For the second course of the Tribute Dinner, guests poured potion bottles of red fruit soup over lobster in a dish by Spanish chef Quique Dacosta, whose eponymous restaurant boasts three Michelin stars. The February 21 event at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel honored Basque cuisine pioneer Juan Mari Arzak as well as Ted Baseler, president and C.E.O. of Ste. Michelle Wine Estates.
In a twist on a traditional seated dinner, guests saw their food prepared at their table during the Interactive Dinner February 21 at the Biltmore Country Club Ballroom. Chef Marc Randazzo hosted the Italian-theme event, and guests got into the spirit by wearing toques with title sponsor Barilla’s logo.
The New York Botanical Garden's orchid show runs February 28 to April 19, and the garden hosted its Orchid Dinner earlier this month. A particularly colorful display saw orchids sprouting out of paint cans, and linens had painterly designs. Roric Tobin designed the table for the high-end interior design firm Geoffrey Bradfield.
Looking to give events a fun burst of neon color? Find inspiration here: A 10-foot Lite-Brite-style decor piece spelled out the band Fun's name at an AOL and T-Mobile concert event in 2012 in Los Angeles.
BuzzFeed's new entry onto the Golden Globes party circuit this year was a 200-guest affair at the Eveleigh January 8. At the party, guests scooped up gift bags dubbed "award season survival totes." The packs contained party-hopping essentials such as snacks, water bottles, mints, and flasks.
At another Golden Globes party—this one held in the old parking lot of Robinson's May in Los Angeles— Laura Mercier hosted a lip bar adjacent to its photo booth. The activation was suitable for guests looking for pre-snap touch-ups.
The Art of Elysium hosted its eighth annual Heaven Gala, presented by Samsung, at Hangar 8 in Los Angeles on Saturday. Marina Abramović was the creative force behind this year's event. Upon arrival, attendees picked up Samsung Level headphones to wear during Abromovic’s “Silence is Golden” performance art installation, where guests remained silent for the first hour of the evening. To communicate, they used only body language or wrote notes using the S Pen of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 devices stationed around the room.
Adding humor to the step-and-repeat at the A.S.P.C.A. Humane Awards luncheon in November was a freestanding, hand-drawn fire hydrant with the animal welfare organization's logo on it. The event, held at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York, honors animals as well as people who advocate for them.
Univision, a Spanish-language broadcast network, hosted its third “Leading the Change” event in Las Vegas in November. A welcome reception took place at Foxtail Nightclub at the new SLS Las Vegas hotel. Univision's logo appeared in lights at the entrance.
Stages from concerts can provide inspiration for events of any type. One example: V Squared Labs' impressive “Volcano” sculpture was designed for electronic music dance group Krewella’s current tour. It consists of crystal-like structures made out of one- and two-way mirrored acrylic plastic with reflective backing that creates a mapping effect.
Jeffry Roick of McNabb Roick Events in Toronto recommended this rental: “The Conveyer Belt by Signature Rentals is our personal favorite rental because it is a unique alternative to welcome cocktail, desserts, and food stations.” The Conveyer Belt, $1,500, is available in Canada from Signature Event Rental Shoppe.
At the Robin Hood Investors Conference, held at the Grand Hyatt New York in October, 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.
The Pacific-12 Football Championship Game took place at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on December 5. At a pregame tailgate party, guests could write messages in support of their favorite teams on a chalkboard wall. The wall also featured the Pacific-12 Conference's official hashtag, which attendees were encouraged to use in social media posts.
For the Toronto launch party for Cadillac's 2014 ELC electric car, guests could sip a futuristic drink: a cocktail with the car's logo stenciled atop in silver edible dust.
Facebook and BuzzFeed hosted the Bow Ties & Burgers event during the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner in Washington in May. Photo booth props included oversize bow ties in Faceook's signature blue hue with the logo as the knot. Pen & Public produced the event.
