Event ideas

Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS held its second annual Picnic by Design fund-raiser on a New York rooftop in 2013. There, the interior and lifestyle design company Steilish created a scene inspired by The Wizard of Oz that included fabric poppies, votive candles covered in ruby-red glitter, gingham napkins, and a picnic basket designed to mimic the look of a hot-air balloon.

At the TEDActive conference in the Southern California desert in 2013, the La Quinta Resort & Club provided a sprawling venue where individual seating groups in intimate settings encouraged interaction. Oversize orange lettering spelled out words to inspire conversation and creative thinking.

For an Arizona Jeans Company event targeting millennials in New York last year, Mexican-style paper lanterns and flowers hung from the ceiling for a vibrant look and feel.