Food

The largest annual electronic dance music gathering in the world, Winter Music Conference celebrated 30 years in Miami from March 24 to 28. At the Red Bull Guest House, which took over the Sagamore Hotel, the Breakfast Sessions buffet served munchies including Pop-Tarts with dipping sauces, mac 'n' cheese, chicken-and-waffle sandwiches, and Twinkies. The buffet was offered as a late-night snack.

Taking over the Gatsby in Austin, Pandora created a meeting-friendly connected home during SXSW Interactive. Produced by Stoelt Productions, the activation included five rooms featuring different devices, including iPad Air, Google Chromecast, and TiVo.

BuzzFeed's BFF Cluhouse at SXSW in Austin featured an emoji fortune-teller for the day. By looking at guests’ most recently used emoji on their smartphones, the fortune-teller picked the person’s fortune, including an emoticon to use more.

The annual financial conference hosted by Orange County-based investment banking company Roth Capital Partners was held at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel in March. Two parties took place during the conference, and a beer bar and vintage arcade games provided a casual look and feel to the second event.

The annual AIPAC Policy Conference set an attendance record this year, with about 16,000 people coming to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center March 1 to 3. To mimic the look of live olive trees in one lounge, Hargrove created café tables with stainless steel trees sprouting from them. The trees were topped with translucent lampshades printed with an olive tree pattern. Contemporary furnishings and bright accents rounded out the look.

Be Inspired PR hosts and produces the Tassels and Tastemakers event twice each year for event and wedding industry professionals, plus media, bloggers, and other influencers. The most recent iteration on March 25 brought a Western theme to Carondelet House in Los Angeles. Place settings on a rustic tabletop included napkin rings made from vintage leather belts atop slices of tree branch. Mindy Weiss designed the table with milk glass from Borrowed Blu.

A floral sign on the Tassels and Tastemakers wall, created by Beth Helmstetter, spelled out “Yee Haw” with flowers from Art With Nature.

Gin brand Tanqueray took over Chicago event space Ovation for the Tanqueray Trunk Show on March 28. The activation offered a custom "Tanqueray and Tonic" bar, where bartenders served specialty drinks using the gin.

At the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, executive chef Laurent Branlard creates Easter-theme chocolate sculptures that weigh between 44 and 100 pounds. One such sculpture resembles the classic toy Mr. Potato Head, made out of dark chocolate, cocoa butter, cocoa food coloring, and fondant.

A whimsical dessert from Truffleberry Market in Chicago is a flight of miniature pancakes, served with sweet toppings such as chocolate hazelnut, Meyer lemon curd with berries, and maple bacon.

The 28th Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Ball took place on April 28 at Walter E. Stephens Convention Center. Hargrove set up the ballroom in a theater-in-the-round configuration with the main stage in the center of the space surrounded by dinner tables.

The Paddy Wagon is a new Boston-area company that provides inflatable Irish pubs. The 30- by 30-foot blow-up bar has a façade resembling a traditional Irish pub with brick walls and a thatched roof; inside there are windows, tables, doors, and a full bar. The company can also provide Irish food, step dancers, and bartenders. 

Los Angeles County Museum of Art will present the United States premiere of the Frank Gehry retrospective from September 13, 2015, to March 20, 2016. Organized by the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris, the show includes more than 60 of his projects, shown through more than 200 drawings, many of which will be on view for the first time, as well as 66 models that show the evolution of the Los Angeles-based architect’s process. The museum offers discounted general admission for groups of 10 or more, along with docent-led tours for large groups.

Now available in Toronto through the Idea Hunter, Original Beverage Toppers are edible disks that can be branded with corporate logos, colors, and taglines. The discs float on top of hot, cold, iced, or frozen drinks and are easy to apply.

DCanter Capitol Hill, a Washington wine boutique, launched a new e-commerce site that offers same-day delivery in the city for corporate office parties, impromptu happy hours, and other events. It also can host private classes in its tasting room or off site.

Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art debuted its new “Picasso—Creatures and Creativity” exhibit on July 3. The new Las Vegas show includes approximately 45 works from the artist. Organized in partnership with the Claude Picasso Archives, the show focuses on the human figure through lithographs, linocuts, paintings, and a selection of rare plates. The exhibition will run through January, and docent-led tours are available.

Orlando Culinary Tour is a new option for teambuilding and corporate outings. Led by Jamie McFadden, chef and owner of Cuisiniers Catered Cuisine & Events, the tour is intended to educate participants on the emerging food scene of Central Florida and teach wine pairing, gardening, cooking, and entertaining. Guests travel via motor coach to Quantum Leap Winery, East End Market, Txokos Basque Kitchen, and McFadden’s teaching lab. Each stop includes tasting opportunities and hands-on experiences. Tours can be customized based on group interests, and a guide travels with guests from start to finish.

New to Chicago, Bowery and Bash provides luxury rentals for events. Owner Katie Ernst, who also runs home interiors company Revision Home, rents out stylish, vintage-inspired pieces such as silver mirrored bars, cowhide rugs, Asian coffee tables, and club chairs from the original Playboy Club.  

EatWith, a San Francisco-based global platform that provides alternative dining experiences with local residents and chefs, has a private-dining venue in the city. Called Test Kitchen, the space seats as many as 24 guests or holds 40 for receptions; the site can also host cooking classes. 

For people who find their meeting spaces too cold, Kimpton’s South Florida hotels will lend out pashminas. The pashminas, offered in two colors, come with a style guide that shows how both men and women can wear them. The thoughtful amenity is available at Epic Miami; Surfcomber Miami, South Beach; Vero Beach Hotel & Spa; and Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa, Palm Beach.

Located in New York, artisanal dessert catering boutique Bake-tique 212 has been a favorite of event professionals since 2013, but the shop is now expanding to serve a wider clientele like at-home hosts. The bakery specializes in events such as charity affairs and birthday parties, with a menu of unique treats like ghuvikelz (a filled pastry), one-bite smidgens with marshmallow and chocolate, and mini pies that are the size and shape of a cookie.