Mind Body & Soul

Above the Solutions Showcase, colorful, chandelier-like signage indicated the five topical areas of the floor.

Disney Interactive's exhibit included a water bar, an homage to its mobile app called "Where's My Water?"

Junk Food's booth resembled a vintage candy shop.

Paul Frank rolled its tricked-out Winnebago up a ramp to the second floor at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center for its exhibit.

At 9,500 square feet, Epic had one of the largest exhibits on the show floor. The company created several small family-room style seating areas that included artwork from its Wisconsin headquarters and video of fire playing in a faux fireplace.

T2theS created the stage to resemble a turn-of-the-century boxing ring, using a plywood floor, wood pillars, and thick, natural-fiber rope.

At this year’s Rolling Stone Live Super Bowl party, producer Toast created a "trashed hotel room" where guests could take photos and pretend to live the rock star life. The event took place at the Bud Light Hotel, a Wyndham property in New Orleans rebranded for the weekend.

At last year’s Sundance Film Festival, Abel McCallister Designs created a movie-themed space for Chase Sapphire. Interactive photo booth installations allowed visitors to enter the worlds of well-known films that originally premiered at the festival, including Dogtown and Z-Boys. The photo station had guests stand on a skateboard set next to a sideways backdrop of Santa Monica beach; the printed photographs were then turned horizontally to make it look like guests were captured mid-trick on a skateboard ramp.

For this year's iteration of the Chase Sapphire activation at Sundance, Abel McCallister Designs created several new photo booth installations based on movies, including Hairspray, Hoosiers, and Little Shop of Horrors (pictured).

At the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s gala in Miami, guests could pose for photos behind an oversize golden picture frame. Shiraz Events provided decor for the event, which drew 600 guests to the JW Marriott Marquis Miami and Hotel Beaux Arts in December.

At the Lipton Uplift Lounge at the Sundance Film Festival in January, guests including Lil Jon could pose for photos while sitting in a real ski-lift chair set against a snowy, branded backdrop.

Groupon hosted its Camp Groupon event last July at the Swissôtel Chicago. Kehoe Designs spruced up the hotel with thematic decor for the weekend, including a photo station area with a woodsy backdrop that included life preservers, boat paddles, and bundled logs.

To celebrate the release of Girls season one on Blu-ray—and to hype the second season—HBO hosted a cocktail party at Toronto's House of Moments in December. Guests were encouraged to snap Instagram photos in front of a backdrop based on Central Park in New York City, where Girls is set. The Big Apple-inspired area had lampposts, trees, shrubs, and backdrops decked with New York City architecture.

David Copperfield helped produce the L.A.'s Promise "A Night of Magic" gala in October. The producers at Chad Hudson Events worked with Copperfield's team to set up a photo booth that made it look as though guests were floating in midair in front of the famous magician. In reality, the station had a potted plant placed sideways against a wall, while attendees stood on a metal stand that was hidden from the camera by clothing and feet.

To introduce its new line of men's grooming products and promote its partnership with Space Expedition Corporation to send 22 fans on a flight beyond Earth's atmosphere, Axe built its own space academy in January. The brand turned the Cullman Hall of the Universe at the American Museum of Natural History into its secret space headquarters for the launch event, placing a moon-landing-inspired photo op area up front.

Last fall’s New Yorkers for Children gala had a "light the way" theme, inspired by the nonprofit's mission to improve the lives of young people. David Stark handled the decor, embellishing a photo backdrop of a forest scene with white birch trees, lush greenery, and a path lit by lanterns.

In November, NBC once again hosted Democracy Plaza at Rockefeller Center in New York, a free interactive, election-focused exhibit and promotion for the public that also served as its election-night coverage hub. Inside the Rockefeller Plaza concourse, people lined up to have their photos taken in side-by-side replicas of the White House press room and the Oval Office.

For Dos Equis's "Most Interesting Masquerade," held in Chelsea's historic Masonic Hall in New York and produced by Mirrorball, body painter Craig Tracy drew half a lion's face on the sides of two models. When the models sat back-to-back inside a gold picture frame, the full face of the lion was visible and formed the backdrop of a photo op.

For last year’s American Heart Association gala in Seattle, event designer Matthew Parker created a photo backdrop for the Kentucky Derby-themed event that included a life-size papier-mâché horse made from more than 5,000 individually placed construction-paper strips.

To promote its new line of Outdoor Life apparel, Sears built a campsite-themed area in New York’s Times Square last October. Guests could pose in a photo op area that was set up to look like a real campsite, with a tent, faux grass, a fire pit, and outdoorsy props.

Transitions Optical, working with chef Robert Irvine, had a two-story activation at the recent South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s Grand Tasting Village. Inside the structure, guests posed at a Mad Hatter's tea-party-themed dining set with props, including cutouts of Irvine’s face.

For a recent wedding in New York, Oh Snap Smile constructed a unique photo booth environment: Guests were shot from above while lounging in a bed strewn with custom pillows to use as props.

For e-commerce company Vente-Privee USA's one-year anniversary party held last November in New York, StudioBooth set up a custom photo set with fall leaves and vintage props, designed to mimic the company’s fall campaign. The images were turned into animated GIFs that were emailed to guests.

In a new take on the traditional photo backdrop, guests bounced on a trampoline before having their photo taken. Side rails around the custom station kept guests safe.

Blue velvet Louis XVI ottomans offered a pop of color and a luxurious seating option among the eclectic furnishings. "I wanted this one to feel a little haphazard," said Todd Events owner and chief creative officer Todd Fiscus, who designed the event. He said he chose elements that were "whimsical and fun."

The reception-style event did not have sit-down tables, so Todd Events provided some casual low furniture for guests who wanted a seat. Oversize black heat lamps were both decorative and practical.

One of the games asked guests to estimate the number of peanuts in an eight-foot-tall tube (answer: about 73,000). Two fabricated elephants flanked the tube.

Guests had to win their dessert—a Sprinkles cupcake—by shooting a toy dart gun into the cupcake cutouts.

At a flavored popcorn station, custom-built stands had a false fill at the top so they never appeared empty. Serving staff refilled the popcorn at the base as needed.

Bottles from sponsor Belvedere were used in the ring toss. Winners received a band from Michele Watches.

Florals at the event included a ball of carnations that evoked the classic image of a circus elephant standing on a ball.

Several featured cocktails were served atop white glass columns that were lit underneath with LED lights. The ingredients were printed on the front of the columns, and the napkins had the exact recipe.

A fortune teller offered sartorial advice such as how guests could upgrade their outfits at sponsor Neiman Marcus.

Instead of typical carousel horses, the First Look Party had mannequins who wore several watches on their arms—as well as latex horse heads.

A colorful canopy covered the outdoor food stations.