"The most interesting cocktail trend I noticed at Tales this year were cocktail fountains," says Claire Smith, Belvedere Vodka's head of spirit creation and mixology. "I think these will gain popularity at corporate events because they are both fantastic for serving signature cocktails to larger groups and also serve as a gorgeous decorative element for an event." Another vodka brand, Absolut, used cocktail fountains at its party during Tales of the Cocktail (pictured).
Lillet national brand ambassador Amanda Boccato notes that lower-proof, light aperitif-style cocktails have been a trend for events. One option: the Liberte, which uses Lillet Blanc, cooled fruit tea, honey syrup, and soda water (pictured).
Punches have been a popular trend for a few years now, and mixologists continue to seek ways to make them different. Andy Gemmell, global brand ambassador for Dewar's, said he has been rediscovering punch recipes from the 1700s that use honey, herbs, and spices. A pop-up version of the Dead Rabbit—a New York cocktail bar several people mentioned as a new leader in conversations during the festival—hosted by Pinot Ricard Irish whiskey brands Jameson and Midleton had bowls of punch set out on the bar with teacups (pictured) guests could fill themselves (or have bartenders properly garnish).
“We are absolutely trending towards an era of less reverential and more irreverent cocktail drinking," says Jamie Gordon, manager of mixology for Pernod Ricard USA. "There is still a great appreciation towards the craft as a whole, but bartenders are finally working out that a tongue-in-cheek delivery of a good drink still delivers a good drink.” At the Absolut party during Tales of the Cocktail, servers used syringes to serve shots to guests in a room with the feel of a mad scientist's lab (pictured).
As is true with most event pros looking to promote their products to event guests, Lorne Cousin, the West Coast ambassador for Balvenie, aims to create interactive experiences. "I have all our guests rub some of the DoubleWood 12 Year Old on the backs of their hands to burn off the alcohol, which, to their amazement, releases a stream of delicious aromas, which they all love."
Kryogenifex served liquid-nitrogen-infused shots at the Escape Miami Style Lounge.
It sounds like something out of a sci-fi movie: a drone delivering beer to guests at a music festival. More than 150 guests at the OppiKoppi music festival in South Africa in August received free cold brews via drone. The initiative was a partnership of Darkwing Aerials, Windhoek Beer, and festival organizers. Guests ordered the beer using an app on their smartphones; staff received the orders and loaded parachute-equipped, single servings of beer (with a lid) onto the drone. Once in the air, the drone used the GPS coordinates of the phone that placed the order to navigate to its destination, where the single beer would drop and parachute down to the waiting recipient. The only area of the festival that was off limits for deliveries was the main stage, where the dense crowd made it too risky to drop beer from the sky. Darkwing Aerials owner Dean Engela said they intend to try the service at future events, using more than one drone to serve guests.
The Mint Agency recently took on SodaStream's public relations, so staffers decided to host a media lunch during TIFF. The afternoon's drinks included a basil-yuzu mojito, a ginger-tarragon lemonade spiked with vodka, and a gin and tonic with cucumber-infused gin. The cocktails, of course, all contained SodaStream soda.
A rustic, three-piece bar made from wood pallets is now available to rent in the Washington area from Amaryllis. The footprint of the U-shaped bar is about 15 feet long and 6 feet deep, and open crevices on the façade can hold floral arrangements.
Lollapalooza took place in Chicago's Grant Park August 1 to 3. In the park, Samsung's Galaxy Experience let guests use the Galaxy Tab S to order lemonade. Using Samsung's new streaming service, Milk Music, guests then picked a favorite genre of music, which matched up with a particular flavor of the drink. Those who liked indie music, for example, were offered strawberry lemonade.
In a V.I.P. area known as the "Lolla Lounge," Dobel Tequila offered drink samples at a sleek pop-up piano bar.
On July 31, M.A.C. Cosmetics hosted a launch party for its new Mia Moretti collection, which is inspired by Lollapalooza and festival fashion, at Fulton Market Kitchen. As guests dined, artist Blue Logan painted the scene on a large canvas. BMF Media Group produced.
Nearly 5,000 fans of fantasy films, TV shows, and books gathered at the Orange County Convention Center July 30 to August 3 for LeakyCon. Organizers invited attendees with band experience to bring their instruments to LeakyCon so they could be part of the event’s pep band, which gave about 15 “pop-up” performances during the convention.
At the end of the opening ceremonies, a makeshift gospel choir sang a parody rendition of “Love Is an Open Door” from Frozen. The 40 choir members were LeakyCon attendees who had responded to a request on Twitter for “choir geeks” to bring their robes and attend a rehearsal.
Ravinia hosted its annual gala outside of Chicago in late July. For a dinner that followed a performance from Joshua Bell and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, designer Jeffrey Foster of Event Creative decked the tent in blue-and-white hues. The color scheme was inspired by the gala's invitation.
The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach hosted an event-industry gathering dubbed "Dripping in Diamonds" on January 23. Each room featured the work of a different design firm, and Blooming Events International designed the "Perfect Diamond" room in blue hues.
Blue lighting and sequined tablecloths made for a striking look at Ronald McDonald House Toronto’s holiday season gala in December 2012—and the food was also blue. One featured bite was Parisienne potatoes topped with blue-dyed whitefish mousse and blue sea salt.
For a grab-and-go option that eliminated the need for servers, Grand Performances hung bags of doughnuts from hooks at Nordstrom's grand-opening event at Americana at Brand in Glendale, California.
A Thyme to Cook in Connecticut used string to hang cake doughnuts from the branches of a living tree at a recent event.
Sequoia Productions’ Cheryl Cecchetto worked with the academy to give more than 3,600 guests a variety of entertainment options as they dined at the West Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center on Monday night. Shadow dancers from the Debbie Allen Dance Academy performed alongside the venue’s perimeter, while Judith Hill sang from a central rotating stage, and Extreme Beam synchronized routines to pulsating lasers.
Organizers brought the ball's "kaleidoscope of color" theme to life by creating dining sections dominated by red, orange, yellow, green, blue, or purple hues and by using backdrops featuring all of the shades in the bar setups. La Premier added to the color-blocked look with floral arrangements in coordinating colors.
Bright throw pillows and tablecloths enlivened lounge areas that dotted the hall. Patina Catering’s three-course meal included a grilled peach and heirloom tomato salad starter, filet of beef for the main course, and s’mores—complete with a sprinkling of chocolate Pop Rocks—for dessert.
A dynamic array of colorful Versa tubes and LED lights illustrated the theme of this year's Governors Ball and added a dramatic, eye-catching element.
HBO vice president of special events Cindy Tenner collaborated with designer Billy Butchkavitz for the network’s annual bash, which took place at the Pacific Design Center’s fountain plaza for the 12th consecutive year. The pair found inspiration for the event's colorful look in the 1960s fashion designs of Paco Rabanne.
A dazzling acrylic chandelier descended from a 28- by 28- by 28-foot white cube that sat in the middle of the space.
Organizers tapped Los Angeles-based artist Kymm Swank to produce an eye-catching pattern for the party’s press wall. Swank created an 8- by 6-foot acrylic painting, which was then digitally scanned and reproduced to create the whopping 150-foot-long press wall.
Audi kicked off Emmy celebrations on Thursday night by taking over Cecconi's in West Hollywood. Event Eleven's Tony Schubert converted the parking lot into a party-ready space by erecting 10-foot-high walls decorated with LED lights.
The magazine hosted its annual party at Fig & Olive on Saturday night, where sponsor L'Oréal created an activation allowing guests to experiment with its Makeup Genius app.
In order to create an old Hollywood vibe, Event Eleven's Tony Schubert bookended the magazine's logo with an Art Deco graphic, which he then splashed along walls. In keeping with the 1920s theme, guests could pose for pictures in a photo booth featuring black-and-white stripes.
On Saturday, Variety and Women in Film took to Mexican restaurant Gracias Madre on Melrose, where vibrant floral arrangements sat in equally bright cans of Mexican products.
“As the first industry event at Gracias Madre, we focused on their organic cuisine and cocktails and based our decor on their naturally beautiful space—upscale, Mexican chic in a modern garden,” said Kate Mazzuca, managing director of marketing at Variety. “We emphasized their natural wood, metal, and textile elements and added pops of jewel tones—jade, indigo, blood orange, and magenta—throughout to add a festive, playful vibe.”
Guests sipped a mix of specialty cocktails, including “La Quinceanera,” which included a mix of tequila, muddled kiwi, mint, lemon, agave, lime bitters, and shaved ice.
Organizers made use of the trees in Gracias Madre’s outdoor patio, hanging decor from branches.
Attendees could experiment with the new Samsung Galaxy Tab S.
At a “Selfless Selfie” station, photographer Mark “the Cobrasnake” Hunter snapped guests as they shot pictures of themselves using the Samsung Galaxy S5 phone. The brand donated money to Women in Film for every picture taken.
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts Los Angeles took to the SLS Hotel on Saturday to toast British and American Emmy nominees. In a nod to BBC America, which co-sponsored the event along with Jaguar, organizers created a display featuring the network's Doctor Who logo alongside a variety of teapots.
White roses sat in containers resembling London cabs at the event, where guests nibbled on scones and drank tea as well as cocktails.
At Backstage Creations' Emmy Awards Giving Suite at the Nokia Theatre, designer Josh Johnson created a luxe lounge awash in neutral colors. Celebrity guests received the throw pillows from Johnson's upcoming line, which he used to decorate the space, as well as products from the likes of Nerium Skincare, Bose, and more brands.
An acrylic sculpture atop a tufted bench served as a head-turning centerpiece.
In addition to serving as a gifting suite, the room provided celebrities with an area to relax backstage during the show. While there, they could grab a coffee from the Tim Hortons bar, a Bartenura and MYX cocktail, or snacks from Cold Stone Creamery and Sabra Hummus.
Celebrities such as Emmy host Seth Meyers signed a suitcase in an effort to raise money for the Television Academy Foundation.
Showtime gobos dotted the pool and walls at the Sunset Tower Hotel on Sunday night.
At the network’s 13th annual Luxury Lounge at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Bevely Hills, Pandora Jewelry created a Plinko-style game that determined if guests would receive a necklace, ring, or pair of earrings, depending on where the chip landed.
Pandora brought Questlove for its Cathedral City party, which announced brand names on a round central bar. The event also included a hair-braiding station, giant chessboards, ping-pong, and beanbag toss games.
