Ideas

The OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa hosted the first Electric Run November 30, a trippy nighttime 5K run/walk set to electronic dance music that saw more than 10,000 participants dressed in glow-in-the-dark costumes surrounded by a million watts of lights.

Plastic red cups played heavily into Saucony's December 4 gathering at the Coppertank Events Center. A satellite event to the Running Event in Austin, the party featured a fence wall that spelled out the brand's name using Solo cups. The installation was meant to evoke a backyard or block-party feel.

At the AIDS Foundation of Chicago's "World of Chocolate" event on November 29, a silent auction let guests bid at different levels and choose a number on a punch board that corresponded to that level. Event staffers dressed as professional boxers would then punch a hole through that number and reveal a corresponding prize.

John Laraio of Mobius8 performed at the Fusion Fashion & Art Show December 6 at LMNT Contemporary Art Space in Miami. Mobius8 is electronica performance art that combines lighting, visual effects, and lasers that morph to the beat of dance music.

At the Miami Beach launch of William John Kennedy’s portraits of Andy Warhol December 7, guests ate roasted Peking duck moo-shoo rolls with hoisin-marinated scallions served in mini take-out boxes adorned with Warhol's portrait of Chairman Mao Zedong. Other Warhol-inspired bites from the Villa by Barton G. included tomato gazpacho served in mini iconic Campbell's soup cans and Kobe beef sliders served on a tray of Coca-Cola bottles.

A branded shuffleboard game at Harper’s Bazaar's ShopBazaar.com pop-up last week at the Buena Vista Building in Miami offered winners free T-shirts, cash prizes, and gift certificates. XA produced the space and its events.

For the season three premiere party for Portlandia, IFC took over New York’s American Museum of Natural History and created quirky displays to match the show’s offbeat portrayal of Portland. The Monday night event included miniature scenes of Portlandians everyday activities in glass terrariums.

The Children's Defense Fund's 22nd annual Beat the Odds award ceremony December 6 honored five Los Angeles high school students who overcame personal obstacles and achieved academic excellence. To incorporate the teenagers into the night's visuals, the organizers used a gallery of black-and-white portraits as the backdrop for the stage at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Art Arellanes produced the event; Revelry handled the scenic production and Richard Taylor provided the lighting design.

An inventive ploy for on-the-spot donations, Charity:Water invited guests at its seventh Charity:Ball in New York to buy helium-filled balloons for $5 a pop. The attendees at the Monday-night event then could release the inflatables in a net shaped like a giant jerry can—an image the nonprofit uses to symbolize its mission of bringing clean water to developing countries.

Bloor Street Entertains, a fund-raiser for CANFAR, took place in several venues on the Toronto street on November 28. Students from Seneca College worked with event producer Spinraduis to design a table with an Elegant Winter theme in the William Ashley china shop. At each place setting, Christmas tree ornaments shaped like glittering presents served as name cards, and guests took home the festive trinkets at the end of the night. Ecostems designed the lush centerpiece.

After composing and recording, guests could share their DJ beats on Facebook, text them to friends, or turn them into mobile ringtones.

Toyota Hybrid teamed up with Hasbro to create the 30,160-square-foot "Monopoly Ride Experience," a closed course that let guests test out the Prius, Pruis V, Camry Hybrid, and Highlander Hybrid. Attended by costumed staffers, the course was inspired by the popular board game and had S-curves, tight roundabouts, a bridge, and train tracks based on Reading Railroad.

A new test track from Chrystler Group was set against an urban backdrop that showcased photos of Chicago's downtown architecture. The track let guests climb into vehicles such as the Chrystler 200 and 300 and the Fiat 500 and 500c. A DJ near the activation entertained guests while they waited in line. Chrystler Group's other test tracks at the show included one for Jeep and one for the Ram truck.

Honda had an over-size "Words With Friends" activation that let guests compete to spell out words from a preselected set inspired by the new Honda vehicles. Words included safety, quality, refinement, and tire.

At a phone-charging station in Toyota's exhibit area, guests could juice up their phones and watch commercials for the brand on Apple desktops.

To showcase its Star Safety System, Toyota had a driving safety simulator that let show attendees attempt to navigate a virtual off-road terrain without the system—and with plenty of bumps and jostles. A smoother ride showed consumers what driving would be like with the safety system.

Also included in Toyota's 45,070 square feet of exhibit space was a Nascar garage that held retired racing vehicles, which guests could sit in.

The exhibit area for Chevrolet's eco-friendly Volt had a photo booth. Guests could have their pictures snapped, share them on Facebook or Twitter, and then wait for the photos to show up on a towering screen at the center of the space. While they waited, they watched commercials for the car.

Perhaps the artiest activations were those devoted to Chevrolet's Sonic vehicle. Included in the exhibit space was a dry-erase marker wall where show attendees could fill in Mad Libs-style postcards that started with "Check out my new ride! I call my new Sonic [Insert Name]."

At another activity station in the Sonic area, guests could design their own buttons.

A station called "Sonic Boom" let guests compose their own electronic DJ beats.

In a cabin-like exhibition area, GMC displayed its new paint colors amid a pile of logs.

Cadillac displayed its engines in a museum-like display that let guests press buttons to hear voice-overs on particular engine features.

Cadillac also doled out pink slippers and offered foot massages for guests tired from strolling the vast trade show floor. Guest stood in a long line to take advantage of the luxurious perk.

Lincoln's exhibit had the inviting look of a modern living room, with sleek sofas and an overhead chandelier that expanded and contracted.

The chandelier expanded to become a very large ball, then contracted again. The moving fixture was visible from far away and drew guests closer to find out what it was.

Hyundai brought back its performance stage, which let guests pose in front of the automaker's logo with rock instruments then receive a commemorative photo that was printed out on site.

For the sports magazine's Friday-night party, Tony Schubert of Event Eleven created a geometric step-and-repeat that played with angles and had no rectangles. The concept carried through to the inside of the 50,000-square-foot tent at Tad Gormley Stadium, where none of the constructed walls were the same height or dimension, and all featured different angles.

The decor included 65 custom sofas and more than 100 coffee tables in ESPN's signature colors of red and black. Paying homage to the host city were 25 five-foot lanterns and 50 gas lamps.

At the Next event's Coke Zero activation, guests could sample products and snap pics at the Coke Zero "Social Foto" booth. The images appeared on a flat screen at the bar.

A fleet of six Mini convertibles carried Playboy bunnies through the streets in a kickoff parade to Friday's party at Jax Brewery Bistro. Each bunny was joined by a brass band member as the procession wound through the French Quarter.

Produced by Caravents and Playboy senior marketing director Amanda Civitello, the party had a Mardi Gras theme and decor elements meant to invoke an authentic New Orleans feel. Guests were invited to try on colorful masks. In other areas, playmates and celebrity guests stuffed 250 Crown Royal bags with snacks that were then sent to U.S. military members.

Sponsor Tabasco invited local chef John Besh to create a menu for the evening. The dishes, which included "Buffaleaux" sliders and fried chipotle shrimp tacos, were all seasoned with the hot sauce.

The four rings of Audi's logo stood at the entrance to Audi's after-hours event at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art. The event, which took place Friday and Saturday nights, was produced by PMK-BNC and Relevent Partners.

At the Rolling Stone Live party, producer Toast created a "trashed hotel room" where guests could take photos and pretend to live the rock star life. The Friday-night event took place at the Bud Light Hotel, a Wyndham property rebranded for Super Bowl weekend.

Fusion Marketing created the Bud Light Hotel, which was appropriately decked out with branded imagery. Dancers performed in windows that looked out onto a lounge fashioned for the activation, and a custom pedestrian bridge built over the street connected the hotel to a tent.

A 12-foot AstroTurf wall marked the entryway to the hotel brand's event at the Contemporary Art Center of New Orleans. Created by Stefan Beese of Re:Be Design, the concept carried into the rest of the space where the faux grass was used on a bar, on the stage, as well as underfoot in the seating areas. A grass timeline commemorated 30 years of Courtyard history.

More than seven tons of sand were brought in for the game of touch football on Saturday afternoon. The tent featured bleacher seating for the general public, but had a lounge area for V.I.P.s with seating and catering. A Pitbull concert followed the event. Murphy Productions produced the event with CL22 Productions providing design and decor.

At a tailgate before the Celebrity Beach Bowl, Chad Hudson Events created a fan-friendly experience at Mardi Gras World. The free sports-themed event had games, an ESPN social media lounge, a performance by country singer Chris Young, and New Orleans street performers, a jazz band, and marching bands from local schools. The event debuted in a smaller form at last year's Super Bowl in Indianapolis, but after 5,000 people showed up, Hudson said DirecTV expanded it for this year.

Producers had just four hours to convert the Celebrity Beach Bowl into a concert and lounge venue for DirecTV's Super Saturday Night. The tent rigging was built to allow the ceiling to hold as much as 100,000 pounds of equipment and decor. Two massive chandeliers balanced out the JumboTron, which concealed 15 smaller chandeliers during the touch football game.

Justin Timberlake headlined DirecTV's Super Saturday Night. The stage treatment included a red Austrian drape that rose to reveal his band, the Tennessee Kids, and a silver Austrian drape as a backdrop.

The decor from CL22 Productions included black sequined tablecloths, mirrored surfaces, and furniture with scrolled legs. The room was designed to feel like a nightclub despite taking place in an 88,000-square-foot tent.

The event had a theme of "Eyes Wide Shut," which CL22 Productions created with S&M touches such as costumed characters wearing feathers, latex, leather, and chains.

At the charity event, more than 275,000 lights created the ambience at a Mediterranean-style mansion on St. Charles Avenue. The four-week installation wrapped the wrought-iron fence that surrounds the property as well as three oak trees. Nocci produced the event.

Questlove spun from a Jeep-faced DJ booth at Sunday's Rolling Stone-sponsored Jeep Heroes Tailgate event.

The N.F.L. Owners Party took place at City Park amid a canopy of 60 live oak trees and 100 decorative trees brought in for the event by New York-based Van Wyck & Van Wyck. The evening began with cocktails in three open-air tents and was followed by dinner from chef Susan Spicer and a brass band-led parade to the after-party in a glass conservatory.

A fleur-de-lis pattern—in honor of the host New Orleans Saints—decorated walkways at the N.F.L. Owners Party. Following the event, guests were sent home with another signature New Orleans item: beignets.

Flags announced the sponsors at the GQ XLVII party Saturday at the Elms Mansion. In a clear tent adjacent to the Garden District home, Lil Wayne performed. Guests could take photos with New Orleans jazz band props, and guests could take home Lacoste T-shirts silk-screened on site with the party logo.

The V.I.P. area at the GQ XLVII party Saturday featured metallic silver Chesterfield sofas and beverages from Beck's Sapphire and Patrón Tequila. A-Squared Group produced the event.

Under Armour, a sponsor of the N.F.L. Scouting Combine for prospective players, invited fans to test themselves in the same drills. Fans who ran the 40-yard "Run to Daylight" dash were timed, with the fastest daily time displayed and awarded with prizes such as gift cards, according to Shana Gritsavage, the apparel company's director of global events. Participants wore R.F.I.D. bracelets to sign up for the activities, which allowed them to share their times on social media networks as well as enter a drawing for two tickets to the Super Bowl.

The 13,000-square-foot Under Armour activation, produced by Revolution, was the apparel company's largest fan experience of the year. Consumers could participate in a vertical jump, broad jump, and 40-yard dash and compare their stats to professional athletes.

Fans at the ticketed event at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center could pose with the Lombardi Trophy, awarded to the Super Bowl champion.

The Patrón Tequila Express, a 1927 Vintage Railcar, hosted multiple events for the brand over Super Bowl weekend. In one, 25 members of the Patrón Social Club were selected to participate in a scavenger hunt Thursday that ultimately led them to a party on the train. The attendees had to navigate clues that included putting on special sunglasses that would allow them to see images in TV screens that otherwise appeared to be flickering white screens.

The retailer hosted a pop-up shop at the Hyatt French Quarter where invited celebrities and athletes could choose from several button-down shirts and have them embroidered on the spot. The display also included matching ties and other accessories, as well as a lounge area that expanded into a space for happy hour on Thursday.

The 10th edition of the party saw performers from Cirque USA—including a drummer—suspended over the crowd. The event took place Saturday at Second Line Stages.

Saturday's party at Second Line Studios had a "Greek Goddess" theme, with Grecian decor such as white columns and event staff wearing togas and laurels. The space also featured a branded Xbox lounge where guests could play Gears of War: Judgment and a Fox Sports Digital lounge. The event was produced by Noah Flom of Ark Endeavors.

On the fantasy city street where the carnival took place, a flower-shop-style setup played double duty as the step-and-repeat. Inspired by a scene in the Prabal Gurung for Target TV commercial, the buckets of fresh flowers stood on tiered platforms, creating a wall of florals with small signs carrying the Target and Prabal Gurung logos rising from within.

David Stark Design and Production brought in old-fashioned carnival rides and games, including a carousel, a spinning ride renamed the Love Spin for the event, a fortune-teller, a high striker, and a palm reader.

The high striker, a strength testing game, was just one of the many carnival attractions placed in the vast pier venue not only to retain a sense of intimacy, but also keep guests entertained throughout the night.

Along one far wall of the venue was a specially built Prabal Gurung for Target pop-up. As a nod to cinematic elements used in other parts of the event, the pop-up boasted movie-style signage and the word "love" was whimsically spelled out using generic ticket stubs.

To match the skyline graphics, the pop-up shop inside Pier 57 was built like a freestanding boutique with awnings, a faux wall, and display vitrines.

Against a cityscape backdrop, singer Ne-Yo took to the stage for a surprise performance halfway through the party.

Along with a Rickshaw Dumpling truck, a host of food trucks were placed toward the back end of the carnival, offering everything from Mexican nibbles to dessert sweets.

More than 800 guests gathered at Hudson River Park's Pier 57, where a scenic "Love" Ferris wheel glittered in the sky and strings of old-fashioned bulbs hung over head.

Entertain a crowd post-sunset with an alfresco movie experience. Utah-based Open Air Cinema is an outdoor cinema equipment supplier and event producer, with rental affiliates throughout the U.S. The company can provide screens up to 40 feet wide, as well as snacks such as popcorn and hot dogs. (The theater systems can also be set up for video games or karaoke.) Event production costs start from $2,000, and Open Air Cinema can help obtain a public performance license for movies, which can cost between $300 and $500.

Companies including Turner Classic Movies and American Express have booked water ballet company the Aqualillies. The female synchronized swimmers wear vintage swimsuits, flowered swim caps, and red lipstick, while performing a tightly choreographed routine to music. Based in Miami, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York, prices are available on request.

New York-based GrooveHoops performs a mix of dance and acrobatics while manipulating Hula-Hoops. The six performers stage choreographed sets that typically last four to seven minutes, while using standard variety, glowing LED, or fire-lit Hula-Hoops. GrooveHoops travels worldwide; fees start from $500 for one performer.

Entertainment company Zen Arts offers an array of entertainment options for dramatic outdoor entertaining, including fire dancers, costumed mermaids, and transparent “bubble spheres” that float on water while holding dancers. Most recently, six female Olympians joined the company’s synchronized swimming troupe. Based in Los Angeles, Zen Arts performers can travel worldwide; performances cost between $10,000 and $100,000.

Bicycle action performer Trevor Bodogh performs gravity-defying tricks on two wheels while traversing a portable set of obstacles like ramps and platforms. The 25-minute set features Bodogh executing moves like climbing up a six-and-a-half-foot-tall “Devil’s Staircase” on his seatless bike. Bodogh can perform outdoors on a variety of surfaces, and he brings his own equipment, music, and sound system. Based in Toronto, Bodogh travels across the U.S. and Canada; fees start from $1,500.

In addition to nighttime fireworks displays, PyroTecnico can also present daytime “fireworks” shows using colored smoke. With offices throughout the U.S., the company can stage performances anywhere. Prices available on request.

At the area for Coolhaus, attendees could customize their own ice cream sandwiches. The ice cream was kept chilled in special coolers on-site.

The mac and cheese station was set up as a two-part offering: guests could either select a mini serving placed on a spinach cone off a Ferris-wheel-shaped stand, or opt for a full cup that could be customized with toppings like veggie bacon bits, truffle oil, jalapenos, scallions, or sriracha sauce.