In the hour before the V.M.A.s began, MTV hosted a preshow event that took over the area outside the Barclays Center—Sixth Avenue between Dean Street and Atlantic Avenue. One of the key visuals in the red carpet area was a backdrop designed to look like the towers of the Brooklyn Bridge. Katy Perry, who posed with fans before the show, later closed out the event with a performance beneath the actual landmark. Perry was also the highlight of sponsor Pepsi's social media strategy, inviting fans to vote for their favorite of two unreleased tracks over the weekend; the winning song was announced via Twitter during the show.
The Berkshire Room, a craft cocktail lounge, opened in River North's Acme Hotel in June. With soaring ceilings, vintage terrazzo floors, and a bar made out of leather pelts, the venue can hold standing events for 110 or seated functions for 75. Noted mixologist Benjamin Schiller oversees the drink list, which contains sections for "cocktails," "barrel finished cocktails," and "dealer's choice." The last option allows guests to design their own drinks by choosing a base spirit, a flavor profile (examples include "smokey" and "fruity") and a type of glassware. There's also a menu of 1940s-inspired snacks, including caviar and cucumber sandwiches; the single dessert option is a chocolate souffle with charred bourbon-barrel ice cream.
Tru was one of the restaurants to present a dish at Chicago's Taste of the Nation event, held on August 14 at the Navy Pier Ballroom. Chef Anthony Martin served maitake mushroom crunch with maitake puree and oxtails. The bites were presented on the same type of logs on which the mushrooms grew.
Members of Sears's "Shop Your Way" rewards program had the chance to win a $10 gift card to Wafels and Dinges. The food truck was on site to dole out Belgian treats.
The Pageant of the Cosmos offered carnival games with an Adult Swim–inspired twist. For "Balloonicorn in Space," participants donned a unicorn hat and had to pop as many overhead balloons as they could.
As part of Comic-Con in San Diego, A&E and The Hollywood Reporter hosted a party to celebrate the network's show Bates Motel. Produced by MKG at the Gang Kitchen restaurant, the July 20 event included a photo booth that used the bedroom set from the TV series and invited guests to recreate the campaign image.
Intended for use with iPads, iAnnotate provides a variety of tools to add notes to images, PDF files, Word documents, and PowerPoint slide shows. Annotation can be added as text or voice notes, and there are tools for highlighting, underlining, and strike-through. Files can be shared through Dropbox, Google Drive, and other cloud-based services.
Top Chef's Fabio Viviani opened Siena Tavern in River North in February. The Italian restaurant's intimate private dining room hosts dinners for 15. It has a rustic chef's table with high-back seating, and a two-way mirror hides a 50-inch plasma TV that can hook up to Apple TV. An elevated deck on the eastern side of the restaurant holds a bar made out of salvaged airplane materials and an attached DJ booth; it hosts private events for 50. The restaurant's focal point is a wood-stone pizza oven that bakes 16 pies at once.
Howells & Hood, a globally inspired restaurant with a vast beer selection, opened in the Tribune Tower in mid-March. The East banquet room was designed for large private events and holds 250 for receptions or seats 160. With retractable, floor-to-ceiling glass walls overlooking a patio, the space has a built-in DJ booth, room for a dance floor, 11 televisions, and a private bar with 114 beers on tap. The adjoining patio hosts alfresco seated functions for 125 or cocktail parties for 200 and can be rented in conjunction with the East banquet room. Overlooking Michigan Avenue and iconic structures such as the Wrigley building, the West patio seats 48 or holds 50 for receptions. Inside, a 16-seat private dining room is surrounded by glass-paneled doors that can be covered in fog for privacy, plus it includes a copper-topped boardroom table and two 50-inch TVs. Finally, the Crown is on the Tribune tower's 25th floor and offers 360-degree views of the city below. The space has an indoor lounge and a veranda tucked into the building's flying buttresses. It holds 75 for receptions and has a copper-topped bar and a 60-inch TV.
The Ritz-Carlton Chicago opened the Dec, a rooftop event space, in May. The venue, which has a color-changing LED wall and a circular sculpture called "the Lenz," seats 57 or holds 125 for receptions. Menu items include burger beignets stuffed with Wagyu beef and American cheese, as well as Ritz Crackers topped with house-made Parmesan spread and truffle honey. Handcrafted and kegged cocktails pair with each of the small bites, and specialty drinks include the Hemingway’s Heart, made with 10 Cane rum, grapefruit, blood oranges, and lime.
Open in Bucktown since July, Chicago Chop Shop and the 1st Ward offer a combined restaurant, butcher shop, bar, and event space. The butcher shop has catering and a menu that includes sandwiches, pastas, and homemade sausages and meatballs. The bar and restaurant serve seasonal salads and affordable prime meats. Adjacent to the Chop Shop, the 1st Ward event space is 6,000 square feet. It hosts standing events for 500 and has 16- by 20-foot modular staging.
This year, the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place completed a $100 million expansion and renovation. Attached to McCormick Place convention center, the hotel has a new 460-room tower. Its 800 current rooms were redesigned, and the meeting spaces were renovated, as well. The 4,000-square-foot Prairie Room (pictured) has been revamped to offer more natural light and has new designer lighting and wood finishes. It hosts receptions for 415, banquets for 360, and meetings for as many as 450. The 25,000-square-foot Hyatt Conference Center was also renovated, adding three boardrooms and a business center.
In the West Loop, VenueOne underwent a revamp and expansion in September. The 33,000-square-foot event space has two floors and hosts standing events for 800 or seated functions for 500. There's also a meeting center with seven private meeting suites. The audiovisual amenities include HD video on 60 screens, an LED color-changing light system, a built-in sound system, and a seamless plasma wall. The venue has a new, full-service kitchen with on-site chefs and is managed by production firm Event Creative.
Langham Hospitality opened a Chicago location July 10, the Langham Chicago. In a 52-story tower designed by Mies van der Rohe, the hotel has a spa, a lobby, a Mediterranean restaurant, 316 guest rooms, and 15,000 square feet of event space. The largest single space is the Devonshire Ballroom; at 4,725 square feet, the room holds receptions for 500 or seats 350 theater-style.
Aloft Chicago City Center opened in River North in June. The 227-room hotel is LEED-certified and has 2,000 square feet of event space. Each meeting space is stocked with a 50-inch flat-screen TV that can hook up to laptops and DVD players. The largest meeting space is the 1,857-square-foot L Ballroom. It holds a hollow-square conference table for 60 or seats 155 theater-style; it also holds banquets for 100. The hotel is part of a unique triplex that also houses a Fairfield Inn & Suites and the Hyatt Place Chicago River North.
Renowned Latin American chef Gaston Acurio partnered with VBD Group to open Tanta in River North in August. Serving Peruvian fare, the menu includes ceviche prepared with fresh fish, lime, and yellow chili, plus ingredients such as peanuts, coconut milk, and ginger. Other offerings include Peuvian sashimi and street foods such as empanadas. The beverage program centers on cocktails made with pisco, including the classic Pisco Sour. The multilevel space has several options for private events. The main dining room seats 108, including seats at the bar and at the ceviche bar. An upstairs private dining area and lounge seats 30 or holds 60 for receptions. A rooftop space with landscaped garden walls holds cocktail receptions for 90 or seated dinners for 50 with a mix of high and low tables. The venue is available for buyout. The entire space holds 270 for a reception or seats 112 without the rooftop or 162 with the rooftop.
Three Dots and a Dash—named after the Morse code for V, which was short for "victory"—is a cocktail lounge with a tiki theme. Open in River North since July, the space is underneath the country-western-theme Bub City. Decked with tiki dolls and a tiki bar and scored with retro island music, the space has a private dining room that holds 20. The entire venue is also available for buyout and holds 240. At the bar, mixologist Paul McGee shakes up tropical libations using fresh juices, house-made syrups, and a collection of 150 rums. Served in unusual vessels such as ceramic conch shells or hollowed-out pineapples, drinks include "Bunny's Banana Daiquiri" and Planter's Punch. Bites include crab rangoon, coconut shrimp, and "Luau Chips" with pineapple guacamole. The tiki mugs are available for purchase and make for fun parting gifts.
After loads of confetti poured down on Times Square to usher in 2014, partygoers went to bed—and Mr. Clean went to work. The company teamed up with the Times Square Alliance and the New York City Department of Sanitation on a massive cleanup effort that took place in the wee hours of January 1. The activation saw a 25-person cleaning crew known as the Mr. Clean Team performing synchronized dance numbers as participants helped sweep up the public space.
For a corporate party in Washington, Evoke put its own spin on a speakeasy theme. A deconstructed Caesar salad was served by the glass. The stiff romaine leaves mimicked the look of a flapper's feather headdress. Other bites at the event included wasabi deviled eggs, candied bacon, and a "bees knees" cheese station.
Roving card dealers dressed in flapper costumes presided over games of blackjack and poker using custom chips—actually chocolate coins—with the company logo.
From the book The White Dress in Color: Wedding Inspirations for the Modern Bride, playful escort cards were displayed under a deer head sculpture growing out of a wall of roses.
Food service company Sysco Metro NY served tacos and other hors d’oeuvres from a station covered in Astroturf at Jets & Chefs, a new event during this October’s New York City Wine & Food Festival.
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.
Lindsey Shaw Catering in Toronto offers a new passed appetizer of birch-glazed Atlantic salmon with apple and ginger slaw, served in mini Asian-style bowls with chopsticks.
Soar above San Diego’s Mission Bay via jetpack through Jetpack America. Groups can select half- or full-day options, and multiple “Jetlev” packs can be deployed to accommodate as many as 72 people.
For a conference in Philadelphia earlier this year, local florist Sullivan Owen Floral & Event Design created an eye-catching photo backdrop adorned with fresh flowers. Owen has since brought the backdrop to other events in the area and is working on new variations.
Is D.I.Y. pickling the next big trend in food-focused teambuilding activities? Walt Disney World in Orlando is offering new interactive food experiences for private events, including a canning and pickling station featuring pickles, sauces, conserves, and jams. Guests work together to create custom flavor pairings and take home the final products.
A professional photo studio on wheels, New York–based Motorbooth lets guests climb into the truck’s cargo bay to strike a pose. The Web-connected booth prints 4- by 6-inch photos, custom green-screen backdrops are available, and the exterior of the all-white truck can be covered in graphics. Rental fees start from $5,000 per day.
Bantam Bagels whips up bite-size bagel balls injected with flavored cream cheeses and topped with fresh ingredients, such as pepperoni and tomato. The company caters events anywhere in Manhattan, with a minimum order of $50 and a $15 delivery charge.
Available in the Los Angeles area from Town & Country Event Rentals, the oversize brass, nickel, and bronze Moroccan hanging lamps add an exotic touch to event spaces. Pair the lamps with the company’s new Kaleidoscope line, a colorful collection of modern furniture.
Talk about breathing life into a meeting break: groups can now book tickets for the VooDoo Skyline at the Rio Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The motor-powered, aerial zipline sends guests flying more than 800 feet from the hotel’s 50-story Masquerade tower to the roof of another building and can accommodate two riders at a time.
Dallas-based Good Guy Mobile Internet offers portable Web connectivity kits. For $250 a day, each hub provides wireless Internet for as many as eight devices.
Nimble Well is a new Chicago company that specializes in uncommon rental items such as vintage cake stands, bowls, and napkins. Coming soon: a line of natural wood pieces, including 10- to 22-inch black walnut rounds and 18-inch shagbark hickory tabletop risers, as well as hand-painted backdrops.
Aiming to make office birthday parties easier to plan, Café de Boston offers a “Birthday in a Box” package, $50, which includes a cake with a custom message, candles, a card, and a $5 gift card to the café. The eatery, located in Boston’s financial district, asks that orders be placed 48 hours in advance.
The BET Awards took over the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live this summer, and although the show garnered critical praise, the biggest story to come out of the annual hoopla wasn't on the big night's main stage. Instead, the most noted development was that BET remade its annual telecast this year into a weekend-long event known as the BET Experience, a festival that drew thousands of fans downtown for music, yes—but also for panels, films, seminars, and more. In the BET “We Got You” pavilion, produced by Events by Fabulous, fans could check out BET shows in the programming lounge and listen to music at the gospel listening station. Crowds also gathered for meet and greets with cast members from BET shows. Activities included a green-screen music video booth and a so-called “photo bomb” station to crash snapshots with popular BET celebs.
Bring in a striking visual artist for an eye-catching new approach to a stale stage show. New York artist Charlene Lanzel creates images in sand on a light table. As she works, a camera projects her progress onto a screen so the audience can watch. Her standard performance is a 25-minute set of original designs, but clients can also request logos and other custom images. Fees range from $1,200 to $5,000.
After a radical format change, which in 2011 replaced the traditional seated dinner with a reception followed by dessert and the presentation ceremony, the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International once again reworked its Adrian Awards gala in New York last year. The event implemented some new ideas that would allow the 800 industry professionals in attendance more time and space to socialize with their peers and view the winning work. Central to the revamp was maintaining a comfortable environment for the hospitality execs to network. That meant tweaking the layout of the dinner reception's stations, bars, and seating to provide more room for guests to maneuver, plus offering a more reception-friendly menu. The organizers also added extra time between the end of the reception in the hotel's eighth-floor Broadway Lounge and the start of the award presentation on the sixth floor, giving attendees more time to get settled at their tables.
Looking for more audience engagement to rev up the energy? Get the crowd going with color-changing, motion-sensitive Zygote balls from Crowd Activation, a newly launched division of Canadian creative studio Tangible Interaction devoted to the company’s physical interactive products. An updated take on the crowd-surfing beach balls often spotted at rock concerts, the lightweight, seven-foot-wide helium-inflated balloons respond to human touch with random or pre-programmed colored light displays. Customized interactions—like letting guests influence the music or video-screen graphics when they touch the Zygotes—are also possible. Made from fireproof material and containing wireless LED lights, the rechargeable balls have a one-hour operating life. Custom vinyl stickers or logos can be applied to the Zygotes.
TD Bank's employee recognition dinner in 2009 was meant to feel not at all like a typical dinner and presentations, as it had in previous incarnations. The guest list shrank from 2,000 to 100, and attendees dined at and presented from a single, organically shaped table, designed by Tribbles Home & Garden. (Blooms in varying colors on the place settings helped attendees locate their seats at the unconventional structure.) Clear glass vessels filled with orchid blooms hovered over diners. Also absent from the proceedings was a stage. Instead, speakers—seated next to the employees they were lauding—stood at the table to make the presentations. Additional personal touches included the use of magnetic name tags (emblazoned with hand calligraphy) in place of less refined plastic pin-on badges, a hall of fame displaying photos of the evening's winners, and an after-party decorated with white lounge furniture in casual configurations.
For a dramatic award show, take a cue from live music acts and punch up your stage set with wild visuals. "Reflection mapping” is an innovation from V Squared Labs that uses mirrors, light, and sculptural form to dramatic effect—and it's just debuting on the live event scene this month. The visual arts studio teamed up with electronic dance music group Krewella to create the visual technology as a stage set for the band's tour. Dubbed “the Volcano,” the set comprises mapped crystal structures, with crystals made out of one- and two-way mirrored acrylic plastic outfitted with reflective backing to create an interior mapping effect. Each crystal is also equipped with either LED, video LED tape, or both, inside, creating complex reflection effects that appear visually to change the structure from within. V Squared Labs founder Vello Virkhaus and lead designer Amanda Hamilton collaborated with fabricator and technical engineer Stefano Novelli to bring the vision of ”'reflection mapping” from pencil sketches and creative reference point into the real world. Want to try something similar for an award show? Hamilton said there are future applications for the concept: “The effect of contained infinite reflections is a technique we'd love to explore further, as controlling chaos is an exciting challenge.”
Mix things up every year for an event that people will want to keep attending. From a dinner onstage at a historic theater to a family-style feast inspired by a royal banquet, Clarks's annual award dinner gets a lush, distinctive setting and look every year. For this year's event at Boston's Royale Nightclub in June, the footwear company's senior director of corporate events and community relations, Jane Feigenson, drew inspiration from two very disparate sources: street art and the opera. “The nightclub was originally an opera house and has a cool vibe,” Feigensen said. “I played off the opulence of opera and mixed in splashes of graffiti and grunge.” The look was both glam and grunge—and very cohesive.
Take a cue for a successful night from one of the biggest televised award shows. When we polled planners after last year's National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences' 54th Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, we found their favorite components of the event was the stage set. Javier Velarde said the best part was: “The set design. It was clean, modern, high-tech, and worthy of 'music’s biggest night.' Throughout the night it changed colors, but never more than one color at a time, which goes to prove less is more. I also liked the lighting. Lighting designer Bob Dickinson is in a class of his own—is there anything he doesn’t do? The color palette. They used ‘black and gold’ throughout the night, the Grammy colors, which looked classy and sophisticated. Great branding and the golden amber lighting gave it warmth. There was great use of technology too. LED set, LED lighting, LED screens, LED stages, LED backdrops."
Keep guests' eyes on the stage and off the smartphones in their laps with a dramatic visual presentation, like this one: Inspired by an explosion, illuminated acrylic structures expanded out from the center of the main stage at the Much Music Video Awards in Toronto last year.
If guests can't clearly see what's happening on stage, you've lost them from the word go. Use multiple screens to keep the program accessible, and incorporate them in a way that grabs the eye. Like this: ESPN's big annual ESPY award show took over the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, where multiple screens and illuminated panels created a vibrant and dynamic stage set that continually changed its look throughout the program.
