Holiday Party Activities

Green-screen catwalks, the latest invention from the Bosco, debuted at this year’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in partnership with H&M. Event guests were styled in H&M gear; then, they chose a motion-graphic backdrop from a selection of some 25 styles and walked or danced in place on a moving treadmill. Using green-screen-compositing technology, the Bosco staffers created videos of users walking virtual runways, and the festivalgoers were able to instantly share their six-second videos across all social media platforms. Pricing on rentals varies per activation, and the booths can be set up at events throughout the United States and Canada.

Super Frog Saves Tokyo, billed as “storytelling plus social theory,” provides video booths for private events, with a twist: the event narratives are filmed in slow motion. The video setup comprises a RED Epic Camera, four LED lights, and a backdrop operated by two or three staffers. The resulting videos require an estimated 25 hours of production. The company has a baseline fee of $6,000 for event rentals, and the final cost can be impacted by date, location, and other details.

The Self Enhancing Live Feed Image Engine, or “S.E.L.F.I.E.” mirror, was created by New York-based digital agency iStrategy Labs. A Web camera and facial-recognition software are hidden behind the two-way mirror, along with LED lights that provide a countdown and simulate a flash, and are triggered when guests stand in front of the mirror and smile. The photo is then instantly posted to Twitter with a watermark or logo.  Though it is not available for rental, the invention can be custom-built for companies to own, and pricing ranges from $35,000 to $50,000.

Foxtales invites event guests to step into a so-called “storybooth” that creates branded photos and HD videos. In addition to a customizable touch-screen interface, the booths have built-in D.S.L.R. cameras and proprietary photo-processing techniques. The pictures and videos populate a mobile-ready storyboard and can be instantly uploaded using Wi-Fi, 4G Internet, or a hard-line connection. Pricing is from $1,500 and includes five hours of run time, the customized storyboard gallery, on-site reps, and post-event analytics.

Doodlebooth is a Chicago-based company that puts a hand-drawn spin on traditional photo booths. Illustrator Jana Kinsman, who has designed custom illustrations for clients such as CB2, sits with guests and quickly sketches their portraits as take-home keepsakes; the images can also be scanned into online albums that guests can digitally share. Pricing is $650 for three hours, and there’s no extra cost for transportation to events in Chicago and nearby Evanston and Oak Park. Kinsman will travel to events throughout the country for an additional fee.

Servers greeted guests at the entrance with mistletoe shots, made with peppermint schnapps and pomegranate juice.

Guests could pose for photographs in a sleigh at the entrance.

Fur blankets decorated an ice chaise from Iceculture.

Decals with snowy scenes covered the walls of the office.

Apex projected 3D mappings of falling snow onto the windows. Silver furniture added to the ice theme.

Russian millionaire Reiner Von Deer (played by staffer Milan Sukunda) circulated with his wife, welcoming guests to his party.

Pallattella created different spaces within the party. One room, separated from the dance floor and bar, was lined with a table, chairs, and lit Christmas trees.

3D mappings of snow falling on trees were projected onto the windows of the room.

A reindeer decal, a riff off of the Playboy bunny, decorated the bar. The room was lit in blue and decorated with hanging chandeliers and a fake fireplace.

Lucite chandeliers with evergreen floral pieces bordered the mantel of the fake fireplace in the bar area. A white reindeer head hung above it.

The Martini Club International designed the cocktail menu for the event. The drinks matched the Naughty N'Ice theme, with names like the Dirty Russian and Cinful

The dance floor was called the Jingle Ball Room.

Pallattella created booths against the wall of the dance floor space. A video fireplace centred the booths.

Icicle lights and snowflakes hung from the ceiling in the dance floor area.

Hors d'oeuvres from C2 Catering were served on granite trays. Items included (from the left) falafel ice cream cones with sweet potato hummus and a mashed potato rosette, miso-glazed black cod burger on a pink glitter brioche bun, candy apple lobster lollypop with a gooseberry plum injection sauce, hot pot chili, and winter melon soup topped with duck salsa and nitrogen-frozen blueberries.

Pallattella created decals of a frozen man and woman for the bathroom doors in the office space.

Martini Club International created cocktails for the event, which included the Naughty N' Ice, with gin or vodka, Aperol, Earl Grey tea, and grapefruit juice, poured over dry ice in a teapot.

Event Farm allows companies to create various gift options for their employees, such as electronic coupons for a manicure, a Friday half-day, or a car wash. Guests simply swipe their N.F.C. badges over the Nexus tablet displaying their preferred gift, and it’s automatically sent to their inbox.

With black-and-white checkered floors, the dinner was inspired by the restaurant Mr. Chow.

Some 750 guests sat to dinner in glossy black chairs. The Asian-inspired menu from Blue Plate Catering included chilled lobster salad and grilled New York strip steak with Chinese long beans and Hunan-style eggplant.

Tall lamps crowned with feathery shades decked the dining area.

After dinner, guests headed to a tent covering the museum's sculpture garden for a Bryan Ferry concert. The singer performed hits including his 1990 song "Avalon," along with singles from his upcoming album.

A slew of hanging disco balls added a Studio 54-style vibe to the pop-up concert venue.

Sparkly chandeliers hung above the bars in the concert tent.

The V.I.P. area was a sunken-living-room-style space replete with plush furniture, candles, and champagne chilling on ice. The area took two weeks to build out and upholster and was constructed by Kim Merlin, Event Creative, and Partytime Productions.