Conference ideas

After picking up their totes, attendees headed to an area to be assigned their groups for the lunch roundtable and dinner dine-around. They selected a poker chip at random; each chip was printed with the name of one of the dinner locations.

Continuing with the gambling theme, guests also selected a playing card (designed by Tricia Hay) that revealed the number of the table at which they’d be seated for the luncheon and which speaker would be hosting the table. “Like at any meeting, people tend to want to stick with who they know,” says Rebecca Grinalls. “So doing a blind pull like this helps create organic opportunities for networking with new people without making it feel forced.”

The boxes included pencils, sticky notes, a journal, mints and candy, and “Thinking Putty," a Silly Putty-like product to keep guests’ hands engaged. “We wanted to make all of the gifts as lightweight as possible so that people would be able to take them home in their luggage,” says Susan Arak-Turnock. To that end, the boxes were made from thick paper board.

"We were influenced by our surroundings. We let the decor of Blue Hill at Stone Barns rule our aesthetic, letting nature dictate the design. The hand-hammered copper urn visually grounded the design." —David Beahm

TEDx planners from around the world expressed themselves on an interactive chalkboard wall.

The rustic look has moved into the realm of total refinement, as seen in the setup from Simply Chic Events, which came complete with reclaimed wood and an Edison-style bulb chandelier.

At TEDActive in Palm Springs, buttons with blank fields labeled "Talk to Me About ... " invited guests to write a short list of topics they love or are knowledgeable about, to encourage meaningful mingling.

Marcy Blum

"I think we were the first to book the IAC building for a wedding ceremony. In collaboration with PBD, we used the video screen for a custom-made backdrop."

"If you want your staff to look elegant, the best bet is to supply their ensembles."

"Doughnuts have become hugely popular, so we hired the doughnut specialist from the Food Network to fry them on premises as party favors in place of the dreaded cupcake stack."

Kicking things off on Sunday was a Southern-hospitality-infused barnyard bash at the estate's historic Antler Hill Barn. A chalkboard map, created by Brent Holloman for Pressed Cotton, outlined the four-part event, which included cocktail hour in the garden, a field-to-table feast in the barn, desserts by the campfire, and a chance to meet the farmyard animals.

As the exclusive design partner for the evening, online event decor and accessory company Pressed Cotton provided the party’s rustic-chic details. Wooden picnic tables were lined with Kraft paper runners printed with illustrations of vintage silverware, and glass cloches housed homemade honey, jams, and pickled veggies.

Pressed Cotton put together “Midnight Munchies” bags containing cake pops, popcorn, and cookies for guests to take with them at the end of the welcome party.

Last year, the National Association for Catering and Events hosted its annual fund-raising gala at the Liaison in Washington, where design elements drew inspiration from classic fairy tales. To add an enchanted-forest feel to the dining table centerpieces, table numbers were spray painted on wood slabs.

At the February opening of Washington venue the Powerhouse, Design Cuisine added a D.I.Y. element to the cheese and charcuterie buffet: Guests topped their selections with unique spices displayed in suspended glass bowls or flavored olive oils and vinegars housed in squeeze bottles.