The charity hosted its fund-raiser at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington on May 8. Ridgewells handled catering, and festive menu items included pours of champagne over popsicles for dessert cocktails.
The American Cancer Society hosted its Discovery Ball at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel in Chicago on April 25. This year's theme had a futuristic overtone that inspired the look and feel of the 750-guest soiree. "During dinner, planes of light and hand-tied wire patterns that projected light striae ... visually transported guests into a future periphery," designer Rishi Patel of HMR Designs said.
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.
On June 4, the SickKids Foundation hosted its 14th annual “Scrubs in the City” benefit at Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto. At the end of the night, a food trunk gave guests a taste of next year's theme: "London Is Calling." The truck had the date of next year's event written on its side.
The 2015 Wall Ball gave its 700-some guests an opportunity to make their own salad by ordering from a salad mural. Held on May 21 at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia and produced by Bread & Butter Productions, the annual fund-raiser supports the City of Mural Arts Program, which advocates community-focused public art that includes mural-making projects and educational programs. Complementing the event's artistic roots and inspired by the idea of a mural depicting community gardens, Catering by Design created a mural wall of salad greens.
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.
Chicago
#11 Benefit
More than 700 guests attended the black-tie benefit, which raised more than $2.9 million this year. Held at the Radisson Blu Aqua Hotel, the ninth edition of the society’s signature event featured an appearance by actor Paul Reiser. Next: April 2, 2016
Chicago
#2 Food & Restaurant Industry Event
Moving the event to Chicago in 2015 brought new energy to the coveted food industry awards, which were held in New York for its first 24 years. The award show announced it will return to Chicago in 2016 and 2017. Next: May 2, 2016
Heal the Bay hosts a fund-raising gala each year, but it had identified a past problem with losing guests’—and donors’—attention in a disconnected environment. So this year, for its 30th anniversary, the environmental nonprofit worked with Events by Fabulous to tweak the layout so it would feel more intimate and inclusive. That meant a new stage design and program meant to draw an emotional response from guests by showing high-res video stories of the honorees and the mission of the charity, rather than by way of a speaker with a microphone. Beyond that, the team also created a multistage arena, with a catwalk that led into the center of the crowd and two additional satellite stages for performances that could better distribute the action within the event space.
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 the UrbanDaddy/Grey Goose Summer Soiree in New York in August, the hosts entertained guests with lawn games, large sculptured topiaries, and string lights for a French backyard feel. For an efficient use of the event space, the team folded up a step-and-repeat after the event was underway, and revealed a crepe station for dessert in its place.
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.
The Shedd Aquarium in Chicago hosted its annual gala this year during what turned out to be the wettest June in Illinois history. In addition to tenting the terrace area of the party space, organizers took the extra step of securing umbrellas for guests to use as they checked in, to set a tone for hospitality.
In Chicago, Blue Plate Catering brings candy apple stations to holiday parties. Treats include apples dipped in caramel and assorted toppings and sliced up into snack-size portions.
The 22nd annual Knock Out Abuse Gala took place November 5 at the Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. Inspired by Tusan dining, event designer André Wells used family-style dining tables with rustic wooden chairs for the dinner. Garlands of eucalyptus, lemon leaves, and fresh greens ran the length of the tables with oversize lanterns providing intimate lighting.
Looking for an alternative to the traditional floral centerpiece? For the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario's 2015 fund-raising gala—which took place at the Liberty Grand Entertainment Complex in Toronto last April—designer Bill Fulghum substituted giant spools of cotton candy for flowers.
In January, the Walrus Foundation hosted its annual gala at the Fermenting Cellar in Toronto. The event paid homage to the Canadian city, and the skyline appeared in imagery at the bar.
For a back-to-school or academic-theme decor idea, AE Events designed sunflower centerpieces wrapped with a row of pencils for Excel Academy's 10th annual Celebration of Excellence, which took place June 2 in Boston. Table numbers were created with new covers on old books, which were then used in classrooms and libraries.
Revolve helped launch Moet & Chandon's new rosé on July 22 at a home in Watermill. Decor included a greenery-fronted DJ booth with social media handles and hashtags spelled out in Scrabble-style tiles.
