KCA

Atop the One Group's meatpacking district steakhouse is a rooftop dining and lounge area with views of the Hudson River. Outfitted with umbrellas and comfy furniture, the STK rooftop space serves a menu of grilled fare from chef Humberto Leon and seats 145 or holds 200 for receptions.

Also in the meatpacking district is the EMM Group's Catch, a restaurant serving a seafood-focused menu from Top Chef winner Hung Huynh. The rooftop space, which has an adjacent terrace, is available for event rental; it measures 1,600 square feet and has a capacity for about 200 guests.

The cocktail napkins for the 2002 opening of Prada’s store in SoHo in New York were useful in two ways, with an itinerary and maps showing the locations for the night’s multiple parties.

To handle large crowds waiting for a single elevator at a 2004 Dom Perignon event, Susan Magrino Agency hired the Harlem Gospel Choir to entertain guests as they waited in line.

Amfar got a free invitation design for a 2006 benefit by holding a contest among art students.

Breaking away from the step-and-repeat to interact with the crowd, actors including Uma Thurman served as waiters at a 2007 Sundance event. They wore T-shirts listing their first jobs on the front and their breakthrough films on the back.

Digital photo booth projections, like this one from Mark van S. at the Whitney Museum of American Art’s 2006 benefit, have become an event staple for mixing interactive entertainment and decor.

Waiters didn’t have to remember what they were serving (and guests didn’t have to ask) when now-defunct Match Catering printed T-shirts with food descriptions for a 2004 BizBash event.

David Beahm Design put together a farm cart filled with Israeli market-inspired treats, like jars of honey, nuts, and dried apricots, which was displayed at the wedding of a couple looking to tie in their Israeli roots. Guests filled small burlap bags to take home.

Fund-raisers developed new ways to engage a younger set of patrons. In January, the Chef’s Ball for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation hosted its first after-party with dessert and mixology stations (pictured). "We marketed the event to a younger crowd that wouldn't necessarily spend [the gala's full ticket price of] $400," said planner Amy Patterson. "But for $60, they could come and check out the scene." Likewise, Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS’ June gala introduced an after-party with a rock concert and a lower ticket cost, and a luncheon for the Lynn Sage Cancer Foundation in October offered ticket discounts for patrons under 30.