Homecoming 2015

Event planners boarded up the exterior of Long View Gallery with pallets and faux brick to create a speakeasy feel. A sign next to the door read: "Closed for violation of the National Prohibition Act by the order of the United States District Court." Event security wore mafia-style fedoras to complete the scene.

Black and gold accents highlighted another full bar, and a birdcage containing a crystal chandelier hung overhead, adding another on-theme element.

Another custom bar had rows of oversize crystals across its front.

In the tent, a rustic bar served bourbon and Scotch.

At the entry, a partial wall featured a complex Art Deco pattern surrounding the host company's name.

The space was divided into three areas that had their own design themes. One featured black and white furniture, crystal chandeliers, and strings of pearls.

The downstairs space was decorated in tones of gold and black, used to effect in the draped walls. Seating vignettes included chesterfield sofas and black wing chairs.

Roving card dealers dressed in flapper costumes presided over games of blackjack and poker using custom chips—actually chocolate coins—with the company logo.

Servers from Oysters XO roved the grounds shucking oysters for guests. The uniform, complete with pageboys and suspenders, was meant to evoke the scene around a New York City dock.

A deconstructed Caesar salad was served by the glass. The stiff romaine leaves mimicked the look of a flapper's feather headdress. Other bites at the event included wasabi deviled eggs, candied bacon, and a "bees knees" cheese station.

A DJ from Washington Talent Agency spun music from Pink Martini—and offered guests a shot of Maker's Mark. An old-fashioned mail drop collected entries for a drawing to win a bottle of locally made Green Hat Gin.

Snarkitecture analyzed the massive venue and tackled the question of how to accentuate the volume of the space while playing with the height. The solution was to create something that generated a low plane—at certain moments the spheres hung low, creating a "ceiling-within-a-ceiling" effect. The undersides of the balloons came down to 10 feet above guests' heads.

To engage the 70-foot-tall Cipriani Wall Street ceiling, several dozen volunteers, clad in all black to be inconspicuous, deployed a reconfigurable field of the spheres. Each sphere had its own individual performer, whose choreographed movements, as a group, slowly unfolded over a 90-minute time span throughout the course of the evening.

A basic lo-fi system that utilized a number of different points allowed the spheres to function in a choreographed pattern. Volunteers were responsible for their individual piece, moving to a specific height when called upon. Each handler's point was different, resulting in unique patterns.

A total of 44 white PVC balloons, each anchored by nylon rope, created a dramatic backdrop to the gala's black-and-white theme. The seven-foot diameter of the balloons were exactly the same as the 55 round dinner tables.

Zagat's "30 Under 30" series honors young talent in the culinary industry, and an event to celebrate Chicago's winners took place at Nellcote on March 25. Shiraz Events produced the sleek affair, which had a marquee-style "Z" to honor the host brand.

At the culinary event at New York's Pranna on April 2, large marquee letters spelling out "Food & Wine" surrounded a lounge area.

Larger-than-life letters spelled out the host group's name at the Orange County financial conference, which took place in late March and had a party with a performance by Macklemore.

Working with Fox's Bob Stillo, Russell Harris Event Group produced the Fox Emmy party at Soleto Trattoria and Pizzaria in Los Angeles last September. The Russell Harris team described the event as having a "Restoration Hardware-esque" look, with design by Thomas Ford. A Ford-designed sculpture used old-fashioned sign letters, metal numbers, and plexiglass signage to represent the three hosting networks: Fox Broadcasting, 20th Century Fox, and the FX channel.

Events by André Wells designed and produced the January 11 BET Honors Dinner in Washington. The event's signature color is purple, which Wells used in several sequined tablecloths from La Tavola. The linens provided sparkle, which was essential because the venue, the U.S. Library of Congress, did not permit candles or any open flames.

Sequined magenta tablecloths brightened up the auction tent at the 13th annual Naples Winter Wine Festival in January. Festival co-chairwoman Terry Edwards designed the event with linens from La Tavola. "I thought something sparkly would add some glamor and support our theme of When Stars Align," she said. "We also used star-like lighting in the tent, and for the first time we used high-resolution TV screens to show the auction items and live bidding. The colors really popped."

The theme for DirecTV Super Saturday Night Super Bowl party in New Orleans in February was "Eyes Wide Shut," which CL22 Productions created with S&M touches such as costumed characters wearing feathers, latex, leather, and chains—and black sequined tablecloths from Town and Country Event Rentals.

To show off renovations to the Teddy Roosevelt Memorial Rotunda and North American Mammals Hall, the museum hosted a 1920s-themed event last month. Highboy tables were dressed in gold-hued sequined tablecloths from the Finishing Touch. Invision Events designed the gathering, which drew event and conference clients.