Event Design

The tented check-in area was set up on the sidewalk just outside the restaurant; staffers dressed in the evening's color scheme of red, white, and silver.

The chefs were set up throughout the multilevel, multiroom venue. Each chef’s station was marked with an adhesive decal of his or her name applied to the wall overhead.

There were three signature cocktails served throughout the night, including the BNC Sting, a mix of Bombay Sapphire gin, lemon juice, honey, spiced Kaffir lime, pineapple puree, and coconut.

Candles housed inside red hand-blown glass torchieres and stemmed clear glass votives dominated the decor.

Servers wore buttons that displayed the event's Instagram tag.

A GuppyPod photo booth printed physical copies of guests’ Instagram shots tagged with #BNC25. Staffers pinned the images to fabric-covered walls for guests to pick up at their leisure.

Downstairs, large marquee letters spelling out "Food & Wine" surrounded a lounge area; the letters were re-used from 2012's Smash-themed Best New Chefs event.

Adhesive signage placed on the walls helped direct guests around the space.

Even the bathroom signage got an on-brand makeover, echoing the color scheme and fonts seen on the event's invitation.

Chef April Bloomfield served up haddock fritters with curry mayo inside bamboo cones printed with the logo of one of her restaurants, the John Dory Oyster Bar.

Grant Achatz served up a culinary spectacle by placing pieces of Wagyu short ribs on cinnamon sticks, then lighting the ends on fire for a fragrant touch.

Before introducing the evening’s honorees, organizers caught the attention of the crowd with a surprise performance by hip-hop violinist Damien Escobar.

To encourage tourism, British Airways and VisitBritain built a pop-up in New York—housed in 15,000 square feet of space inside SoHo's 82 Mercer—showcasing the current and past cultures of England, Scotland, and Wales. Held March 23 and 24, the promotion had a bar with a paper chandelier overhead. The chandelier featured cocktail recipes that guests could take home, as well as vintage photos of Great Britain and pages from British literature.

Many of the displays for the exhibitors at the show were created by the production team, including the fish-shack-style booth from the Barbados Tourism Authority.

Wooden crates, vintage globes, and weathered leather trunks set the scene for the Passport to Wines bars, which had an ample supply of varietals from Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Argentina, and Spain.

As a smart and eye-catching way to integrate its brand into the overall decor, presenting sponsor Delta Air Lines had a departures-board-style display that hung from the ceiling and listed the day's activities.