ideas

At Diffa’s Dining by Design in Chicago in November, an elegant tailgate party inspired the vignette from Sparc Inc., designed by Richard Cassis and Hunter Kaiser.

Guests entered the Bahia Mar Beach Resort & Yachting Center through an inflatable football helmet tunnel for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Broward County’s homecoming-theme Déjà vu Ball in 2010.

Tables at the premiere of football player Ernie Davis’s 2008 biopic, The Express, featured football-appropriate centerpieces that included pom-poms, helmets, and pennants.

At The Express premiere, the night’s dessert offerings included truffle pops displayed in glass containers holding layered sugar that was coordinated with Syracuse University’s team colors.

Gesture recognition technology can lend an innovative techy vibe to a tailgate bash. For the Sports Illustrated Heisman Tour, Brightline Interactive created a two-person game where players tried to complete the most football passes in one minute.

Solo cups are an often-spotted component of any tailgate party. Turn them into decor by arranging dozens of the cups inside the spaces of hurricane fencing to spell out game day messages.

Custom foam fingers—like those seen at this year’s Boobyball benefit in Toronto—are sure to get guests in the mood to root for their favorite teams.

Serving chili to a large crowd? Take a page from Jewell Events Catering, which had its staffers serving chili from trash cans at Chicago’s ArtEdge gala in February 2013.

Let guests customize their own game day food by hosting a burger station like the one overseen by Peter Callahan Catering at Burger King’s summer menu preview in New York last May.

Or, instead of serving potentially sloppy burgers, offer an updated, bite-size take on sliders: Serena Bass for Special Attention Caterers in New York skewers grilled sirloin meatballs with romaine hearts, tomato, cheddar cheese slices, bacon, chipotle mayo, and brioche croutons.

The New York City Wine & Food Festival introduced a new event during this October’s festivities dubbed Jets & Chefs: the Ultimate Tailgate hosted by Joe Namath and Mario Batali. At the walk-around sampling of top chefs’ takes on game day cuisine, Coors Light created a football-theme photo op.

Wings are a game day staple. At Jets & Chefs, New York City barbecue joint Mighty Quinn’s gave the classic snack an update by smothering crispy, smoked chicken wings with chile-lime sauce, scallions, and cilantro.

Mary Giuliani Catering & Events offered guests at Jets & Chefs fish and chips in paper cones printed with sports news. Green Lucite trays that resembled a football field displayed the snacks.

Food service company Sysco Metro NY served tacos and other hors d’oeuvres from a station covered in Astroturf at Jets & Chefs.

Boston nonprofit Team Impact hosted its first Game Day gala in Boston in 2012. The tailgate-inspired decor included college-style pennants and fresh grass evocative of a football field.

In 2012, the N.F.L. hosted its first fan-focused Super Bowl party in Canada, gathering guests in Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto. Toronto’s party took over Sound Academy, where Astroturf carpet marked with yard lines covered the floor and a retractable screen was lowered over the stage while the game played.

Outside of the N.F.L. Super Bowl XLVI party in Toronto, guests showed off their gridiron skills at inflatable game stations, where people could kick a field goal, throw a pass, or race their friends.

The N.F.L. hosted two Super Bowl events at Sun Life Stadium in Miami in 2010, including an official N.F.L. Tailgate. As part of the festivities, pastry chefs competed in a cake decorating competition.

Budweiser threw its version of a tailgate party to promote N.F.L. games in Toronto in 2008. A Budweiser trailer was parked at the outdoor bash, and guests enjoyed barbecued fare and could participate in games like football toss.

The Starlight Children's Foundation hosted its Starlight Gala, sponsored by Toys "R" Us, at Toronto's Fairmont Royal York Hotel in April. The event’s circus-inspired ideas included dinner tables topped with miniature Ferris wheels that held cupcakes with colorful frosting.