Creative Ideas

Invitations that are messy, cluttered, or contain typos turn guests off.

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Preston Bailey Designs
Bailey’s dramatic floral designs and theatrical flair have made fans out of celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Liza Minnelli, and Donna Karan, as well as brands such as Sandals Resorts, Godiva, and Hewlett-Packard. The high-profile New York-based designer’s lush, over-the-top designs have been featured in six books, plus countless TV shows and magazines.
On Twitter: @PrestonRBailey

"I love creating a unique place for guests to congregate and enjoy one another, so I thought, why not create a massive floral carpet that would serve both as a beautiful focal point and a gathering area? I designed a 'carpet' and filled it with hundreds of beautiful blooms and then covered it with Plexiglas. The result was a statement piece that allowed guests to dance on air." —Preston Bailey

Events by André Wells
Wells launched his Washington-based, full-service production firm in 2004 and has since become one of the top planners in town, producing around 80 corporate, social, and nonprofit events a year in his signature glamorous, colorful style for members of Congress, BET, Dell, Disney, and more.
On Twitter: @AndreWells

"I like the chic simplicity of it. We used crystal and glass elements to make the historic building more modern and fun." —André Wells

Colin Cowie Enterprises
With a 26-year career that includes designing lush, extravagant events for big-name corporate clients and A-list celebrities, plus nine books, a wedding Web site, a line of home products for HSN, and too many television appearances to count, Cowie is a solid candidate for “Most Famous Person in the Event Industry.” He brings his five-senses design approach to around 25 projects a year, four to six of which he is heavily involved in.
On Twitter: @ColinCowie

"My favorite part about the design was the research trip to Kazakhstan. Since the national color is blue, I created a palette of blue and grey and used elements like cobalt blue mirrors to showcase a modern Kazakhstan, and yellow miniature calla lilies for the bright future they have ahead of them." —Colin Cowie

David Beahm Design
Beahm’s inventive, breathtaking designs have been in high demand since his big break, planning the nuptials of Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas in 2000. Beahm and his New York-based team design more than 200 events annually, including lavish social, nonprofit, and corporate parties for Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Victoria’s Secret, and Louis Vuitton. Beahm is especially known for his sculptural, dramatic floral arrangements.
On Twitter: @davidbeahmdesig

Beahm is speaking at BizBash’s Event Innovation Forum­—South Florida on April 10.

"We were influenced by our surroundings. We let the decor of Blue Hill at Stone Barns rule our aesthetic, letting nature dictate the design. The hand-hammered copper urn visually grounded the design." —David Beahm

Abel McCallister Designs
Business partners since 2004, Los Angeles-based Abel and McCallister specialize in stylized editorial events, consumer promotions, sponsor lounges, and other brand-focused experiential events for clients such as Chase, Sprint, Entertainment Weekly, and Elle. Their designs often include surprising product installations, such as a chandelier of Godiva chocolates or a mosaic of Garnier bottles.
On Twitter: @larryabel

"We imagined what an amusement park would look like in the world of the Simpsons. Attendees loved the way the characters were integrated into the games, and my favorite part was turning Whac-A-Mole into Maggie’s Peek-A-Boo Pumpkins." —Larry Abel

Billy Butchkavitz Design
Butchkavitz’s claim to fame is the eye-popping, Technicolor decor he has been creating for HBO’s annual Emmy and Golden Globes parties since 1999. Using custom tents, carpets, and furniture, and drawing inspiration from such diverse sources as the stone mosaic walkways of the Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro, vintage Pucci fabrics, and modernist architect Oscar Neimeyer, his designs are always a kaleidoscope of color, patterns, and light projections.

"I find out what will be trending and available to the public around the time of my event—and then I avoid it." —Billy Butchkavitz

YourBash
For four years, the Los Angeles-based creative duo has worked on designing movie premieres, product launches, and green-minded events including Fox’s American Idol finale party, the Foundation Polo Challenge, and the Teen Choice Awards.
On Twitter: @YourBASHjgeffen
On Twitter: @YourBASHbworley

"The V.I.P. tent was inspired by the surfboard that is given as the award. Each year it is fun to see what the award will look like and then get to design a space that represents it. This tends to be one of my favorite spaces to design because it allows for lots of color and whimsy." —Brian Worley

David Stark Design and Production
Clients such as Target, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the IFC request Stark’s signature style, which combines an artistic sensibility with a sense of whimsy. Stark is known for using recycled materials and items that can be repurposed in his often flower-free installations and for his striking on-brand marketing ideas.
On Twitter: @DavidStarkInc

"From atop a 20-foot-tall viewing platform, guests viewed a giant optical illusion ‘street’ drawing created by chalk artist Michael Macaulay as well as many other radical art installations, sculptures, performances, and video art pieces." —David Stark

The Carlu Corporation/McNabb Roick Events
With more than 28 years of experience, Roick is a one-stop shop for Toronto events, designing show-stopping party decor for big-name clients like Target and Chanel.
On Twitter: @mcnabbroick

"The beauty of this design was the bold use of color, which complemented the essence of Picasso’s art without focusing on a specific piece of his work. It allowed guests to step into his world of color." —Jeffry Roick

Baura New York
Since he launched his firm in 2006, Baura’s aesthetic has been influenced by his graduate degree in Japanese and Chinese art history. He creates fresh, edgy branded environments for clients like AOL and Tumi by incorporating unusual conceptual designs and 3-D structures. Recent projects have included LED trays, iPad walls, and vegetable totem centerpieces.

"We designed a sunset dinner to showcase the New Museum’s Sky Room venue. Top-tier clients mingled in a space designed to convey the experience of watching the summer sunset from a field of foxtail millet." —Garin Baura

Todd Events
Fiscus founded his Dallas-based event design firm in 2003 and now personally designs and produces more than 250 events annually, including celebrity weddings and splashy events for clients like the Dallas Museum of Art, Audi, and Amfar. His company handles flowers, design, lighting, and installation and fabricates its own furnishings under the rental line Suite 206.
On Twitter: @toddevents

"I created a sweep at the rear of the room with a banquette wall covered in slipcovers in boxwood print. At the top of the curve was a waterfall of heather and hydrangeas. The seating in this area had a cocoon-like feeling. The chandeliers are actually painted Formica board in navy with phosphorus tape and
painted interiors." —Todd Fiscus

Bold American Events & Catering
Bales founded the design and production division of Atlanta event company Bold American in 2003, where he specializes in creating layered atmospheres that highlight color and texture. His early career as a performer and musical revue producer informs the theatricality of his work, and his career highlights include producing premiere parties for NBC and the 10th anniversary celebration for the Indianapolis Colts.
On Twitter: @BoldEventsATL

"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

Event Creative
After a 10-year career in the fashion industry, Foster joined the Chicago-based Event Creative team in 2008. As senior event designer, he handles most of the company’s nonprofit business, designing as many as 100 events and galas a year for clients such as the Steppenwolf Theater, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
On Twitter: @eventcreative

"The event showcases student work, which is contemporary with an edge, requiring an environment that celebrates that level of creativity." —Jeffrey Foster

Phi Design Group
Gubitosa got her start in window displays and founded Boston-based event design and rental company PBD Events in 1985; Martin was a fashion stylist and boutique owner. The pair launched Phi Design Group five years ago. The duo often uses repetitive fixtures and found pieces in installations, and this spring they are launching an event rental branch called Reserve, specializing in custom tables, wall systems, and bars.
On Twitter: @phidesigngroup

"We designed and built the Kino Bar as an homage to Montreal native Kino Guerin, a master furniture builder and sculptor who bends rigid woods to get beautiful, graceful flow and movement." —Michelle Gubitosa

Rafanelli Events
Perhaps best known as the man behind Chelsea Clinton’s wedding, Rafanelli started his company in Boston in 1996, producing just three events a year. He now has four offices across the U.S. and handles more than 100 parties a year, creating eye-popping decor for fund-raising galas, state dinners, and corporate events.
On Twitter: @RafanelliEvents

"We were inspired by the beauty of Boston’s Harbor Islands at sunset, bringing the outside inside in a glass-enclosed tent surrounded by water." —Bryan Rafanelli

DeJuan Stroud Inc.
Leaving behind a career on Wall Street, Stroud decided to turn his longtime love of flowers and design into a business in 1996. He brings his sophisticated, clean look to events for clients such as the New York City Ballet, Universal Pictures, and HBO.
On Twitter: @DeJuanStroud

"The inspiration was a formal French garden, which originated from the French dances performed that evening. To make the vast space seem cozier we floated panels of lattice with wisteria and smilax over the dinner tables. " —DeJuan Stroud

360 Design Events and Matthew David Celebrations
Hopkins splits his time creating contemporary, imaginative decor for social events and corporate events, benefits, and product launches for clients like Hearst, Uniqlo, and Evian. He always aims to be eco-aware, reusing and repurposing materials in stylish ways.
On Twitter: @360DesignEvents

"We brought Hudson River Park activities to life. We created centerpieces using park activities and surprising facts, and peppered them throughout the room. Together with the playful ceiling and unexpected programming, guests were tantalized from all angles." —Matthew David Hopkins

HMR Designs
Heffernan started his Chicago firm in 1979 and has since merged it with two other local firms to form a design collective with different price points, specialties, and points of view. Heffernan’s elegant aesthetic has set the tone at some of Chicago’s most high-profile events, including galas for the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Botanic Gardens.

"We designed sheer white fabric cubes floating low over each table. This produced both an impressive vision and gave an intimacy to the enormous tent. We accented them with summery yet minimal branch projections in a blue-green shade, providing detail and a coolness to the warm evening." —Bill Heffernan

Jes Gordon/Proper Fun
Gordon started her career working at a flower shop at age 13, followed by post-college stints as a movie set designer and design director of Tavern on the Green in New York. Twenty years after launching her own business, Gordon funnels her energetic personality into creating eclectic, funky designs for social and corporate clients.
On Twitter: @JesGordon

"M&M's is an official sponsor of the Super Bowl, so we wanted to celebrate by creating an event that encompassed the glamorous side of chocolate. We wanted to create a luxurious yet fashion-forward speakeasy environment, which we felt was certainly befitting to the New Orleans-focused evening." —Jes Gordon

ExtraExtra
Balestrieri has been giving a downtown edge to brand-focused marketing experiences since 2002, when indie-minded Paper magazine launched its events arm. Designing thought-out, interactive environments for brands such as Absolut, Target, and Mattel, he often works with builders and fabricators to create large-scale, attention-grabbing event decor.
On Twitter: @ExtraCreative

"We wanted to create a space where guests could dream about being whoever they wanted to be. By playing with scale, technology, and theater we created a space that inspired young and old souls alike." —Nicky Balestrieri

Stanlee R. Gatti Designs
As San Francisco’s go-to event designer, Gatti has been creating visual art for high society weddings, glitzy galas, and fund-raisers for the likes of the San Francisco Opera, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, and author Danielle Steele since the 1980s.
On Twitter: @StanleeGatti

"I admire Picasso because his entire life was devoted to the creative process. I am presently going through my own blue period. Combining that with his guitar made for what I thought was a great theme for a museum party." —Stanlee Gatti

New York-based Luke’s Lobster has arrived in Georgetown. The seafood purveyor’s namesake lobster rolls, along with its crab rolls, shrimp rolls, chowders, and new menu additions like the Blue Monster blueberry ice cream sandwich, are available for in-house events at the two-story restaurant, as well as for delivery in the area with orders of $200 or more.

Vietnamese-inspired eatery BonMi caters for parties of six or more. The Complete BonMi package costs $15.65 per person and includes bánh mì-style sandwiches (with a choice of vegetarian or non-vegetarian filling), green salad with pickled vegetables, a variety of bagged crunchy snacks, and healthy sweets made with dates, almonds, and dried fruits. Summer rolls and house-made beverages are also available.

Kale is having a moment—the leafy green vegetable is making its way onto many restaurant and catering menus. For health-conscious clients, Design Cuisine has crafted a new “super foods” catering menu that features roasted kale chips, caramelized cauliflower, and bison meat.

The Roots’ drummer Questlove has launched his Philadelphia-based catering company, Quest Loves Food. Available for catering nationwide, Quest’s menus highlight Creole- and Korean-inspired soul food, including the musician’s signature origami-wrapped fried chicken drumsticks.

San Diego chefs Brian Malarkey and Antonio Friscia have launched catering and event company Campine. One fun idea: fresh shellfish cooked in a galvanized tub over a propane burner. The chefs fill the tub with potatoes, corn, carrots, and Old Bay seasoning. Everything is poured onto butcher paper and served with craft brew.

Executive chef Domenic Chiaromonte of T2 Resto-Lounge now heads the kitchen at C2 Catering Couture, a Toronto catering company that creates customized, playful, and artistic dishes, like the Sugar Bubble, filled with a fortune cookie and chocolate mousse; it’s served with a hammer to crack it open.

A great solution for B.Y.O.B. locations, Taps From Scratch offers the Pub-Hub, a portable, refrigerated unit that can hold two to four types of draft beer and also has space for glasses and other beverages. A three-day rental for a two-tap Pub-Hub costs $250, which includes delivery and set up anywhere in the Orlando-Tampa area.

Orlando-based Bedazzle My Bonbons is now offering a new display option: The Bonbon Pyramid displays 84 glitter-coated chocolates on all four sides. It can be placed on a lazy Susan to create a rotating display.

Baked by Melissa offers a giant gumball machine that dispenses pods containing the company’s signature mini cupcakes at events. The machine can fit 2,000 pods, with a minimum order of 1,000.

As an interactive alternative to a stationary raw bar, Oysters XO equips its servers with buckets of oysters on ice hanging from their waists as they make their way through a crowd, shucking oysters on the spot. The servers also carry containers of various sauces, as well as buckets for empty shells. The oysters come from oyster farms on the East and West coasts.

New macaron purveyor Dana’s Bakery is putting an all-American spin on the French classic, with flavors like red velvet, thin mint, s’mores, and cookie dough. In addition to custom colors and flavors, Dana’s offers macaron towers and dessert bars. The cost is $2.25 per macaron for orders of 61 to 200 and $2 for each additional cookie over 200.

Esprit Events is offering chocolate truffle-rolling stations. Guests pick either a citrus chocolate or lemon cognac truffle-on-a-stick and then dip it in white or dark chocolate and roll it in their choice of toppings such as crushed pretzels, wasabi peas, potato chips, coconut, cocoa, or cinnamon. The station can also offer pre-rolled truffles.

Deliver Lean is a healthy meal-delivery system that offers a menu of low-fat, high-protein foods, including egg-white omelets and pork chop entrées. Deliver Lean will cater ready-made meals for office luncheons or events from Jupiter to Miami, starting at $8 per person.

Fonuts are made using different methods of steaming and baking at high heat to replicate the texture of a doughnut, without the use of a fryer. Available for large orders and pickup for events, with varieties that include wheat-free, vegan, sweet, and savory, the cost is $38 for a baker’s dozen or $16.50 for an assorted bag of mini Fonuts.

Austin-based food truck Coreanos relocated to Houston in 2012, and its Mexican-meets-Korean fare is available for event catering. The mobile truck can show up on site at events to serve just one item—such as short-rib-topped cheese fries or Korean barbecue burritos—or it can offer guests the entire menu. The cost is $12 to $18 per person, with a $500 minimum.

Putting a playful spin on the dessert of the moment, Petite Sweets can cater French macarons—$1.75 per piece—in creative, seasonal flavors like pumpkin pie, candy cane, and mint chocolate chip. Event trays can be customized by color, and the bakery also offers whoopie pies, cake pops, marshmallows, and mini cupcakes.

Ice Cubed specializes in small-batch ice cream, handmade ice pops, and other frozen desserts in flavors inspired by savory dishes. The Prix Fixe ice pop features layers of flavors inspired by a five-course Italian meal including prosecco, lemon-beet salad, bresaola, veal ragout, tomato confit, and tiramisu. The Cubed menu offers frosted cubes in flavors such as hot chocolate biscotti and burnt milk with peach jam and cloves. A truck is available, and staffers can create custom flavors.

A food truck specializing in Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches, Duck n’ Roll can deliver food to offices and events in the city and suburbs. Chef Amy Le’s menu draws on her own family recipes and includes baguettes filled with fresh herbs, veggies, and meats such as five-spice duck, miso-braised short ribs, and Thai chicken curry. Depending on the menu, the average cost is $7 to $40 per person, and Le can serve groups of 25 to 400.

Revae Schneider, a former mixologist at Chicago’s Gilt Bar and Union Sushi & Barbeque Bar, launched her bar-catering and styling company Femme du Coupe with the aim of making mixology accessible. She offers a variety of liquor-related services, including guiding guests as they create their own drinks. Schneider also teaches private corporate groups of as many as 50.

Brittany Ferrin and her husband and co-executive chef, Vaidotas Karsokas, launched catering company Truffleberry Market in 2008, with the goal of making everything by hand with artisanal ingredients. They recently added savory ice cream cones to their offerings: Handmade wonton cones are filled with creamy burrata cheese and drizzled with aged balsamic vinegar; a sun-dried tomato stands in for the cherry on top.

Everything Bagel hors d’oeuvres from Bakers’ Best Catering are ideal for a brunch event or meeting. A toasted bagel cup is filled with salmon cured in toasted and dehydrated milk powder, plus sesame and poppy seeds, onions, and garlic, topped with spiced cream cheese, pickled red onion, frisée, and Meyer lemon pearls.

Popular Washington, D.C.,-based bakery Georgetown Cupcake has opened its first Boston outpost in Back Bay. The shop offers catering for meetings and events, as well as gift boxes of seasonal assortments. Treats cost $15 per half-dozen, and $29 per dozen.

To feed a crowd quickly, catering company 86 This has a line of bulk family-style meals, available from $40 for 12 to 14 people, that include dishes such as “messy Sicilian lasagna” delivered ready-to-eat and serve. The company also serves box lunches, trays, and plated meals.

Lisa Messelt of LM Cocktail Catering can create an array of high-end Jell-O shot cocktails. Push aside thoughts of the jiggly, college-era snacks stuffed in Dixie cups: Instead, flavors like blackberry bramble and Pimm’s cup are presented in elegant hors d’oeuvre spoons and paired with fruit. The shots can even be designed in the shape of corporate logos.

Italian restaurant Tony Boloney’s has launched the Mustache Mobile. Available to cater private events throughout the South Jersey area, the truck can serve anything on the restaurant’s menu (think pizza topped with fresh herbs, homemade marinara, and hand-pulled mozzarella, and subs stuffed with hand-rolled meatballs or 10-spice steak). Catering fees start at $1,000 and include two hours of serving time, food, plates, cups, napkins, cutlery, and garbage cans.

Catering company A Divine Event creates eye-catching food displays that make a statement, including its Sticks, Spoons, and Shooters option for cocktail hour. The concept involves bite-size sweet or savory hors d’oeuvres served in shot glasses and on sticks or spoons.

At the post-Oscars party at Hollywood & Highland on Sunday, two oversize Oscar statues stood sentry at the entrance. Mark Held of Mark's Garden matched the overall aubergine color scheme using orchids, artichokes, calla lilies, kale, and fern shoots as part of the floral decor.

MacFarlane hosted an Oscars after-party at the Lot in West Hollywood on Sunday. Inspired by old Hollywood, the event included a 30-foot chandelier and a 72-piece orchestra. The musicians played onstage under a dome meant to evoke the Hollywood Bowl.

At the premiere of 21 and Over in Los Angeles February 21, a 60-foot arrivals wall comprised some 3,700 red plastic cups. Stationed alongside the red carpet, the cheeky fixture served as a backdrop for press photographs of the film's stars.

A Fortune 500 telecommunications company hosted an incentive program in Miami last year. For the closing-night bash, Fourth Wall Events created centerpieces that froze individual roses in 75-pound blocks of ice.

For a Jordan Farmar Foundation benefit in Los Angeles February 7, Nathaniel Neubauer of Contemporary Catering designed a seven-course menu of foods inspired by childhood classics. Because the foods didn't require much silverware to eat, guests only had forks; other cutlery was playfully suggested with colorful blue drawings on the place mats.

Following the ING Miami Marathon January 27, Target sponsored a lounge with a 40- by 20-foot wall consisting of more than 12,000 motivational pins. The pins were printed with inspiring words such as "Champion" and helped promote Target's line of C9 by Champion athletic apparel.

The South Beach Wine & Food Festival took place February 21 to 24 in Miami. Evian's #EvianEats photo activation—which invited guests to "live young"—was a popular first stop in the center of the fest's Grand Tasting Village.

The charity held its annual "Big Night" event at House of Blues in Boston on February 9. The event included performances from two bands, so servers from the Catered Affair wore signage that labeled each item in case verbal descriptions couldn't be heard over the music.

As a catering idea for upcoming summertime events, Dandelion Ranch Events in Los Angeles produced an eye-catching spread with catering by Cooks County. The summery menu items included chopped salad, tarragon egg salad sandwiches with watercress and radishes, and ricotta pound cake with Meyer lemon curd and whipped cream.

In October, Chicago's Field Museum hosted the Maharaja Ball to celebrate the opening of the exhibition "Maharaja: The Splendor of India's Royal Courts." The sumptuous invitation and envelope had preexisting designs—typically used for Indian wedding invitations—that the museum purchased from a firm in Jaipur, India.

TEDActive guests scooped up logo water bottles upon their arrival (or any time throughout the conference) that served as giveaways, as well as a way to stay hydrated without the use of disposable plastic bottles. Hydration stations let guests fill up easily and as often as they liked.

Multiple venues around the property for simulcast viewing included an array of seating groups, including more traditional chairs and desks and armchairs—and even beanbags.

Don't find beanbags quite comfy enough? The main simulcast venue, the theater, also had several bed-style lounging groups complete with TVs overhead for cozy viewing of the TED Talks.

A picnic lunch Wednesday offered picnic baskets for groups of seven—so each person had to meet six new folks with whom to chat and chow.

The Sovereign Nation of You station encouraged attendees to make representational flags for creative expression during meeting breaks.

Adding to the easygoing vibe were dogs, which were allowed on the property and at the event; attendees with furry friends could bring them along.

The main stage backdrop got an appealing but spare look from wooden pallets—visually interesting, but not enough to distract from the high-level conference content.

Meant to offer attendees a low barrier to entry for creative expression, Paper Punk offered a station where attendees could use prefab templates to create small art pieces—think origami meets Lego—and affix them to an evolving wall.

In a thoughtful use of the environment surrounding the sprawling host hotel, individual seating groups invited attendees to gather and collaborate in cleverly arranged settings that themselves served to inspire.

To encourage folks to really engage with the content while being themselves, the TEDActive dress code was casual. Anything goes. So there were jeans, yes, but also plenty of flip-flops, shorts, and hoodies.

The TEDActive projects engaged attendees in brainstorming various ideas—and moving them forward through the course of the event.

TEDActive means to connect attendees whenever possible—and oversize name badges made it easy to identify new folks.

Talk about a fully immersive experience: The conference took over some of the venue's Spanish tiles for its own brand messaging. The special tiles also served to guide attendees' path along the walkways to the various event venues on the sprawling property.

Guests were encouraged to bring their own T-shirts, totes—whatever—and Hit & Run customized them live according to guests' own personal TEDActive experience with a range of designs.

Meant to keep attendees fit and moving, one station offered scooter and bike rental available any time.

Coffee and snacks are pretty typical at conferences, but TEDActive's offerings included coffee brewed in small batches by skilled baristas and snacks like roasted seaweed and organic dark chocolate peanut butter cups, available any time of day.

Sponsor Lincoln decked out one of the property's casitas with a space that was subtly branded and also offered guests a chance to walk through a series of functional art pieces on exhibit.

TEDx planners from around the world expressed themselves on an interactive chalkboard wall.

For a little collaboration in the get-to-know-you spirit, game stations dotted the event space.

Ever heard of flying a kite as a meeting-break option? TEDActive made one available for the taking, offering it adjacent to a casual seating cluster in the event's main outdoor space, known as the quad.