Performers in checkerboard bodysuits mixed among the guests in one of the reception bars.
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
Two models dressed as living chandeliers greeted guests at the entrance to the hotel.
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
The reception included a sushi bar served from atop a large ice sculpture.
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
On one side of the white carpet near the entrance, five models were meant to represent stanchions.
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
Masked servers offered passed hors d'oeuvres, such as oysters on the half shell.
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
The Collection sponsored the gala and brought in four vehicles for display.
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
During the reception and the after-party, the DJs worked from a platform inside a two-story tower.
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
Most of the tables in the ballroom had solid black or white linens, except the 25 V.I.P. tables which had circular-patterned toppers.
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
Deco Productions created two 16- by 42-foot prints to display on either side of the stage, one showing a reclining model, the other showing a large eyeball. Each one was divided into six individually framed panels and suspended from the ceiling.
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
Deco Productions created a white acrylic panel that hung behind the stage. To one side of the stage, the Collection displayed a 2012 McLaren that it donated for the live auction.
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
Bayfront Floral Decorators filled glass bowls with white roses and added white calla lilies for height.
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
The first course consisted of a toasted brioche topped with smoked sturgeon mousse, caviar, deviled egg, and grapefruit segments.
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
Deco used bold black and white graphics and artwork to turn the walkway from the reception into the ballroom into a mod art gallery. printed on an adhesive transparent
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
Guests could purchase masks at the gala, with 20 percent of the proceeds going back to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Photo: Matt Horton/Artist Group Photography for BizBash
Simple black vases filled with calla lilies and white bars bearing the Diesel logo added to the event's theme.
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash
Bartenders offered martinis—made with Skyy Vodka—and wine to guests.
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash
Spinradius Inc. filled the outdoor lounge area with black furniture from Furnishings by Corey.
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash
Tall vases filled with green orchids from Events in Bloom topped tables on the patio.
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash
Nespresso offered coffee drinks to guests at an espresso bar on the patio.
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash
Signature Skyy Vodka cocktails had names like Ruby Red and Lime and Shine.
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash
Passed hors d'oeuvres from Atelier Thuet Catering included Mennonite chicken canapés stuffed with leek and cranberry.
Photo: Gary Beechey for BizBash
Minimal branding by Just One Eye, the event's host, came in the form of gobos projected against the façade of the retailer's historic setting—once home to Howard Hughes' film empire.
Photo: Donato Sardella/Getty Images for Just One Eye
The Hollywood venue's massive 10,000-square-foot roof provided varying height levels that allowed production company Bureau Betak to stage ample spotlights, bathing the space in purple light without interfering with the cocktail and staging areas.
Photo: Donato Sardella/Getty Images for Just One Eye
The dark, stark ambience of the event allowed the celebratory object—a $12,500 Ulysses Tier 1 disaster relief kit—to glow bright atop the vast roof of the Just One Eye store on Romaine Street in Los Angeles (the Art Deco building formerly owned and inhabited by Howard Hughes).
Photo: Donato Sardella/Getty Images for Just One Eye
Eric Buterbaugh Flower Design created four main arrangements—two towering on each bar—that featured birds of paradise vacuum-packed and displayed in plexiglass light boxes. Vanda orchids, calla lilies, and anthurium were also displayed on tables to complement the event's stark, cement-abundant appearance and also vacuum-packed for an added survivalist effect.
Photo: Donato Sardella/Getty Images for Just One Eye
At around 8 p.m., 35 musicians emerged, taking their spots in a makeshift "orchestra pit." Their commencement marked the start of the evening's daredevil festivities. "The idea was to create a modern 'romantic and rough' performance to reveal the survival kit," said Bureau Betak's Alex de Betak.
Photo: Donato Sardella/Getty Images for Just One Eye
As guests watched, three helicopters buzzed in circles above the orchestra. "Some romantic songs were played to counterbalance the dance/stuntmen/helicopter performance," said de Betak.
Photo: Donato Sardella/Getty Images for Just One Eye
With bright spotlights focused on them, a group of 16 stuntmen scaled the walls, adding further drama.
Photo: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for Just One Eye
For the finale, 25 dancers clad in black eye masks and skullcaps broke from their formation and swarmed the guests, all the while drawing them toward the survival kit on display. The performance closed with a single spotlight positioned over the product.
Photo: Donato Sardella/Getty Images for Just One Eye
Following the performance, a spotlight drew guests to the center of the venue to examine the survival kit. Guests were able to get an up-close-and-personal look at its contents, displayed within a brightly lit, mirrored case.
Photo: Courtesy of Bureau Betak
The waitstaff matched to the event's unconventional theme, donning white flight-inspired jumpsuits under utility vests, harnesses, and side packs from which the event's menu of foods were distributed.
Photo: Donato Sardella/Getty Images for Just One Eye
Bureau Betak enlisted Lucques Catering to create a custom drinks menu. Adhering to the restaurant's farm-to-table philosophy, head barman Christiaan Rollich devised four drinks (one non-alcoholic) that "delivered a product that the client, as well as their guests, felt special about." Served in glass jars with metal straws, the drinks bore names like Green Goddess, City of Lights, Moonraker Fizz, and Lebowski.
Photo: Imeh Akpanudosen/Getty Images for Just One Eye
Waiters handed out chicken liver pâté, served in tubes, along with crackers. Also served were foie gras pop rocks in mylar bags.
Photo: Courtesy of Love Catering
Candied orange and ginger slices dipped in white and dark chocolate were served in "seal and peel" envelopes. In total, more than 3,000 "rations" of food were prepared and served by Love Catering. "The food had to be packaged to withstand the environment while still being sophisticated," said Clausz.
Photo: Courtesy of Love Catering
![The combination meal of wild salmon tartare, quail egg, horseradish emulsion, dill, and potato gaufrette is part of Love Catering's repertoire, but, according to owner Hermes Clausz, 'rendered completely new and different [served] in an anchovy tin that had to be pulled open.' Guests ('survivors') were given a stainless steel mini tool (sfork) and told it was 'essential to their survival' so they could eat different appetizers with it.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2014/12/img_1483.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
The combination meal of wild salmon tartare, quail egg, horseradish emulsion, dill, and potato gaufrette is part of Love Catering's repertoire, but, according to owner Hermes Clausz, "rendered completely new and different [served] in an anchovy tin that had to be pulled open." Guests ("survivors") were given a stainless steel mini tool (sfork) and told it was "essential to their survival" so they could eat different appetizers with it.
Photo: Courtesy of Love Catering
The "Rx salad" consisted of roasted shallot vinaigrette, lettuce, tomato, honey citrus, and olive oil. "The idea of giving out pills, in this case forming the different flavors of a salad all juiced and 'spherified,'" said Clausz.
Photo: Courtesy of Love Catering
Perrier Inspired by Street Art—Toronto
Street artist Kobra designed large, colorful murals for the space.
Photo: Ryan Emberley for Perrier
Perrier Street Art—Toronto
Japanese artist Sasu's installation comprised 30 hanging kaleidoscopes.
Photo: Ryan Emberley for Perrier
Perrier Inspired by Street Art—Toronto
Guests interacted with the installation by peeking through the colorful kaleidoscopes.
Photo: Ryan Emberley for Perrier
Perrier Inspired by Street Art—Toronto
Guests took home a new Perrier "slim can," which is part of the limited-edition collection.
Photo: Ryan Emberley for Perrier
Perrier Inspired by Street Art—Toronto
Street artist JonOne attended the event and spoke to the audience about his collaboration with Perrier.
Photo: Ryan Emberley for Perrier
Perrier Inspired by Street Art—Toronto
Artist materials such as paints, brushes, and drawing pads were displayed throughout the venue.
Photo: Ryan Emberley for Perrier
Perrier Inspired by Street Art—Toronto
At the bar, limited-edition bottles designed by artist JonOne were on display. Green lighting enhanced the bottle's signature hue.
Photo: Ryan Emberley for Perrier
Perrier Street Art—Brooklyn
Mirrorball produced a launch party for the collection in Brooklyn on September 25. To play off the event's painterly theme, Neuman's Kitchen presented a colorful fondue station with a selection of sweet treats for dipping.
Photo: Jason Malihan
Perrier Inspired by Street Art—Brooklyn
New York-based Rory Mulholland Scenery created the custom-fabricated, Eduardo Kobra-inspired pedestals used in the photo station. Brazilian artist Kobra, known for his vibrant, kaleidoscopic spin on vintage imagery, collaborated with Perrier for its new collection.
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Photo: Patrick MacLeod
Perrier Inspired by Street Art—Brooklyn
Guests sipped on custom Perrier cocktails, each named after the street artists being celebrated at the event—Sasu, Kobra, and JonOne, whose drink consisted of Don Julio Blanco, Perrier pink grapefruit, lime, and agave, with a hibiscus salt rim. Perrier’s mixologist, Lynnette Marrero, developed the cocktails.
Photo: Patrick MacLeod
Perrier Inspired by Street Art—Brooklyn
3dar, an animation studio based in Imperial Beach, California, helped develop the interactive light graffiti wall featured at the event, held at the Colossal Paint Warehouse in Brooklyn. Guests used an LED-equipped spray can to "paint" on the warehouse wall; the artwork was revealed as the guest moved across the canvas.Â
Photo: Patrick MacLeod
Perrier Inspired by Street Art—Brooklyn
In honor of the street artists, the waitstaff and bartenders, who were provided by Neuman's Kitchen, wore white paint-splattered tuxedo jackets.
Photo: Patrick MacLeod
Ian Millar, Glenfiddich's global brand ambassador, led a tasting during the brand's second Taste & Talk event held at One Up Restaurant & Lounge.
Photo: Dave Starrett
A display of Glenfiddich bottles at the Taste & Talk event.
Photo: Dave Starrett
Guests at Glenfiddich's Taste & Talk event had the opportunity to sample Glenfiddich's 12-, 15-, and 18-year whiskies.
Photo: Dave Starrett
Ian Logan, international brand ambassador for the Glenlivet, led a tasting that included a sample of the newly released Glenlivet XXV.
Photo: George Pimentel
Guests at the Glenlivet tasting sampled the brand's 12-, 15-, 18-, and 25-year-old whiskies.
Photo: BizBash
About 40 guests attended The Glenlivet tasting in the Hatley Room at Hotel Le Germain.
Photo: George Pimentel
Marc Laverdiere, Canadian brand ambassador for the Famous Grouse, led a tasting at Bar Chef for the launch of the Black Grouse, a new peated whisky.
Photo: George Pimentel
Hors d'oeuvres at the Black Grouse tasting included grilled pineapple and smoked cheddar triangles, smoked salmon roses with crème fraîche on potato rosti, and lingonberry venison tenderloin.
Photo: George Pimentel
After the Black Grouse tasting, Urban Source Catering provided a selection of desserts, including crème brûlée.
Photo: George Pimentel
Fiat
Fiat's indoor drive track allowed attendees to ride in the cars as company reps drove them around a closed course designed to test the car's different features including agility, handling, maneuverability, and ride quality. Multiple Fiat models were on the track at a single time, with company reps directing traffic as each car moved from one section of the course to the next.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Ford
Ford took over the entire back section of the second floor of the convention center with a 31,000-square-foot exhibition space that included 59 cars, three Smithsonian-sponsored Spark Lab activations, and multiple interactive simulators.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Ford
Ford also set up a strength-focused activation to allow consumers to test the power of their own torque, or strength, in comparison to the manufacturer's eco-boost engine system.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Ford
Ford's ST Simulator provided a racing-skills test complete with a vibrating seat that moved as the driver took each turn of the video course.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Smithsonian Spark Lab
The Smithsonian sponsored a Spark Lab at the Ford space where children and their parents used different shapes of pasta, glue, and tape to create the Car of the Future. A nearby ramp allowed them to then test the strength of their creations.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Starbucks
Organizers added—appropriately for an auto show—a Starbucks coffee truck. The space had a café-style setup where monitors showed promotional videos about technology advances from various automotive brands.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Cadillac
Cadillac reps provided in-seat demos of the CUE simulator, named for its ability to showcase the "Cadillac User Experience" consisting of a walk-through of the dashboard's computerized control system.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Lincoln
Lincoln created its own indoor showroom in the luxury car space with temporary grated walls, a suspended ceiling treatment, and small seating areas lining the perimeter. Temporary wood panels also served to display the available wood and finishing options for the vehicles as well as exterior colors.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Chevrolet Camaro
Chevy showcased its limited-edition Hot Wheels model Camaro on a rotating platform; the car was designed to match the details of the toy version of the car.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Toyota Tundra
Toyota showcased the power of the Tundra's haul with a cutout of the space shuttle Endeavor underneath a video of the truck hauling the actual shuttle in October 2012.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Toyota
A half-car model in the Toyota space showed videos of the company's future safety technology for its cars, including the new detection systems for elements outside the car.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Toyota
Toyota moved its 50,500-square-foot exhibit space to the second floor of the convention center this year to be in the same area as the other mid-priced lines.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Scion
Scion's exhibit space utilized clear glass panels with embedded TVs to showcase the product details of each of its cars without closing off the space with opaque walls.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Washington Auto Show
For the first year, the organizers rearranged the layout of the show floor by grouping the luxury brands such as Lexus, Audi, Mercedes, and Volvo in the same area on the lower level of the convention center.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
Washington Auto Show
The reworked show layout included reducing the Advanced Technology Superhighway, which showcases the new technology features used to improve car safety, from 65,000 to 9,000 square feet. The move came after the exhibiting auto companies expressed difficulty with coordinating the logistics and staffing of the two spaces where cars were located—the highway and the brand’s main space—rather than just one exhibit area.
Photo: Tony Brown/imijphoto.com for BizBash
New York Auto Show: Land Rover Off-Road Experience
On 10th Avenue between 17th and 18th Streets, just below a scenic stretch of the High Line and in the same outdoor parking facility that housed Alexander Wang's September 2010 carnival-style after-party, Land Rover hosted its first-ever Manhattan urban off-road experience. Built by Los Angeles-based Set 360 Events in conjunction with New York-based Mjolnir Course Construction, the course required nearly 50 truckloads of dirt. The promotion was open for five days to guests invited by the carmaker.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
New York Auto Show: Land Rover Off-Road Experience
Drivers at the promotion traversed an array of off-road-style courses, including one that had vehicles ascending an eight-foot-tall mound of dirt right over the posterior of a real New York City Ford Crown Victoria taxi (with 390,000 miles on the odometer) that was purchased for the event and later donated to a prop shop.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
New York Auto Show: Land Rover Off-Road Experience
Five older Land Rover models were displayed at specific points throughout the course as a reminder of the brand's heritage and off-road history. Although none were actually driven during the day, on the night of the course's conclusion, trained off-road Land Rover professionals did offer rides on the course to guests in a few models, including the 1995 Camel Trophy Discovery and 1997 Defender soft top.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
New York Auto Show: Land Rover Off-Road Experience
To counterbalance the off-road capabilities of Land Rover vehicles, Set 360 built a check-in pavilion out of steel stock and teak wood, designed to match the brand's modern and refined aesthetic. "The idea was to meld the luxury with rugged, while conveying the essence of the brand," said company owner and creative director Jed Burkhardt.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
New York Auto Show: Land Rover's 25th Anniversary Event
The Park restaurant, chosen for its size and convenient location directly opposite the off-road promotion, played host to Land Rover's V.I.P. and press party Tuesday evening, the last day the driving course was open. Although guests mostly mingled throughout the main areas, Set 360 Events did transform a back room into a Land Rover-inspired V.I.P. room where media interviews were also conducted.
Photo: Getty Images
New York Auto Show: Land Rover's 25th Anniversary Event
Set 360 Events built a series of seven custom metal and glass shadow boxes that housed Land Rover advertisements from the last 25 years. Following the event, Land Rover executives plan to display the vitrines in select dealerships throughout the anniversary year.
Photo: Getty Images
New York Auto Show: Land Rover's 25th Anniversary Event
Parked outside The Park were a Range Rover and Range Rover Evoque that were meant to illustrate the design progression the company has achieved over the decades. The original (pictured, left) recreated, down to the mud splatters, an original 1987 ad the brand ran "introducing the most beautiful vehicle in the world," The Evoque (right) modernized the template with the word still.
Photo: Getty Images
New York Auto Show: Nissan's Taxi of Tomorrow Event
Nissan took over Skylight West Tuesday night for its "New York's Taxi of Tomorrow" event to introduce the Nissan NV200, which will replace the existing city cabs. With a yellow color scheme undulating throughout the event, the venue exterior was bathed in yellow light, while greeters handed out personalized wavy foam hands as a tongue-in-cheek take on hailing a cab. As guests left, Nissan gave guests branded "Taxi of Tomorrow" umbrellas as gifts.
Photo: Jim Shi
New York Auto Show: Nissan's Taxi of Tomorrow Event
George P. Johnson projected a cityscape motif on the far wall of the space to match the event's urban vibe. Flanked by uplit yellow lighting, the next-generation taxicab was placed front and center for guests to check out. An adjacent wall provided facts about the new vehicle.
Photo: Jim Shi
New York Auto Show: Nissan's Taxi of Tomorrow Event
In keeping with the New York taxi's iconic color scheme, Mary Giuliani Catering & Events served red velvet cake balls topped with a black-and-yellow checkered fondant for dessert. The caterer also passed truffled grilled cheese on black trays, and a sushi bar was designed as an ode to the carmaker's Japanese heritage.
Photo: Jim Shi
New York Auto Show: Porsche Event
To introduce its latest lineup of vehicles Tuesday, Porsche rented out the Altman Building and tasked Rohit Kapoor, the venue's director of creative services, to create a modern and impactful setting. For the event, which marked the site's first affair produced wholly in-house, Kapoor incorporated holographic panels, played with lighting techniques, and infused elements to bring nature indoors.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
New York Auto Show: Porsche Event
Directly above each of the 2012 Porsche models was a strip of elongated board that showcased different outdoor landscapes. Whether it was the beach, the city, the desert, or a winter scene, the idea was to align each vehicle with an image the driver would see in the rearview mirror.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
New York Auto Show: Porsche Event
To emphasize the brand's racing lineage, a holographic screen directly above a vintage Porsche 917 LH model broadcast a video depicting the car's build process and its moments on various racetracks.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
New York Auto Show: Lincoln Event
To flaunt the new Lincoln MKZ sedan, EWI Worldwide's Studio Creative division (Lincoln's exclusive production company) built a multilevel stage at the IAC Building for a variety of purposes. The car itself had its North American debut to select press and invited guests at an event on Monday night, where it was displayed on a rotating turntable, elevated to be visible from any point in the vast room.
Photo: Sam VarnHagen
New York Auto Show: Lincoln Event
Directly to the right of the main entrance, Lincoln built a cozy, library-like space in which guests could learn about the MKZ's new technological innovations via a series of horizontally placed touch screens. For instance, one provided a detailed view of the vehicle's navigation, climate control, and in-car display systems.
Photo: Jim Shi
New York Auto Show: Lincoln Event
Michael King Music provided the mini orchestra that performed live throughout the night to reinforce Lincoln's goal of taking the brand further upmarket and associating its name with high-level luxury. The event also announced a first-time partnership with the prestigious Les Chefs d'Or, that national association of hotel concierge professionals.
Photo: Sam VarnHagen
New York Auto Show: Lincoln Event
Through his artistic medium, sand artist Joe Castillo supplied an ethereal translation of the Lincoln brand and symbol at the event. The images were broadcast on the venue's video wall.
Photo: Sam VarnHagen
