Food festivals are notoriously crowded—and sometimes, frankly, even gross, with dirty plates left on every available surface and long, unruly lines for tasting stations and parking lots.
But the two food and wine festivals that just wrapped in Los Angeles—Los Angeles Food & Wine at various locations around town and the Los Angeles Times's Labor Day weekend the Taste at Paramount—both demonstrated numerous ways to keep the experience elegant and fuss-free.
From hands-free wine glasses to impeccable food presentation and smart sponsor integrations, here's a look at how they did it.
In one of the Lexus grand tasting's inspiring food presentations during L.A. Food & Wine, Big Sur's Post Ranch Inn served mini shaved ice cones in a metal bucket set up like a beach scene, with sugar for sand. Ingredients for the dessert came from the venue's garden.
Sponsor Delta provided branded lanyards that doubled as a hands-free way for guests to hold wine glasses while also carrying plates and nibbling.
At L.A. Center Studios for the Lexus grand tasting, the automaker's sponsor area was sleek and chic with sheer draping, sculptural wall art, and a vehicle parked on site.
A blue glow drew attention to the Lexus area within the cavernous space.
Sponsor Lexus provided preferential parking for drivers of its vehicles, keeping the traffic flow smoother and engaging the brand's fans in a highly functional way.
Chef Ari Taymor led a demo, which guests could see clearly thanks to reflective mirrors above the station.
A clever wine-tasting place mat was printed with circles that allowed guests to keep track of each wine glass they tried during the experience.
Framed logos gave the arrivals line a tidy and photo-ready look. Times food editor Russ Parsons, chefs Michael Cimarusti and Nancy Silverton, and Times nightlife writer Jessica Gelt posed in front of it on opening night.
The logos that served as the step-and-repeat wall on opening night were removed for other events, creating a chalkboard for guests' personal expressions. Chef Sang Yoon (of Father's Office and Lukshon) paused for a shot in front of what would become the erasable chalkboard where attendees could write their names or share their favorite Taste memory throughout the festival.
Sysco offered a respite for guests to gather with a tented lounge in the back lot that featured food and refreshments throughout the weekend.
On the hot weekend, Icelandic Glacial kept the crowd well hydrated with stocked coolers located throughout the lot.
Sponsor Cadillac hosted a photo lounge so festivalgoers could capture high-quality snaps from their event experience.
Stella Artois's branded bar served chilled Stella, Hoegaarden, and Leffe Blonde in glasses and chalices emblazoned with the popular beers' logos. The brand also provided guests with velvety bags to carry the glassware safely home.
In another example of elegant presentation, Bagatelle served its peanut butter cake topped with a concord grape macaron during opening night of the Taste.
The Times's events spread out over Paramount's lot, resulting in a crowd that felt festive but manageable.
