Goldenvoice hosted the first weekend of its Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Fields in Indio, California, April 10 to 12. 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.
On March 8, Moët & Chandon hosted a champagne bash at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills to celebrate tennis pro Roger Federer's 1,000th win. A photo op let guests pose with a tower of champagne bottles and a tilted frame with the hashtag #MoetMoment.
Looking to give events a fun burst of neon color? Find inspiration here: A 10-foot Lite-Brite-style decor piece spelled out the band Fun's name at an AOL and T-Mobile concert event in 2012 in Los Angeles.
Tiered chandeliers each made from 75 bottles of Veuve Clicquot champagne provided a dramatic piece of decor at the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Los Angeles in October 2014. The chandeliers used four different sizes of bottles in their construction and dangled from wooden arches. BrownHot Events provided the event’s production and design.
At the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, the shoe brand Merrell displayed its Capra hiking boot—named for the Capra mountain goat—in a display that looked like rough mountainsides. The look brought to life a virtual reality experience offered at the activation in which guests undertook a mountain trek that involved crossing a rope bridge and escaping a landslide. MKG along with Hill Holliday produced the activation.
At a preview of Adam Lippes for Target collection in August, David Stark Designs used buffalo plaid blankets, pillows, travel bags, and other items in rooftop picnic at New York’s 620 Loft & Garden. The products were not just for show: Guests used them during the event.
Ronzoni filled clear-topped tables with dried farfalle, elbow macaroni, and other pasta shapes at the 2015 South Beach Wine & Food Festival’s Al Fresco Feast. Tables were topped with dried pasta in clear glass jars as well as seasonings. Pasta also filled square vases used as centerpieces, and boxes of the dried pasta were arranged on white shelves as decor at the event.
MTV's Video Music Awards returned to Los Angeles last Sunday with a show at the Microsoft Theater and a number of surrounding events that included new formats and parties. This year, CoverGirl presented a panel that offered a red carpet beauty trend forecast. An eye-catching press wall spelled out the brand's name in flowers.
For New York Fashion Week: The Shows, Givenchy held a one-off show at Pier 26 in TriBeCa on September 11 as a powerful tribute to New York City. A multisensory experience orchestrated by artist Marina Abramovic greeted guests at sundown. The wooden and scrap metal set was constructed solely of recycled materials with performance artists suspended on platforms against the skyline, as was a monk, whose live chanting set the preshow mood.
This year, the Governors Ball went with a “Reigning With Radiance” theme executed with thousands of crystalline details from Swarovski. Governors Ball Committee co-chairs Barbara Cassel and Geriann McIntosh worked with the ball’s longtime designer and producer, Cheryl Cecchetto of Sequoia Productions, to bring the theme to life.
The Governors Ball included 30 chandeliers in all. The fixtures done in swirling shapes included Swarovski crystals supported with extra beads from Shop Wild Things. The intricate creations dropped a dramatic 27 feet to the tables.
A crowd of about 4,000 guests dined on a meal catered by Patina Catering that included a first course of wildflower honey-poached pear salad, a main course of filet of beef tenderloin, and a single-origin Ghana brownie for dessert.
The grand stage was the backdrop for a variety of performances by artists including Andrea Bocelli and David Foster. Dancing With the Stars' Maksim Chmerkovskiy and So You Think You Can Dance's Jacque LeWarne danced along with the musicians.
Designer 8 supplied furnishings, First Circle Design provided lighting design with equipment from ShowPro, and Goodman handled the sound. Dazian installed sparkle drape in the party space and created a perimeter of silver beaded curtains.
La Premier provided the flowers, which included arrangements of white calla lilies.
Advancing a formal look, staffers for the evening wore floor-length white gowns or tuxedos with white jackets.
HBO’s party took over the outdoor space at the Pacific Design Center, with a fire theme appropriate for the sweltering day in Los Angeles. HBO vice president of special events Cindy Tenner once again worked with designer Billy Butchkavitz, who has been designing events for HBO since 1994. A 27-foot-high flame sculpture on a rotating platform was the party’s centerpiece, and ombré-patterned custom carpet covered 50,000 square feet underfoot. The event's 25-foot-high decorative perimeter walls were covered with flowing draperies embellished with iridescent paillette sequins and punctuated by 25-foot-high red lacquer columns.
Real fire was also a decorative element at the party: 24-foot-long reflecting ponds showcased multiple flaming sculptures. Inside the 120- by 100-foot dining pavilion, guests ate fare provided by Wolfgang Puck, such as burrata and peach salad, New York steak, and doughnut bread pudding.
HBO was a big winner at the Emmys, and awards dotted the elaborately clothed tables—done in full sequins—as did red and orange flowers in sculptural gold vessels.
Fox’s Emmy Post Party took place at Vibiana, following the network’s broadcast of this year’s show. 20th Television’s Jen Weinberg, FX’s Myesha Ward, and Fox's Bob Stillo oversaw the fete, designed once again by Mindy Weiss. Chef Neil Frasier’s Redbird set up a sizzling robata activation station, plus crudo and California-inspired cuisines. Mia Moretti was the DJ for the night.
Weiss's East Coast-meets-West Coast concept included a palette of muted blues, soft grays and greens, and textured pillow and linen patterns.
Oversize logo decor pieces dotted the party space.
Tony Schubert of Event Eleven once again designed and produced the 500-guest Audi party, which this year included custom eight-foot-tall LED towers that lined the outside portion of the party. Schubert said it’s the first time the team has ever tried such a look.
Custom monochromatic white seating arrangements complemented the LED tubes. Roses in modern containers topped tables alongside votive candles—all white.
For the Entertainment Weekly party, Event Eleven this year removed all the furniture and trees from Fig & Olive's main dining room and added custom cushions and furnishings to the space. The producers also added a projection against the wall of the interior and filled the room with hundreds of candles. Gray sofas with brass end tables and touches of navy blue decorated the space.
Presenting sponsor L’Oréal Paris offered its products in a logo-covered bathroom.
Caravents this year produced the Vanity Fair Social Club program, which had a new twist on a photo booth: An activation by sponsor Viktor & Rolf took the form of a floral bed, with a camera positioned above.
Grocerie by Foodink catered a menu for the digital media types who stopped by the weekend programming.
At the Kari Feinstein Style Lounge gifting suite at the Sunset Marquis, tropical foliage decorated a wood pallet wall, which served as an arrivals backdrop.
