
One evening event featured a cereal station as an out-of-the-box dessert.
Photo: Courtesy of Google

One particularly popular and eye-catching piece was the cotton candy tree, which saw the wispy sweet treats clipped to a willow-tree-shaped metal frame.
Photo: Erik Valind

The contraption that held paper cones of truffle tater tots was a nod to trapeze acts.
Photo: Erik Valind

The cage for the Coney Island corn dogs was intended to mimic the shape of the big-top tents typically seen at the circus.
Photo: Erik Valind

Even popcorn matched the design of the event: custom boxes were served from a small rolling cart in flavors like sea salt and vinegar as well as pancetta and maple.
Photo: Erik Valind

All elements of the event were designed to motivate attendees to snap pics and share them on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media channels. Additionally, caterer Creative Edge carefully crafted the catering trays to match the theme of the event—and the brand's campaign—with one tray of mac 'n' cheese bites styled after spinning plates.
Photo: Erik Valind

To serve fresh fruit, Chicago catering firm Limelight inserts skewers into a decorative wall featuring colorful wallpaper that can be customized for any event. Guests then dip the fruit into accompanying sauces.
Photo: Erika DuFour Photography

Wolfgang Puck Catering created a “chef shadowbox” station for an event at the Perot Museum of Science and Nature in Dallas. There, a chef prepared appetizers as guests viewed the behind-the-scenes action.
Photo: Courtesy of Wolfgang Puck Catering

With circus-style acts—dressed in items from the new line—performing throughout the space and displays placed on carts and bright orange-colored blocks, the catering for Ted Baker's Spring/Summer 2014 collection launch event provided an additional visual and entertainment element. For instance, parasols held dangling funnel cakes, and servers were trained to imitate tightrope walkers as they passed the bites.
Photo: Erik Valind

BKSK Interiors designed a disco-theme basket inspired by Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. The display featured a poster and signed playbill, two Riedel stemless champagne flutes, a 48-inch diameter faux sheepskin rug, and two tickets to see the musical and go on a backstage tour.
Photo: Erik Bardin

Hunter Douglas and Patrick James Hamilton Designs created the display inspired by the Tony-nominated Mean Girls. The design featured a mini hot pink school locker, with items including a four-piece martini set from Tuscany Classics, Kate Spade cocktail shakers, and four pink and orange ombre placemats. Ramy Cosmetics provided cosmetics and makeup and brow-shaping gift certificates. The locker also included gift certificates to see the show and eat at Cafeteria in New York.
Photo: Erik Bardin

Drawing inspiration from Frozen, a basket designed by home fashion brand Kravet Inc. features mirrored obelisks and spiked vases to imitate icicles and a silver-toned sculpture to evoke a glacier.
Photo: Erik Bardin

Inspired by the SpongeBob SquarePants musical, bed and bath linen brand Matouk created a display that showcased its new Nikita azure bath rug and two types of towels evoking a sea theme. The display also featured the company’s ocean breeze candles and guest bar soaps and, of course, a pineapple.
Photo: Erik Bardin

Inspired by Mamma Mia!, McCory Interiors designed an Aegean teal-hued basket that highlighted the brand’s woven coverings, cushions, and napkins. Additional items included a picnic basket with a cooler in Duralee fabric, bottles of Ouzo and Moschofilero Boutari wine, a jar of olive tapenade, a marble mortar and pestle, and a CD of the cast recording.
Photo: Erik Bardin

For Dear Evan Hansen, Michele Alfano Design created a basket that played off the main character’s striped shirt, and aimed to imitate the paradox of feeling interconnected through social media but isolated in the real world. The basket features Robert Allen fabric stripes, a blanket and two settings with Kravet fabric, cutlery from Horne Goa with gold-plated and blue resin handles, and a playbill signed by the cast.
Photo: Erik Bardin

Mikel Welch Designs crafted an Africa-theme basket that paid tribute to The Lion King with a variety of condiments and kitchen items. The basket also had a bottle of Veuve Clicquot and two tickets to the Disney musical.
Photo: Erik Bardin

NPZ Style & Decor took inspiration from Chicago The Musical by presenting a 1920s Prohibition-theme basket. The basket was handwoven with French gold vintage thread and decorated with feathers, a red lips mini sofa inspired by Mae West, and the original 1975 musical vinyl with Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon. Additional items included gold ombre martini glasses, two black ceramic dinnerware sets with brass flatware, a brass cocktail shaker, and a Prohibition era cocktail book.
Photo: Erik Bardin

Home accessories and interior designer Peter Valcarcel created a display inspired by South Pacific, which had items including a tote bag, a throw, two pillows with down feather inserts, two hand-painted plates, and chopsticks with leather-wrapped ends.
Photo: Erik Bardin

Tyler Wisler’s Moroccan-theme tabletop paid tribute to Aladdin with a Nourison carpet, a Funko Pop figure of the monkey Abu, and a genie lamp.
Photo: Erik Bardin

Vanessa Deleon Associates drew inspiration from both the 1961 film and 2013 stage production of Breakfast at Tiffany’s for the basket. Items included a vintage Tiffany & Co. sterling silver tag necklace, a 24-inch trolley suitcase by Co-Z, two Breakfast at Tiffany’s ticket pillows, a Ty Silk cat, and a Tiffany ribbon gift box blanket.
Photo: Erik Bardin

The menu of dishes was similarly color-coded. For instance, the truffled quail egg on a miniature English muffin (pictured) was designed to represent yellow, while grilled lamb with a black sesame seed crust was meant to symbolize black.
Photo: Nilaya Sabnis