'Phantom of the Opera’ 25th Anniversary Gala
The producers of the gala that followed The Phantom of the Opera's 25th anniversary performance on Broadway created a dramatic look for the event's entrance at the New York Public Library. A projection of red light formed a virtual red carpet on the grand steps, surrounded by hundreds of LED candles.
Photo: Carolyn Curtis/BizBash
San Francisco Ballet Gala
The San Francisco Ballet's annual gala took over San Francisco City Hall on January 24, bringing a striking look and bold color palette to the historic space. Set up for dinner, the rotunda was washed in colorful lighting projections, and lotus-shaped silk chandeliers hung overhead.
Photo: Courtesy of Blueprint Studios
614 Main Street Pop-Up at the Sundance Film Festival
At this year’s Sundance Film Festival, the Mint Agency and its sister agency the Branding Bee hosted a series of premiere parties in a pop-up at 614 Main Street in Park City, Utah. As a subtle way to incorporate branding and signage from sponsors into the speakeasy-style decor, the production team used three bookshelves as step-and-repeats.
Photo: Courtesy of the Mint Agency
Pull-Ups Potty Training Promotion
As part of a campaign to promote its brand to parents potty training their children, Pull-Ups put a 10-foot flushable toilet in New York's Times Square on Tuesday. To draw more attention to the oversize latrine, cheerleaders, stilt walkers, and jugglers staged a celebratory performance every time someone flushed.
Photo: Amy Sussman/AP Images for Kimberly Clark
P.G.A. Merchandise Show
At the P.G.A. Merchandise Show in Orlando January 24 to 26, Nike played off the name of its new Covert golf driver with an enclosed booth that created a sense of intrigue by requiring attendees to step inside to learn more.
Photo: Mitra Sorrells/BizBash
Screen Actors Guild Awards
As a contemporary interpretation of the Streamline Moderne style of the 1930s, the event team behind Sunday's Screen Actors Guild Awards designed the ceremony's stage with elements like a broken proscenium arch and vertical steel tubing that evoked the organ pipes of vintage movie theaters.
Photo: James Sequenzia
'People' and Entertainment Industry Foundation SAG Awards After-Party
Designer and producer Tony Schubert of Event Eleven gave Sunday's People and Entertainment Industry Foundation SAG Awards After-Party in Los Angeles a romantic look inspired by the 1930s and 1940s. That included using soft antique white drapery, red roses, and two massive custom Deco chandeliers.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography
Beck’s Sapphire Launch
Beck's is promoting its new Sapphire Beer with arty pop-up activations in vacant retail spaces across the country and previewed the Chicago version on January 24. The brand gave the former Escada space on Michigan Avenue a sleek, black look, with a jewel-like installation from German designer and engineer Moritz Waldemeyer in the center.
Photo: Jeff Schear
Interior Design Show, Toronto
Canada’s largest design fair brought more than 300 exhibitors to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre January 24 to 27. On opening night, Emily Quinn placed two half-dressed models with suggestively disheveled hair into a bed in its booth, a cheeky stunt that helped drive traffic.
Photo: Arash Moallemi
Pawpurrazzi
Karla Conceptual Event Experiences used patterned linens and hanging lanterns as part of the Moroccan theme for the Humane Society of Greater Miami’s annual Pawpurrazzi fund-raiser. The January 25 event at Jungle Island benefited the Adopt-a-Pet program.
Photo: Orlando L. Garcia
8. International Interior Design Association Black Tie Celebration
#8 Art & Architecture Event
The high-end celebration takes place during NeoCon, drawing 500 designers and manufactures to mingle and connect. The International Interior Design Association Black Tie Celebration includes cocktails, dinner, and dancing. Next: June 2013
The high-end celebration takes place during NeoCon, drawing 500 designers and manufactures to mingle and connect. The International Interior Design Association Black Tie Celebration includes cocktails, dinner, and dancing. Next: June 2013
Photo: IIDA
2. Lyric Opera’s Opening Night Gala Benefit and Opera Ball
#2 Theater, Dance, & Music Event
The eight-hour affair emanates a grand sense of occasion with red-carpet arrivals, a bugle-scored grand march, and opera stars. This year the Lyric Opera’s opening night gala benefit and Opera Ball includes a performance of Richard Strauss’s Elektra. Next: October 6, 2012
The eight-hour affair emanates a grand sense of occasion with red-carpet arrivals, a bugle-scored grand march, and opera stars. This year the Lyric Opera’s opening night gala benefit and Opera Ball includes a performance of Richard Strauss’s Elektra. Next: October 6, 2012
Photo: Cheri Eisenberg
1. American Cancer Society Discovery Ball
#1 Benefit (up from #3)
This year, the annual Discovery Ball served as a model for the society’s nationwide events and staffers from six major markets got "backstage training" at the illustrious affair. The benefit, which took over the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, raised a record-breaking $2.7 million, with a single auction lot bringing in an impressive $218,000. Next: April 27, 2013
This year, the annual Discovery Ball served as a model for the society’s nationwide events and staffers from six major markets got "backstage training" at the illustrious affair. The benefit, which took over the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, raised a record-breaking $2.7 million, with a single auction lot bringing in an impressive $218,000. Next: April 27, 2013
Photo: George Burns Photography Inc.
6. Shedd Aquarium Gala
#7 Benefit (up from #8)
The popular black-tie affair includes an aquatic show, an elegant dinner, and an after-party with a chocolate buffet, lavish specialty cocktails, and dancing in a tented area overlooking the lakes and the city’s fireworks show. ITW and McDonald’s are among the many corporate supporters. Next: Summer 2013
The popular black-tie affair includes an aquatic show, an elegant dinner, and an after-party with a chocolate buffet, lavish specialty cocktails, and dancing in a tented area overlooking the lakes and the city’s fireworks show. ITW and McDonald’s are among the many corporate supporters. Next: Summer 2013
Photo: Courtesy of John G. Shedd Aquarium
19. The Boys & Girls Clubs Summer Ball
#20 Benefit (up from #24)
This year, the 600-guest event took place at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel with an "Aqua" theme and raised $1 million. Next: Summer 2013
This year, the 600-guest event took place at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel with an "Aqua" theme and raised $1 million. Next: Summer 2013
Photo: Bob Carl
22. Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago’s Medicine Ball
#23 Benefit
Held at the Peninsula, the event had an "old Havana" theme this year and netted $750,000. Next: May 2013
Held at the Peninsula, the event had an "old Havana" theme this year and netted $750,000. Next: May 2013
Photo: Dan Rest
As part of Diffa's Student Design Initiative, five of New York's top design schools created installations for the showcase, under the direction of industry mentors and within a strict budget. Students from the Pratt Institute, working with mentor Arpad Baksa, used Pegboard, twinkle lights, and individually placed test tubes to create a sparkling rendering of a world map.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Diffa's four-day event ran alongside the Architectural Digest Home Show. Attendees entered the Diffa section of the trade show floor by walking through a tunnel of exposed lightbulbs that hung overhead.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Another trend spotted on the Diffa floor: black-and-white stripes. The Architectural Digest table featured the striking pattern on the china, the surrounding columns, a giant paper lantern, and the table itself. A centerpiece of brightly hued anemones and poppies popped against the stark palette.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
PRG used blue and orange lighting to illuminate the main dinner hall.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
PRG lit the central ceiling treatment in blue and adorned it with gobos of the ball and sponsor logos.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Hargrove set up the main stage in the center of the dinner tables to make the expansive convention center space seem more intimate.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Fox Ventures designed a mix of tall and shorter centerpieces all using orange and white flowers accented by votives around the base.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Hudson River Park Trust Spring Gala by Matthew David Hopkins
"We brought Hudson River Park activities to life. We created centerpieces using park activities and surprising facts, and peppered them throughout the room. Together with the playful ceiling and unexpected programming, guests were tantalized from all angles." —Matthew David Hopkins
Photos: Courtesy of 360 Design Events/Jamie Watts Photography (room), Zev Greenfield (bicycle wheel)
Harris Theater Gala by Bill Heffernan
"We designed sheer white fabric cubes floating low over each table. This produced both an impressive vision and gave an intimacy to the enormous tent. We accented them with summery yet minimal branch projections in a blue-green shade, providing detail and a coolness to the warm evening." —Bill Heffernan
Photo: Fandl Photography
Sheraton Wine Tasting by Andrew Stevens and Kim Swift
“We wanted to bring the Reidel brand to life organically with this centerpiece chandelier of 125 champagne flutes, each filled with a tinted resin and a ‘foam’ of micro glass beads.” —Andrew Stevens
Photo: Gregory Holm
A total of 44 white PVC balloons, each anchored by nylon rope, created a dramatic backdrop to the gala's black-and-white theme. The seven-foot diameter of the balloons were exactly the same as the 55 round dinner tables.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Purple ribbons anchored balloons to each of the 40 dinner tables.
Photo: Tay Kaune Photography
'Women's Wear Daily' Beauty Summit
The Women's Wear Daily Beauty Summit took place at Metropolitan Pavilion on May 21 and 22. The meeting had a sleek, all-white design from Shiraz Events. At breakfast, guests sat in clear Miro chairs at communal tables topped with white linens. The floral arrangements were simple birch vases holding cobble moss balls. "WWD aims for all summits to have an environment that is 'digital, modern, and global,' so we chose to work with the space at hand and create a futuristic aesthetic by the use of all white," said Brian Hanley of Shiraz.
Photo: Sean Smith
