RL Gant Idea Book

The festival entrance included several portals where guests could scan their R.F.I.D. wristbands to gain entry. For those who linked their wristbands to their Facebook accounts, the system instantly posted a check-in letting their friends know they were at Bonnaroo.

"Checked in by Ford Escape" appeared with each of the Facebook check-ins, which organizers say totaled 200,000 over the four-day festival.

At four locations around Bonnaroo, concertgoers could swipe their wristbands to take a photo that would post to their Facebook accounts.

Organizers placed two check-in portals near each of the five stages. Guests who swiped their wristbands received a Spotify playlist of the act's setlist at the end of the day.

Twenty check-in portals were located around the festival grounds, including near stages, at the cinema and comedy tents, and at the silent disco.

Devised as an interactive, large-scale musical instrument, Coca-Cola's pavilion at Olympic Park, dubbed the Beatbox, was designed by architects Asif Khan and Pernilla Ohrstedt and is marked by 200 interlocked red and white polymer panels embedded with audio, lighting, and sensor technology.

Inside the beverage giant's logo-less structure, certain gestures and movements trigger the panels to react, remixing recordings created by DJ Mark Ronson and singer Katy B. for Coca-Cola's global "Move to the Beat" Olympic campaign.

In the center of the Beatbox is the "Aerial Dynamics" light installation by Jason Bruges Studio. Interactive kiosks control 180 mechanical and electronic "bubbles," causing the pieces to glow with red and white LEDs.

The official automotive partner mounted its two-story structure on an elevated area above the Waterworks River in Olympic Park. Designed by British firm Serie with sustainability in mind, the pavilion uses water from the river to cool the space; the water is recycled back into the river via an eye-catching curtain that shrouds the lower level.

The interior of the building is designed as a showcase of BMW's cars as well as an exhibit of the automaker's energy-efficient models. BMW is also providing a fleet of 4,000 vehicles—powered with sustainable technology—to transport athletes and officials.

The 12,900-square-foot complex dubbed Acer's Journey is designed to flaunt the Taiwanese PC powerhouse's newest technology and gadgets. A striking LED screen marks the façade of the three-story pavilion.

Visitors to Acer's Olympic Park pavilion receive smart cards, which they can use to create a personal avatar and collect points from the various stations inside. One area, the "Fast, Faster, Fastest" challenge, has participants using Acer's Iconia A510 tablet to control their player on a projected race track.

Also inside Acer's pavilion is an installation called the Journey's Sphere, where visitors can use tablets to explore the games and videos that appear on a large globe.

The official airline of the games worked with the London 2012 Organizing Committee to create an area within Olympic Park's 250 acres for as many as 10,000 people to picnic and watch the action on a giant, double-sided screen. The 164,000-square-foot natural amphitheater, known as Park Live, is the fifth-largest venue in Olympic Park and has British Airways staffers on hand to guide visitors.

To flaunt its partnership with the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Broadcasting Services to make the London Olympics the first games shown live in 3-D, the Japanese electronics company built a theater on the grounds of Olympic Park.

Inside its 4,300-square-foot pavilion, Panasonic is broadcasting live, three-dimensional footage of the competitions, including swimming and gymnastics.

As part of its extensive launch for the Galaxy S III smartphone, the Korean electronics company rolled out pop-up shops around London and in Olympic Park. The mobile stores are housed within two-way-mirrored walls and host hands-on demos as well as experiences designed to showcase the features of the handset.

Billed as its biggest restaurant, the fast food chain's main presence in Olympic Park is a 1,500-person eatery with a 70-seat balcony on the second floor that has views of Olympic Stadium.

When the games finish, McDonald's will reuse 75 percent of the items in the flagship restaurant, with furniture and equipment distributed to existing and future locations in the United Kingdom.

British Telecom, known as BT, is a key partner of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad, a multiyear series of events to celebrate this year's games. As part of its efforts, the company is hosting BT London Live, open-air hubs in Hyde Park, Victoria Park, and Trafalgar Square that offer live viewings of the competitions.

The Hyde Park version of BT London Live includes BT House, a section with a stage for daily live musical performances, a lounge with access to BT's broadband service, and meet-and-greets with athletes.

British Telecom is also using the London Live promotion to show off its various services, including its digital TV offering known as BT Vision.

The English chocolate maker is the official treat provider of the games and the biggest activation was the experiential Cadbury House set up in Hyde Park as part of BT London Live. The temporary exhibit of its products is housed under three inflatable domes in Cadbury's signature purple hue.

Inside Cadbury House are several activity areas, including a photo booth, games for kids, and areas to sample confections. Visitors use R.F.I.D. passes that can be linked to an email or Facebook account to upload or send images and "like" a certain part of the activation.

Cadbury also has a section where visitors can pen messages to Olympic athletes on the walls.

Moms are at the center of Procter and Gamble's Olympics campaign, and, with this in mind, the company recreated the P&G Family Home that was introduced at the 2010 Vancouver games. The 65,000-square-foot space is designed as a "home away from home" for mothers of the competing athletes and provides free meals, viewing lounges, and Internet access.

Procter & Gamble's effort is also a platform for the consumer goods company to show off its portfolio of brands. For instance, there is complimentary laundry service to market Tide and Downy.

To promote baby-care brand Pampers, the P&G Family Home includes a playground and childcare center.

The Gillette Lounge within the P&G Family Home is modeled as a men's club, with foosball tables and other forms of entertainment as well as grooming services from Gillette, Old Spice, and Head & Shoulders. A separate salon for women has eight stations with services using P&G beauty brands like Pantene, CoverGirl, Olay, and Clairol.

As the official sportswear partner of the games, the apparel giant is hosting a space overlooking Olympic Park and the Olympic and Paralympic Village from the roof of the Westfield Stratford Shopping Mall. The space from Adidas plays hosts to daily events and has touch-screen displays that let visitors check out virtual footwear.

More than 80,000 people traveled to a remote 700-acre farm in Tennessee June 7-10 for the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Knowing the attendees would be outside day and night listening music on multiple stages, brands such as Garnier Fructis provided practical services such as free hair-washing and styling in a 40- by 40-foot air-conditioned tent.

The L'Oréal-owned brand also brought music props for guests to pose with after their hair service. Participants received the photos via email, allowing them to share the images on social networks.

The show Pop-Up Video recently returned to VH1 and to publicize it, the music channel hosted an activation on the grounds of Lollapalooza. Using augmented reality developed for VH1 by Awestruck Marketing, the promotion let guests see themselves on a big screen in the park virtually interacting with Lollapalooza artists such as the Black Keys and Fun. Guests could instantly post photos from the activation to social media sites.

Starting at 8 a.m., before ticket holders arrived for the first matches, Evian's Instawalk tour took three Instagram users around the U.S.T.A. National Tennis Center, stopping at a number of private sections, including an area where competitors' racquets are restrung.

Each of the Instagrammers received a goodie bag from Evian, which included branded gear and a wide-angle lens attachment for their iPhones.

Danielle (pictured) and the other Instagram users posted a total of 30 photos over the course of the day, taking turns uploading their snaps to Evian's Instagram account.

The U.S.T.A. helped promote Evian's effort by putting some of the Instagram shots up on the stadium Jumbotrons.

The tour hit a number of sections of the Arthur Ashe Stadium that aren't open to the public, including one of the dugout areas used by photographers and videographers.

Evian spokesperson Maria Sharapova hit the practice courts on August 30, and the Instawalk made time for the Instagrammers to stop by and snap a photo.

Evian provided plenty of free water for the tour and also treated the trio to lunch.

On the Lower East Side, Cocktail Bodega and Cocktail Bodega Underground offer two separate venues or one giant one for a company holiday gathering. Both floors serve booze-spiked smoothies and juices served alongside dishes like kimchi Reubens, wings, and jerk-chicken satay. The upstairs space is reminiscent of a school cafeteria with white walls, big windows, picnic-style tables and benches, and primary color-tiled floors. The underground space has a full DJ setup in addition to graffiti-style walls, creating a more club-like atmosphere. For events, the upstairs space holds 225 and the downstairs area holds 125; the entire venue is available for buyouts.

Boomer Esiason’s Stadium Grill opened in September in the Bowlmor Times Square location, and the sports bar and eatery has stadium-style seating on each of its four tiers. Complete with TVs for sports-loving guests, the Grill is available for private groups, with room for 40 in each of its tiers or many as 200 in the entire space. Bowling at the giant facility can also be added on to the price for a private event.

Located in Flatiron, Tre Stelle offers dishes like pesto gnocchi and Nutella cheesecake with customized menus and special holiday offerings available for private events. Outfitted in warm beige tones, the space is modern with an artistic edge—there’s a rotating art gallery wall. The restaurant is available for as many as 65 diners, or there’s a private dining room that seats 40 or holds 50 for receptions.

Part of the Public Theater’s recent renovation, the Library opened in early October. The mezzanine bar and lounge was designed to evoke a vintage library atmosphere with bookcases, a card catalog drawer serving as the hostess stand, distressed leather chairs, and tufted banquettes. With food and drink by chef Andrew Carmellini, the space offers room for 60 seated or 100 standing. Other eye-catching details to take in: old posters from theater performances and a custom steel chandelier over the bar that also doubles as a wine rack.

Antica Pesa, which opened its doors in October in Williamsburg, is the sister restaurant to the original, 1922-established outpost in Rome’s Trastevere neighborhood, which is quite similar to the Brooklyn area. The 2,300-square-foot space was designed by Barc Studio and has a vintage-meets-modern feel achieved through white chandeliers, leather sofas, an open kitchen, and a fireplace to anchor the whole space. The restaurant is available for buyouts, seating 74 or holding 200 for receptions. For smaller gatherings, the communal table in the middle of the venue seats 20.

Occupying a 2,500-square foot restored bank building from the late 1800s, Brinkley's Station opened in September. The menu of American fare is made from all organic and locally sourced ingredients, which is paired with a wine and beer list from New York State wineries and breweries. The restaurant also boasts a wide variety of vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free dishes. The 25-foot cathedral ceiling space is available for buyouts, holding 150 for receptions or 80 seated; a semi-private mezzanine space has room for 30.

Located in the financial district, Felice 15 Gold Street serves an Italian-focused menu with 16 wines by the glass in addition to over 100 other bottles of wine and cocktails. There's a 1,072-square-foot dining room on the first floor and the upstairs wine bar La Soffitta (meaning "attic" in Italian) has leather banquettes and walls are lined with wine bottles. The upstairs space has the capacity for receptions of 74 or 24 seated; combined with Felice, the space holds 200 guests. Several packages are available for large groups, including a two-hour happy hour special and additions such as a meat slicing station and tasting dinner.

Gaonnuri, a penthouse space with views of the Empire State Building, serves Korean fare including classic barbecue. The 10,000-square-foot venue boasts large windows and skylights to take in the surrounding views and holds 250 for buyouts. There are also two private spaces available for events: a room with the capacity for 40 guests, and a private lounge for 30.

Housed in the meatpacking district's Hotel Gansevoort, Toy serves modern Chinese fare like dim sum and shrimp "toast" cigars, which are complemented by a raw bar selection and sushi. The space, designed by Jeffrey Beers International, gives off a fantasy vibe with an abstract mirrored ceiling, a seasonally updated porcelain-like wall graphic, and theater lighting. While the restaurant is available for buyouts of as many as 250 people, gatherings can also take over the private dining room for 35.

Named after its namesake neighborhood, the 3,500-square-foot Flatiron Room opened in September. The bar doles out a wide variety of whiskey—it houses 500 varieties. Flatiron Room is available for buyouts, accommodating 225 on the two floors. The first floor boasts a black walnut bar, leather banquettes, sliding ladders to reach booze cabinets along the walls, and a stage for live entertainment. A private tasting room is also available for events, with room for as many as 45 for receptions. Snacks like Scottish eggs, oysters, braised short ribs, and cheese and charcuterie plates are served on boards to promote sharing. Miguel Aranda, previously of Daniel and Bar Masa, serves up cocktails for non-whiskey lovers like a lavender gimlet.

As a narrator read a story aloud to guests, windows across the building's third floor illuminated to reveal actresses portraying each of the characters.

Gage turned shrimp and grits, a meal traditionally served on a plate, into hors d’ouevres by deep-frying the grits into patties and topping them with a single shrimp and remoulade sauce.

Buffet tables were set up throughout the three floors of venue with Southern fare such as cheddar cheese grits, barbecue beef brisket, and cornbread served in iron skillets.

Susan Gage served a beet and blood orange side salad in large clear standing bowls on each buffet table.

Gage took inspiration from the Lee Brothers cookbook, which the chefs spoke about the following day at a hosted luncheon, for her Vidalia onion tart with an herb pastry crust served on the buffet tables.

Tabasco onions and barbecue sauce accompanied the barbecue beef brisket.

In addition to buttered biscuits, the buffet tables held cornbread served in cast-iron skillets.

For the desserts, Willen kept it to quick bites that could be easily eaten while mingling. The menu included unusual treats such bourbon balls, incorporating one of the South's liquor staples.

The only dessert requiring more than one hand, yet still served in small portions, was butterscotch pots de créme topped with salted caramel and créme fraiche.

Salted-caramel brownies were the only dessert served for chocolate lovers.

The classic New Orleans praline—made with sugar, butter, and pecans—provided another easy-to-eat sweet.

The Web site for the American Cancer Society's Discovery Ball in Chicago has animation, so planner Lee Kite works with a web developer to ensure  the site is viewable on smartphones and other devices.

In Chicago, Truffleberry Market puts a twist on mozzarella sticks with its molten Brie with balsamic fig jam appetizer. "We typically serve it with cherry ale, but we had a client who loves apple ale, so we've used apple ale as another version," said executive chef and owner Brittany Ferrin.

In Chicago, Boutique Bites Catering serves mini braised beef short rib "Shepherd's Pie" appetizers with tiny mugs of Guinness. "These are very popular at events, especially among men," said owner Elaina Vazquez. "We catered a 'beer and bacon' theme 30th birthday for a guy last year, and these were by far the best seller."

As part of its "Sip & Taste" concept, which pairs snacks with beverages, Wolfgang Puck Catering offers pastrami sandwiches made with American Waygu beef and Russian dressing. The hearty bites are presented atop miniature mugs of Anchor Brewing Company’s Liberty Ale.

In Los Angeles, Love Catering pairs Ashai beer with bites of tuna sashimi dressed with blood orange, cucumber, and yuzu vinaigrette. "There is a reason the Japanese pair this beer with sushi," said a Love spokesperson. "Both flavors are so delicate that they don't ruin either the food or the drink. This really is a perfect match."

Beer can pair with dessert, too. The Michigan restaurant Bigalora Wood Fired Cucina pairs house-made gelato with local beers such as Founder's Porter.

The Social Soul exhibit surrounded participants with images and sounds from their Twitter stream and from those of a suggested match. The entire experience lasted less than two minutes.

To provide a view inside the Social Soul experience while maintaining complete darkness inside the room, MKG created a periscope-like window that people could look through via their smartphones. The agency created a separate hashtag, #socialscope, to track sharing of photos and videos taken through the window.

As people exited the Social Soul room, a screen outside displayed the Twitter handle of their suggested match.

At Microsoft Convergence in March, organizers offered buttons to help like-minded attendees more easily identify and network with one another. Buttons can be a simple and inexpensive way to help attendees share their pride in attending an event.

To promote Rosanna Pansino's baking channel on YouTube, Allied Experiential recently made over SoHo’s Little Cupcake Bakeshop with an Angry Birds theme.

If your event has an oversize prop, eye-catching decor piece, or some other feature guests are likely to want to photograph, that element is a smart place for a hashtag—and it's bound to make its way online throughout the night. For instance, a Los Angeles event for British Airways and Variety saw hashtags splashed in the front windshields of traditional British black cars. Similarly, Diesel printed the hashtag for its Reboot campaign last September on large-scale installations in New York's Union Square.

Hashtags printed on items that guests hold in their hands throughout the course of an event—say, a fan giveaway at a promotion, or a table card for a seated meal—cannot be easily ignored or forgotten. At Essence magazine's Black Women in Hollywood Oscar luncheon in Beverly Hills, hashtags and handles decked seating cards for easy reference.

When events offer beauty and grooming treatments, guests are likely to feel compelled to share their post-experience transformation, whether it's a new hair look or a fresh manicure. At HBO's Luxury Lounge during the Emmys in Los Angeles, mats under mani stations encouraged social snaps for guests receiving Marc Jacobs Beauty manicures. And at Herbal Essences lounge at BMF's Hard Rock Hotel party during Lollapalooza in Chicago, hashtags on nearby signage encouraged guests to post beauty shots.

Hashtags that encourage interaction on site through gamification or another kind of activity are sure to facilitate broad interaction online as well. At Target's Feed U.S.A. event, menus encouraged guests to interact and mingle with tablemates through social media prompts on menus.

Sometimes, it's not the biggest message that makes an impact, but the subtle and cleverly rendered one that gets guests' attention. For a look that was well integrated with the venue's existing decor, Pandora launched a new jewelry collection in Los Angeles and emblazoned the Mondrian hotel's bold oversize planters with hashtags.

Hashtags get noticed in places where guests spend much of their time on event day—and where they have physical space and incentive to hang out. Certainly, a photo activation is a compelling incentive: Evian's photo activation at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami put a hashtag right above the action, where it was sure to make its way online.

Turning tweeting into a competition drives major social media engagement—not to mention huge buzz at the event. During Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim, prompts directed guests to use a tweet-operated Polaroid vending machine at the Ocean Drive Sun Covered Pool Party.

Hashtags printed on ordinary signage might get overlooked as guests' eyes glaze over to unremarkable displays. But employ a surprising medium to communicate the message and it's sure to get noticed—and photographed for social media. For example, Sonos used lipstick to playfully jot its event hashtag in an unmissable way.

Sure, promoting hashtags within the boundaries of an event can get guests interacting. But put them outside the event's official walls and you're more likely to capture a bigger crowd. At the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, a 3-D projection of tweets using the official event hashtag appeared on a 35- by 65-foot billboard. The digital activation, created by Incredible Machines, ran at night, while during the day the billboard showed a static image of the hashtag printed on canvas. Similarly, AOL placed its hashtag on a giant billboard outside the venue of its upfront event during Advertising Week in New York.

Every guest is likely carrying a smartphone in his or her pocket. But making social sharing as easy for guests as possible can only further encourage the behavior—so try printing hashtags right alongside displays of smartphones or other devices. At Samsung's tent at the Life Is Beautiful festival in Las Vegas, attendees ordered free frozen yogurt and designed T-shirts from devices at stations emblazoned with the activation's hashtag.

Putting hashtags on food isn't just a tasty idea—it's Instagram bait to boot. An event invitation to the Time Warner Cable Studios pop-up in New York before the Super Bowl came with a hashtag printed right on top of a cake.

It's no secret that guests want to photograph themselves—and their friends—for their social media profiles. So if you put your message right in their field of view, you'll capture their attention—and social media impressions. At Prive Salon in Los Angeles for the Colgate Optic White beauty bar ahead of the Golden Globes, handles and hashtags decked mirrors.

At the Kohl's Launch of Juicy Couture, an elaborate press wall of roses was inset with a sparkling logo. The event took place at the John Lautner-designed Sheats-Goldstein residence in Los Angeles in September.

In January, Ross Mathews and the Happy Egg Company feted California's Proposition 2 (mandating that eggs sold in the state must come from hens with larger cages) with an event that included cutouts of chickens placed on the yellow arrivals carpet for 3-D effect. The event was at West Hollywood’s Palihouse.

Pandora hosted its first "Hearts of Today” honoree luncheon at the Montage Beverly Hills in November, where a decorative press wall had logos framed in purple roses set against lush hedging.

In 2013, Chandon hosted its American Summer Soiree in New York with a step-and-repeat backdrop that included a dense collection of inflatable pool toys, including those in shapes of blue whales, pink flamingos, and flowers, alongside logo beach bags, balls, bottles, and chairs.

The Museum of Modern Art’s annual Party in the Garden in New York in 2013 had a modern, tropical motif. Accordingly, the arrivals backdrop included plenty of greenery, which was accented with logos from MoMA and sponsor Cartier.

Vogue Eyewear's Los Angeles launch party for its campaign with Eva Mendes in 2013 had a playful feel throughout. A step-and-repeat wall made up of logo balloons arranged in a rainbow grid set the sunny, colorful tone for the alfresco affair.

For the New York premiere of Columbia Picture's Bad Teacher in 2011, a 130-foot step-and-repeat area got 3-D touches in the form of classroom-style elements, including school chairs, desks, and red apples.

The Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic is known for its whimsical decor done in the brand's signature yellow-orange color. In 2013, the Los Angeles event included a vintage flower-stand-style step-and-repeat. In addition to flowers, bottles were potted like plants and logo plaques on wooden sticks were planted in moss.

At Christie's “Green Auction: Bid to Save the Earth” in New York in 2012, the arrivals area was dominated by a wall of live plants. Many of the flowers used—including phalaenopsis, clovers, cabbage, ferns, and ivy—were replanted following the event.

A 2013 event partnership between jewelry and accessories brand Stella & Dot and liquor company Midori resulted in a 3-D press wall enlivened by emerald green colored objects—accessories from the line like sunglasses and necklaces, alongside the brightly colored bottles.

One way to get an event's message out is to write it in a way that's too big to miss. The Angelina Jolie movie Salt premiered in Los Angeles in 2010 with 12-foot-tall letters that spelled out the film's name in eye-catching graphic form.