On March 1, Lady Gaga and Vince Vaughn were among the 4,500 shivering individuals who dipped into Lake Michigan for the Special Olympics Chicago's Chicago Polar Plunge. Actor Vince Vaughn served as the "V.I.P.," or "Very Important Plunger," at the event. To promote the actor's appearance, a social media campaign used the hashtag #VinnyDippin.
The California Science Center's Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit—the largest exhibit of the scrolls ever presented outside of Israel—inspired the institution's big fund-raiser on March 7. During the cocktail reception, guests could interact with and snap photos of live goats and a shepherd.
For its recent marketing activation, “In Their Chucks: 360°Experience,” Converse allowed fans of the brand to step into the sneakers (and lives) of some real people with a virtual reality experience. From March 2 to 7 in New York’s Flatiron district pedestrian plaza, Converse set up a gallery, which featured 15 light boxes displaying images of different Chuck Taylor All Star sneakers. Google Cardboard goggles accompanied some of the interactive portraits, allowing visitors to enter the worlds of street artist Ron English, musician King Tuff, and urban explorer Thomas Midlane.
Old Navy invited an all-ages crowd to celebrate spring at Fig & Olive in Los Angeles on March 14. The so-called “On the Road” event had an Americana road trip theme with a colorful map motif. A bluegrass band performed at the Old Navy event on an unfinished wooden stage in front of a colorful backdrop that resembled wide-open road trip scenery.
From our look back at the season's biggest benefits, the benefit for Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation was held in December at the Vineyard of Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, and had a "diamond" theme that was reflected in glittering decor. The glass dinner tent was decked with elaborate crystal chandeliers, and tables incorporated hanging crystals. The team from SO Events spent a week leveling the hillside ground on which the tent was installed.
Based in Toronto, the Walrus Foundation hosted its annual gala on January 21 at the Fermenting Cellar. The event had a gold theme, and guests got miniature treasure boxes filled with chocolate gold coins as favors.
Held on January 24, the museum's gala offered several food stations from Sodexo. At one station, a portable, mess-free version of a salad offered greens in a crispy shell; dressing was drizzled on with a pipette.
Los Angeles Marathon sponsor Asics lit up the race’s stadium-to-sea course with 124 spotlights that soared into the night sky on March 13. To celebrate the partnership, a V.I.P. party at the Devoe House in the Hollywood Hills incorporated Asics footwear into the decor, including illuminated sneakers that dotted the path along the red carpet.
ASD MarketWeek, a biannual event that combined nine consumer goods trade shows inside the Las Vegas Convention Center March 1 to 4, moved its V.I.P. reception to a lounge on the show floor. In one corner of the reception, a camera crew recorded testimonials from attendees about the show.
Here's an idea for a springy check-in desk: At the WWD Beauty C.E.O. Summit in 2012 at the Breakers Palm Beach in Florida, the apothecary-inspired registration desk held different-sized jars filled with colored liquids, cotton balls, and Q-tips. Pink peonies in white vases, bright-colored towels, diffusers, and WWD magazine issues also adorned the desk.
Not to be confused with more pedestrian Jello shots, Blue Plate Catering in Chicago served lots of "gelée shots" this year. The solid beverages come in flavors such as champagne, garnished with citrus cells and gold leaf.
