the cast was transported to the event in a horse-drawn carriage. A 20-minute video by Little Cinema featured scenes from the show and was highlighted by a live orchestra, an opera singer, dancers, and falling snow.
Photo: Tod Seelie
Winner: Axios One-Year Anniversary Party
Submitted by Advoc8
One year after the launch of its new media company, Axios hosted a celebration for influencers, political insiders, and media in Washington in January 2018. Inspired by the event sponsor Boeing, the event featured an aviation theme that included an airport gate sign outside of the venue; an airport “lounge” with smart suitcases that charged phones; a party space behind a door that mimicked the side of an airplane; and aviation-inspired gin cocktails. Advoc8, Hargrove, and Axios’s event team produced the event.
Photo: Chuck Kennedy
Winner: New York Interconnect Upfront
Submitted by Twenty Three Layers
The upfront event for New York Interconnect introduced the greater New York area to brand advertisers and content creators, and boasted a “Greater Together” concept to represent the teaming up of the three large companies (Altice, Charter, and Comcast) to create NYI. To play off the theme, clever vinyl branding that highlighted things that are “greater together,” such as Oprah and Gayle and peanut butter and jelly, lined the venue. Also, custom flooring with converging lines was used to create directional pathways for the check-in lines.
Photo: Courtesy of Twenty Three Layers
Winner: Orthopedic Institute for Children’s Stand for Kids Gala
Submitted by CL22 Productions
Gala guests were taken on a technicolor voyage through a modern-day setting that was a combination of “boho chic” and whimsical Venetian carnival. Vibrant-color tents filled with on-theme accessories such as umbrellas, beaded masks, and fringed lace shawls allowed attendees to play dress-up. An opalescent stage featured cascading crystals, multi-colored jewels, and crystal lanterns while eclectic lounges boasted a mix of seating in a variety of patterns and textures like weathered leather and burnout velvets.
Photo: Courtesy of CL22 Productions
Winner: The Village Gala
Submitted by the University of Southern California
The University of Southern California celebrated 1,000 trustees, donors, alumni, and government officials for their contributions to the U.S.C. Village Central Piazza, a two-year, $700-million mixed-use project that was completed in October 2017. The gala featured entertainment from more than 420 student performers from four of the university’s art schools, including the Trojan Marching Band, a flash mob choreographed by the School of Dramatic Arts, and a Greek hymn performed by 60 choir members and a 50-person orchestra. The finale event combined music and video projections, which depicted an animated garden mapped onto the village buildings.
Photo: Courtesy of University of Southern California
Winner: San Francisco MoMA Directors Circle Dinner
Submitted by Got Light
For the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s Directors Circle Dinner in March, Got Light used lighting to create a surreal underwater effect inspired by artist Vija Celmins. Custom-made drape created an illusion of rippling waves, and LED uplighting slowly shifted through shades of blue. The goal was to transport guests, most of whom were the museum’s top donors, into a “soft, ethereal world,” according to organizers.
Photo: Irja Elisa for Show Ready
Winner: ToyotaFest 2017
Submitted by MC-2
Toyota moved its North American headquarters from Torrance, California, to Plano, Texas, relocating 90 percent of employees. To thank them, the auto brand threw a private festival for employees and their families in September 2017 at its 22-acre campus. Hosting 12,000 attendees, the event featured 10 bands playing across five stages, 37 interactive games, 32 vehicle displays, two mechanical bulls, a Ferris wheel, a tailgate zone, a beer garden, a kids area, and a Texas-theme food plaza. The six-hour event also had a test track.
Photo: Courtesy of MC-2
Winner: Neutrogena x Kerry Washington In-Store Event
Submitted by B Floral
For this Neutrogena in-store event with actress Kerry Washington, which was held at Ulta Beauty on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, New York-based floral design company B Floral created a branded ombré floral wall backdrop constructed entirely out of fresh flowers, including various shades of roses, calla lilies, and orchids. The floral colors were inspired by the makeup color palette.
Photo: Courtesy of B Floral
Winner: Resist Sister: The Handmaid’s Tale Season 2 at SXSW
Submitted by CSM LeadDog
To promote the second season of Hulu’s dystopian drama series The Handmaid’s Tale, the streaming network partnered with CSM LeadDog to create seven freestanding art installations in high-traffic areas in downtown Austin during South by Southwest in March. The installations featured the handmaid’s costume from the show that appeared to light on fire with technology using light and water vapor. The costumes were enclosed in glass etched with the hashtag #ResistSister. At each installation, female brand ambassadors appeared with customized “I Resist” jean jackets that also displayed messages of female empowerment.
Photo: Steven Snow
Winner: Dell Boomi President’s Club FY’19
Submitted by SpotOn Events
In order to thank its sales team’s efforts, technology company Dell Boomi worked with SpotOn Events to create a series of 12 events in six days in Buenos Aires in May. Designed to surprise and delight employees and promote teambuilding, the events took on the themes of earth, air, fire, and water. More than 120 guests attended the events, which included a welcome dinner cooked by a celebrity chef, a private walking tour of the Iguazu Falls in Brazil, and more. One highlight: a day on a private island that was transformed into an adult summer camp filled with eye-catching art installations.
Photo: Courtesy of SpotOn Events
Winner: Barclaycard & Uber Visa ‘Road to Rewards’ Media Event
Submitted by BMF Media
For this event, BMF Media was tasked with bringing the benefits of the Uber Visa Card to life with an influencer and media trip. The weekend in Los Angeles featured a curated itinerary filled with creative activities around arts and culture, food and drink, health and fitness, shopping and style, and entertainment. Plenty of Instagrammable moments were integrated throughout the event so influencers could generate buzz and increase messaging reach around the card. Throughout the weekend, guests were transported in branded Uber Visa Card vehicles, equipped with iPads with Netflix and Hulu shows to highlight the digital subscription benefit.
Photo: Courtesy of BMF Media
Winner: Indeed Interactive Worldwide 2018
Submitted by VIVA Creative
During Indeed Interactive Worldwide 2018, held in Austin in May, VIVA Creative designed a custom 30-foot-wide kinetic touch wall that incorporated projection mapping, sound, and kinetic paint. Interactive content showcased Indeed’s brand story and also helped attendees choose which expo booths to visit first, therefore enhancing guest flow throughout the event. Overall, the touch wall gained 8,000 onsite interactions and thousands of social media impressions.
Photo: Raymond McCarthy Bergeron
Winner: Mediasite Connect
Submitted by Sonic Foundry
Mediasite Connect aims to be a one-stop-shop for event management needs, including commerce tools, live chat, registration, and live streaming. The platform drives engagement during the event by providing chat boxes where attendees can comment and ask questions; organizers can also add quizzes, polls, or other annotations to live-streamed videos. Other features allow for flexible online registration for remote attendees, the ability for videos to stream to Facebook and YouTube in real-time, and a dedicated team of project managers who can provide support before, during, and after the event.
Photo: Courtesy of Sonic Foundry
Winner: March of Dimes Imagine a World
Submitted by Allied Experiential
Inspired by the idea that every baby deserves to grow up and change the world, March of Dimes launched its refreshed branding with “Imagine a World,” an introduction to the organization’s new positioning and continued fight to ensure every mom and baby is healthy. The three-day event featured interactive family-friendly displays and activities that encouraged participants to share their stories through videos and photos on site and via social media.
Photo: Courtesy of Allied Experiential
Winner: Fête Chinoise 2017
Submitted by Palettera
Held in Toronto last November, the Fête Chinoise Signature Gala Showcase aimed to showcase modern Chinese culture through hospitality, beauty, fashion, and art to an audience of event hosts, designers, and influencers. Ten different vignettes had distinct food and beverage pairings such as the Mid-Autumn Festival Room, where a stylish tablescape was paired with fresh mooncakes and tea, and the Chinese New Year vignette, where guests received custom hand-written calligraphy cards with their horoscopes. A Jade Garden space, sponsored by HSBC Canada, was transformed into a garden with more than $200,000 worth of jadeite sculptures.
Photo: Courtesy of Palettera
Winner: Moxy Hotels, Times Square Grand Opening
Submitted by IMG Live
Moxy Times Square had its grand opening in October 2017, with a launch event produced by Made, a division of IMG Fashion, that turned part of the hotel into an adult playground. Targeted toward millennials, the Instagrammable event featured a variety of neon signage, a black-light basketball court dance floor, tire swings, and a pink ball pit. The event also had a puppy playpen where guests could adopt dogs. One of the event’s entertainment highlights was a live double dutch routine.
Photo: Samantha Nandez/BFA.com
Winner: Fifty & Fabulous
Submitted by Silhouette Group
For this weekend-long 50th-birthday celebration, guests first went “glamping” with luxe private tents and fire pits on the client’s Sonoma property. The itinerary included an intimate dinner with late-night karaoke and a morning campfire breakfast, along with activities such as yoga, archery, spa services, rosé pong, and more. Following the campout, the party continued with a celebration in the backyard of the family home with custom food stations and specialty cocktails.
Photo: Courtesy of Silhouette Group
Winner: GitHub Universe
Submitted by Manifold
Software development platform GitHub drew more than 1,000 developers to its conference in 2017 at Pier 70 in San Francisco. Sponsored art installations were a highlight and woven into the event. The installations included Axosoft GitKraken, a 12-foot 3-D representation of the GritKraken logo; the Black Duck installation created with hundreds of black rubber duckies; and Digital Ocean’s Conversation Wall, which featured custom tags that encouraged attendees to share their ideas and GitHub user handles. Other sponsors activated with food and beverage options, such as Waffle.io’s ice cream social and Compose’s Airstream coffee cart.
Photo: Courtesy of Manifold
Winner: New York Interconnect Upfront
Submitted by Twenty Three Layers
To demonstrate the geographical reach of New York Interconnect, Twenty Three Layers produced and designed mini rooms found in homes throughout the tri-state and greater New York area, including a New Jersey man cave, Hamptons kitchen, Manhattan living room, and Brooklyn studio. Plus, for News12, a NYI broadcast channel, the event planning company built a news set that included a branded backdrop, custom news desk, and mock set lights and cameras. Guests could sit behind the desk and play co-anchor against the backdrop of a faux storm.
Photo: Bashful Captures
Winner: The Experience by Dell Technologies at SXSW 2018
Submitted by Lacy Maxwell Experiential
Dell’s experience at South by Southwest in March aimed to highlight the brand’s closed-loop recycling process—and to promote its Legacy of Good campaign. Produced by Lacy Maxwell Experiential, the activation featured installations, including a photo booth created by photographer Benjamin Von Wong with what many would consider rejected scraps, a fish sculpture created with ocean plastic, and a ceiling installation featuring Nikki Reed’s line of repurposed metallic jewelry. The activation also hosted political forums, influencer events, and panels about corporate social responsibility in the tech industry.
Photo: Courtesy of Lacy Maxwell Experiential
Winner: Domino Blogger Awards
Submitted by The Gathery
For this inaugural award event, held in an industrial warehouse in Brooklyn, the Gathery turned tabletop design upside down, literally, with its clever interpretation of a holiday table that included a central sculptural piece representing the winners, along with the cities they would visit as their rewards. Modern wreaths complemented the avant-garde design. The event was a partnership between Domino and Tribute Portfolio hotels.
Photo: Courtesy of The Gathery
Winner: Oculus from Facebook—Campus Oculus at GDC 2018
Submitted by FG/PG
For the Game Developer Conference in San Francisco in March, Oculus by Facebook worked with FG/PG to create a stylish, inviting booth that showcased hands-on demos of the Oculus GO standalone VR headset. The two-story space was designed like a tech campus, with trees, communal seating, and open-air balconies. The second floor housed private meeting rooms, while the first floor had a stage devoted to deep dives into industry topics. Eye-catching LED walls on the outside of the booth promoted new game releases.
Photo: Courtesy of FG|PG
Winner: New York International Auto Show
Submitted by New York International Auto Show
The annual automotive industry trade show celebrated its 118th edition in April 2018, featuring more than 40 of the world’s major auto manufacturers and a record 61 vehicle debuts. The theme of the event was “Forward > Fast,” alluding to the fast-paced automotive industry, the development of electric and hybrid vehicles, and the pace of New York and its citizens. The show partnered with manufacturer Koenigsegg by including its hybrid super car Regera on the poster and also showcased the vehicle in the show’s exotics booth. More than 1,000 vehicles were on display during the 12-day event.
Photo: Courtesy of New York International Auto Show
Winner: Marriott Marquis Chicago Hotel Opening
Submitted by BMF Media
BMF Media produced the opening of the Marriott Marquis Chicago hotel in November 2017, combining standard event elements with innovative technologies such as cocktails that were created and delivered by drones and a mobile Hypno Eye photo booth that traveled to guests. To make the check-in area more exciting for guests, BMF created a visual entry wall that had a light projection of a Chicago streetscape map. The event also featured an interactive installation of LED stacked cubes that projected and mimicked the silhouettes of guests as they danced. The event resulted in 1.35 million social media impressions for Marriott.
Photo: Courtesy of BMF Media
Winner: Michelob Ultra—NYC Marathon
Submitted by Fusion Marketing
Last year, Michelob Ultra awarded 95 runners with entries to the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon to create #TeamUltra. In the lead-up to the marathon, consumers were able to learn about #TeamUltra and follow the runners on their training journeys via Facebook and Instagram. Plus, #TeamUltra runners were given access to a private Facebook group to share marathon prep tips and to get to know each other, fostering a community among the team.
Photo: Courtesy of Fusion Marketing
Winner: HBO Game of Thrones Season 7 Premiere Party
Submitted by BartKresa Studio
At the Los Angeles premiere party for Game of Thrones season 7, BartKresa Studio designed four animated projections inspired by the world of Westeros. Highlights included a dragon, which flew across the side of a building and engulfed it in flames, and a frozen tundra featuring the face of the Night King villain. Later, faces of the show’s actors appeared, followed by scenes from a mystical forest. The looks, which were displayed on the city’s famous Walt Disney Concert Hall, rotated throughout the evening.
Photo: Gabor Ekecs
Winner: I.B.M. Think Gallery
Submitted by Drury Design
The I.B.M. Think Gallery in Las Vegas in March showcased six of the company’s current projects using 18-foot-high digitally mapped video screens that surrounded visitors and allowed them to sit and think about what they were watching. The videos featured topics such as I.B.M.’s work to cut down on ocean pollution, how the human mind can help prevent disease, how the brand can cut down on gas leaks, and more. More than 15,000 people visited the gallery, which was produced by Drury Design.
Photo: Matthew Calkins
Winner: Shogyo Mujo: A Gem on the Burning Man Playa
Submitted by BartKresa Studio
BartKresa studio asked Manuel Reta III to document its Shogyo Mujo installation at Burning Man in Black Rock City, Nevada, in 2017. Reta’s videos captured both the creative and technical processes of the project’s projection mapping, as well as the execution of the concept. His documentary chronicles every facet of the event, from the texture of the dust to the energy of the audience to the glow of the projections.
Photo: Manuel Reta
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