The fourth annual Kaleidoscope Ball took place May 21 at 3 Labs in Culver City, California. The event, which was produced by Clare Davis of Harper Sloane Productions and designed by Mindy Weiss Party Consultants, featured a circus-inspired bar for the ball's "Circus for Research" theme.
Instead of the traditional theater format, the music network’s 2016 presentation, which was held at Skylight at Moynihan Station in New York on April 21, created a pop art trade show called “Buy MTV,” with interactive booths for upcoming series and initiatives and a faux storefront featuring limited-edition MTV collectibles.
The Children's National Medical Center's benefit Vintage Affair, which revolves around wine tasting and live and silent auctions, took place May 7 at Dock5 at Union Market in Washington. Bravo Events and Design Foundry incorporated silent auction items into the event's decor. Local dining gift certificates and plaques were displayed on shelves and plates attached to one of the gallery walls.
The Hospital for Sick Children's 15th annual Scrubs in the City benefit took place June 2 at Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto. Going along with the "London Calling" theme, the event had a selfie station that included an English garden rose wall and tea set built by sponsor Caspar Hayden Design.
Bacardi brought its Untameable House Party to the festival in the form of a two-story public space that included specialty cocktails, outdoor seating from Lux Lounge, and a 50-person indoor stage where surprise performances took place. Community Agency produced the activation, and Taylor Creative handled decor.
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Surprise performances from the Knocks and Bob Moses took place inside the activation, allowing fans to get up close and personal with the artists inside the 50-person space.
After dinner at the Unicef Hope Gala, which was held April 9 at the Geraghty in Chicago, guests hit the dance floor under a canopy of neon Slinkies as the Ken Arlen Evolution Orchestra played.
Event designer Bronson van Wyck raided the High Line’s construction supply shed and wrapped the entire interior of the former Tunnel nightclub (now the Waterfront venue) with thousands of yards of semi-transparent construction plastic for the May 23 dinner event. The evening started with cocktails on the Spur—the High Line's final, unfinished portion.
This year, the Lyric Opera celebrated its newest production with a pre-performance dinner in the theater, as well as an onstage after-party with the cast on May 7. The table decor reflected the Asian setting of the musical with details like gold elephant accents.
For the deYoung Museum’s Bouquets to Art annual design showcase in San Francisco, florists created arrangements inspired by work in the museum’s permanent collection. The opening night gala, which took place April 4, featured food and cocktails by McCalls Catering & Events.
For this year’s annual benefit, which took place June 1, the Museum of Modern Art’s lobby and atrium area were once again transformed into a chic garden party. Drum-shaped chandeliers covered in greenery hung above the dining space, which was outfitted with primarily gray furnishings.
At this year’s Scrubs in the City London-inspired fund-raiser, which was held June 2 at the Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto, the Hospital for Sick Children foundation introduced hospitality lounges for sponsors, which included private banquettes decorated in a British punk or posh theme with food, drink, and an attendant.
Thought-bubble placemats inspired by Hank Willis Thomas' exhibition, "The Truth is I See You," served as tabletop decor at the arts organization’s fund-raiser, held April 19 at Metropolitan Pavilion West in New York. The messages morphed into different languages thanks to the optical illusion design.
At an "irrigation bar," guests could serve themselves cocktails from spigots attached to a chain link fence. Aromatic garnishes included purple sage, mint, and basil.
The 10th annual Luminato Festival kicked off its 17-day residency at Toronto's Hearn Generating Station on June 9 with back-to-back fund-raisers. Inspired by a "Today is the Future" theme, the event featured a futuristic bar that offered guests the chance to inhale flavored oxygen.
In Clif Bar's "Re-Sound Lounge," guests could watch audio engineers from Mobile Vinyl Recorders make vinyl records. Based in Seattle, the company uses vintage disc-cutting lathes to create records in real time. The company travels to social events, festivals, and marketing events, and has other clients including Toyota, Converse, and Red Bull.
The El Silencio production included a 40-foot-long brick wall branded with an oversize logo bearing the spirit purveyor’s name in script.
Also at Lollapalooza, Pepsi hosted its 1893 tasting truck, which offered the soft drink in cola and ginger flavors in a beer garden-type setting.
Carnival Cruise Line recently teamed up with celebrity chef and restaurateur Guy Fieri to launch a dining experience called "Guy's Pig & Anchor Bar-B-Que Smokehouse" on Carnival ships. To celebrate the partnership, Fieri hosted Carnival Cruise Line’s "Beers & BBQ" event on July 27 at Rockefeller Center's 620 Loft & Garden, which featured sample selections from the meat-centric menu and craft beers. The event was designed and fabricated by Tyger Productions and the brand experience was headed by Arnold Worldwide.
The Museum of Ice Cream pop-up, a project from creative strategist Maryellis Bunn and Lightbox founder Manish Vora, is on display through August 31 across from the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. The homage to ice cream has numerous installations, including a pool of fake sprinkles produced by Vance Garrett Productions.
Other installations included hanging ice cream cone lightbulbs with a waffle cone pattern backdrop.
The event featured crescent moon photo booths designed by Michael Arenella.
The ceiling installation design was inspired by a burst of bubbles exploding from a Coca-Cola bottle. The installation lit up in gold whenever athletes won a gold medal during the Games.
On the second day, Billabong pro surfers gave lessons to media and influencers. In between surfing, guests lounged on private day beds and sipped beverages from Corkcicle canteens and tumblers at Gurney’s in Montauk.
Inspired by minimalist decor and clean lines, organizers of the seventh annual Luminato Festival hired Toronto architecture firm Partisans to custom design futuristic centerpieces for the opening gala, which was held at the Hearn Generating Station in June.
For the art installation "Park People," human-shaped Lego sculptures from artist Nathan Sawaya were posed on benches of the South Lawn and served as photo opportunities for guests.
On October 19, a launch party for the official partnership between Sheraton Hotels and Resorts, Starwood Preferred Guest, and Major League Baseball took place at the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel. The event offered personalized baseball caps as swag. DKC Incite produced the event.
For a 2010 social event in Chicago, Event Creative designed a table that was shaped like a ballpark's home plate.
The fourth annual Hush Hush, an after-hours party that raises funds for the Toronto Public Library's Young Voices program, took place October 15 at the library's Bloor/Gladstone branch. The party, which had a comic book-inspired heroes and villains theme, featured a comics-theme cutout illustration of the Toronto skyline. Decor for the event was handled by SP Designs, Jackie O Flowers, and Boss Print and Creative.
Colorful cutouts with expressions designed in comic-book font were set up throughout the space.
