The New Media Party in Washington, returning for its second year, featured several inventive uses of technology at events. Produced by Event Farm, the party incorporated sponsors such as Vntana, which created holograms of guests that were then projected onto the walls of venue Carnegie Library. Other sponsors included Lyft, Microsoft, AOL, and Yelp, which created a listing for the event and allowed guests to post reviews and photos.
The Women’s Committee for the Corcoran Gallery of Art hosted its 60th annual Corcoran Ball on April 17 in Washington. Design Foundry suspended different sizes and styles of orange lanterns from the ceiling of the reception tent.
The Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario hosted its 14th annual fund-raising gala on April 25 at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex. Instead of traditional floral centerpieces, designer Bill Fulghum decked tables at the circus-theme event with giant pieces of cotton candy.
In late April, the Brookfield Zoo outside of Chicago hosted its annual fund-raising gala. The event featured animal-theme decor from the Flower Firm, including a bar with leopard spots and eyes.
More than 5,000 people from 42 countries convened in Montreal May 26 to 28 for C2 Montréal, the buzzy conference conceived by creative agency Sid Lee. The “Cloud of Fog” was a 40-foot tent-like structure filled with fog. Groups of seven attendees stood inside and participated in a moderator-led discussion in which initially they could not see one another.
C:Lab, the creative laboratory of Cirque du Soleil, used real tree branches to create the Nest, a hollow structure measuring 30 feet across and sitting 10 feet in the air. Participants were invited to climb a ladder into the nest where a moderator led them in a discussion. To leave the space, attendees slid down a slide.
The fund-raiser was held on June 2 at New York's Museum of Modern Art. With decor and flowers from Concept Event Group, the dinner space used elements designed to evoke the outdoors. There were banana-leaf-print cloths, fruitwood folding chairs, and mixed-fern centerpieces.
In keeping with the event's lush, outdoor feel, shoots of bamboo lined a step-and-repeat with the museum logo.
The Baeumler Family Foundation held its third annual “celebrity karaoke” gala at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Toronto on May 21. At the event, those in attendance could donate money via a custom app to see their favorite celebrity get up and sing karaoke. The event raised nearly $325,000, with $31,740 directly from karaoke donations.
The invitational took place May 27 to 31 at Trump National Doral in Miami. The welcome dinner was held poolside and featured appetizers on a swing-set-like structure decked with patches of grass. The snacks represented the host cities of different Trump properties. New York, for example, came to life with a variety of miniature cheesecakes.
The closing-night party had a "Rock and Roll Circus" theme. Centerpieces combined musical instruments with arrangements of red roses.
The National Restaurant Association, Hotel-Motel show was held at McCormick Place from May 16 to 19. Its co-located, spirits-industry trade show was given the acronym B.A.R. The event included a "Star of the Bar" mixology competition, and semifinalist Stephen Tuttle of San Diego's Kettner Exchange created a drink called "Casa de Tiki," which contained ingredients such as tequila infused with serrano peppers, pineapple, lime juice, and black walnut.
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