Fresh Ideas

March 13, 2015

This October Veuve Clicquot hosted a social media-centric dinner at Crown on Manhattan's Upper East Side, encouraging guests to share their experiences on social media. The cozy setting allowed the brand's senior winemaker, Cryil Brun, to personally lead guests through the tasting that accompanied each course, which highlighted Veuve Clicquot’s newest releases.

Photo: Elizabeth Shrier

Tailoring each of its designer collection launches to the style and roots of the collaborator, H&M feted its Marni collaboration in February with a dinner party in a Los Feliz, California, home that had event producer Alex de Betak of Bureau Betak creating "a chic yet relaxed European mood."

Photo: Courtesy of H&M

To celebrate the spring 2013 Gant Rugger collection, Gant creative director Christopher Bastin and Team Americano (American editors and photographers that embrace the Italian sartorial aesthetic) hosted an intimate presentation and candlelit Italian dinner in October on the rooftop garden of Skylight at the McKittrick Hotel.

Photo: Courtesy of Gant

The Patrón Social Club, an extension of Patrón’s "Simply Perfect" worldwide marketing campaign, put on a series of covert dining experiences, maxing out at 50 attendees, known as the Patrón Secret Dining Society. The meals were designed with the aim to build a community among Patrón enthusiasts.

Photo: Brian Hartman & Photo Elan/Hartman Studio

Ahead of a larger-scale bash attended by more than 400 guests in Manhattan, Target celebrated the launch of its Falling for You shoppable film series with an intimate dinner at the SLS Beverly Hills that included a Q&A with its stars Kristen Bell, Nia Long, and Zachary Abel.

Photo: Claire Barrett

Catering at TEDActive included deconstructed takes on bloody Marys served in shot glasses.

Photo: Marla Aufmuth/TED

Chicago Botanic Garden's "All Aboard" Event

On December 4, the Chicago Botanic Garden hosted its "All Aboard" fund-raiser. After viewing the garden's elaborate, indoor miniature train set, guests had dinner in one of three dining rooms decorated by Event Creative. One room, with a "Frozen Radiance" theme, used glossy all-white furniture and frosty blue lighting to create an icy look.

Photo: Courtesy of Chicago Botanic Garden

Gala in the Garden Fund-Raiser

Though it was held in early February, the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden's annual fund-raiser in Miami had a springtime feel. The dinner tent was bathed in bright pink light, and from the ceiling hung crystal chandeliers embellished with prop butterflies. Le Basque Productions handled catering and production.

Photo: Courtesy of Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden

Ballet Ball

Nashville's Ballet Ball drew 400 guests to the Schermerhorn Symphony Center on March 7. The directive for the creative team from Syzygy Events was to create a clean, sleek, unfussy atmosphere. At the entrance to the event, ballerinas posed on platforms and transitioned slowly between poses. The ballerinas were meant to evoke elegant garden statues.

Photo: Foxy Foto

Canada’s National Ballet School’s "An Affair to Remember" Gala

Held on March 6 at the Carlu in Toronto, the ballet school's gala had a theme inspired by the classic film set in New York An Affair to Remember. This year, planners added casino gaming as a new form of after-dinner entertainment. The activity also helped raise funds: guests were given complimentary "play money" to begin with, but had the option to purchase more, and proceeds benefited the school.

Photo: Garrison McArthur Photography

At the the Animal Rescue League of Boston's "Moonlight Ball" fund-raiser in 2010, organizers brought guests close enough to cuddle the cause they were there to support. Staff from the Animal Rescue League mingled amid the crowd with pets.

Photo: Matt West

NeueHouse's Gallery Steps served as a natural gathering point at both events. Decor for the area, which faced the stage, included pillows marked with the names of sponsors and an illuminated, clock-like logo for the Fall Ball.

Photo: Luis Ruiz for NeueHouse

Smartwater's space aimed to reflect the brand's natural water purification process, which is mirrored after rain clouds. The fluffy fixtures lit up like a storm above the simple table setting.

Photo: Cornelia Stiles/BizBash

Photo: Cindy Boyce

Wine Sensory Activity

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.

Photo: Mike Larson

Proceeds from September's Adler Planetarium Celestial Ball gala in Chicago went to benefit educational programs. Proud teen participants of those programs circulated to tables as so-called "science sommeliers." Guests could pick from a list of experiments and activities printed on the backs of their menus, and the budding scientists would perform their choice tableside. For example, "Touch Another World" allowed guests to hold pieces of meteorite in their hands, and “The Starry Messenger” allowed guests to look through refracted lenses.

Photo: Eric Rademacher

Washington's U.S.O. Gala offered viewfinders throughout the reception space. Inside, slides held information about the U.S.O. and its mission. To help guests feel connected to the troops, images included snapshots of soldiers with their families and serving on the front lines, alongside captions that read: “The U.S.O. is always by their side.”

Photo: Doug Van Sant Photography

In 2012, New York's massive Robin Hood Foundation Gala got a subway theme, where nontraditional centerpieces atop tables were printed with information on the areas the charity serves. The table toppers also served as placeholders for the IML interactive devices through which guests could donate on the spot.

Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash

The National September 11 Memorial & Museum Gala put the event's purpose right on the tabletops, too: The 2013 gala included centerpieces that fit together as notched cards, bearing images of memorial visitors, construction workers, and first responders to Ground Zero.

Photo: Jamie Watts Photography

In February, the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay hosted its “Big Night” benefit, which included the big and little siblings alike. Big and little brothers were on hand to pass out photo booth props like glasses and mustaches to guests.

Photo: David Fox

In November last year, the 10th anniversary of Keep a Child Alive's Black Ball included locked jewelry boxes on tables. At a designated point, waiters placed a key with each donor's name on it onto the table. The keys unlocked the silver boxes, which contained personal thank-you notes from Alicia Keys and unique gifts like origami paper elephants.

Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris

One gala opted to spell out its mission clearly for guests present to support it: The Trust for the National Mall's benefit luncheon used decor in the form of cut-out letters that specified the names of the mall's monuments and major events there.

Photo: Tony Powell

The Los Angeles Children's Chorus' "Gala Bel Canto" fund-raiser in Los Angeles brought the young singers right to guests' tables to deliver personal messages in the form of videos available for viewing on iPads. (In the past, chorus members hand wrote thank-you notes for the guests.)

Photo: Lee Salem Photography

The New World Symphony Gala in Miami provided guests with a memorable takeaway that underscored the event's purpose. Valet staffers placed individual thank-you notes written by the symphony's musician fellows in guests' cars.

Photo: World Red Eye