Party

John Laraio of Mobius8 performed at the Fusion Fashion & Art Show December 6 at LMNT Contemporary Art Space. Mobius8 is electronica performance art that combines lighting, visual effects, and lasers that morph to the beat of dance music. Laraio originally was booked for the UR1 festival, but when that event was cancelled he joined the Fusion event.

Following the premiere of The Amazing Spider-Man in Los Angeles in June, guests headed to an outdoor party designed by 15/40 Productions. The premiere party's central bar in the round got a reptilian look inspired by the film's villain.

Showtime hosted the second-season premiere of its drama series Homeland aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York in September. Glowing lanterns made the central outdoor bar easy to spot from afar.

The Chicago-based company held its massive holiday party at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom on December 14. Event Creative's decor included 8- by 12-foot masquerade masks, which had illuminated, color-changing crystal columns as "handles." Event Creative created patterned gobos meant to look like the draped materials on a Mardi Gras float and collaborated with Sound Investment on the lighting.

LumiGram uses luminous fiber-optic fabric technology to create glowing linens, wall panels, chair covers, promotional items, and more.

The producers of the gala that followed The Phantom of the Opera's 25th anniversary performance on Broadway created a dramatic look for the event's entrance at the New York Public Library. A projection of red light formed a virtual red carpet on the grand steps, surrounded by hundreds of LED candles.

Audience members at conferences and meetings are likely to have their smartphones and tablets out during presentations, so why not use those devices for engagement? The browser-based service NiceMeeting allows users to view presentation slides on their devices in sync with the presenter. Attendees can flip back and forth through slides at their own pace, submit questions to the speaker, and chat with other guests. Presenters can use it to conduct polling and share files in real time. A new feature allows users to add notes to the slides and then save the files to their device or to a cloud-based service, creating a fully paperless solution for presentations. Planners can upload their registration lists so NiceMeeting access is only available to registered attendees, or they can choose to leave access open.

Vanity Fair took its annual A-list event back to the Sunset Tower hotel, which was bathed in colorful lighting that matched the host's brand. Inside, the hot-ticket viewing dinner got an understated look.

Best Actor-winner Jean Dujardin posed on Vanity Fair's arrivals carpet, decorated with the magazine's logos, in front of a press wall of branded hedges.

The Elton John AIDS Foundation celebrated its 20th annual viewing party at the newly redesigned West Hollywood Park, a change of venue from its usual haunt, the Pacific Design Center. Virginia Fout of V Productions produced the event, which this year got a blue, nautical-inspired look with design by Antony Todd. The fund-raising event took in $5.25 million, thanks in part to auction items like the opportunity to join John and husband David Furnish at the Vanity Fair Oscar party, which sold for $230,000. Chef Cat Cora, supported by Crumble Catering, prepared a five-course meal for guests that included sesame-encrusted lamb meatballs with harissa yogurt, sautéed sea bass with lemon couscous and piquillo pepper saffron sauce, and chocolate budino with whipped cream and fresh berries.

After dinner, Foster the People performed several songs, including their hits “Pumped Up Kicks," “Helena Beat,” and “Don’t Stop (Color on the Walls)” to an enthusiastic crowd.

An oversized Oscar statuette stood sentry at the Governors Ball, produced and designed by Cheryl Cecchetto of Sequoia Productions with ball chair Jeffrey Kurland. This year's event at the Grand Ballroom on the top level of Hollywood & Highland got a revamped format, abandoning the traditional sit-down dinner for a format Cecchetto described as "energized," with a meal of more than 50 mostly tray-passed dishes by Wolfgang Puck.

About 500 pieces of lounge furniture required for the event's new format came from Lux Lounge Event Furniture Rentals. Additional rentals came from Classic Party Rentals and Luxe Event Rentals. Flowers, done in a variety of sculptural red looks, came from Mark's Garden.

Entertainment included Dave Koz, Tony Bennett, Gregg Field and his band, jazz trumpeter Arturo Sandoval, and the Vintage DJ, Jonathan Jacobs, who spun original 78s, 45s, and 33s on vintage turntables. Goodman Audio handled the sound.

Larry Oberman designed the event's changing lighting looks, and Entertainment Lighting Services supplied the equipment.

The Wolfgang Puck menu, created by Puck and chef Matt Bencivenga, was meant to embrace the new format, which included more than 50 dishes that were passed throughout the evening. Offerings included Oscar-shaped smoked salmon, chicken pot pie with shaved black truffles, pastry chef Sherry Yard's gold-dusted chocolate Oscars, and crab lobster salad (pictured).

When many of the night's parties were wrapping up, Maxim was just getting started at a residence way up in the hills over West Hollywood. About 750 guests came through the doors (like on-brand celebs Jeremy Piven, Olivia Munn, and Jamie Presley) for a performance by Ludacris and sweeping city views. The Visionary Group produced the authentic-feeling party.

The Visionary Group designed racing-style chairs using actual Ford seats, at which guests could sit and customize vehicles using iPads. Kinetic uplit the area in blue, and Town & Country provided the event's rentals. Bread & Wine catered the event high in the hills, which guests accessed by way of shuttles from Premiere Valet. Spear managed the security.

A pool table decorated with the Maxim logo added branding in the nightclub area, where Lucacris performed. The Visionary Group created handmade slotted wooden walls that covered the upstairs lounge, creating additional seating for the performance.

Art Deco-inspired furniture in all common areas was consistent with the black-and-white look, which had pops of kelly green, royal blue, and Maxim's signature red.

The Weinstein Company took to the Mondrian for its viewing and after-party, which got a celebratory feel thanks to huge wins for the company, including best picture for The Artist. Maggie Swisher produced the event, which got a clean look in white and metallic tones. Guests snapped their mugs in H.P.'s photo booth along with Artist-inspired props like vintage hats and plush Uggie dogs.

A lively, giddy crowd watched the show inside and outdoors under a clear-top tent. Decking covered the pool to make more room. Sequin pillows added pop around the perimeter, and metallic globes hung overhead.

Essence magazine celebrated the fifth anniversary of this event at the Beverly Hills Hotel on Thursday. Producer Caravents redesigned the stage set in a nod to the milestone, with custom dupioni-wrapped panels and black plexi lettering bearing the image of the award show's statuette and the numeral five, created specifically for the event's anniversary and now-established brand.

The arrivals carpet was broadcast at both essence.com and UStream, a new element for this year that carried the event's energy outside the boundaries of the building. Caravents handled the live stream.

Caravents brought a bit of black-and-white patterning into the event's look, and made use of silver dupioni, black lacquer, white suede, and generous purple blooms from R. Jack Balthazar.

Champagne from sponsor Moet flowed in the lounge, where a screen showed the activity around the Twitter hashtag #EssenceBWIH, fed in part from a group at the Lincoln blogger bar. An all-white and Lucite Smartwater bar got a clean look, and a retrospective black-and-white photo wall displayed all past honorees over the last five years.

Sponsor L’Oréal provided touch-ups along one wall of the luxe, feminine-feeling sponsor lounge tent adjacent to the ballroom. Lighten Up handled the lighting, Classic Party Rentals the rentals, and Meyerson the security for the A-list crowd.

QVC was back at the Four Seasons this year for a pre-Oscar party on Thursday. SPEC Entertainment produced the event, and set up a red-carpeted, platinum-trimmed bridge over the hotel's fountain as an entryway. A semicircular stage and interactive touch-screen wall faced the bridge, and roses covered a central circular bar and the walls that flanked it. This year’s design took inspiration from the classic Hollywood glamour of the 1920s, with materials like platinum, velvet, and ivory roses, and details such as curved corners, molding, upholstery, and back-lit elements.

Staffers carrying 1920s-style cigarette trays with interactive Dell computers that greeted guests.

A Dell kiosk incorporated four computers for users to check out QVC, and a kiosk housed iPads and iPhones for direct access to QVC’s mobile application.

A guest list that included Kardashians and Jenners was a significant paparazzi draw for the shopping network's party.

For the 10th consecutive year, Architectural Digest has produced the backstage lounge for Oscar presenters and honorees. Created this year by interior designer Waldo Fernandez, the look was inspired by Hollywood of the 1930s and '40s. Fernandez’s vision referenced the Billy Haines-decorated Beverly Hills home of director George Cukor, who was well known for his parties. Included in the design were the mag's partners Caesarstone, California Classics Reserve Collection Flooring, Circa Lighting, Feizy Rugs, Giati Designs, H.P., Questroyal Fine Art, Samsung, and Schumacher. In addition to a spacious living room and outdoor garden area, this year’s space got an entryway installation created by interactive digital artist and designer John Carpenter and an outdoor terrace just off the main lounge.

On February 20, Vanity Fair and Juicy Couture kicked off “Campaign Hollywood” week by hosting the 20th anniversary of the magazine's “Vanities” feature in support of the nonprofit All It Takes. The invitation-only reception kicked off the mag's annual Oscar-week event series in support of charitable causes. DJ Pesce spun for the crowd, which scooped up a sampling of products from L’Oréal Paris. The new 2012 Fiat 500 was on display.

On Wednesday, Vanity Fair and Ermenegildo Zegna, along with Colin and Livia Firth and Anna Zegna, hosted an intimate dinner at Chateau Marmont to benefit Oxfam America.

The understated dinner was also a part of the magazine's annual "Campaign Hollywood," a weeklong series of events leading up to the Oscars.

Montblanc expanded its Oscar-week presence with a brunch the day before the awards at the Hotel Bel-Air. Guests came to view the Montblanc Collection Princesse Grace de Monaco, and celebrities chose pieces to wear on the red carpet at the Oscars. Prince Albert of Monaco and his wife, Princess Charlene, made a special appearance at the event to the delight of other guests.

Rose-filled floral arrangements came from David Jones, the designer who created Grace Kelly’s wedding bouquet when she married Prince Rainier in Monaco in 1956. Wolfgang Puck supplied the food, and Golden Age entertainment came from Pat Senatore and the Vibrato Jazz Band from the Tijuana Brass.

On awards night, the 22nd annual "Night of 100 Stars" black-tie viewing dinner, produced by veteran music agent Norby Walters, returned to the Beverly Hills Hotel's Crystal Ballroom.

The automaker took to Soho House for its viewing party on Oscar night, with guests snapping photos using prop Oscars at a photo station from MVS Studio. Downstairs, the parking lot looked like a car show, with a row of Mercedes vehicles standing sentry on a red carpet.

At the U.S.-Ireland Alliance’s seventh annual awards, three Academy Award nominees (John Logan, Melissa McCarthy, and Michelle Williams) scooped up the honors. Entertainment came from Irish singers Sharon Corr, Cathy Davey and Colin Devlin, and Size2Shoes, a.k.a. Moley and Eoin O’Suilleabhain. Among the 300 guests in attendance were Steven Spielberg and Kate Capshaw, Motion Picture Association chairman Chris Dodd, Colin Farrell, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall, and Jim Sheridan. Food came from Irishman Richard Mooney’s Kensington Caterers. SenovvA projected film clips on the walls, along with animations of the Bad Robot, Alliance, and Oscar Wilde logos. The O'Neill Group handled the event's management.

Global Green U.S.A. celebrated its ninth annual pre-Oscar party on Wednesday night at the Avalon Hollywood, to raise funds for its national green school initiatives and to raise awareness about the upcoming 20th anniversary Earth Summit in Rio this June. More than 1,200 people attended the event, which included a headline musical performance by Sheila E.

Evolve Motorcycles debuted its new $55,000 electric Xenon bike, which will be auctioned off to benefit Global Green. The night of eco-friendly entertainment also included living wall installations by landscape designer Jamie Durie, an eco-minded collection from fashion designer Oliver Tolentino, a Pureology Salon hairstyling station, organic food and drinks, and Gardein's new mini meatless sliders.

On Thursday, Hollywood Domino hosted its fifth annual gala and tournament at the Sunset Tower Hotel, which got a “Tango in Paris” theme for the occasion. Presented by Bovet 1822, the tournament benefited Artists for Peace and Justice.

Among the event's sponsors were Snapfish and H.P., with H.P. making a donation to Artists for Peace and Justice for every celebrity who took a photo.

At GBK's lounge at the W Hollywood, 360,000 black Swarovski crystals decked out the press wall.

Custom, gilded candy apples from Apple Revolution served as guests' invitations to the lounge.

Eva Longoria hosted Ciroc and Fiji's pre-Oscar party at her restaurant, Beso. The event benefited domestic-abuse aid group Linda's Voice.

The party, produced by MandA Events, included entertainment from flamenco music and dance group Gitano.

"Eye on Black," presented by Centric Network, honored African-American filmmakers, including Martin Lawrence, Debbie Allen, and others. The Kartel Company produced and handled PR, and Carpe Diem Special Events planned and handled the design for the event at the Park Plaza, where a soft, feminine look prevailed. Custom chiffon Chiavari chair caps from Fusion Linen accented champagne linens.

Wood, water, candles, and succulents contributed to the design aesthetic. Replacing the popular vintage ice cream cart from last year's event was a dessert offering with a buzz: Passionate Culinista provided sweet treats of cake pops filled with Maker’s Mark, mini cupcakes made with Bailey’s Irish Cream, and vintage-style bundt cakes.

TheWrap celebrated this years nominees with a party on Wednesday at the Four Seasons' Culina, Modern Italian restaurant.

The WME Music for Visual Media Department, Quincy Jones, and the Composers Guild of America invited guests to the Eveleigh for brunch on Friday, the first time WME has hosted a pre-Oscar brunch for its nominees (of which there were 27 this year). The relaxed event had a European-style picnic theme, serving the likes of fra’mani salumi, house-pickles, olives, and bread; bosc pear, endive, parma prosciutto, and arugula salad; organic quinoa, Persian cucumber, zucchini ribbons, with mint and lemon oil; and orrechetti pasta salad with dungeness crab, capers, and breadcrumbs.

During Arcade Fire's set at Coachella in 2011, the Creators Project released 1,250 high-tech beach balls over on the audience.

For the Toronto International Film Festival’s opening-night party in September, producer Barbara Hershenhorn of Party Barbara Company surrounded the DJ booth in the main room with 18 TV screens looping a futuristic video.

As part of Rolling Stone's “Rock Weekend” festivities at the Super Bowl in February, artists like Pete Wentz got behind the turntables in a flying DJ booth during a bash at the Crane Bay.

The September wrap party for So You Think You Can Dance Canada, produced by Mafalda Productions Inc., offered a black, mirrored DJ booth illuminated by LED tube lights from Westbury National Show Systems.