Facebook Developer Conference
Photo: Obsura Digital
Photo: Courtesy of Sharon Fisher
TED chief Chris Anderson speaking at TEDGlobal 2010.
Photo: James Duncan Davidson/TED
Attendees could relax on beds at TEDActive 2010.
Photo: TED/Michael Brands
Attendees expanding the community conversation at the TEDxKibera salon in January 2011.
Photo: Courtesy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Boston Scientific execs made a chandelier out of employee photos.
Photo: Courtesy of Boston Scientific
Oracle's giant water cooler at OpenWorld.
Photo: Hartmann Studios
Using NTEN's social media platform.
Photo: Michaela Hackner/Wander the Backroads Photography
One of SAP's control rooms at Sapphire Now 2010.
Photo: Wolfram Schieble/SAP AG
A panel on liveblogging for TV shows at BlogWorld.
Photo: Dave Cynkin
One of the Surf Expo's loud attractions.
Photo: Brandon Dowling for BizBash
The Cable Show's 2010 My World exhibit.
Photo: Jim Douglass
Cisco's online gaming platform.
Photo: Courtesy of Cisco
Comfy seating on the show floor of the American Academy of Nursing's Council for the Advancement of Nursing Science.
Photo: Courtesy of the American Academy of Nursing
ABC Kids' area for "modern child" exhibitors.
Photo: Courtesy of the ABC Kids Expo
Lotusphere's touch-screen monitors.
Photo: Brandon Dowling for BizBash
Q.R. codes on the show floor of I.B.M.'s Lotusphere conference.
Photo: Brandon Dowling for BizBash
Corporate Event by Steve Bales
"One of my favorite things is to take an ordinary space and turn it in to something completely unexpected. The Atlanta Hyatt, which was hosting an elite group of local and national corporate event planners, wanted to serve them dinner in one of the hotel kitchens. To make the space pop, we built floor-to-ceiling chalkboard walls on which we personalized each guest’s apron, laid wall-to-wall carpeting, and, my personal favorite, created one-of-a-kind hanging chandeliers out of plastic flatware. It was a complete transformation from boring to bold." —Steve Bales
Photo: Troy Kelly Studio
Opera Ball
The Washington National Opera returned to the residence of the Italian ambassador, known as Villa Firenze, for its annual ball April 6. The home's façade and driveway were lit with a patterned projection.
Photo: Yassine El Mansouri for Washington
Copua "Inspire" Conference
A Coupa Software conference at San Francisco's Westin St. Francis Hotel April 8 to 10 proved that lunch and breakfast service can be quick and efficient but still leave an impression on guests. Vendor-passed breakfast selections included compressed watermelon salad in cones, deviled eggs with bacon and smoked paprika, mini quiches, danishes, plus "super food" bubble smoothies in flavors such as pomegranate and honeydew.
Photo: Orange Photography
Museum of Contemporary Art Gala
The Museum of Contemporary Art gala took place in Los Angeles on April 20. More than 650 gala guests were seated at Italian trattoria-style tables covered in red-and-white checked tablecloths with Chianti bottle drip candles.
Photo: Nadine Froger Photography
Hebru Brantley Birthday Party
Alliance Bakery created an eye-catching confection for the artist's birthday bash April 12, an affair that was presented by Hennessy Black and held at Lacuna Artist Lofts in Chicago. Weighing about 30 pounds, the red velvet cake with cream-cheese frosting was inspired by Andy Warhol's famous soup-can paintings.
Photo: Onasis Stoby
Michelle Durpetti Events' Fifth Anniversary Party
Michelle Durpetti Events celebrated its fifth anniversary April 11 with a "Fierce, Fabulous, and Five" bash at Chicago's Loft 644. An ornate dessert spread from Sugar Chic Designs held sweet treats from Lillycakes & Desserts. Lady apples drizzled in homemade caramel were displayed on a cake stand.
Photo: David Turner Photography
Royal Ontario Museum's Ancient Prom
Royal Ontario Museum's "Ancient Prom" took place on April 6 in Toronto. Event organizers worked with sponsors to develop activations that tied into the theme. Ceramic Glaze offered nail art that used patterns from the museum's ancient collections.
Photo: Russell Vance Photography
British Airways and VisitBritian's Pop-Up
To encourage tourism, British Airways and VisitBritain built a pop-up in New York—housed in 15,000 square feet of space inside SoHo's 82 Mercer—showcasing the current and past cultures of England, Scotland, and Wales. Held March 23 and 24, the promotion had a bar with a paper chandelier overhead. The chandelier featured cocktail recipes that guests could take home, as well as vintage photos of Great Britain and pages from British literature.
Photo: Nilaya Sabnis
Adidas Installation at MOST
To launch a new collaboration between Adidas and British industrial designer Tom Dixon, the brand hosted a factory-style installation at the Museum of Science and Technology in Milan during MOST at the Salone Internazionale del Mobile from April 9 to 14. Design Research Studio, Dixon's firm, set the Adidas installation in a reconstructed 19th-century train station within the museum. Because the new line offers travel bags, designers placed the bags on the ground near the train. Overhead, a revolving rack held sportswear and apparel pieces from the collection.
Photo: Courtesy of Adidas
TEDMed Annual Dinner
TEDMed, a medical technology and healthcare event, took a different approach to food service for its annual conference dinner at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on April 17. Working with U.K.-based Gastrophonic and Occasions Caterers, it created a culinary experience that tied all the senses together. Each of the four food flights had its own theme that combined various small bites with a signature drink, musical score, and lighting scheme designed by Gastrophonic. One flight offered pomelo, green papaya, watermelon, and radish. The citrus flavors tied in with a jasmine tea margarita passed as guests arrived.
Photo: Molly M. Peterson Photography
Paul Frank Press Event
For a recent press event in Los Angeles, Paul Frank brought Starring Fragrances for a station that offered custom scents as takeaways for guests, based on their personal preferences.
Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision for Saban Brands/AP Images
For a recent press event in Los Angeles, Paul Frank brought Starring Fragrances for a station that offered custom scents as takeaways for guests, based on their personal preferences.
Photo: Jordan Strauss/Invision for Saban Brands/AP Images
After a long Oscar night, host Seth MacFarlane's official after-party included a station from Tkees, which encouraged guests to check their heels (similar to the way they would at a coat check) and pick up a pair of flip-flops—in gold, appropriate to the occasion.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
At Stella McCartney's Resort 2013 presentation in New York, a cart overflowing with roses and peonies stood near the entrance to the venue. As guests left, they picked up small bouquets or single stems as festive gifts.
Photo: Jim Shi
Looking to boost event proceeds, Miami Children's Hospital Foundation went beyond the basic silent auction by enlisting a group of hunky male volunteers to showcase auction items at its Wine, Women & Shoes event in February.
Photo: Yamila Lomba
Colorful nail polish bottles filled champagne glasses at L'Oréal’s brunch planned by Joe Moller at the Viceroy EOS Restaurant in Miami.
Photo: Joe Moller
At its Coachella party, Lacoste set up a nail art station, where guests could stop by for colorful, branded looks applied in a breezy white cabana.
Photo: Joe Scarnici/Getty Images for Lacoste
The Vintage Table Company offers vintage china, glassware, and flatware sourced from estates, thrift stores, and flea markets, for a purposefully mismatched tabletop look.
Photo: Wildflowers Photography
Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS hosted its 16th annual Dining by Design event in New York, where Croscill's table got a bright pink quilted tablecloth and clear Chiavari chairs that gave the setup a look that resembled a canopy bed.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
In Los Angeles in the days before Coachella kicked off, jewelry brand Haute Betts hosted a party with a floral garland-making station, where guests could create their own festival-ready looks—and wear them to contribute an on-brand, boho-chic atmosphere in the party space.
Photo: Vivien Killilea
In the Toronto area, Vintage China Hire offers an eclectic mix of vintage and antique tableware for events and has partnered with Loic Gourmet to offer catered afternoon tea packages.
Photo: Courtesy of Vintage China Hire
The recent Beverly Hills Hotel & Bungalows' 100th anniversary bash kicked off with a performance by the Aqualillies, a troupe of water ballerinas.
Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images for Essie
The Breast Cancer Research Foundation’s Hot Pink Party in Boston honored Evelyn Lauder with displays of her favorite flower, peonies, which decorated tables along with orange roses.
Photo: Michael Blanchard Photography
The Downtown Project is creating a park with repurposed shipping containers that will hold small businesses, community space, and events.
Rendering: Breslin Builders
Los Angeles PR firm BWR hosted an event in March to preview its clients' spring and summer offerings for media guests. Appropriately, the event in the firm's offices included a dessert bar decked out in shades of pink and green. There was also a make-your-own fragrance bar, nail art, treats from Georgetown Cupcake, and juices from Pressed Juicery.
Photo: Courtesy of BWR
To make online sharing easier for the influential media crowd in attendance, BWR printed out a social media map that clearly laid out the locations of each of its clients’ setups around the office space, plus the appropriate handles and hashtags for Instagram and Twitter.
Photo: Courtesy of BWR
With the thinking that a design-conscious crowd should have a design-conscious party, Raw Design celebrated its new office in Toronto with a raw-themed event. Kim Graham & Associates worked with the architectural firm's founders, Roland Rom Colthoff and Richard Witt, to transform the office into a minimalist, party-ready space. The food at the event carried the raw theme, with Barone and Tong providing a sashimi station, an oyster bar, and hors d'oeuvres like organic beef tenderloin tartare and tandoori wild salmon with coriander yogurt served on platters like granite slabs and light boxes. A long table showcased greens in planters, which catering staff turned into salads. Guests received raw maple on a stick as they exited the party.
Photo: BizBash
Try serving the crowd-pleasing dessert du jour in a creative way: For a Boston event, the Catered Affair set up a doughnut-on-a-stick bar, where folks could top their own treats with colored sugar, candy, and more.
Photo: Person + Killian Photography
To celebrate a milestone anniversary, Leo Burnett hosted a celebration in each of its worldwide offices, and in Chicago approximately 1,000 employees began the day with a Hearty Boys-catered spread of Thai custard buns, sesame balls with bean paste, and coconut-sprinkled pumpkin pastries. "Our U.K. office took the lead on developing a theme, and they came up with 'Try Something New,'" said Michelle Mahoney, director of work life for the company's U.S. operation. After brainstorming ways to play out the theme, which left "endless possibilities," Mahoney said, she and her team came up with the idea of "swapping offices for the day with the Leo Burnett Thailand headquarters."
Photo: Laura Brown Photography
In a slight break from the Thailand theme, other floors hosted activities such as a disco-themed shuffleboard tournament, which employed a sand-covered conference table, lights, and an Afro-wearing announcer. "Apart from the lobby, the main hub of the event was on the 21st floor," Mahoney said. There, employees collected $74 in cash, as part of a Leo Burnett anniversary-party tradition that annually gives employees $1 for each year that it's been in business.
Photo: Laura Brown Photography
For no-fuss catering, try arranging the food through Seamless, which links companies and employees to hundreds of local restaurants and caterers, offers fast online ordering, and sends a single, simple invoice for all orders placed. The service is currently offered in more than 40 cities including New York, Chicago, Boston, Washington, Houston, and San Francisco.
Photo: Courtesy of Seamless
At Diffa's Dining by Design in New York, Ralph Lauren went with a cozy, ski chalet-inspired look. Centerpieces of snowberries and wrought-iron lanterns created a runner down the center of the rustic wood table. Other striking details included a faux fireplace, Pendleton-inspired bench cushions, and an antler chandelier.
Photo: Ronnie Andren for BizBash
Emulating the bright red colour that marks a number of comic book superheroes, Sublime Catering served beef tartare with beet-dyed horseradish served in an heirloom tomato.
Photo: Kyle Burton
In San Diego, Stone World Bistro & Gardens—Liberty Station capitalizes on the beer-meets-business trend.
Photo: Courtesy of Stone Brewing Co.
'Food & Wine' Best New Chefs Event
At the Best New Chefs event, a centerpiece of blue plumage dressed up the main bar.
Photo: Jessica Torossian
Bowlero’s Behemoth Burger
In May, Bowlmor AMF opened Bowlero, a deluxe 40-lane bowling alley in the Woodlands, Texas, with recreational games and oversize fare. The “Go Crazy” menu includes the Behemoth Burger, a five-pound monster burger with bacon and American cheese, which feeds about 10 people, and the W-O-N-D-E-R Dog, a two-foot-long hot dog covered in Coney sauce and diced onions.
Photo: Macon Leiper for Bowlero
Dog House’s Brick of Chili Cheese Fries
Folks attending the Los Angeles County Fair, which takes place August 29 to September 28, 2014, can tackle the solid structure of fries, topped chili and cheese, from Cornucopia Foods vendor Dog House.
Photo: Courtesy of Fairplex
World’s Largest Popcorn Ball
In 2013, the Indiana State Fair, which is held in Indianapolis, celebrated its Year of Popcorn theme (Indiana is the second-biggest popcorn-producing state) by creating the massive popcorn ball. It took 75 people 329 hours to build the eight-foot-wide gooey sphere, which weighed in at 6,510 pounds, topping the old record by 1,450 pounds.
Photo: Courtesy of Indiana State Fair
World's Largest Fritos Chili Pie
At 2012’s State Fair of Texas, which is held in Plano, Fritos celebrated the corn chip’s 80th anniversary with a state-size Fritos chili pie. Weighing in at 1,325 pounds, the jumbo creation featured 635 bags of Fritos chips, 660 cans of Hormel Chili without beans, and 580 bags of shredded cheddar cheese. The record-breaking dish was divided up into approximately 5,000 single-serve samples for fair attendees.
Photo: Brandon Wade/Invision for Frito-Lay/AP Images
Wrigley Field’s North Side Twist
Fans cheer on the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field while noshing on the two-pound pretzel with three dipping sauces.
Photo: Courtesy of Levy Restaurants
MarthaCelebrations party supplies, including hanging decorations, $14; cocktail napkins, $3.50; and cupcake liners, wrappers, and picks, $10; jcpenney.com
Photos: Hallie Burton (room shot), Cyndi Long (napkins) Ngoc Minh Hgo (cupcakes)
A Christmas Story cookies, $40 for a dozen; parchmentcookies.etsy.com
Photos: Courtesy of Parchment Cookies
An easy D.I.Y. centerpiece: Fill a Mason jar with water, greenery, cranberries, and a floating candle.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Tea-flavored cocktail mix, $95.94 for a case of six bottles; theowlsbrew.com
Photo: Courtesy of The Owl's Brew
Giovanni’s Nectar of the Gods Bellini mix, $28; arrowheadfarms.com
Photo: Courtesy of Van Wyck & Van Wyck
Wolfgang Puck Catering recommends a hot chocolate station, where guests can add items including flavored marshmallows, cherries, malted barley, chocolate shavings, and whipped cream.
Photo: Courtesy of Wolfgang Puck Catering
Gold gilded magnolia wreath, from $350; theholidayworkshop.com
Photo: Courtesy of Van Wyck & Van Wyck
![Giant champagne cork wire cage side table, about $240; xlcork.com [Editor’s note: When you have more lead time, the company also makes bespoke branded corks, starting from $99 each, with a minimum order of 75.]](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2013/11/065_bi_chi_dc_fl_to_bizbash_34.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
Giant champagne cork wire cage side table, about $240; xlcork.com [Editor’s note: When you have more lead time, the company also makes bespoke branded corks, starting from $99 each, with a minimum order of 75.]
Photo: Courtesy of XL Cork
Lindsey Shaw Catering in Toronto recommends serving dark chocolate tarts, made with pumpkin mascarpone and spun sugar spirals, as tray-passed hors d’oeuvres.
Photo: Emma Mcintyre for BizBash
Chocolate-covered pretzel rods, bulk pricing available upon request; Fatty Sundays
Photo: Courtesy of Fatty Sundays
![Gourmet peanut brittle, from $9; brittlebarn.com [Disclaimer: Brittle Barn is owned by a BizBash employee.]](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2013/11/img_5053.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
Gourmet peanut brittle, from $9; brittlebarn.com [Disclaimer: Brittle Barn is owned by a BizBash employee.]
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
East of India Polka Dot Wood-Slat Trees, about $195 for 12; aifriedman.com
Photo: Courtesy of East of India
East of India Holiday Pillow Boxes, about $150 for 30; florisspecialevents.com
Photo: Courtesy of East of India
Victoria's Secret Fashion Show
Photo: Courtesy of Victoria's Secret
The Museum of Modern Art's Party in the Garden
Photo: Scott Rudd
The Tony Awards
Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images
Dumbo Arts Festival
Photo: Jane Kratochvil Photography for the Dumbo Arts Festival 2011
The PTTOW Summit, held in May at Southern California’s Terranea Resort, encouraged conference attendees to sit with one another and answer some of life's big questions. A spinning wheel positioned adjacent to a seating group offered a series of topics—like "hate," "doubt," and "purpose"—to break the ice and make the exercise more interesting. The coffee table positioned at the seating group offered a workbook that participants could open to find questions or activities to do together, and the event also offered "conversation cookies,” fortune cookies filled with more conversation topics. JOWY Productions was behind the event’s production.
Photo: Jason Kempin/Getty Images for PTTOW
So-called “dine arounds” are hallmarks of the Engage luxury wedding industry summits, offering opportunities for small groups to interact and to give them some intimate time with event speakers. Each speaker plays host to a table of 10 randomly selected attendees, encouraging guests to mix and mingle outside their circle of friends. And to make the experience more fun, table assignments are given in playful ways. For instance, in Las Vegas attendees selected from among personalized playing cards that all bore speaker photos and restaurant names.
Photo: Scott Clark/Readyluck
Similarly, for Engage at Palm Beach's the Breakers, custom fabric flowers indicated each attendee's designated table number.
Photo: Chellise Michael Photography for Elan Artists
At Cisco Live, held in San Francisco in May, attendees ate lunch outside every day, with about 1,500 seats at large round tables—or on blankets available for those who wanted to find friends or experience a more casual setting. In another networking opportunity, Cisco Live attendees were also invited to join peers and Cisco experts in small groups over lunch for a chat about technical topics of the group's choice. The "Table Topics" discussions offered a fresh perspective on the issues that the masses were talking about at Cisco Live, for instance cloud security. Anyone was also welcome to start a discussion on a new topic and lead the agenda by finding an open table and posting the topic so other interested attendees could find it and join.
Photo: Mitra Sorrells/BizBash
Similarly, for the TED Conference's simulcast event, TEDActive, held in the Southern California desert last year, about 700 guests gathered for a picnic lunch. The conversation-facilitating twist was that picnic baskets were available not for individuals, but for groups of seven—so each person had to meet six new attendees with whom to eat and talk.
Photo: Marla Aufmuth
Sometimes it takes a little break from formal networking talk to get the creative juices flowing—and the personal connections happening. To that end, TEDActive also set up informal game stations on hay bales around the venue as ice breakers for guests.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
Some organizers get the networking going before the event doors even open to maximize the opportunities for interaction on site: Metropolitan Events & Production was behind a pre-event networking campaign for the 2012 shows that took place in both Chicago and Orlando. Organizers encouraged attendees to use social media to post selfies they took while holding signs that said "Meet Me at the Makeup Show,” along with their names and the event’s hashtags. The stunt was intended to build community and promote face recognition when the show kicked off. Organizers gathered the images and shared them on the event’s social channels to further build visibility among the participants.
Photo: Courtesy of the Makeup Show Chicago
The Exhibitor Show's "Dinner With Strangers” program offered people attending the show solo a chance to maximize meal time for networking, instead of dining in their hotel rooms alone. Attendees could join group reservations arranged by organizers at multiple restaurants for each night of the show. Sign-up sheets in the conference registration area detailed the eatery's name, type of cuisine, approximate cost, and reservation time.
Photo: Courtesy of Exhibitor Show
VivaTerra’s office-friendly wall art, $59, grows plants including the Oncidium Twinkle. The tiny orchids bloom yearly, and only need to be sprayed or watered once a week.
Photo: Courtesy of VivaTerra
Superior Business Solutions offers eco-friendly umbrellas, from $14.98. The customizable rain accessories are made from 100 percent recycled materials.
Photo: Courtesy of Factory Direct Promos
S’well offers sleek, reusable water bottles, from $25, made from nontoxic stainless steel. The bottles keep water cold for 24 hours or keep hot drinks warm for 12 hours.
Photo: Courtesy of S'Well
RuMe is a lifestyle brand that focuses on using less and reusing more. Its customizable (and, of course, reusable) tote bags, $12.95, hold as much as 50 pounds.
Photo: Paul Miller
Moxie Pear offers cute, customizable pencils made from recycled paper. Available in a wide range of colors, the pencils come in sets of five or 10 for $5.25 and $11, respectively.
Photo: Courtesy of Moxie Pencils
Handmade treats from Katherine Anne Confections contain no artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors. Truffle boxes, from $9.50, are filled with chocolates, marshmallows, and caramels in seasonal flavors.
Photo: Courtesy of Katherine Anne Confections
Gifts for the Good Life creates customized soy candle gifts. The sets, from $28, contain four hand-poured candles, matches, and lip balm.
Photo: Courtesy of Gifts for the Good Life
Factory Direct Promos has double-ended barrel pens, from $0.51 each, composed of recycled paper and plastic parts made from natural corn fiber. The pens can be imprinted with corporate logos.
Photo: Courtesy of Factory Direct Promos
Ethically Engineered creates vegan soaps including the “no bottle” shampoo bars, $18. The gear-shaped soaps produce large suds and come in lemon and lime scents.
Photo: Chris Zibutis
Crafthouse Cocktails offers pre-batched cocktails, $19.95, in recyclable bottles. The mixologist-created drinks come in flavors such as Moscow Mule; they’re also gluten-free and made with natural ingredients.
Photo: Eric Kleinberg Photography
Botanical PaperWorks has customizable “plantable journals,” from $7.80 each. The books, which are embedded with wildflower seeds, contain 75 pages of postconsumer stock paper.
Photo: Courtesy of Botanical PaperWorks
