event ideas

An Alluring Pathway At the

Centerpieces That Give Back Instead of flowers, tables at the Ve'ahavta's Starry Night gala in Toronto in November had towering glass vases filled with abstract-looking arrangements of navy and white socks�a donation from McGregor Socks that doubled as charitable gifts to the homeless.

Clever Ceiling CoverBalloons seem like a basic birthday party prop, but when clustered together and elevated to the ceiling, they lent dramatic impact at the launch of Juicy Couture's flagship store in New York in November.

A Practical Memento Customized postage isn't new, but it can be a memorable, affordable, and useful gift. For its 75th anniversary in New York in January, Bride's magazine included a sheet of 10 62-cent U.S. Postal Service stamps in the gift bag, enough to mail a few notoriously bulky wedding invitations.

Simple Sweets A modest doughnut can be dressed up, as Food for Thought Catering in Chicago did for a holiday dinner for Balyasny Asset Management, serving the pastries with a choice of toppings.

An action station, such as Puff 'n Stuff Catering's risotto bar, allows guests to customize their food and watch it being prepared.

For on-the-spot donations, staffers roaming the venue sold helium-filled balloons to guests.

Orlando Eye

Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort

“Glassware can be mixed and matched to complement any color palette." —Jaime Geffen of YourBash in Santa Monica, California Colored glassware, prices upon request, available nationwide from Casa de Perrin

“The Royal Chic tufted Chesterfield couches from Hire Elegance make a statement. They are impressive because they are so long, and when filling an event space, it is nice to be able to utilize large pieces of furniture like these couches.” —Brian Worley of YourBash in Santa Monica, California Royal Chic 13- and 20-foot tufted Chesterfield couches, $695 and $1,050, respectively, plus delivery, available in California, Phoenix, and Las Vegas from Hire Elegance

“I like to rent a vintage car as the perfect accent for a period party." —DeJuan Stroud of DeJuan Stroud Inc. in New York Vintage car, from $1,500 to $5,000, available in New York from Model A Restorations

“We have used linens by Party Tables in three recent events, including a party in Chattanooga [Tennessee], where I used a custom-made black-and-white pattern to fit the estate tables ranging in length from 16 to 60 feet. For a destination on Amelia Island [in Florida], Party Tables made custom jackets to fit over the venue’s existing wood barstools along with cloths for the highboys and pillows to accent the soft seating areas. It was one linen, three ways!” —Steve Bales of Bold American Events in Atlanta  Linens, price upon request, available nationwide from Party Tables

"The chargers are a fun way to bring color to a more basic table setting and linen.” —Jaime Geffen of YourBash in Santa Monica, California Chargers, $7.95, available nationwide from BBJ Linen

“We love the oval table [from Lavish Event Rentals] as it is a new shape for a dining experience for guests to enjoy at an intimate and modern gathering.” —Karla Dascal of Karla Conceptual Event Experiences in Miami Oval dining table, $550, available throughout South Florida from Lavish Event Rentals

“The Montana collection from Blueprint Studios is made from reclaimed wood, has a strong, solid feel, and can be used to create a number of different looks—from rustic cabin to contemporary loft—depending on the furniture you mix with it.” —Brian Worley of YourBash in Santa Monica The Montana collection, pricing varies, available nationwide from Blueprint Studios

“I love the new Rachel collection from Suite 206. The smoky mirror look is so strong and sexy. It adds a lot of drama to any event setting and works great with all the metallic colors that are so popular right now.” —Todd Fiscus of Todd Events in Dallas  Rachel collection, from $250 to $750, available nationwide from Suite 206

“I adore the Maxwell runner table and display pedestal or the high cocktail table from Taylor Creative. They disappear into any room, which keeps the environment looking less cluttered yet provides an elegant surface area for guests to rest their items on.” —Jes Gordon of Jes Gordon L.L.C. in New York Maxwell runner, $395, and highboy, $250, available in the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions from Taylor Creative Inc.

“The Conveyer Belt by Signature Rentals is our personal favorite rental because it is a unique alternative to welcome cocktail, desserts, and food stations.” —Jeffry Roick of McNabb Roick Events in Toronto  Conveyer Belt, $1,500, available in Canada from Signature Event Rental Shoppe

"The Ruby Red collection from Bridge Furniture & Props is my favorite furniture to use for a speakeasy party.” —DeJuan Stroud of DeJuan Stroud Inc. in New York The Ruby Red furniture collection, from $295 to $895, available in New York from Bridge Furniture & Props

The event had a sports theme, with images of athletes in motion used in the signage.

Padded armchairs in the ballroom provided more comfortable seating for guests.

Breakfast, lunch, and snacks were served in rooms located on each end of the ballroom. Guests entered through custom air walls that opened and closed based on the event's service needs.

The Grand Hyatt New York's James Dale, senior director of catering for the eastern division, said the Robin Hood menu was healthier than what's served at typical events, with a bigger focus on fish and other healthy options. One of the breaks had a New York apple theme with local apple dishes, cheeses, and cider.

Bold graphics and large type kept attendees' focus on the center of the stage.

Bloomberg terminals were spread throughout the meeting space so attendees could keep an eye on the markets while still in the room. Planners brought back the feature after a successful debut last year.

Adventure Associates' “GeoTrek” activity is based on the recreational sport of geocaching—using GPS devices to locate containers, known as “caches.” The company has courses in 75 locations around the country, including one at Walt Disney World that requires participants to use the monorail, boats, and walking between resorts to locate each cache. Organizers provide a brief lesson on how to use GPS, and then teams of about four people each choose which caches they will attempt to locate based on point values, distances, and strategy. When teams reconvene, the company’s facilitators can lead participants in a discussion of what they learned followed by a tallying of each team’s scores.

Add a bit of Hollywood to a teambuilding event with TeamBonding's Make-A-Movie experience. The company’s facilitators begin the event with a short skit and then challenge each team of employees to make their own movie around a specific theme. TeamBonding provides digital video cameras and all editing services. The groups reconvene to screen each of the movies and vote on categories such as best actor and best director. The organizer also receives a DVD with all of the movies on it.

Smartphone cameras drive the fun in Corporate Games Team Building's Paparazzi game. Organizers divide participants into groups of about eight people each and give them a list of photographs and a bag of costumes and props. Teams then have a set amount of time to travel around a venue or within a designated part of the city, to capture as many of the photos as possible. Examples include a photo of team members posing as celebrities dining alfresco or a photo of team members hosting a cooking show. Organizers score the photos as they come in and put them into a slide show which can be viewed by everyone at the end of the event.

Wizard Studios uses its SuperSonic LED Strobe bracelets to activate team challenges for corporate groups. The wristbands emit bright, colored lights and flashing strobes. Organizers can control the bands remotely to command a team to perform a predetermined activity on cue. The company can work with hosts to develop a program of various challenges and prizes, and after the teambuilding event, the bracelets can also be activated during a party.

Classic game shows get a new twist in Wildly Different's iPlay event. The company provides iPads that teams use to complete challenges modeled after traditional game show activities. In “Survey Says,” participants must rank the answers provided from most popular to least popular in categories such as “top-selling candy bars” and “favorite pastimes.” In “What’s the Tune,” players hear snippets of music and must name the song or artist. The iPads automatically tally each team’s points, and at the end members of the winning team join the M.C. on stage to receive their awards.

In Corporate Games Team Building's Amazing Journey activity, teams must decipher clues using their smartphones and complete physical and mental challenges provided by facilitators stationed in various locations. Each completed task helps team members figure out the 10 cities in the world that comprise their “race route,” and the first team to complete the route wins. The event can take place anywhere, inside a hotel or conference center or around a few city blocks, and the clues can be customized to align with an event’s theme or goals.

In the Spy Game, from the Go Game, participants work in teams to complete a series of activities and solve clues provided via smartphone, all based on the premise that someone from their company has been kidnapped and they need to solve the crime. Missions may include having to spell a word without writing, creating videos, and engaging with actors they may encounter throughout the designated course. Each game takes about two hours and combines some high-tech activities with more campy elements such as disguises and cracking codes.