![Svedka has hosted events with giant lawn games. 'Incorporating any nostalgic elements [into events] is to further grow brand loyalty and to establish Svedka as a lifestyle brand that is fun and cheeky,' said the brand's PR rep Meryl Van Meter.](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2015/07/svedka_courtesy_of_svedka_copy1.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
Michael Breach, a Brooklyn-based coffee artist who appears at events all over the world, makes latte art that inspires guests to snap photos and share them on social media. Able to work from photos, Breach can design faces, logos, or even pets in foam. As for the most unusual designs he's created, Breach said that he rendered a "very odd assortment of objects" in foam for a skit with Amy Schumer and Comedy Central. Each design typically takes around five minutes.
French mustard brand Maille hosted a Paris-inspired pop-up bistro at David Pecaut Square to celebrate Toronto Bastille Day July 12. Planned by the PR Department, the pop-up served sandwiches, macarons, and cocktails made with different flavors of Maille mustard. The "1747" cocktails, served in jars with the brand's logo, included Cognac Remy Martin and Maille Provençal.
Toronto architectural studio Raw Design hosted its eighth annual "Raw" party on June 25 at a 30,000-square-foot industrial space. The theme, "Raw Canvas," invited guests to decorate floors, walls, and their own bodies. Paint cans rested beside a paint-by-numbers pattern on the wall, and partygoers were invited to color in squares.
Starwood’s Le Méridien hotel brand has made the éclair its dessert of choice, developing a signature éclair for each destination in partnership with James Beard award-winning pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini. While the treats are served on the hotel’s restaurant menus as well as offered as meeting breaks, they can also be incorporated into teambuilding activities. Several properties, from Santa Monica (pictured) to Dallas to Philadelphia have led groups in a build-your-own éclair station.
The theme of the Mashable House was #BreakTheInternet. The venue featured a photo op where guests could climb into a giant replica of singer Katy Perry’s “liger” from this year’s Super Bowl halftime show.
New to the IFC Fairgrounds this year was the giant human sticky wall. Participants donned velcro suits and tossed themselves against the tall sticky wall. The channel's activation was produced by LeadDog Marketing and ran during SXSW's music portion.
To teach attendees about the storied history of the vodka distillery, Ketel One designed a long history wall at its two-day event at the Fair Market during SXSW Interactive. Elements included fruits depicting the origin countries of the liquor’s three flavor profiles, interactive four points of quality testing, and a cocktail personality quiz. There was also a living green wall comprised of herbs typically used as cocktail garnishes.
BuzzFeed's BFF Cluhouse featured an emoji fortune-teller for the day. By looking at guests’ most recently-used emoji on their smartphones, the fortune-teller picked the person’s fortune, including an emoticon to use more.
Fox created a food truck version of the convenience store from the cartoon The Simpsons, coordinated by Jordanah Events, and handed out free slushie drinks, or “Squishees,” to guests for two days during SXSWi.
As part of Dr. Martens’s Stand for Something campaign during SXSW music, the shoe brand let attendees complete the phrase “I Stand For” on free T-shirts.
Animal Planet’s Next Cat Star Party featured hanging balls of yarn and giant cut-out cat cardboard figures for decor and photo booth props. The network also passed out promotional cat ear headbands to guests.
Patrón’s branded train parked at the Austin Amtrak station hosted several dinners and happy hours helmed by local chefs and bartenders throughout the festival. On March 18, Rolling Stone partnered with the tequila brand to screen a documentary about Austin-based musician Gary Clark Jr. Vases and planters from halved bottles of the tequila were scattered on tables. There was also the taste wall, where guests could try different types of tequila.
At the premiere party for the CW’s iZombie hosted by BuzzFeed, Emotiv headsets were provided to guests who were able to see their brain activities in response to eating different types of 3-D-printed candy made on the premises. Guests were allowed to email themselves a copy of their scans.
The department store featured a Twitter mirror in the artist area at its Make Some Noise house. Users were able to take photos of themselves, add additional content like text and drawings, and then tweet out the image through the brand’s Twitter account.
At General Electric's BBQ Research Center, participants put on color-coded brainwave scanners to see how their brains reacted while eating different barbecue cuts and sides.
![Spirits brand Patrón has held dozens of interactive cocktail events around the country, including mojito and margarita making. “A lot of my events are not my own, so I have to come alive [as a sponsor] in someone else’s event. So how do I get people talking about my brand?” said Patrón planner Pam Dzierzanowski. She said these experiential programs are the answer: “I’ve done these all over the country for years. People will stand in line for 45 minutes—I’ve never seen anything like it.'](https://img.bizbash.com/files/base/bizbash/bzb/image/2015/07/muddle_bar.png?auto=format%2Ccompress&q=70&w=400)
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.
To mark the launch of a collaboration between Mindy Weiss and Wedding Paper Divas on a new collection, the well-known social event planner and the social stationer hosted an intimate, feminine luncheon at Los Angeles's new Lombardi House on February 25. Guests created their own terrariums using succulents, moss, and twigs for a D.I.Y. take on the trend of incorporating living elements into wedding decor.
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.
The Paddy Wagon is a new Boston-area company that provides inflatable Irish pubs. The 30- by 30-foot blow-up bar has a façade resembling a traditional Irish pub with brick walls and a thatched roof; inside there are windows, tables, doors, and a full bar. The company can also provide Irish food, step dancers, and bartenders.Â
DCanter Capitol Hill, a Washington wine boutique, launched a new e-commerce site that offers same-day delivery in the city for corporate office parties, impromptu happy hours, and other events. It also can host private classes in its tasting room or off site.
Roar Events hosted a destination meeting dinner at Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa August 18. The Mexican-theme dinner offered an interactive margarita bar where guests could pick their tequila, flavor, and specialty salt.
