A discreet entrance to the official SAG awards after-party hosted by People magazine was designed to recall the days of private speakeasies (although no password was required for party access).
Photo: Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.
Wooden-beam grid ceilings lent a sense of intimacy in the space.
Photo: Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.
The centerpiece of the party space was a 50-foot-long octagonal bar.
Photo: Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.
Flowers popped against geometric golden tabletops, which sat amid seating groups in jade and emerald greens as well as grey tones.
Photo: Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.
Tufted sofas and framed photos of past SAG award winners gave the space an elegant, residential feel.
Photo: Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.
Curving chainmail chandeliers imparted a sense of opulence, a nod to the hidden venues of the Prohibition era.
Photo: Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.
Framed photographs from the academy's own archives will lend a residential look, as if assembled on a mantle.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
Mark's Garden will provide an array of flowers, primarily in monochromatic jewel-toned arrangements.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
Wolfgang Puck's food will again include a signature array of Oscar-shaped dishes.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
A film reel as a dessert station prop will underscore this year's cinematic theme.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
Having done away with a more formal seated dinner format years ago, Wolfgang Puck will serve more than 50 dishes in various forms.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
Resource One will provide an array of luxe linens with opulent accents.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
Custom staff uniforms will include black ties and vests in various hues.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
At the preview, Marc Friedland Couture Communications showed off the Oscars' golden envelopes.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
This year's Oscars Governors Ball will draw its inspiration from the academy's library, using 3,000 photos and other archives as source material for decor.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
Food will be presented in terrarium-like vessels.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
At the Kohl's Launch of Juicy Couture, an elaborate press wall of roses was inset with a sparkling logo. The event took place at the John Lautner-designed Sheats-Goldstein residence in Los Angeles in September.
Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images for Kohl's
In January, Ross Mathews and the Happy Egg Company feted California's Proposition 2 (mandating that eggs sold in the state must come from hens with larger cages) with an event that included cutouts of chickens placed on the yellow arrivals carpet for 3-D effect. The event was at West Hollywood’s Palihouse.
Photo: Rich Polk/Getty Images for the Happy Egg Company
Pandora hosted its first "Hearts of Today” honoree luncheon at the Montage Beverly Hills in November, where a decorative press wall had logos framed in purple roses set against lush hedging.
Photo: Stefanie Keenan
In 2013, Chandon hosted its American Summer Soiree in New York with a step-and-repeat backdrop that included a dense collection of inflatable pool toys, including those in shapes of blue whales, pink flamingos, and flowers, alongside logo beach bags, balls, bottles, and chairs.
Photo: Will Ragozzino/BFAnyc.com
The Museum of Modern Art’s annual Party in the Garden in New York in 2013 had a modern, tropical motif. Accordingly, the arrivals backdrop included plenty of greenery, which was accented with logos from MoMA and sponsor Cartier.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Vogue Eyewear's Los Angeles launch party for its campaign with Eva Mendes in 2013 had a playful feel throughout. A step-and-repeat wall made up of logo balloons arranged in a rainbow grid set the sunny, colorful tone for the alfresco affair.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
For the New York premiere of Columbia Picture's Bad Teacher in 2011, a 130-foot step-and-repeat area got 3-D touches in the form of classroom-style elements, including school chairs, desks, and red apples.
Photo: Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.
The Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic is known for its whimsical decor done in the brand's signature yellow-orange color. In 2013, the Los Angeles event included a vintage flower-stand-style step-and-repeat. In addition to flowers, bottles were potted like plants and logo plaques on wooden sticks were planted in moss.
Photo: Claire Barrett Photography
At Christie's “Green Auction: Bid to Save the Earth” in New York in 2012, the arrivals area was dominated by a wall of live plants. Many of the flowers used—including phalaenopsis, clovers, cabbage, ferns, and ivy—were replanted following the event.
Photo: Carolyn Curtis/BizBash
A 2013 event partnership between jewelry and accessories brand Stella & Dot and liquor company Midori resulted in a 3-D press wall enlivened by emerald green colored objects—accessories from the line like sunglasses and necklaces, alongside the brightly colored bottles.
Photo: Courtesy of Midori
One way to get an event's message out is to write it in a way that's too big to miss. The Angelina Jolie movie Salt premiered in Los Angeles in 2010 with 12-foot-tall letters that spelled out the film's name in eye-catching graphic form.
Photo: Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.
For the Oh Joy for Target launch party at a private residence in Beverly Hills earlier this year, Caravents turned patterns from the entertaining and party product collection into vinyl appliqués. The team applied them to the backs of ghost chairs to add on-brand pops of color to the event.
Photo: Paige Jones
At the 2003 Angel Ball benefit for the G&P Foundation for Cancer Research in New York, On3's gift lounge included chairs decked with feathery angel wings. It made for striking decor, as well as a way to acknowledge and differentiate the highest-level sponsors.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
Earlier this year, the Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS’ annual Dining by Design benefit in New York included a New York Design Center vignette, designed by Kati Curtis, that used the chairs to make a statement: The idea was to play on gender stereotypes, placing traditionally male or female aesthetics side by side to underscore their difference and also unite them.
Photo: Gustavo Ponce for BizBash
At the 2011 Artists for Humanity “Have a Seat” benefit in Boston, the chairs themselves were a centerpiece of the design as well as the fund-raising effort: Each guest who attended received one of the chairs as a gift. The chairs then lived on in homes and offices all over the city as a conversation starter about the group’s mission.
Photo: Courtesy of Artists For Humanity
A Billabong and Element store opened in New York's Times Square in 2006 with an after-party that put the marketing message just about everywhere. For instance, guests sat on chairs made from de-wheeled skateboards.
Photo: BizBash
Instead of hosting a show at the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week tents in 2011, Lacoste hosted a dinner for 40 at its Fifth Avenue store. The Manhattan space was under construction, so the apparel brand dressed it up with a stained and varnished plywood table under the exposed ceilings and wires, and marked chairs simply with numbers instead of place cards.
Photo: Jamie McCarthy/WireImage.com
For last year's Costume Institute gala, which celebrated the exhibition “Punk: Chaos to Couture” with an overall punk-inspired look and feel, chairs at the dinner had cream fabric slip covers decorated with strips of black or pink grosgrain zippers.
Photo: Billy Farrell/BFAnyc.com
The Schwarzkopf hair show in Los Angeles last year had a color-blocked look marked by bright, tropical shades. A canopy of colorful fringe hung over the event space, and ghost chairs were emblazoned with versions of the beauty brand's logo.
Photo: Brian Leahy Photography
For the Boston Ballet’s Balanchine Ball last year, Be Our Guest worked with Seaport Graphics to create custom chair decals for the clear surfaces, a striking decor element that also served as a surprise acknowledgment of the evening's honorees, Eleanor and Frank Pao.
Photo: Michael Blanchard Photography
For a wedding reception, YourBash set chairs with personalized gifts for guests in the event's color palette: individually-wrapped and branded handkerchiefs labeled “for your tears of joy.” After the gifts served their purpose on the big day, guests took them home as favors.
Photo: David Michael Photography for YourBash
The Discovery Channel feted its new documentary, Frozen Planet, in New York in 2012 with a playful branded touch that also served as a fun takeaway: Among the array of penguin details the company brought into the Lincoln Center concert hall were plush stuffed toy penguins on each seat.
Photo: Jika González for BizBash
Discovery marked the 25th anniversary of its Shark Week in 2012 with a Beverly Hills party that included shark imagery as dramatic event decor—including as moving projections in the Beverly Hilton’s pool. In addition, custom upholstery showing Shark Week imagery decked chairs for a can’t-miss branding effect.
Photo: Courtesy of Discovery Communications
The nonprofit Studio in a School has a goal of bringing art into public schools. So to bring art right into its gala space in New York in 2008, the group splashed the canvas coverings of its chairs and tables, making them works reminiscent of Jackson Pollock pieces.
Photo: Mary Hilliard
Last year, luxury wedding business summit Engage took place in Asheville, North Carolina. On attendees chairs were custom clipboards and pencils from Gifts for the Good Life. Notepads by Trisha Hay Design encouraged guests to jot their "top takeaways” from the event's speakers.
Photo: Allan Zepeda
The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County opened its new 14,000-square-foot Dinosaur Hall in 2011. In keeping with the new facility’s more than 300 fossils, 20 dinosaur skeletons, and multimedia interactive exhibits, the event got a dinosaur-hunting theme, with on-theme hats hanging on chairs as takeaways.
Photo: Danny Moloshok
The Robin Hood Foundation used IML devices to solicit donations from its dinner guests in 2010. To make them easy to find, the New York nonprofit created branded pockets that were attached to the legs of chairs.
Photo: Keith Sirchio for BizBash
Herbalife 2015 Summit Events
Flowers from Shawna Yamamoto decorated tabletop centerpieces that marked the conference's 35th anniversary.
Photo: Christopher Todd Photography
Herbalife 2015 Summit Events
Marquee letters spelled out "cheers" at the welcome reception.
Photo: Christopher Todd Photography
Starwood Tribute Portfolio Launch
In April, Starwood launched its 10th hotel brand, Tribute Portfolio, in New York. For the launch, the brand transformed a raw loft space into an immersive experience, where guests were meant to discover concepts that brought to life the brand's "Stay Independent" mantra. Nicky Balestrieri designed, and BMF Media produced.
Photo: Nilaya Sabnis
Nearly 1,800 people attended the event, which had an Old Hollywood theme for its eighth edition.
Photo: Dan Swartz
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom set up a red carpet entrance to the museum with flash lighting from Nomad Event Systems to mimic paparazzi camera flashes.
Photo: RodneyBailey.com
A vintage car and models dressed as flappers sat above the center of the main bar. Red drape from the second floor drew attention to the installation.
Photo: D. Channing Muller for BizBash
A video screen on the front of the bar in the BMW lounge showed footage of the brand's various cars on a promotional video.
Photo: D. Channing Muller for BizBash
Pops by Haley arranged servings of its signature layered cake pops in the floral arrangements on the bars in the BMW lounge.
Photo: D. Channing Muller for BizBash
The American Beverage Association sponsored the Publisher's Reception, where Chicka Chicka Boom Boom created a speakeasy environment with dim lighting, black-and-white movies projected onto the wall, and servers from Occasions Caterers dressed as flappers.
Photo: Andrew Propp
Makeup artist Carola Myers set up a red lipstick bar for guests to apply the signature 1920s look.
Photo: D. Channing Muller for BizBash
Ping Pong Dim Sum served green-tea waffles topped with sesame fried chicken and drizzled with lemongrass maple syrup.
Photo: D. Channing Muller for BizBash
Haute Dogs added a vintage marquee-style sign to its food station, which served two version of its signature hot dogs: one topped with coleslaw and barbecue sauce, and the other with scallions and cucumber hoisin sauce.
Photo: D. Channing Muller for BizBash
A cigar roller made cigars on-demand for guests.
Photo: D. Channing Muller for BizBash
Kari Feinstein Style Lounge
At the Kari Feinstein Style Lounge gifting suite at the Sunset Marquis, tropical foliage decorated a wood pallet wall, which served as an arrivals backdrop.
Photo: Rebecca Sapp/WireImage
In November at Diffa's annual Dining by Design event at Chicago's Merchandise Mart, the table Hok designed for Halcon had a winter forest feel. Walls were lined with logs, and the chandelier was covered in twigs.
Photo: Barry Brecheisen for BizBash
