General

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.

“We wanted to bring the signature elements of the Tough Mudder experience—teamwork, exhilarating obstacles, and a true challenge—to participants in urban locations, while at the same time creating a wholly unique experience that is a reflection of its environment,” said Ben Johnson, global communications director for Tough Mudder and Urban Mudder.

Urban Mudder’s set of 12 to 15 obstacles included challenges that required participants to leap and grab their teammates’ outstretched hands; scale the side of a brick wall, hurdle from rooftop platform to platform, and leap off onto a giant airbag below; and contort through a field of lasers without breaking the beam. But there was no mud, unlike most Tough Mudder events.

Heather Lilleston, co-founder of Yoga for Bad People, led a vinyasa class under the sun during the July 11 event in Montauk.

Each attendee scored a C9 by Champion sports bra.

EiR NYC, an organic body care line for men and women, provided a D.I.Y. after-sun oil station for guests to mix up their own blends.

Attendees took home a tote bag loaded with swag, including socks by C9, Kind bars, Captain Blankenship's sea salt spray, S.W. Basics moisturizer, Suntegrity sunscreen, Zarbee's supplements, and Hero Nutritionals' gummy vitamins.

On August 22, celebrity trainer and AKT in Motion founder Anna Kaiser will offer a dance cardio class on the Surf Lodge's waterfront main deck during the series’ last event of the summer.

In February, Reebok worked with Wellthily to organize an early morning yoga class with Reebok ambassador Tara Stiles, owner and founder of Strala Yoga, for Axis trade show attendees on the Refinery Hotel rooftop in New York. “When people leave happy and are in great spirits and feel good, that’s the measure of success,” Wellthily co-founder Suzie Baleson said.

"A successful event is one in which everyone gets an amazing workout and leaves with a smile on their face and feels stronger and more capable than they did when they arrived," said Kari Saitowitz, founder and owner of the Fhitting Room, a high-intensity training boutique fitness studio in New York, whose corporate clients include Twitter, Amazon Fashion, N.B.C., and the N.F.L. The studio also supports outdoor events like the Lolë and Fitist meetup at Hudson River Park and in-store events at retailers such as Lululemon, Bandier, Reebok, Athleta, and Jack Rabbit.

To help guests warm up—and break a sweat—popular fitness studio SoulCycle hosted a pop-up at Sky Lodge at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The activation had 30 bikes, along with classes led by top instructors.

To showcase its juicers, Bella Housewares hosted a smoothie bar at the pop-up.

Festival attendees were able to print and mail a sharable postcard by using the hashtag #CocaColaNYC at the beverage brand's activation. Mini Coca-Cola-flavored cupcakes with buttercream frosting were up for grabs as well. The company also created mocktails at the Grand Tasting and handed out Coca-Cola Life samples during Pier 92 rooftop events.

Fans posed for a photo at the beverage brand's activation during the Jets & Chefs event.

At the media company's sixth annual Barbecue & the Blues event, which was hosted by the Travel Channel's Adam Richman and held at Good Units, guests enjoyed barbecue fare and played branded backyard games like cornhole.

In addition to samples of its popular coconut water, Vita Coco's activation also featured popcorn made with the brand's coconut oil.

The centerpiece of the brand’s activation at the festival was the Samsung Lounge, an immersive space located at Pier 92. There, attendees enjoyed snacks and one-on-one chef demos, as well as learned about Samsung's new products. The brand's appliances were also used during the culinary demonstrations at the Grand Tasting.

During the Pier 92 events, the online deals site turned things upside-down with two different photo booth vignettes, a topsy-turvy pizza parlor and a concert venue. The company was promoting its mission to help users discover new eats, events, and more.

For the Grand Tasting, the pasta brand parked its custom trailer—a renovated shipping container with a high-tech kitchen that debuted at last year's festival—on the Pier. Throughout the two-day event, Barilla chefs prepared recipes to promote the brand's products.

Delta staff handed out branded wine lanyards to the crowd, while also serving up glasses of vino. A lush background of colorful autumnal leaves covered the Grand Tasting booth.

As the culinary destination of the year, Mexico hosted a special pavilion at the Grand Tasting. Mexican and American chefs teamed up to offer a collaborative menu of Mexican flavors.

Mohegan Sun, which sponsored all of the festival's late-night parties, handed out screen-printed tote bags at the Tacos & Tequila event, which was held at Urbo in Times Square.

Staff handed out dishes featuring the brand's pasta from the Pier 92 kitchen setup. The large build out served attendees during all of the rooftop events.

Attendees and staff posed with culinary props inside an oversize pasta box at the Ronzoni activation.

The liquor brand served cocktails in front of a vibrant greenery backdrop with its hashtag #LiveItalian made of blooms.

Guests were able to sit and relax at the company's tented lounge area, which was open during the Pier 92 rooftop events.