This week's roundup includes an Albert Einstein candy portrait and a Beyoncé-inspired photo op in Austin, Southern-theme party favors in New York, and a Planters vending machine in Culver City.
Southern food and culture magazine Garden & Gun celebrated its 10th anniversary with a party at the Beekman in New York. Inspired by Southern hospitality, the event offered Cheerwine and mini boxes of Krispy Kreme doughnuts as party favors.
To promote its new "Shout for Nuts" ad campaign, Planters staged an interactive vending machine at Westfield Culver City in California on March 12. The activation invited shoppers to shout "I love nuts" at the branded vending machine, which would then dispense a can of Planters nuts. University of Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh participated in the activation, which was produced by Leo Burnett, Starcom, and Olson Engage.
This year's South by Southwest took place March 10 to 19 at various venues in Austin, Texas. At the Sony Wow Factory, the company spotlighted several of its projects, including many still in development with its Future Lab Program, to the public with its venue at Trinity Warehouse. It also demonstrated a virtual-reality music video through Playstation with the Chainsmokers. Guests could record their “wow experience” on a massive plywood wall.
The National Geographic Further Base Camp, produced by Civic Entertainment Group, took place at the Vulcan Gas Company. The event included a celebration of Albert Einstein’s 138th birthday, which included a dessert display that included a candy portrait of the scientist, Smarties and Nerds candies, and mini pies with crust cutouts of the Pi symbol on top.
The Mashable House, which moved to a new location at the Main, offered programming inspired by the concept of superfine. Activities included a photo op that recreated Beyoncé's iconic pregnancy announcement.
Google's inaugural cloud-focused conference took place March 8 to 10 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco. Produced by Sparks, the event had a fabricated DJ booth that included images of colorful speakers. The motif continued with a circular installation hanging above the space. Furniture rentals had an angular look in keeping with the style of the event's branding.
Diffa's 20th annual fund-raising event, which showcased a variety of dining and tabletop vignettes, took place March 16 to 20 at Pier 92 in New York. Students from Parsons the New School for Design used materials found in the city’s five boroughs to construct their vignette, which was painted all white.
Designer Douglas Little partnered with Liaigre to create The New York Times’ irreverent table, which Little described as “a dinner party gone mad.” Towering skyscrapers of champagne flutes lined the space, while a crashing chandelier took center stage.
Rockwell Group and Ovando built their version of a modern-day potting shed, complete with cacti centerpieces, a vertical garden, and a diffuser that filled the space with a signature scent.
For a locally inspired meeting break idea, Le Méridien Chicago Oakbrook Center has a Sweet Home Chicago menu that offers a variety of self-serve candy that originated in the city, including Lemonheads, Milk Duds, Red Hots, Tootsie Rolls, and Dots. Named after the blues song by Robert Johnson, the candy-shop-inspired display—which also offers pretzel bites and lemonade and iced tea—comes with a chalkboard sign that displays information about the Chicago-founded National Confections Association.
