Summer Party

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.