Desserts

Colorful sweets topped a table at the preview night. "The day before and the day of Sneak Preview Night hosts nearly 10,000 media and auto industry executives, so it’s a challenge to set up for one event during another," the auto show's Callari said. "In addition to the limited setup time and juggling of events, the venue itself is vast, with high ceilings and thousands of windows. Making that space feel intimate and festive requires creativity. And we have to be conscious of costs since this is a charity event, but we do not want to lose the world-class look of the L.A. Auto Show."

Inspired by the food truck craze, Abigail Kirsch in New York created roving carts to bring guests desserts and beverages, like gelato with dipped miniature cones and toppings, or sangria and punch.

A lavender candy bar offered cakepops, cupcakes, and rock candy.

A baked-goods station had sweet bites, including mini brownie squares, sugary doughnut holes, and bite-size chocolate chip cookies.

Occasions Caterers set up an elaborate dessert buffet in a separate room at the Anderson house with Cuban sweets like drunk pineapple, exotic fruit crème brûlée, coffee parfait, and cocktail arroz con leche.

At the doughnut station, guests could top freshly baked plain doughnuts with white or milk chocolate sauce, powdered sugar, chopped nuts, or colored sprinkles.

Last year, Fox's after-party offered a wide selection of pies and this year the network tapped Brooklyn doughnut bakery Dough to provide its tasty treats for guests. Options include dulce de leche with almonds, salt and pink pepper, and hibiscus.  Also similar to last year's outing was an area dedicated to photo ops with Fox talent. Organizers set up a series of stages where guests to meet and pose with actors and notables like Simon Cowell, Mindy Kaling (whose series The Mindy Project was picked up by the network), and Kevin Bacon.