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Founder Andrea Morris created a line of '80s pops with emblematic images from the decade, like the colorful Pac-Man characters.

Ogilvy & Mather commissioned strawberry-shaped pops to serve at a pitch meeting for its client, sweetener Truvia. Morris used Truvia in her cake mix, and also dusted the pops with the product.

Morris' Marie Antoinette-inspired cake pops, featuring marshmallow wigs, were her first design and have since become a signature for the Cocomori line.

As a fashion follower, Morris sometimes draws inspiration from the runways when creating her desserts. These cake pops were inspired by silk fabric and pearls.

For Children's Oncology Services' Campfire ball in May, Cocomori went with a summer-camp theme. Cake pops, some flavored like s'mores, were topped with tiny frosted replicas of life preservers, campfires, and archery sets.

Menu cards held by ceramic hands at an event designed by Canvas & Canopy

Hand-painted salvaged wood menu designed by Mélangerie Inc.

Laser-cut acrylic menu designed by Luxecuts by Kate Miller Events

Hand-painted menu card by Momental Designs

Hand-lettered menu designed by Simplesong Design for Ritzy Bee Events

Chalkboard menu designed by Alison Events Planning & Design

Lily Pulitzer collection, $275 for the corner section with cushion and two pillows; $225 for the armless section with cushion and two pillows; available throughout the Northeast and mid-Atlantic, from Taylor Creative Inc.

Black-and-white striped Encore wingback chair, $125, available throughout Southern California from Town & Country Event Rentals.

Yellow Hexagon back and seat Chameleon chair, available in Miami and New York from Nüage Designs.

Beach Stripe dinner plate, available on the East Coast from Party Rental Ltd.

Damask-pattern accent table, available throughout the U.S. from Blueprint Studios.

Flower Power pillow, available in Toronto from Contemporary Furniture Rentals Inc. (416.703.9236, cfrentals.com)

Bronze Modular Circle ottoman, $30, available throughout the U.S. from Suite 206.

Custom-printed illuminated bar unit, available throughout the U.S. from Blueprint Studios.

Cloud loveseat by Pucci, $297, available throughout Southern California from FormDecor.

Loopy Doopy, the rooftop bar at Conrad New York, has created a boozy Popsicle. The frozen fruit puree treat from executive chef Anthony Zamora is dipped in prosecco and served in a prosecco-filled wine goblet. The summery flavors include white peach, blood orange, mango, strawberry, and mojito.

While the cupcake trend may be feeling a bit tired, the alcohol-infused treats from Washington's Crunkcakes pack a new punch. Co-owners Faith Alice Sleeper and Raychel Sabath serve the treats at events and bars around town. The cheekily named cupcakes include the Fat Cat, made with D.C. Brau Penn Quarter Porter chocolate cake infused with bourbon, filled with salted bourbon caramel, and topped with salted bourbon caramel buttercream and a pretzel garnish.

Assaggi Osteria and Assaggi Mozzarella Bar in Washington have created four varieties of wine granitas for this summer: Gewürztraminer, Müller-Thurgau, Lagrein, and Pinot Noir.  Granita or “ice water” is a semi-frozen dessert made from sugar, water, wine, and various flavorings. The red granitas pair well with game, red meats, and aged cheeses.

Chicago's Limelight Catering created this confection for this month's American Harvest Organic Spirit Launch Party at the Ivy Room. It's similar to a flourless chocolate cake bite with a chocolate and vodka ganache.

Served at the Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C.'s Lobby Bar and Lounge, the treats come in several vodka-infused flavors, including "Lemonade Thyme," "Strawberry Basil," and "Blueberry Mojito." These summer-only refreshers are also available in nonalcoholic versions.

Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss partnered with UV Vodka 80 and UV Vodka Whipped to create desserts including alcohol-infused madeleine cookie pops at the Colgate Optic White Beauty Bar this month at Nine Zero One Salon in Los Angeles.

At the Atlanta stop on Tinsley Mortimer's book tour for her novel Southern Charm, guests could sample Hpnotiq Harmonie- and champagne-infused cupcakes and cake pops. The cupcakes were made by local bakery Cocktail Cupcakes.

For a fun spin on a summer favorite, LoLo Event Design has caterers serve passed bite-size ice cream cones and ice cream sandwiches.

At Glossed & Found's book launch party designed by A Perfect Event, guests took home summer cocktail recipes provided by Grand Marnier.

At the 2012 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, presenting sponsor Belvedere offered refreshing beverages made with their Lemon Tea vodka, including the Lemon Tea Classic Punch, a drink that featured sherbet, black tea, and a mint sprig garnish.

At Barbra Streisand's recent fund-raiser for the Cedars-Sinai Women's Heart Center in Malibu, guests helped themselves to a raw fruit and veggie bar. In place of a tablecloth, organizers used a quilt to match the vintage-inspired aesthetic of the event.

Nothing says summer like fresh seafood. At the Power Ball in Toronto, V.I.P. guests helped themselves to shrimp and freshly shucked oysters at a chilled seafood bar provided by Petite Thuet.

Petite Thuet also served a colorful dish of seafood paella at the Power Ball.

A garden-inspired dish featuring seasonal vegetables by Great Performances in New York can stand in for a traditional floral centerpiece.

En Ville Event Design & Catering in Toronto created a picnic-themed display of fruit, bread, and cheese for a summer event.

For Heineken's Inspire Tour in 2010, the food was adapted to the New York market with items like Reuben sandwiches, Chinese dumplings, hot dogs, and falafels served from street carts.

Guests at Stella McCartney's 2011 spring preview were treated to shaved ice by People's Pops in New York.

At Stella McCartney's Resort 2013 collection preview, waitstaff passed citrus-infused cocktails in Mason jars.

Also at Stella McCartney's Resort 2013 collection preview, dessert stands offered sweets from Coolhaus and Pie Corps (pictured). At the latter, guests could also pick up prepackaged jars of fruit cobbler.

McCartney's carnival-themed presentation also had a mac 'n' cheese station. Guests could grab a mini serving wrapped in a spinach cone from a Ferris-wheel stand, or opt for a full cup that could be topped with veggie bacon bits, truffle oil, jalapeños, scallions, or sriracha sauce.

For the grand opening of the Miami Airport Convention Center in Miami earlier this year, the venue's catering team created an edible garden using toasted pumpernickel crumbs as "dirt" with spears of baby carrots, asparagus spears, and zucchini, as well as baby tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella "flowers."

At this year's Luminescence gala in Chicago, passed canapes included cured salmon lollipops, displayed on beds of wheatgrass.

As part of Colgate's White Beauty Bar event in Los Angeles, Skintimate treated attendees to a self-serve sorbet station.

Boston-based event design firm LoLo Event Design recommends setting up self-service bars at summer events. The display includes premixed drinks in large Mason jars, along with fresh herbs and seasonal flowers.

At this year's Tony Awards gala in New York, guests could serve themselves cups of YoArt's frozen yogurt. There were 80 different toppings, including fresh fruit and gummi candies.

Tabú nightclub at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas is offering several Fourth of July-inspired cocktails this summer. The White Night (pictured) is a sweet and savory blend of Malibu rum, Frangelico, Rumplemintz, and cream strained and served over ice, then garnished with raspberries and blueberries.

At Barbra Streisand's fund-raiser for the Cedars-Sinai Women's Heart Center in Malibu, colorful floral arrangements in wooden vases played off the outdoor setting.

For the dinner, held inside Streisand's home, the summery atmosphere featured neutral tones and fresh-picked centerpieces.

California-based rental company Archive Rentals offers a large collection of authentic vintage Western and camping-themed items, including reclaimed barn-wood tables, camping trailers, Airstream trailers and canoes.

The centerpieces at Diffa's Garden gala in Chicago this year included candelabras wrapped in greenery and white flowers surrounded by Mason jars holding tealights.

For the Central Park Conservancy's annual "Taste of Summer" event in New York, designer Marc Wilson punched up the all-white furnishings with drapes and throw pillows in bright pink, green, and yellow hues.

The V.I.P. area of Toronto's Power Ball was styled with rustic elements for an English-picnic look. Designers used loading palettes as banquet seating and cocktail tables.

Markus Daly Ryan produced Univision's Deportes launch in New York, where picnic tables formed the bulk of the seating and found lumber was turned into cocktail tables for a neighborhood-block-party feel.

At Stella McCartney's Resort 2013 presentation, a large cart overflowing with roses and peonies stood near the entrance to the venue. As guests left, they were given small bouquets or single stems as festive gifts.

At Glossed & Found's Meredith Wendell luncheon in Chicago, A Perfect Event placed giant, colorful pool inflatables throughout the venue to set the tone for the pool party theme.

For the picnic-inspired Absolut Orient Apple launch party in New York last summer, organizers covered the floor of the indoor venue with sod, and brought in live trees and wooden barrels filled with thousands of apples.

At a Belvedere-sponsored event during the 2012 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, guests sat on haystacks covered with bright orange blankets and chevron-patterned pillows.

Chevron-patterned linens were also used on cocktails tables, and sunflower bouquets served as centerpieces.

At this year's Casa de Don Julio event in New York, the outdoor terrace was decorated with Mexican-inspired decor, with barrels and wooden benches used for guest seating and cocktail tables.

This year's Adam Smith Awards gala, which took place in Washington, D.C., had a red-white-and-blue theme.

LoLo Event Design also creates message-in-a-bottle place cards for beach-inspired events.

At Sears' and Kmart's 2012 collection press preview, the design team brought in foliage, benches, and six live canaries. The birds chirped from freestanding cages placed around the product vignettes.

For a recent pool party, the team at Swank Productions kept the decor streamlined, with a mostly white color palette, mirrored furnishings, and plenty of sheer draping.

For an indoor summer-themed gathering, Swank producers used beach balls to create playful "chandeliers." Tables were covered in summery yellow and orange linens.

Megavision Arts created 2-D and 3-D wall projections as a nod to the pool theme at a party to celebrate newly renovated Los Angeles venue Nic's Beverly Hills.

The recent Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows 100th anniversary bash kicked off with a performance by the Aqualillies, a troupe of water-ballerinas.

At the Power Ball in Toronto, piñatas made for a kid-friendly activity.

At the Seersucker Ride and Social in Washington, D.C., guests enjoyed music from a 1920s jazz band. As a nod to the theme, participants dressed in seersucker and Jazz Age fashions.

Guests also played lawn games like croquet at the Seersucker Ride and Social.

At last year's Stella McCartney spring preview, guests played ping-pong at a table set up outside.

Zen Arts in Southern California offers an array of entertainment that can take place in or around a pool, including their transparent spheres that hold performers and float on water.

At the Power Ball in Toronto, guests took a ride on wooden swings in the main party area.

At Sunglass Hut's summer block party in Miami, family-friendly games included corn hole, bocce ball, ping-pong, and hopscotch.

Pop-a-shot basketball was a popular activity at Sunglass Hut's summer party.

For Yahoo's Genome relaunch party in New York, organizers brought in a trio of synchronized swimmers from Gotham Synchro to swim in the venue's indoor pool. The water dancers sported alien-inspired body suits as a nod to the event's futuristic theme.

Dubbed "Hannah Mermaid," model Hannah Fraser is available for corporate events, and specializes in underwater "aquabatics" and open-water diving.

LoLo Event Design offers hand-painted handkerchiefs that can serve as table numbers at a garden event. Geraniums in a terra cotta pot have a more casual feel than an elaborate formal centerpiece.

A letter-pressed invitation from Paper Boat Studios comes wrapped in a pocket printed with a detailed star chart.

Attention-grabbing colors dominated over more subtle, pastel choices. A collaboration between Haute Papier and Dabney Lee has produced a collection of neon-hued note cards.

AR-EN Party Printers showed off a graphic, flourescent triangle-patterned invite.

From event planner Shawn Rabideau's brand-new collection for Kramer Drive comes an eye-popping, trippy design.

A blind impression is a method of letter-pressing paper without using any ink to create a subtle motif or pattern. The invite, from Designers' Fine Press, features blind impressed polka dots.

Printerette Press had two examples of blind impressed patterns paired with colored text.

Hand-painted edges can add a subtle pop of color to an otherwise conservative invitation, as seen in the design from Elum.

Playing up a preppy, collegiate vibe, the invitation to the J. Press York Street collection’s spring presentation, fittingly held at the Yale Club, came in the form of a scaled-down wool felt pennant flag.

"This provides a wonderful introduction to meeting design," says Adrian Segar of Vermont's Conferences That Work. "Unlike the many books on the profession that emphasize logistics, Eric and Mike's book delves into core questions about meeting design, such as uncovering desired outcomes, working with meeting owners, and what to do to create truly innovative meetings that deliver results. In addition, the wealth of real-life examples included make this a fascinating and thought-provoking read."

Howard Givner, executive director of the Event Leadership Institute, says that this book is "broadly applicable, and short and easy to read. It provides a great parable for learning how to take curve balls in stride and not dwelling or complaining about what's happened to you. The proactive, 'let's move forward' approach is one that every planner should adopt, as things rarely go as planned in live events, and it's important to be able to roll with the punches. It helps you go into an event with the mindset that unexpected changes will happen, so when they do you're not thrown off guard."

"I enjoyed reading this book by Judy Allen," says Eva Gouldbourne, a wedding and event planner at Chicago's Diamond Events. "This book has many specific examples of how to get the kind of business you want and avoid doing things that will make you stand out negatively."

A self-proclaimed introvert, Adam Sloyer is the managing director of New York's Sequence Events and president-elect of ISES New York's Metro Chapter. Of this Susan Cain book, he says: "I found this to be a fascinating read, regardless of whether you consider yourself to be an introvert or an extrovert—and after reading this, you may have a different opinion. Quiet dispels many of the standard biases against introverts and also showcases some of the competitive advantages.  Yes, events is a 'people business,' but I found this book to reinforce how introverts can be just as successful."

David Beahm of New York's David Beahm Design recommends Setting the Table by Danny Meyer. "I was having problems justifying one of my managers' style of management. He wasn't very nice and I didn't like it," Beahm says. "I found Mr. Meyer's concept of fear-based versus trust-based control very validating as to how I want to run my business. If you trust and empower people to do a good job, they will."

France Langan, sales director of Chicago's Holiday Inn Mart Plaza, recommends checking out this title. "It's an easy read, designed for the busy executive," says Langan. "I think for me, it validated how I try to motivate and work. It also reminded me of how easy business can be if you focus on the individual goals at hand. And, get the right people involved to help. Never do it alone."

Susan Berg Gladstone, director of the Miami Wine and Food Festival, says: "I am not even a social event planner. But this book covers numerous crucial elements of event planning for any type of event."

Tahira Endean, the director of creative and production at Cantrav Services Inc. in Vancouver, says that all of Michael Gelb's books are must-reads, including this one about Leonardo da Vinci, which "includes a great story about catering in that century." Gelb, she says "truly is a Renaissance man, and I am always inspired by these books. I've read each more than once, and I've given them out to friends between 14 and 70 years of age. I consider these mandatory reading if you want to consider how to live and create better."

"This book should be titled Want Your Staff to Make Better Impressions on Your Clients, and Get a Free 15% Productivity Boost?" says Jason Harmer, who works in sales and development at Vancouver's GetWorkers. "Even if your boss is only concerned with the bottom line, this will give you a compelling argument to improve the happiness of your support staff."

Every staffer from Reiventing Events in San Francisco is required to read this book to learn more about teamwork. "It's so important to know each person's strengths when working together" to execute a flawless event, says a company rep.