Surface Grooves debuted a new custom-fabricated, laser-cut centerpiece for the 21st Living Landmarks Celebration, which takes place November 6 at the Plaza. The lighted decor item features a reusable base and removable panels that can be switched out for each event.
Photo: Cornelia Stiles/BizBash
A custom table that continued up a wall featured artfully arranged truffles along with fresh fruit, nuts, and spices, all set in a bed of melted chocolate.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
A large screen displayed social media posts about Godiva's truffle flights activation.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Inside the V.I.P. tent, a custom tasting table from Abel McCallister Designs seated 16 guests.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
A six-sided structure had photo backdrops with themes related to truffle flavors that encouraged passersby to participate in the activation and post to social media. A glittery "Tiara Miss-U Pageant" setup promoted the tiramisu truffle.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Barbells weighted with oversize nut truffles were part of a sports-theme "It's Crunch Time" vignette.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Passersby were invited to sit in a teacup for the "Espresso Yourself" backdrop tied to the café au lait mousse truffle.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
The campaign's hashtag was printed on napkins to encourage social sharing.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Consumers could taste a truffle at Godiva's activation at Gansevoort Plaza in New York's meatpacking district. Staff had iPads on hand to collect email addresses for follow-up materials, and consumers also could make on-the-spot purchases.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
In a new take on the traditional photo backdrop, guests bounced on a trampoline before having their photo taken. Side rails around the custom station kept guests safe.
Photo: Roderick Peña
Blue velvet Louis XVI ottomans offered a pop of color and a luxurious seating option among the eclectic furnishings. "I wanted this one to feel a little haphazard," said Todd Events owner and chief creative officer Todd Fiscus, who designed the event. He said he chose elements that were "whimsical and fun."
Photo: Roderick Peña
The reception-style event did not have sit-down tables, so Todd Events provided some casual low furniture for guests who wanted a seat. Oversize black heat lamps were both decorative and practical.
Photo: Roderick Peña
One of the games asked guests to estimate the number of peanuts in an eight-foot-tall tube (answer: about 73,000). Two fabricated elephants flanked the tube.
Photo: Roderick Peña
Guests had to win their dessert—a Sprinkles cupcake—by shooting a toy dart gun into the cupcake cutouts.
Photo: Roderick Peña
At a flavored popcorn station, custom-built stands had a false fill at the top so they never appeared empty. Serving staff refilled the popcorn at the base as needed.
Photo: Roderick Peña
Bottles from sponsor Belvedere were used in the ring toss. Winners received a band from Michele Watches.
Photo: Roderick Peña
Florals at the event included a ball of carnations that evoked the classic image of a circus elephant standing on a ball.
Photo: Roderick Peña
Several featured cocktails were served atop white glass columns that were lit underneath with LED lights. The ingredients were printed on the front of the columns, and the napkins had the exact recipe.
Photo: Roderick Peña
A fortune teller offered sartorial advice such as how guests could upgrade their outfits at sponsor Neiman Marcus.
Photo: Roderick Peña
Instead of typical carousel horses, the First Look Party had mannequins who wore several watches on their arms—as well as latex horse heads.
Photo: Roderick Peña
A colorful canopy covered the outdoor food stations.
Photo: Roderick Peña
Guests arriving at Industria Superstudio were met by groupings of oversize branded balloons in Veuve Clicquot yellow, along with branded bicycles to echo the event's transportation theme.
Photo: BFA NYC
At the top of the ramp inside Industria Superstudio sat a Veuve Clicquot truck that doubled as a champagne bar. The event served as the launch of the Veuve Clicquot mail truck's summer tour.
Photo: BFA NYC
Staff of model-cum-waiters donned Oxford shirts that bore the Veuve Clicquot's logo on the chest and the event's #ClicquotMail hashtag across the upper back. Behind them stood a mail slot-like setup where guests could take mini sandwiches and desserts at their leisure; staffers on the other side refilled the spots throughout the event.
Photo: BFA NYC
Options at the automat-style food station included club sandwiches with turkey, cheddar, and bacon or avocado, gruyere, and caramelized onion; as well as banana cream pies and milkshakes, all in miniaturized form.
Photo: BFA NYC
Directly opposite from the food station was a similar setup where guests could have their champagne flutes topped off. Postal stations on either side allowed guests to fill out postcards given at check-in and have a bottle of Veuve Clicquot sent to themselves or a friend in celebration of summer.
Photo: BFA NYC
Along the far wall of the venue was a large hedge behind which stood a series of Veuve Clicquot mailboxes, each with its own dedicated mail depository.
Photo: BFA NYC
Each Veuve Clicquot mailbox contained a different message notecard for guests to keep as a memento or send to another partygoer.
Photo: BFA NYC
The new Clicquot Mail containers also doubled as popcorn dispensers, which were placed throughout the event as decor and provided attendees with another snack option.
Photo: BFA NYC
Given the event's thematic mailbox decor, replica mail depositories were stationed throughout the event as cheeky and playful props.
Photo: BFA NYC
Catered by Laurence Craig Catering, miniature sirloin sliders in potato buns were among the bite-size foods served during the event. In keeping with the event theme, each box bore a custom Veuve Clicquot postage stamp.
Photo: BFA NYC
Throughout the event, wait staff refilled guests' flutes with Veuve Clicquot. Other staffers wore branded mail bags and served as on-site messengers, delivering personalized note cards from one guest to another.
Photo: BFA NYC
Monogram Dinner by Design Presented by Caesarstone
The second annual Monogram Dinner by Design Presented by Caesarstone took place January 19 to 24 at the Design Exchange in Toronto. The event showcased 12 interactive dining installations from architect and design firms. The setting from firm Bortolotto was designed to have guests feel like they were dining in a construction site overlooking the city's skyline.
Photo: Ryan Emberley
The goal of ArchitectsAlliance setting was to demonstrate that design can "express a profound sense of connection." With white curtains surrounding a white table and bench, the installation held at its center a clear bowl filled with statements written on neon paper.
Photo: Ryan Emberley
Guests entered through a hall covered with the faces of people whom the Robin Hood Foundation helps.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash
Statistics about education and poverty in New York and famous quotes from writers like Thomas Carlyle punctuated each sculpture, including a structure made from JanSport backpacks, baby onesies, and Lego-like blocks.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash
The idea of "giving 100 percent" worked its way into every element of the event.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash
The New York skyline topped one of the bars, re-created with cans of corn.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash
Pairs of tube socks formed a plume of smoke coming from the house built of T-shirts and towels.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash
Thousands of actual pencils taped to a giant pencil sculpture gave it authentic coloring.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash
"The chair was the one that eluded us for the longest," said designer David Stark of the structure that required 2,000 bottles of water to be individually clipped into place.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash
Some 1,500 New Yorkers will receive a new pair of Nikes after the cyclone is dismantled.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash
XO laptops replaced flowers as centerpieces in the dining room, flashing images of bouquets and alerting diners to their next course.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash
A 360-degree graphic of the New York skyline, with Robin Hood's signature silhouette, surrounded the dining room.
Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash
The event showcased a giant wall that explained the steps of how cotton becomes denim, which is then recycled into insulation. The diagonal sections each had a backdrop of the item relevant to the process it described.
Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash
The gallery had a life-size timeline that highlighted notable moments in history when celebrities including Beyoncé and Rihanna sported denim outfits.
Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash
Another wall featured a backdrop made of insulation that provided statistics including how many pairs of jeans it takes to create enough for one home, as well as organizations such as Habitat for Humanity that have received insulation from the program.
Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash
A GIF photo booth featured a backdrop of various jean washes.
Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash
On-theme decor included centerpieces made out of cotton.
Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash
Medair New York Gala
Floral centerpieces studded with proteas in muted hues were displayed using ​similar ​industrial materials.
Photo: Kent Miller
After dinner, guests retreated to a "glamping" theme after-party. The custom 12-by-14-foot tents were filled with custom benches by Fragrant Design, as well as directors chairs and decorative lanterns. Each tent had a dedicated server for food and drink service.
Photo: Alain Milotti
For its return to hosting a pre-Thanksgiving lunch at Rockefeller Center, Arnold Worldwide—OceanSpray's long-time brand experience agency—enlisted Tyger Productions to create a classic and festive setup whereby guests sat in a 20- by 60-foot cranberry bog filled with an estimated one million cranberries. The 12- by 36-foot arbor was covered in autumn foliage to create a cozy cocoon for diners that was simultaneously visible to passersby.
Photo: Will Star Photography
More than 21,000 gallons of water filled the OceanSpray bog, with classic wooden dining chairs installed on the floor of the rubber membrane-lined space. The legs were protected with waterproof cladding while the membrane, built by Sonalysts, was leveled against the slope of the site.
Photo: Will Star Photography
The 32-foot-long dining table in the center of the eye-catching OceanSpray bog was anchored by oversize autumnal floral arrangements of lush blossoms, greens, and fruits. Handmade crocheted table runners were paired with rose-gold glass candleholders.
Photo: Will Star Photography
Celebrity chef Curtis Stone was on hand to turn Rockefeller Center into CranMa Thanksgiving Boot Camp. He also helped promote the OceanSpray activation on The Today Show and even enlisted bystander participation for a festive activity in the bog.
Photo: Will Star Photography
Before entering the bog, guests visited four bootcamp-style stations where they learned skills in preparation for the Thanksgiving holiday. These included the art of crafted cocktails, creating impressive side dishes, turkey prep techniques, and, as seen here, setting the scene with "CranMa" Sue Gilmore and Ty Kuppig.
Photo: Will Star Photography
Tyger Productions designed an environment that elicited a sense of nostalgia, juxtaposing traditional elements with contemporary touches. Mismatched vintage china was paired with modern gold flatware, while cut crystal stemware was mixed with vintage embossed glass and new cranberry-red goblets.
Photo: Will Star Photography
The "Thanksgiving With CranMa" meal from caterer Great Performances featured a main course of roast turkey with cranberry honey glaze and turkey gravy served with a bevy of sides, including sweet-n-savory green beans, mashed potatoes, New England cornbread stuffing, and fresh cranberry-orange relish.
Photo: Will Star Photography
As part of this year's activation, an international component was added at 620 Loft and Garden that featured two hosts live-streaming their Thanksgiving experience with OceanSpray directly to viewers in China. Kuppig and his team arranged the scaled-down vignette to be ready by 7 a.m. due to the time difference.
Photo: Will Star Photography
