event ideas

IMEX America's fourth run in Las Vegas was its largest show yet.

At the Elle Women in Hollywood awards this month at the Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, long-time producer Caravents worked with Elle event director Katie Crown on the overall vision and event design. Blush tones in details from the linens to the roses created a feminime feel along with graphite mirror runners with clear cylinder vases.

During the recession, a limited bar of beer and wine—or no alcohol at all—seemed to be the go-to choice. But now the fully stocked open bar is back, with 45 percent of companies opting for one last year, according to the BizBash survey. Industry pros predict that number will be even higher in 2013: “The open bar is not where clients are cutting back this year—they’re doing a full bar, plus a few specialty cocktail options,” Gorjestani says. Speaking of which, the interest in craft cocktails remains strong. “Society is still attached to classic cocktails and chef-driven mixology—guests get excited by throwback, Prohibition-style drinks made with bourbon, as well as cocktails made with fresh herbs and house-made syrups,” Neubauer says. But the latest trend may be something you remember from your high school prom, updated with a boozy twist: the drink fountain. While punches have been popular at holiday parties for several years, booze-filled fountains were one of the top trends spotted at this year’s Tales of the Cocktail, the annual drink festival in New Orleans. “I think these will gain popularity at corporate events because they are both fantastic for serving signature cocktails to larger groups and also serve as a gorgeous decorative element for an event,” Belvedere’s head of spirit creation and mixology, Claire Smith, told BizBash. Still, it’s never a bad idea to make sure nonalcoholic options are on hand, and Neubauer suggests offering more than just Diet Coke. “House-crafted sodas and elixirs make nonalcoholic options seem more enticing,” he says. Pictured: A private holiday event produced by Hollywood Pop Gallery featured a fully stocked custom circular bar covered in images of ornaments.

A bar mitzvah designed by New York-based David Stark Design and Production had custom super-size signs, like an “Eat” sign made out of favorite books.

From top: To keep up the energy at its annual powwow for industry pros, John Paul Mitchell Systems—with help from Stoelt Productions—set up an attention-getting yellow space to introduce its new men’s brand, Mitch, in 2011; the 2012 Breeders’ Cup kicked off at a purple-hued Halloween-night reception with a mysterious masquerade theme; a wall of oranges served as the backdrop to the juice bar at the J.C. Penney launch of the Joe Fresh Kids Collection, injecting the brand’s fun signature color into Times Square last summer; event designer André Wells mixed blues and teals for a classic look at the BET Honors dinner in 2010; JesGordon/ProperFun used the color of LOVE—which is also the host brand’s logo color—at Purina Chef Michael’s “Be My Valentine” Doggie Dinner Party in 2010.

A wedding in Savannah, Georgia, designed by Calder Clark, had oversize focal points.

The check-in table featured a centerpiece of manzanita branches, which held personalized luggage tags for each guest.

Among the gatherings that will be run by Margaret Low Smith, the new head of The Atlantic's event division, is its New York Ideas conference.

At Cisco Live San Francisco, organizers created visually appealing, shareable elements throughout three buildings of the Moscone Center.

The Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art’s 2009 ArtEdge benefit had a lighthearted feel, with childhood games and activities including a large swing set.

The Whitney Museum of American Art