An eight-foot-tall manzanita tree with hanging orbs filled with candles, flowers, and succulents greeted guests at the Grammy Foundation’s V.I.P. reception, which was held at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre on February 5. Elite Productions International designed the floral decor.
The Bata Shoe Museum celebrated its 20th anniversary with a gala celebration on May 7 for 300 guests. To direct guests to different areas, a maze motif wove through the event, and appeared in its decor and on the floor of the museum.
To create a feeling of intimacy in the expansive Engelhard Court during the May 4 gala, benefit producer Raul Avila and his team lowered the ceiling to 14 feet by hanging nearly 200,000 stems of wisteria overhead.
To help celebrate the upcoming launch of the Splatoon video game for the Wii U console, Nintendo hosted Splatoon Mess Fest on May 15 at the Santa Monica Pier in California. For the promotion, the gaming company created a life-size version of its new video game with 365 gallons of ink at the Santa Monica Pier.
In keeping with the event's lush, outdoor feel, shoots of bamboo lined a step-and-repeat with the museum logo.
This year’s Opera Ball, a benefit for the Washington National Opera, took place at the Residence of the German Ambassador in June. For the first time, planners incorporated video content into the decor. There were two 18-foot towers with an illuminated event logo and screens that rotated images of past Washington National Opera performances in German as well as images of German architecture and art to honor the culture of the host venue. The event's logo for this year also was incorporated into the towers.
The Women’s Committee for the Corcoran Gallery of Art hosted its 60th annual Corcoran Ball on April 17 at George Washington University Museum and the Textile Museum in Washington. Design Foundry suspended strings of pink butterflies above the dance floor as part of the metamorphosis theme.
The space known as Pier 36 Basketball City along the East River in Manhattan recently scored a few new baskets—of the picnic variety—for the Friends of the High Line's spring benefit, held May 20. A large grassy tableau, featuring actors reading, picnicking, and sunning themselves, separated the cocktail section from the dining area.
Heal the Bay's annual fund-raising gala took place on June 4 at the Jonathan Club on the beach in Los Angeles. In keeping with the nautical theme, about 1,000 guests dined at tables with ocean-inspired design.
Chicago's Shedd Aquarium hosted its annual gala on June 20. The event's theme, "Metamorphosis," was inspired by the current exhibition of amphibian species. Event Creative handled decor and built a custom bar that celebrated the theme with glowing cutouts of salamanders.
In June, Svedka hosted a fruit-filled bash in Los Angeles to launch its new mango-pineapple and strawberry-lemonade flavors. Colorful fruit arrangements adorned carts that served as drink stations.
The conservation organization hosted its annual New York dinner at the museum in June. Designed by Rebecca Gardner of Houses and Parties and produced by Barkley Kalpak, the event had a "bohemian lounge" look replete with jute rope, reclaimed wood, and potted banana trees and palms. The bar matched the laid-back vibe.
Bud Light brought its traveling House of Whatever activation to festival grounds. Produced by Mosaic, the activation had a prominently displayed hashtag—which served as a popular photo backdrop—at its entrance.
The movie's title marked the front of a DJ booth. Sponsorship came from Beats, the company founded by Dr. Dre, who was an original member of N.W.A. and a central character in the movie.
By the end of its opening weekend, it was clear that Jurassic World would become a record smasher for the history books, earning $524 million in the biggest worldwide debut ever. In anticipation of the release, the June 9 premiere in Los Angeles—helmed by Universal's Davids—was itself a large-scale theatrical affair that transported guests convincingly to a dino-filled theme park. A vehicle from sponsor Mercedes-Benz’s stood prominently at the entrance.
For the Jurassic World premiere, Joel Goldman and ELS worked with Davids to produce and design a rare premiere in the round, dressing all three tiers of Hollywood & Highland, including a massive covering of the complex's grand archway.
Jimmy Buffett performed at the premiere party, where star Chris Pratt joined him on stage to sing "Margaritaville."
The premiere party included various actual props from the movie for a Jurassic-era look and feel.
A magnified image of DNA strands decorated the façade of a bar at the premiere party.
The Spinal Cord Injury Ontario celebrated its 70th anniversary on October 15 with a gala at the Grand Luxe Event Boutique. The stage was the focus of the ballroom. "We wanted people to feel like they were at a cottage up in Muskoka in Ontario or in Flin Flan, Manitoba," said event manager Lynn Mineque. "We had a dock as an extension of the stage and had live trees and a man-made pond surrounding it." To the side of the dock was a 16-foot canoe, which was part of the live auction.
The evening also included a group singing of the the national anthem, "O Canada." A Mountie (a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police), saluted the country's flag while guest sang and later mingled with guests.
#7 Benefit (up from #8)
Hosted by the Women’s Board of the Field Museum, this year’s gala had a “Wonders of China” theme inspired by a current exhibition. Blue Plate created a thematic meal, complete with Mongolian beef short ribs. The event drew some 550 guests and raised $2 million, which marks an increase over the $1.7 million raised in 2014. Next: October 2016
#11 Benefit
Some 900 guests attend the black-tie fund-raiser, which returned to Navy Pier’s Grand Ballroom this year. The event had an expansive silent auction, a dinner program with a live auction and a heart-tugging video, and an after-party dubbed “Ignite the Night.” It raked in $2.2 million. Next: April 9, 2016
#18 Benefit (up from #21)
The 34th annual gala, titled “Wild Wild Whirl,” raised more than $1.2 million. During the cocktail hour, guests mingled with live animals, including a pink flamingo called Warren and an armadillo named B.J. Some 625 guests attended. Next: April 30, 2016
#21 Benefit (up from #22)
For the 66th annual ball, 400 guests headed to the Grand Ballroom on Navy Pier. The night raised a record $1.4 million in support of local youth programs. The night featured decor by HMR Designs and live entertainment from the band Final Say. Next: May 20, 2016
#23 Benefit
More than 425 guests attended this year’s function on garden grounds. The elegant evening celebrated the 125th anniversary of the Chicago Horticultural Society, which helps maintain the garden, and it featured blue-and-white decor from Event Creative. The night raised $500,000. Next: June 2016
#5 Theater, Dance & Music Event
At the 49th annual benefit, Israeli violinist Maxim Vengerov played a selection of Tchaikovsky’s works alongside maestro James Conlon and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Afterwards, some 650 guests sat for dinner in a lavishly decorated tent on concert grounds. Hosted by the women's board, the event raised more than $1 million for the "Reach, Teach, Play" education programs. Next: July 23, 2016
#6 Theater, Dance & Music Event
Popular Broadway star Sutton Foster performed at this year’s 1920s-theme event. Dubbed “Puttin’ on the Glitz,” the affair featured Art Deco-style decor from Kehoe Designs. Imaginative touches included models dressed in flapper gear, posing in bathtubs, and sipping champagne at the cocktail reception. The event drew approximately 500 guests to the Fairmont Chicago Hotel and raised $900,000. Next: Spring 2016
With a large Motorola emblem as its backdrop, the lounge's bar had slices of tree trunks covering its base.
On October 23, the Museum of Contemporary Art hosted its first Benefit Art Auction since 2010. After the event, guests headed back to the Chicago museum to check out the auction artwork, which was displayed in the galleries. Glowing red tables held desserts, including mini caramel apples, dark chocolate tartlets with peanut butter mousse, mini Pop-Tarts, and "boozy heart" truffles. Limelight handled catering.
On November 2, the New York Public Library hosted its annual gala in the Stephen A. Schwarzman building. David Monn handled decor and gave the dinner a rustic look with lots of greenery.
