On July 22, Events by André Wells designed the screening for the new James Brown film Get on Up in Washington at the Newseum. The event included centerpieces strung with old-fashioned records, in honor of the singer.
The sold-out event took place in San Diego for the 45th year July 24-27. Related parties included the Sin City event, which was produced by Chad Hudson Events for the Weinstein Company and Dimension Films. Held at the Hard Rock Hotel, the event featured projections of the film's characters on the surface of the rooftop pool.
To create buzz for its upcoming drama Dig, the network posted the hashtag #DigDeeper throughout the Gaslamp District. In addition to on storefronts, restaurants, and cars, the #DigDeeper hashtag was written in the sky.
At an event for The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1, guests could preview the film's first teaser trailer on the Galaxy Tab S. The bash took place at the Hard Rock Hotel.
The Watermill Center benefit was held in the Hamptons on July 26. At the entrance of the artful affair, Christina Sotirpolou's "369w" vignette featured headpieces made from cardboard, steel mesh, and stockings.
On July 17, the experiential marketing, social media, and branding agency gave its client event an offbeat theme inspired by Pee-wee's Playhouse. Once inside MKG's New York offices, guests could pose for a photo on a blue chair with googly eyes, inspired by the "Chairry" character from the old Saturday morning cartoon.
In keeping with the quirky "playhouse" theme, Riviera Caterers served carnival-inspired fare. Items included corn dogs served in long, grassy trays with packages of ketchup and mustard strung overhead.
BizBash columnist Ted Kruckel reported from the Hamptons, "All the staging and styling for the Beaches & Bays gala on June 28 seemed to make perfect sense for the cause. For starters, the step-and-repeat done on clear, reusable plexiglass panels made perfect sense. It’s the first time I’d seen it done this way and I hope not the last."
Disposable tableware doesn’t have to be a drain on the environment thanks to Susty Party. The Brooklyn-based business offers colorful, eco-friendly supplies in lots of mix-and-match patterns and styles. Made from renewable resources and sustainably harvested plants, the products are nontoxic, BPA-free, and compostable.
For an inventive meeting snack, the Four Seasons Hotel Washington, D.C., serves blocks of peanut brittle that guests can break apart with hammers.
Despite its earth-toned color palette, Global Green's Oscar party had a subtle shine with seafoam green sequined tabletops.
At Diffa's Dining by Design in New York last year, Smartwater's space aimed to reflect the brand's natural water purification process, which is mirrored after rain clouds. The fluffy fixtures lit up like a storm above the simple table setting.
Inspired by the celestial "Soar Beyond" theme of this year's gala in Chicago, designer Rishi Patel of HMR Designs incorporated butterflies and images of sunshine and clouds into the decor. The event was held in April.
Marc Jacobs capped off a snow- and ice-filled Fashion Week schedule with a palate cleanser of a show evident immediately from the 500 soft sculpture clouds—individually hung at two different points and slightly altering heights—encased in stretch-jersey-covered foam. The set designer was Stefan Beckman, and KCD produced the 2014 show.
At the summertime fund-raiser outside of Chicago in 2010, Bill Heffernan of HMR Designs used thousands of sheets of cellophane and chromed lightbulbs to design 16 cloud-like chandeliers. As night fell, a pink lighting scheme gave the floating fixtures a raspberry-hued glow.
In March, Target hosted an event in New York to launch Pillowfort, a new line of home decor for children. Areas in the event space were themed according to motifs within the collection. In the "Floral Fields" area, decor stretched up to the sky with faux clouds. Caravents produced the activation.
To celebrate the opening of a Magritte exhibit in 2014, the Chicago-based museum hosted a gala with decor from HMR Designs. Riffing off the Belgian artist's surrealistic work, the design firm filled the dining room with 45 floating clouds. Images of clouds and blue skies also decorated the tabletops.
The iconic retailer celebrated its 111th anniversary with a gala in New York in 2012. With 13 cloud-like shapes spun from pure raw cotton suspended overhead, Van Wyck & Van Wyck bathed the Grand Ballroom in Bergdorf's signature hue by changing out the room's chandeliers with 300 hand-dipped lavender light bulbs.
The National Ballet of Canada went with a “White Hot” theme for its fourth annual fund-raiser at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Four models dressed in white body suits and wigs stood guard atop risers on the stage as guests entered the hall for dinner, and event organizers created a cloud effect on the stage.
The line between movie magic and reality was blurred at the Warner Brothers party for the American premiere of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix in Los Angeles in 2007. Following the film's screening, 900 guests found themselves immersed in the wizard world of ancient castles, prophesies, and enchanted fireplaces for the premiere party. In one area, attendees could lounge under a ceiling that featured alternating projections of clouds dotting blue skies and stormy weather.
The 2014 Watermill Center benefit was held in the Hamptons. At the entrance of the artful affair, Christina Sotirpolou's "369w" vignette featured headpieces made from cardboard, steel mesh, and stockings.
A floating logo in the pool cast a subtle shadow that echoed the brand message.
