Innovative

At the hotel, the registration area was set up to resemble a boutique, displaying the items included in the welcome totes on shelves. “At the previous Engage! conference, we found out that some people didn’t open their welcome bag until they got home, but it included a lot of items meant to be used at the conference,” says Arak-Kanofsky. “So we wanted to make sure people knew what was inside. The merchandise walls created by Bob Gail Special Events allowed guests to see what they were getting.”

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.”

Guests received a minibar kit that included recipes for three cocktails and the ingredients needed to make them, like Red Bull, Goldschlager, and candy drink stirrers.

At the end of the first night’s poolside welcome party, everyone was given a “Hydrate and Chill” kit designed to help them beat the Vegas heat. The package included a fan, a water mister, a bottle of sleep-inducing Dream Water, and an insulated cup.

In the presentation room, each seat held a “Bento Box” of items intended to optimize their experience.

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.

Kristy Rice of Momental Designs created programs featuring watercolor illustrations detailing the conference's various events.

In early April, attendees were sent a pre-arrival package that included a welcome note and a metal luggage tag.

The welcome totes also included a trifold vanity kit. Each day of the conference had its own corresponding pouch of items. The “Get Ready” section included bath salts, an aromatherapy candle, and a box of matches. The “Engage” pouch had a tube of mints, lip balm, and massage cream. The “Glow” pouch featured items intended for use at the gala event, like nail polish, a mirror, and a portable kit with Band-Aids, blotting papers, and fashion tape.

Flexible branded paper cubes served as easy decor throughout the conference. Custom USB cards included event information as well as all 250 attendees’ contact information, which avoided the need to pass out business cards.

Name badges doubled as an icebreaker: the number of crystal charms on the tag identified how many times the badge-wearer had attended an Engage! conference. Veteran attendees had nine balls, while first-timers had only one.

On the last evening, an “After Glow” kit was placed on guests’ pillows during turndown service. The pouch included a gel eye mask, a foot soak, and a box of hangover remedies like Tylenol, Alka Seltzer, eye drops, and ear plugs.

After the conference, Engaging Concepts sent every attendee a thank-you gift of fortune cookies; the fortunes inside were printed with quotes from conference speakers.

There was also a post-conference Twitter contest that asked guests to write a haiku that summed up their experience at Engage!12. Winners received a “Withdrawal Kit” that included detox drinks, candies, and a countdown calendar to the next conference. (The lid of the container was printed with the winning tweets.)

To mark 21 years in business, LVMH-owned beauty purveyor Fresh threw a playful soirée that allowed guests to pour their own drinks from a wall with embedded dispensers. After filling flasks with one of five juices, guests could take their drinks to the bar where bartenders mixed cocktails.

The sneak peek party for Bravo’s Around the World in 80 Plates finale was inspired by global travel, with rotating stages for entertainment and food. The event, produced by Empire Entertainment and presented by Chase Sapphire Preferred, also included a game where guests were invited to guess the destination based on a photo.

At a 40th birthday party, Susan Holland Events filled the Stephan Weiss Studio in New York with disco ball lights and projected French surrealist films, while a swing hung near the dance floor.

Todd Events made a wedding held inside a large barn in Aspen seem more intimate with two tall signature bars and scattered seating and food station vignettes. Hanging glass globes appeared to lower the ceilings.

Inspired by the family’s love of candy, David Monn used ring pops, gummy frogs, lollipops, and sour apple gummy rings to create the centerpieces at a recent bat mitzvah.

Ritzy Bee Events used craft paper and chalk to label the passed appetizers for a rehearsal dinner at the Decatur House in Washington so guests wouldn’t be left guessing.

For a donut-themed bridal shower put together by blogger Elsie Larson, a giant chalkboard filled with descriptive doodles served as the backdrop of the food spread.

For an upscale dinner party, Fête presented a clambake menu in a formal, modern setting by having waiters serve custom Plexiglas trays filled with seafood.

At a casual outdoor wedding in California planned by Kate Miller Events, gingham flags displaying table numbers were tucked into vintage soda bottles filled with flowers.

Guests created custom perfumes at a scent bar set up by Ka-Mil-Yin, a Los Angeles-based fragrance company that specializes in perfume parties, to take home as a favor from a bridal shower.

For a dandy-themed graduation party in Hollywood, Canvas & Canopy designed a dessert buffet that eschewed the twee look in favor of a sophisticated display of treats on cake stands made from vintage candlesticks and shelves built using industrial pipes.

For a New York couple marrying at the Waldorf Astoria Orlando, Heather Snively of Weddings Unique recreated the newlyweds’ hometown with a hand-painted backdrop of Central Park from Greenery Productions. Lighting and real trees helped the scene come to life.

Marcy Blum Associates built a bakery-style display case to offer guests breakfast-to-go treats from New York bakeries at the end of a wedding reception.

Jes Gordon/Proper Fun created a supper club atmosphere at Gotham Hall in New York for a recent bar mitzvah. Four-hundred luminaries filled with LED candles were hung from a large oval truss on the ceiling.

Matthew Parker Events crafted lighting fixtures for a speakeasy-themed wedding using hats from a party supply store, decorative ribbon, corded wire, and filament bulbs.

For a wedding at the King Plow Event Gallery in Atlanta, Bold American Events & Catering designed an upside-down centerpiece of yellow tulips and glass globes that hung above the head table.

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.

At a wedding designed by Triton Productions, the focal point of the pre- and post-ceremony cocktail area at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach was a custom-designed 360-degree bar made of corrugated mirror.

Bryn Chernoff of Paperfinger created custom calligraphy stamps of each guest’s name, which doubled as place cards and favors at a private dinner party held at the Foundry in New York.

The tables at a graffiti-themed bar mitzvah designed by David Stark Design and Production, held at Center 548 in New York, displayed arrangements of daffodils and ranunculuses sprouting from cinder block planters.

Bathroom amenity baskets are a staple at social events, sometimes tying to the event’s motif, like this one created by State of the Art Enterprises for a bar mitzvah with a graphic pattern theme.

Jeffrey Foster of Event Creative designed custom-built tables and props, including glowing baseball diamond-shaped tables and a scoreboard that hung above the dance floor, for a bar mitzvah at the Ravenswood Event Center in Chicago.

For a vodka shot bar at a birthday party designed by Kristi Amoroso Special Events, the bottles were displayed in a sculptural arrangement of textured ice spheres.

Mélangerie Inc.’s customized wedding genealogy charts detail the relationship of the wedded couple to their guests with the help of a relationship key. Guests browse the chart during the cocktail hour to learn about their tablemates.

For a wedding at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Marc Hall Design built seven-foot-tall mirrored glass vessels to hold apple tree branches adorned with phalaenopsis orchids that were kept hydrated through a system of hand-blown glass pipes.

For a bat mitzvah at Guastavino’s in New York, Susan Holland Events used Tyvek pillows hand-stitched with neon thread as chargers. After the meal, waiters threw the pillows in the center of the tables, where they glowed under black light.

Levy Lighting and Preston Bailey collaborated on a wedding after-party lounge held in a tent, with the ceiling lit from behind to create the glowing effect.

As a unique way to allow guests to create their own drinks, Fresh installed a wall of drink tanks, two- by two-foot clear containers that each held five-and-a-half gallons of liquid (or roughly 123 glasses). Each tank held a different type of juice, including summer-mixed citrus black tea, pomegranate hibiscus, rosemary-infused grapefruit juice, cucumber basil, and strawberry lychee.

A beige carpet lined the entrance the Burberry flagship store on Michigan Avenue.

At the dinner Saturday at the Washington Hilton, President Obama delivered remarks that took aim at media organizations as well as poked fun at himself. That included the zinger: "The problem is, is that the media landscape is changing so rapidly. You can’t keep up with it. I mean, I remember when BuzzFeed was just something I did in college around 2 a.m."

MSNBC had one of the largest events, an after-party at the Italian Embassy produced by Dufour & Company. Guests arrived at a digital step-and-repeat that rotated through sponsor logos.

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow tended bar for guests throughout the evening. Other food and beverage highlights included a coffee bar from Starbucks, which sponsors the network's Morning Joe show, and bites from Occasions Caterers.

Atlantic Media chairman David Bradley and his wife, Katherine, once again opened their home for the company's annual dinner on Friday night. Loane Brothers set up a clear tent in the backyard complete with a working chandelier and artwork from a current National Gallery of Art exhibit that paid tribute to the widely regarded Ballet Russes, which also inspired the French and Russian menu designed by Susan Gage Caterers.

Political-themed cartoons marked the wall by the elevator at The New Yorker's party on the rooftop of the W hotel. Cartoon images were repeated on cocktail napkins.

Passed hors d'oeuvres and dessert bites were served on trays with images of The New Yorker magazine covers.

Simple arrangements of bright flowers decorated the space, and bubbly from sponsor Louis Roederer Champagne was served.

Vanity Fair and Bloomberg returned to the residence of the French ambassador for their joint annual post-dinner party Saturday. Light features on the lawn served as an eye-catching entrance.

Syzygy Events International provided decor for the party co-hosted by People and Time magazines Friday at the St. Regis Hotel. The inspiration was an urban biergarten, and the space had lanterns strung across the open ceiling as well as fire pits set up on the patio.

Images from People's magazines—including Channing Tatum as this year's Sexiest Man Alive—were displayed throughout the space.

The magazine held its after-party at the Carnegie Library, famous for its lighted dance floor showing a map of the city. The event also featured lounges and other activations from sponsors Clear Channel Communications, the Entertainment Software Association, Mercedes-Benz, Corona Light, Reyka Vodka, and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Politico hosted a Sunday brunch at the Georgetown home of publisher Robert Allbritton. Oversize flower arrangements anchored buffet tables from chef Wolfgang Puck's the Source, serving seafood items as well as chopped salad, Korean steak salad, Japanese green-tea soba noodles, lobster rolls, and mini fried chicken and waffles. Puck was on hand and oversaw the catering.

A made-to-order eggs Benedict station offered three varieties: traditional, Florentine, and Chesapeake with a crab cake.

Hanging terrariums and glass bubbles were part of an artistic hanging centerpiece in the tent. Politico's in-house team planned the event.

The annual garden brunch hosted by Tammy Haddad and others celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. One of the event's beneficiaries, Cure Epilepsy, was featured on printed lampshades at the bar.

The brunch's decor, which featured spring colors such as yellow, magenta, and green, was echoed in beverages such as smoothies served with colorful straws.

Landmark Technology's Lani Hay partnered with Rock the Vote for an after-party and private concert following her annual dinner on Friday night. Belvedere Vodka and Hennessy sponsored the cocktails, which included shots at the door and two additional specialty cocktails at the backyard bar.

Bold wording on floor decals, tables, and other rentals urged guests to "Go Viral," "Network," and be "Social" at the Making News party from The Atlantic, National Journal, and OurTime.org. Amaryllis provided decor and florals, Design Cuisine catered, and Atmosphere Lighting provided lighting. Guest could also pose in a photo booth from Onomonomedia.

Event entertainers the Bumbys—wearing Washington-appropriate disguises—graded guests' appearances at the Making News Party. The event, at the Powerhouse venue in Georgetown, was also sponsored by the Cosmopolitan Las Vegas hotel.

The Internet news site hosted a barbecue watch party at Jack Rose Dining Saloon with picnic-style decor.

Geico sponsored pedicabs that brought guests—including Miss D.C. (pictured)—to the barbecue.

Modify Watches provided a table full of patriotic red, white, and blue watches—many sporting an American flag on the face—for guests upon arrival at Rock the Vote's party at Heist on Thursday night. Local public relations companies NeuProfile and Finepoint co-hosted the event.

In keeping with the patriotic theme of the evening, New York bakery Baked by Melissa provided red, white, and blue bite-sized cupcakes along the bar at Heist.

Guests of Voto Latino's fourth annual Our Voices: Celebrating Diversity in Media reception received orange wrist bands upon arrival at Top of the Hay at the Hay-Adams Hotel. Actor Daniel Dae Kim served as the honorary host, a post previously held by actress Rosario Dawson.

Philadelphia restaurateur Stephen Starr continues his New York takeover: His event and catering division is now the in-house food and beverage provider at the New York Botanical Gardens, overseeing events and expanding the number of visitor dining locations to include seasonal carts and kiosks serving items like cider doughnuts and hand-held fruit pies. This fall, Starr’s team will also become the exclusive caterer at Carnegie Hall.

At the Budweiser "Made in America" festival in Philadelphia in 2012, Anheuser-Busch used Blippar to provide interactive experiences for attendees, such as taking a photo with the event logo to share on social networks. Attendees accessed the activities by scanning event brochures with the Blippar app.