Super Hero

Turning an event's invitation and program into a comic book is a relatively easy way to add colorful visuals. Vintage cartoons inspired MacKenzie Brown's design for the Medical Research Institute Council of the Children's Memorial Hospital's Children's Ball in Chicago in 2010.

As part of the Smirnoff Experience series of events in 2010, Mosaic Experiential Marketing placed graphic illustrations in the windows of Toronto's Andrew Richard Designs. The illustrations depicted comic book characters arriving at a party, mimicking the arrival of guests on the red carpet.

New York's Robin Hood Foundation, which hosts one of the largest and most successful benefits in the city, tapped contacts at DC Comics to help create a superhero theme for its 2011 gala. The planning and design team created an emblem and slogan—"the forces of good are gathering"—that marked the night's invite and main cocktail area.

In 2008, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute staged an exhibition timed around the release of The Dark Knight titled "Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy," which served as the design springboard for its preview gala. With the help of the movie's set designer, Nathan Crowley, the planners placed 20-foot-tall statues of superheroes the museum's Great Hall.

Large-scale industrial props can help set the scene—and make guests seem small and powerless. At the Los Angeles premiere of The Amazing Spider-Man in June, Sony Pictures placed a 16- by 22-foot web-like metal structure on the red carpet and at the party.

Staffers are a big part of setting the tone at events. For Maxim's superhero-inspired Super Bowl party at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, servers wore capes and black masks.

Columbia Pictures washed the first floor of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel with green-hued lighting to give the space a glowing, moody look for the Los Angeles premiere of The Green Hornet in January 2011.

Comic-book-style images can be turned into live installations at events. Animated graphics and videos at the 2011 Robin Hood Foundation gala, helped add energy—and eye-catching decor—to the cocktail area of the 3,000-person fund-raiser.

As most superheroes fight crime in big cities—Gotham, Metropolis, and the like—a city backdrop, real or computer-produced, adds something extra. For the 2007 premiere of Spider-Man 3 in New York, Columbia Pictures used backlit panels to depict the skyline.

The 2008 Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Toronto's Big Night Out benefit reminded guests of the night's superhero theme by placing them on the tables. The design team created colorful centerpieces by placing images of original comic book characters in tall plexiglass boxes on stands.

Funky entertainment and Batman-like decor dominated the Hope and Help Center of Florida's annual Headdress Ball in 2006, where the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate served a white chocolate Catwoman with a licorice whip for dessert.

Primary colors are a distinct part of any superhero's costume, and that visual inspired the monochromatic menu for Raw's industry party in Toronto. The architectural firm passed items such as Parisienne potatoes topped with blue-dyed whitefish mousse and blue sea salt, beef tartare with beet-dyed horseradish in heirloom tomatoes (pictured), and chicken salad with green peas and pesto in green pepper cups.

The Robin Hood Foundation created graphic, superhero versions of the presenters for its 2011 gala, including host Brian Williams.

To make the guests at the Los Angeles premiere of The Amazing Spider-Man premiere feel like superheroes, Sony Pictures erected a climbing wall inside the party.

As a playful way to extend the night's motif to the bathroom, the organizers of the 2010 Smirnoff Experience in Toronto placed decals with small dots and speech balloons on mirrors to give guests' reflections a comic book effect.

Guests arrived on a double-sided, logo-inset red carpet for the Amazing Spider-Man premiere.

The party took over closed streets on Broxton and Le Conte in Westwood.

At the party, a central bar in the round got a reptilian look inspired by the film's villain.

A spider-web-like scenic piece moved from the red carpet to the party.

Guests took their turns on a climbing wall at the Amazing Spider-Man premiere party.

With a guest list of more than 3,000 high-profile philanthropists, the Robin Hood Foundation used a large portion of the Javits Center's south entrance hall for check-in.

Rather than arrange the check-in tables alphabetically this year, the foundation employed IML's technology for automated guest registration. At each station, staffers were able to mark who had arrived and upload guest information to the cards used for donations through the IML devices.

Switching from last year's circular tunnel, the entrance to the cocktail area was triangular, a nod to the arrowhead-shaped emblem and superhero theme of the event. Verbs key to the organization's mission splashed across the walls.

Animated graphics displayed on the video screens throughout the highlighted important information about New Yorkers in need of food, shelter, and education.

The centerpiece of the cocktail section was an enormous sign depicting the event's arrowhead symbol and tagline. Oversize illuminated arrows pointed outward from this point, guiding guests to sections themed around the issues the foundation works on.

The different sections of the cocktail area held different displays. For instance, one corner was dedicated to homelessness, and highlighted by facts and figures such as "38,000 without a home tonight."

The whimsical look, which included a star-shaped bar, was designed to empower the foundation's donors and illustrate the importance of their contributions.

The comic-book-style cartoons continued in the dining room, decorated in Robin Hood's green color scheme.

Flower-free centerpieces showed more superhero images and served as holders for IML's devices.

NBC Nightly News anchor and Robin Hood Foundation board member Brian Williams hosted the evening's program. Like other presenters, the TV personality's appearance on stage was accompanied by an animated superhero version on-screen.

The producers once again used IML devices to solicit donations from guests during the dinner program. In total, the gala raised $47.4 million.

To emphasize its new program to provide aid to New York City's veterans and their families, Robin Hood brought Kid Rock and 300 uniformed military personnel to the stage to perform "Care."

The contest hosted by Lady Gaga and Robin Hood allowed the public to vote for one of five charities targeting local youth. The winner, SCO Family of Services, was announced at the gala and the performer presented the first of two $500,000 grants at the event.

A full-length concert from Lady Gaga followed the dinner. The foundation offered fans the opportunity to win tickets to the performance through its Facebook page.

The bar in the silent-auction room surrounded a large spandex structure, courtesy of Solutions With Impact.

Red linens from Around the Table and cream chair covers from Micki's dressed the dining tables, which featured a box of popcorn at each place setting.

Red balloons hung from the ceiling in the Artifacts Room where the Silent Auction Company staged a silent auction.

Custom centrepieces featured plexiglass boxes with original images of superheroes.

Solutions With Impact dressed the main dining room in red and cream.

A model—one of eight from Champagne Showgirls—dressed as a superhero named the Silver Raven.

Guests had the opportunity to purchase a superhero comic book for the chance to win five prizes, including a VIA rail trip to Quebec City.

Red light bathed the facade of Kaufman Astoria Studios, which was built in 1919.

Load-in for the after-party began on Saturday.

About 2,500 people took in the movie at UA Kaufman Astoria Stadium 14 in Queens. A marching band outside the theater helped celebrate the homecoming of Peter Parker—Spider-Man’s Queens-based alter ego—prior to the screening.

Interactive elements of the party included Spider-Man backdrops for photo ops, Sony photo booths, and Sony PlayStations loaded with the Spider-Man game.

Ron Wendt provided the textured and unconventional floral arrangements; candles rested in globes reminiscent of the Green Goblin’s destructive bombs.

Seating options included plush brown sofas (many reserved for the movie’s cast and other boldface names in attendance), black chairs placed around glass tables, and couches sporting a reptilian-textured fabric with accompanying ottomans.

Sonnier & Castle’s offerings included coconut shrimp, bite-size croque monsieur, and individual crème brûlée. Latin fusion, dim sum, antipasti, and pasta stations were inspired by New York cuisine.

Benarroch Productions brought in every element of decor to create the industrial modern environment.

The metal spider’s body hovered over the dance floor at the center of the venue. For added visual excitement, green lasers shot through the space.

Three panels created the imposing backlit cityscape, which measured 280 feet long and 35 feet high.

The Black Beauty prop car from The Green Hornet stood sentry for the green carpet arrivals for the movie's premiere.

Logo cutouts added dimension to the arrivals wall.

The premiere party at the Hollywood Roosevelt got an all-green look.

Green Hornet logo gobos decked the walls of the party space.

Green Hornet logos decked bar fronts, and the prop motorcycle from the movie stood inside a square central bar.

Illuminated tables provided seating for guests to dine on buffet-style dinner and dessert after the screening.