1. This year's summer menu ideas story included Sweet Hospitality Group's lemon cocktails mixed with vodka, St. Germain, and honey-thyme lemonade.
2. We named Preston Bailey one of the top 35 event designers in North America last year and highlighted the lush floral designs he has created for high-profile fans and big-name brands.
3. An article looking at clever ways to serve dessert showcased the Los Angeles launch for chef Duff Goldman's Cake-in-a-Jar, which, naturally, offered guests samples of the product in Mason jars.
4. This spring, Carasco Photography's “Brides, Bubbles, and Bliss” event included a bridal fashion show that lit Chicago's Union Station in warm, amber-colored lighting.
5. Food can be given as favors and, as a piece on edible gifts for events illustrated, items like Round Pond Estate’s mini bottles of olive oil and vinegars can be stylish too.
6. For events that cater to children, coming up with appropriate menu ideas—and how to serve those dishes—isn't always easy. BizBash's article on kid-friendly catering ideas included Santa Barbara Catering's bite-size cherry and apple pies with latticework crusts, served on lollipop sticks.
7. A 2012 story with 100 Holiday Party Ideas remains one of the most popular pieces on BizBash.com. Included in the ideas was Fear No Ice's ice carvers as an entertainment suggestion from Andrew Zill of Feats Inc.
8. Industry pros predicted this year's corporate holiday parties would take inspiration from Disney blockbuster Frozen, a look defined by icy blues, a pale color palette, white furniture, and metallic decor, like the scene produced by Along Came Mary for the Hallmark Channel's Northpole party in Beverly Hills.
9. One of the key wedding trends highlighted in a story this spring was the return to minimalism following the recent fads of rustic-looking, Anthropologie-inspired, or D.I.Y.-style design ideas. The move towards an unfussy aesthetic includes everything from using classic color palettes to serving smaller portions.
10. Industry pros are no longer ignoring chairs as key opportunities for branding and a piece posted in June showed how a Target launch party used vinyl appliqués on ghost chairs to flaunt patterns from a product collection.
11. This year inexpensive edible items popped up as decor at many events, including at the late May opening of New York's upscale food hall Hudson Eats. Shiraz Events used stacked crates filled with fresh vegetables to create the event's step-and-repeat.
12. With an increasing number of health-conscious guests—and hosts—industry professionals continue to come up with light food and drink options that are appropriate for events of all types, including summer pool parties. Last year's roundup of ideas for what to serve at summertime events included Elegant Affairs’ gluten-free lemon-scented hummus and zucchini roulades.
13. A story in July showed that frozen desserts don't have to be limited to ice cream, gelato, and fro-yo. There are plenty of ideas for events from caterers, including Truffleberry Market, which offers frozen cinnamon-rum-bananas-Foster mousse.
14. For those hosting affairs that go late into the night, catering options include fancy desserts, grab-and-go comfort food, and breakfast-inspired dishes. A slideshow of unique late-night snack ideas included L-Eat Catering's miniature skillets of Yukon gold hash brown potatoes, sunny-side-up quail eggs, and crispy bacon with house-made sun-dried tomato ketchup.
15. This June, the Engage summit at Beaver Creek Mountain in Colorado had a summer camp theme and as such the conference's speakers held intimate group discussions inside tents provided by the Shelter Company.
At Sunstone Winery in Santa Ynez, California, groups learn to detect the different aromas in wine through an educational session that lasts 45 minutes. Staffers use fruits, flowers, chocolates, nuts, and more to help guests develop their sense of smell while participants taste a selection of wines and describe the aromas they detect in them.
Also in Santa Ynez, Gypsy Studios hosts outings that invite corporate groups to paint in vineyards throughout the region. During the two-hour sessions, studio owner Christi Schaeffer leads guests through painting the surrounding landscapes with step-by-step guidance. All painting materials and aprons are provided, and guests are also treated to a glass of wine from the host winery. The activity can accommodate as many as 30 guests.
In Northern California, Napa Valley Bike Tours offers customized, abbreviated versions of its Classic Napa Valley and Classic Sonoma Valley wine tours for corporate groups. Lasting four to five hours, the tours let guests pedal bikes at a leisurely pace and include stops at two local wineries for tastings and a picnic lunch. The company can host groups of as many as 200 guests, and larger groups are split up for tours of from 10 to 12 riders each.
At City Winery in Chicago, corporate groups can participate in a private wine blending experience. A member of the winery leads guests through the hands-on activity, which lets participants taste different blending varietals and concoct their own blends based on personal tastes. Guests can also be divided into separate groups for a teambuilding activity that lets teams compete to create the best blend. The activity can accommodate as many as 75 guests and typically lasts two hours.
Known as the Standup Sommelier and the Wine Coach, Laurie Forster is a Maryland-based wine expert and comedian who leads teambuilding experiences for groups throughout the country. One of her offerings, "Something to Wine About," combines a one-hour comedy show with a wine tasting and includes audience participation and games. Throughout her act, Forster offers wine education. Group sizes vary depending on location.
Eat This, Shoot That organizes food, wine, and photo tours in Santa Barbara, California. During its roughly two-hour Wine and Photo Tour, groups wander through the historic El Paseo building, which houses six tasting rooms. Guests take frequent stops to sample small bites and locally made wines. Along the way, tour guides offer tips for taking better wine and food photos (guests tote along cameras or smartphones) and also share details of the region's history. The tour can accommodate as many as 14 guests per guide.
