A recent baby shower by Frog Prince Paperie had a theme that was more hipster than twee: mustaches. Little mustache flags decked the cupcakes, which were decorated in baby-boy-friendly hues of blue and brown.
For its upfront presentation at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre June 4, Rogers Media was sensitive to guest needs—namely, the need to grab a cocktail within an hour. Organizers adhered to the timeline, placing a clock onstage so that the presentation did not exceed 60 minutes.
Kicking off the summer benefit season, about 1,000 guests packed Rockefeller Center’s rink area on June 10 for Citymeals-on-Wheels' Chefs’ Tribute. To light up the food-centric function, Hugh McMahon crafted two working lamps using watermelons, oranges, and apples.
On June 2, the London premiere for World War Z had all the pomp befitting a Brad Pitt blockbuster. Held at Horse Guards Parade, the event drew some 15,000 fans and offered an outdoor concert—staged, appropriately, on a massive Z. Created by U.K. company Stageco, the zigzagging catwalk housed a pyrotechnic-filled performance from the British band Muse, whose work appears on the zombie film's soundtrack.
The Electronic Entertainment Expo—popularly known as E3—wrapped last Thursday at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Respawn Entertainment garnered major attention for its walking exhibit, in the form of a guy who works on its game Titanfall. He walked the show floor in a dramatic logo Mohawk—that also glowed in the dark. (A buddy walked behind with a black-light flashlight to activate the effect.)
Guests at the Salute to Service gala, which took place in Washington in May, could see exactly whom they were supporting through a graphic wall of 3,000 photos. The so-called Lomo Wall showed how the American Red Cross impacted people's lives through blood drives, disaster relief, and health and safety training.
At the Unicef Children's Champion Award Dinner on June 10, guests partook in a family-style celebration at Boston's Museum of Fine Arts. The dinner took place below the museum's "To Boston With Love" exhibit, which created festive and poignant bunting. The installation of more than 1,600 hand-sewn flags was created by quilters from nearly every state in America, as well as from countries around the world. Some of the flags contained iconic Boston images such as the "B" logo for the Boston Red Sox, the phrase "Boston Strong," and the Citgo sign.
The Gene Siskel Film Center honored Gwyneth Paltrow at its June 15 fund-raiser at the Ritz-Carlton, Chicago. Instead of simply presenting the actress with an award, the evening included an hour-long onstage Q&A session. Amanda de Cadenet, host of Lifetime TV's The Conversation and a friend of Paltrow's, hosted the discussion. Topics included female friendship, working with Matt Damon, and—of course—Iron Man.Â
For the June 1 ball at Boston's Castle at Park Plaza, the design team at Be Our Guest created custom chair decals in collaboration with Seaport Graphics. The chairs were a decor surprise for the honorees, Eleanor and Frank Pao.
More than a dozen Microsoft Surface tablets at the June 13 Amfar Inspiration Gala were used during the silent auction, where guests could electronically peruse and view details of items that would otherwise be difficult to illustrate, including runway outfits and destination vacation packages.
