Janina O’Leary, executive pastry chef at LaV Restaurant & Wine Bar in Austin, Texas, created a "Wonderland" theme dessert table for Austin Food & Wine Festival's "Sips and Sweets" event in April. Hanging over the sweets table was a marshmallow chandelier that held forks holding marshmallows. Staffers cut down individual marshmallows for guests, who put them into chocolate teacups filled with homemade rhubarb jam.
For a wedding in Big Sur, California, producer and designer Sterling Engagements suspended a 12-foot dream catcher decor piece above the dance floor.
For the rehearsal dinner, Sterling worked with the culinary team at the Ventana Inn to develop an unusual breakfast for dinner concept. The Sunday brunch-inspired meal included Bloody Marys, omelets, and eggs Benedicts. A relevant quote from one of the couple’s favorite shows, Parks and Recreation, hung over the dining area.
The Big Sur couple traveled through three draped arches on the way to the ceremony. Each sign bore a third of a romantic quote: "If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day so I never have to live without you."
Luxe teepees decked in greenery provided seating, as well as added visual interest.
The Sterling team built a framed house with no walls or ceiling along the coast of Big Sur and covered it with trailing greenery.
An artist painted the room on a canvas.
Karen Tran's floral wall served as a backdrop for a white settee.
For authentic touches that incorporated local culture at a wedding in Bali on the beach of the Amanusa Resort, Helmstetter created a structure overlooking the Indian Ocean and brought in street vendors, plus lounge furniture and linens created from local batiks.
For a wedding in Stowe, Vermont, Helmstetter built a reclaimed-wood structure in the middle of an open field to create a hidden-garden feeling for the ceremony.
Sterling created custom Klondike bars with cheeky, irreverent (and even profane) phrases to complement the couple's personalities.
For a wedding at the Amangani Resort in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Helmstetter brought in benches, sheepskins, and white blooms to complement the site's backdrop of the Grand Teton.
Groupon hosted its annual summertime employee outing, the "All You Can Street Fest," on July 17 at the site of a soon-to-open street festival in Chicago. Imaginative games included "human foosball," in which lines of employees looped together by string played a soccer-like game. Participants wore Groupon-branded headbands.
A 130-foot flying cucumber, part of the Hendrick's Air campaign for Hendrick's Gin, traveled across 13 cities at 35 miles per hour. The tour ended on July 29 with a viewing party held at Galleria Marchetti in Chicago.
At the MPI World Education Congress, which took place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from August 1 to 4, Visit Anaheim partnered with 3-D pavement artist Joe Hill to create interactive illustrations. Created with chalk and paint, the installations represented aspects of Anaheim, including Orange County beaches, city landmarks, and theme parks. Guests were encouraged to pose "inside" the artwork and share photos on social media.
During the rock music festival, which took place in Chicago's Grant Park from July 31 to August 2, many festival perks were found at sponsor activations on festival grounds. Bud Light brought its traveling House of Whatever activation to the event, and in a V.I.P. area, guests could have their photos snapped inside the "Bud Light Lolla-Scope." The machine took rotating, 360-degree photos of guests, who then posted the images to their social media accounts. The images were automatically populated with the phrase: "And this happened at Lolla 2015," along with the #UpForWhatever hashtag.
At a bar at the Samsung Galaxy Owner's Lounge, guests could order frozen treats using the GS6 Edge device. The flavors were designed to represent different musical tastes. The "R&B" treat had a raspberry-rose flavor, for example, while "Rock" was honeydew-ginger.
Choosing a "Christmas in July" theme, the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago hosted "Zoo Ball: Arctic Blast" on July 10. Nadeau's Ice Sculptures created an eight-foot-tall polar bear for the occasion.
For the fifth and final installment of the Icon 50 program, which celebrated the Mustang’s 50th anniversary, Ford Motor Company asked designer Jonathan Adler to create a cultural road trip in July, complete with a detailed driving route. The design-centric course featured destinations spanning both coasts. For a New York event, attendees drove their own Mustangs for the weekend, along with an itinerary of Shelter Island hot spots, Adler's recommended design destinations, and his must-have road trip accessories, which he curated in honor of the car’s anniversary.
GoGo Squeez partnered with MKG for the launch of the "Goodness Machine," a custom, interactive vending machine resembling the health-focused on-the-go snack brand's applesauce packets. The vending machine debuted in New York's Madison Square Park on July 23. Kids could push a button that activated a launching mechanism that shot out applesauce packets attached to parachutes with the brand's label from the top of the machine.
The Watermill Center's summer benefit in East End took place on July 25, showcasing 24 art installations. Once past the main entrance steps and right before the pathway to the Africa House sat two installations as part of Mette Sterre's "Sweet Beans Constrictors" artwork. Atop the landing, the Dutch artist created a pair of headpieces from coiled and tied tubing, representing dramatic forms of negative space in which performances sat and gazed at guests. Piles of fruit, in keeping with the theme, were featured as a complement.
Puerto Rican artist Radames (Juni) Figueroa's "Bed Paintings" installation featured a row of young men asleep in beds along the path of the forest, the artist's figure draped over their bodies (a tropical canvas as bed sheet). Piles of tropical fruit, meanwhile, studded the forest floor.
To allow guests to roam the grounds while indulging in the food prepared by Great Performances, all the self-serve dishes were designed to be hand-held and didn't even necessarily require plates. "We kept it fun and playful, as noted by the fried chicken served in savory waffle cones," said Shaun Roberts, event director at Great Performances. "It was approachable food done in a different way."
In past years, CoverGirl’s presence on the V.M.A.s scene took the form of a party. This year, it moved to a panel format, offering a red carpet beauty trend forecast.
An eye-catching press wall spelled out CoverGirl's name in flowers.
Glowing orbs hung over the audience as decor and illumination.
Logos and flowers covered a vintage car at then event for a rustic decor element.
Guests scooped up T-shirts that were screen-printed on the spot.
Colorful pillows popped against smart white seating groups.
Staffers outfitted with cigarette-girl-style trays offered makeup as giveaways.
Colorful paper lanterns hung overhead at the casual outdoor Epic Fest event.
Sponsor Patrón set up a bar with displays of whole citrus fruit. The brand also served ice pops and ice cream on the sweltering Los Angeles day.
Budweiser was among the sponsors and put its name in marquee-style light-up lettering within a beer garden.
Games included basketball and foosball.
Wolfgang Puck served casual fare like grilled corncobs on skewers.
At the Jeremy Scott and Adidas party sponsored by Svedka, a towering ice sculpture took the form of MTV's Moonman statue.
Marriott Rewards sponsored Republic Records' after-party at Ysabel in West Hollywood, where an illuminated hashtag hung over the party space.
Hashtags and logos decorated pillows at the party, which marked Marriott's first foray into the V.M.A. scene.
Catering came from Southern Cailfornia's popular In-N-Out Burger.
Taco Bell and MTV hosted a concert at the Avalon in celebration of Taco Bell's “Feed the Beat,” an initiative helping fans discover new bands and bands discover new fans. The restaurant passed its fast food on catering trays.
Fire dancers on stage tied into the ghost pepper food items Taco Bell is currently promoting.
A gallery-style wall promoted logos and hashtags.
Demi Lovato performed at the Avalon for the annual concert to benefit Lifebeat, backed with a stage decorated with geometric LED tubes.
Guests posed against a gray-scale logo backdrop with neon sunglasses.
Sponsor Trojan provided specially packaged and Lifebeat-branded condoms, meant to look like all-access concert passes.
Toronto's Eatertainment saw the return of bar carts, at both restaurants and events, in 2015. In the past year, the company has used bar carts to serve dishes—including frittatas, lobster, and sliders—to guests at their seats.
In New York, Elegant Affairs said classic comfort foods are still in demand, but clients expect a gourmet twist. The company's taco station, for example, lets event guests fill their own shells with items such as 16-hour slow-smoked brisket topped with Napa slaw and cilantro-lime aioli.
Limelight Catering in Chicago, as well as Elegant Affairs, said clients requested meals with several courses—in a format similar to chefs' tastings at restaurants—for their events. For a recent birthday party, Limelight prepared a seven-course Asian tasting menu that included bites paired with beer.
Limelight also said clients want their events to feature the same fare that's being served at buzzed-about restaurants. Ramen is trending in Chicago, and for one event, the firm created a ramen bar. At the station, chefs served classic or vegetarian broth with noodles and assorted toppings.
In Virginia, Design Cuisine has seen a trend toward charred foods and pork. The company developed a bacon bar that presents bacon on sticks, in flavors such as maple, chocolate, and hickory. The bacon can be eaten on its own, or used to top sandwiches D.I.Y.-style.
Chicago firm Catering by Michaels served nontraditional salads, including a deconstructed Mediterranean spelt salad, this year. Other creative first courses included green-grape gazpacho with burrata caprese and seared scallops with citrus wedges.
Not to be confused with more pedestrian Jello shots, Blue Plate Catering in Chicago served lots of "gelée shots" this year. The solid beverages come in flavors such as champagne, garnished with citrus cells and gold leaf.
Blue Plate reps said red velvet was a popular flavor in 2015, though not always presented traditionally. One dish the firm recently prepared was stacks of miniature red velvet pancakes filled with cream cheese buttercream.
Blue Plate also cited Greek-inspired desserts as a trend of 2015. One popular dish was ravani, a Greek lemon cake with yogurt, coconut, candied lemon peel, and lemon-vanilla syrup.
Elegant Affairs said the farm-to-table trend was still going strong in 2015, and clients were particularly interested in non-G.M.O. foods. One recent spread featured organic, free-range lemon-herb chicken with grain-based salads. Blue Plate Catering echoed that "anything rustic" was trending for the year, including in presentation style.
In Philadelphia, Brulee Catering saw the rise of health-conscious catering requests in 2015. But there was one caveat: clients wanted the items to presented in a playful manner. "People are eating healthier and with more consideration," said the catering firm's vice president, Jan DeMarzo. "That is why the 'eye-candy' component is important." For one event, the company prepared vegetarian "sandwiches" made out of grilled pineapple and ricotta. The dish was served on a flower-strewn tray.
Brulee also noted a trend of desserts presented in jars. In the past year, the company has filled Mason jars with treats such as wild blueberry pie and coconut cream cake and presented the confections buffet style.
Brulee saw updated twists on the classic French snack throughout the year. One option, which could be served at a breakfast event, is an open-face macaron topped with sunny-side-up quail eggs.
Food on sticks was increasingly popular among Paramount Catering's clients. The Chicago-based firm has served the following items kebab-style this year: chicken thighs with spicy miso, seared tuna with togarashi seasoning, Rice Krispie treats, and roasted marshmallows. The portable food trend carried over to summertime events, when many clients requested themed picnic baskets.
Vegetarian dishes are getting more complex. Paramount recently provided intricately detailed meat alternatives at events, including Anson Mills polenta with summer squash and leek fritters.
For a wedding at Union Station in Los Angeles, Sterling Engagements displayed escort cards printed to look like train tickets inside vintage suitcases.
In November, the Deering Estate Foundation hosted its 14th annual gala at Deering Estate in South Florida's Palmetto Bay. To highlight the wine-centric theme, tables were dressed up with miniature grape arbors.
At the Coachella festival in 2014, Forever 21 hosted its so-called “Party in the Sky,” where two cranes hoisted the event’s DJ booth into the air. The booth was made out of a shipping container painted in bright neon colors.
Event sponsor McDonald's showcased a photo booth with a bed, which promoted the restaurant's new breakfast-all-day offerings.
Each year organizers create a variety of lounges where attendees can watch a simulcast of speakers. New this year was a ball pit filled with beanbag chairs and beach balls.
To encourage attendees to mingle, organizers provided blankets and picnic baskets filled with food for six and invited them to find others to share it.
In February, while Chicago was in the throes of winter, event space Hub Studio Loft hosted a grand opening party that created a summery environment capable of inspiring guests to venture out in the cold. A section of the event space included a tiki bar offering up "Puka Punch,” which guests sipped amid miniature palm trees, umbrellas, and Astroturf for mind-over-matter warmth. Flowers that evoked a tropical climate sat upon tabletops covered with sand and seashells.
As part of Herbalife’s 35th anniversary conference in St. Louis in July, producer Sterling Engagements located a venue that would represent cost savings from the company’s original selection. The group landed at the historic Union Station, a train station-turned-hotel and event venue with features including a broad staircase. Rather than locate the stage out of the way, Sterling set up a stage that incorporated the staircase as a dramatic backdrop.
For its 2011 gala in New York, the National Center for Learning Disabilities used the vertical pillars in the space to its advantage, rather than viewing them as obstacles. Designer Bronson van Wyck created custom column wraps printed with colorful logos and key messaging about the group's mission. In addition to brightening up the room, the columns also served as places to affix screens that improved guests’ view of the evening’s presentations.
A threesided set up gives attendees a sense of proximity to the speakers.
Quartz also experimented with seating. In the front of the room there were couches reserved for V.I.P. guests, and in the back of the room there was a row of high-top tables where laptop users could work.
Q&A sessions with speakers continued in a designated space outside of the ballroom. The move allowed more intimate access to speakers.
An unexpected addition to the stage was a DJ booth.
