This week's roundup includes an interactive bar that guests were encouraged to slap in Chicago, desserts that resemble burgers and fries from a Philadelphia catering company, a post-apocalyptic party theme in Toronto, and a pride-theme pop-up in San Francisco.
Airbnb partnered with SF Pride for a second year. The company's most notable pride presence was its mobile #HostWithPride pop-up, which traveled to various neighborhoods over a two-week period, encouraging residents to participate in D.I.Y. activities and a community art installation.
At the fifth annual fund-raiser held on June 19, mixologist Adam Seger created a specialty cocktail from an interactive bar called "Ice. Black. Life." that was inspired by the museum's current exhibition: Charles Ray: Sculpture, 1997-2014. At the bottom of the bar, guests were encouraged to slap a wall of living herbs to release their natural flavors. Seger poured a mixture of various alcohols over ice at the top of the bar, and the liquid filtered down through black limes to become infused with dried fruit. The drinks were served to guests in martini glasses.
The two-minute hand-drawn portraits from NY Drawing Booth are a unique alternative to the standard photo booth. Artists mingle among the event crowd, sketching the fun party favors with an iPad and stylus. The shareable images can include custom branding as well as framing. On-site printing is also provided. NY Drawing Booth is available nationally; pricing is available upon request.
Guest of a Guest co-founder Rachelle Hruska MacPherson and interior designer Nathan Turner hosted an exclusive beachside dinner in Malibu on June 30, which was presented by Cointreau and Guest of a Guest. Held at a private house where the 1950s surf flick Gidget was filmed, guests including florist Eric Buterbaugh enjoyed Cointreau Rickey cocktails served from the orange liqueur brand's customized bar dubbed the "Cointreau-mosphere."
The Shedd Aquarium's annual gala on June 20 had a "Metamorphosis" theme inspired by the Chicago museum's current exhibit, "Amphibians." Event Creative designed a custom bar that featured glowing salamanders.
Toronto's 10-day Luminato Festival kicked off on June 18 at Hearn Generating Station with an opening party that combined the themes of nature and industry, which gave the event a post-apocalyptic feel. LancĂ´me Canada, the event's sponsor, offered makeup applications in a flower-filled dome.
Later in the evening, spotlights revealed burnt-out cars and trucks with plants spilling out of them.
At Philadelphia-based firm Brûlée Catering, executive pastry chef James Rodebaugh creates a summery spread called "Pastry Patio Picnic." The desserts array offers sweets shaped like classic American snacks, and items include "French fries" made of toasted pound cake and "burgers" made with chocolate-ganache pound cake topped with sliced kiwi (meant to look like lettuce) and mango gelee that resembles cheese.
At the long-term pop-up Samsung Studio L.A., hosts Bill and Giuliana Rancic partnered with Top Chef's Marcel Vigneron to lead guests through a cooking experience. The chef used Samsung appliances in the pop-up kitchen for the cooking demo, and attendees followed along using appliances at their own long tables arranged classroom-style.
As guests arrived at Samsung's event, they borrowed Galaxy S6 devices for the evening, which they could use to capture photos of themselves in action. Then staff prepared and sent guests home with customized cookbooks using snaps from their experience on the same night and featuring the recipes they helped make.
