Brent Bolthouse's massive Neon Carnival went into its sixth year with a new lineup of sponsors. It was the major event on the Saturday-night calendar off the festival grounds and the biggest unofficial party.
Also among the weekend's big-scale parties was the Bootsy Bellows estate, where the logo and slogan of sponsor McDonald's backed a ball pit. The Narrative Group handled media, producing the party with support from ESE Lifestyle.
Backing away from its huge estate party, H&M hosted an exclusive sunset cocktail reception at the Parker. There, summery hors d'oeuvres included skewers of mint, feta, and watermelon.
An dramatic art installation was made from multicolor neon ribbons at PopSugar and ShopStyle's Cabana Club hotel takeover. The piece was a collaboration with the Las Vegas festival Life Is Beautiful.
Alessandra Ambrosio launched her BaubleBar jewelry collection at the Avalon hotel. At the event, guests picked up Voco drinks at a bar decorated with open coconuts and vibrant flowers.
The hosts' names decorated the hotel's existing privacy hedging, which was visible from the street entrance.
M.A.C. and Mia Moretii hosted their festival collection with a pool party at the Ingleside Inn. Stoelt Productions produced the event, which was hosted by the BMF Music Lounge. A trio of colorful umbrellas made for a colorful photo backdrop.
At the Retreat at Sparrows Lodge, guests dined on healthy fare from New York's Fat Radish at a long, bohemian-style table. Steph Sciré and Isaac Ferry, who were behind the event, said they were motivated to create a place where they and their friends would want to be. Jeff Consoletti of JJ-LA produced, along with tour and event producer Tanya Slater. Taylor & Taylor managed the production design, which included antique Persian rugs, Native American artifacts, succulents, whimsical floral arrangements, oversize and kilim pillows, leather, and a silk patchwork canopy.
My Jewel Bar set up a table at the Retreat where guests could customize baubles from festival-appropriate charms and details.
Dior provided nail art at the Retreat, including festival looks with palm trees, Ferris wheels, flowers, and animal prints. The offerings also included a full hair and makeup boudoir, a spa with whole-body massages, oxygen facials, reflexology, and a vinyl listening lounge.
Guests came to the NVE-produced Nylon event on Sunday for a yoga session in the sun. It was part of an experience meant to revive guests with wellness activities and offerings after the hectic weekend.
At the Sunday afternoon event, guests sat poolside for vitamin and hydration IV treatments—using real needles.
Rachel Zoe hosted an intimate brunch with DVF and Moët & Chandon Ice Imperial at the dFm House in Palm Springs. Fare Trade and Workshop Kitchen & Bar provided food.
A giant logoed teddy bear decorated the Moschino party hosted by Jeremy Scott.
A logo floated in the pool and covered oversize props at the Moschino party. DeLeón Tequila sponsored.
Pandora brought Questlove for its Cathedral City party, which announced brand names on a round central bar. The event also included a hair-braiding station, giant chessboards, ping-pong, and beanbag toss games.
Stoelt Productions produced the event, which offered a teeter-totter and snow cones.
Ocean Pacific set up a surf shop at the Ingleside Inn as part of the Music Lounge.
Culture Collide, a new editorial platform from the co-founder of Filter magazine, presented the annual Coachella kickoff party known as Not a Pool Party, ahead of the festival on April 9 at the Hard Rock.
Kari Feinstein was also among the hosts kicking things off early—and in Los Angeles. The Kari Feinstein Style Lounge gifting suite took over the Sunset Marquis hotel, where an arrivals backdrop had a festival-appropriate, tassel-like look.
Fader Fort hosted local Austin artists to create unique custom designs for guests wearing Converse shows during the music portion of the festival. The Fort also handed out 100 pairs of sneakers to random attendees.
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.
Logos from the new slate of sponsors appeared on everything from rides to games: The crowd experienced old-school carnival bumper cars from Olay Fresh Effects, as well as rode the Zipper and Rampage from Guess and the Nylon and Olay Fresh Effects Ferris wheel—the party's signature feature.
One station offered logo- and brand-centric temporary tattoos, as well as ones that bore one of the party's two official hashtags, #LiveBeautifully and #DesertPoolParty.
Guests could shop for festival fashions at a custom-built pop-up shop.
The brand promoted its new campaign platform Life Is a Beautiful Sport with various on-site activations and amenities, including a D.I.Y. shoe-decorating station hosted by blog P.S. I Made This.
Teepee tents have become a key motif at Coachella events, and Forever 21's bash used them to anchor seating groups. Furniture and decor, spray painted with bright accents and marked with hashtags and logos, were made from raw wooden pallets.
A wall of sunglasses, available as gifts to celebrities and infuencers or at a discount to other guests, also got a color-blocked treatment to match the look of the product.
Guess merchandise filled a space outfitted with retro speakers and calfskin rugs.
In a nod to one of the festival's common sights, Kari Feinstein's team—with the help of artist Shannon Crawford—built its own teepee using reclaimed wood and a freestanding base. "Most of the talent that comes though is drawn to the tent because it makes for a cool pic and selfies, almost more than than the typical photo booth," Feinstein said. "We had several celebs sit in there with their friends for 10 to 15 minutes looking to capture the perfect selfie."
The new Symmetry Series phone case from OtterBox was available at the lounge and guests could share their snaps (with their phones clearly pictured in the mirror) using the appropriate hashtags at a dedicated "selfie station."
Guests who visited the retailer’s tent had the opportunity to customize a Macy’s- and iHeartRadio-branded T-shirt, as well as the chance to win a prize by wearing the shirts throughout the day’s festivities.
Guests who received branded airbrush tattoos at the Jim Beam station served as walking advertisements for the brand as they roamed the iHeartRadio Village.
Revel Decor created the brand's lounge, which included a sleek white tent strung up with lights. A giant "K," which had the same font as the Ketel One logo, crowned the central bar. At the bar, specialty cocktails had names such as the "Chicago Cooler" and the "Pitchfork Picnic."
Beats Music had a lounge with plush couches in the V.I.P. area. Guests could rest and charge up devices including iPads and iPhones.
Jim Beam's tent had a step-and-repeat in front of it. Guests were encouraged to snap photos and post them to social media with the hashtag #makehistory; the photos were then projected onto a social media wall in the tent. The step-and-repeat element (and social media tie-in) was also seen at other booths, including one from Hostess.
Topman offered live screen-printing. Guests could choose from different prints and have T-shirts, bags, or bandanas screen-printed while they waited. The activation drew one of the festival's longest lines.
For right-on-trend festival looks, a flower crown station allowed guests to pick up garlands to wear on the spot—in exchange for a posting on social media.
For those who wanted a permanent souvenir of SXSW, the Asos Music Lounge included an on-site tattoo artist for V.I.P. guests. The three-day music venue and restaurant was presented by the British fashion online retailer at the Cedar Door Bar & Grill.
