Los Angeles County Museum of Art will present the United States premiere of the Frank Gehry retrospective from September 13, 2015, to March 20, 2016. Organized by the Musée National d’Art Moderne in Paris, the show includes more than 60 of his projects, shown through more than 200 drawings, many of which will be on view for the first time, as well as 66 models that show the evolution of the Los Angeles-based architect’s process. The museum offers discounted general admission for groups of 10 or more, along with docent-led tours for large groups.
Now available in Toronto through the Idea Hunter, Original Beverage Toppers are edible disks that can be branded with corporate logos, colors, and taglines. The discs float on top of hot, cold, iced, or frozen drinks and are easy to apply.
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.
Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art debuted its new “Picasso—Creatures and Creativity” exhibit on July 3. The new Las Vegas show includes approximately 45 works from the artist. Organized in partnership with the Claude Picasso Archives, the show focuses on the human figure through lithographs, linocuts, paintings, and a selection of rare plates. The exhibition will run through January, and docent-led tours are available.
Orlando Culinary Tour is a new option for teambuilding and corporate outings. Led by Jamie McFadden, chef and owner of Cuisiniers Catered Cuisine & Events, the tour is intended to educate participants on the emerging food scene of Central Florida and teach wine pairing, gardening, cooking, and entertaining. Guests travel via motor coach to Quantum Leap Winery, East End Market, Txokos Basque Kitchen, and McFadden’s teaching lab. Each stop includes tasting opportunities and hands-on experiences. Tours can be customized based on group interests, and a guide travels with guests from start to finish.
New to Chicago, Bowery and Bash provides luxury rentals for events. Owner Katie Ernst, who also runs home interiors company Revision Home, rents out stylish, vintage-inspired pieces such as silver mirrored bars, cowhide rugs, Asian coffee tables, and club chairs from the original Playboy Club.
EatWith, a San Francisco-based global platform that provides alternative dining experiences with local residents and chefs, has a private-dining venue in the city. Called Test Kitchen, the space seats as many as 24 guests or holds 40 for receptions; the site can also host cooking classes.
For people who find their meeting spaces too cold, Kimpton’s South Florida hotels will lend out pashminas. The pashminas, offered in two colors, come with a style guide that shows how both men and women can wear them. The thoughtful amenity is available at Epic Miami; Surfcomber Miami, South Beach; Vero Beach Hotel & Spa; and Tideline Ocean Resort & Spa, Palm Beach.
Located in New York, artisanal dessert catering boutique Bake-tique 212 has been a favorite of event professionals since 2013, but the shop is now expanding to serve a wider clientele like at-home hosts. The bakery specializes in events such as charity affairs and birthday parties, with a menu of unique treats like ghuvikelz (a filled pastry), one-bite smidgens with marshmallow and chocolate, and mini pies that are the size and shape of a cookie.
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.
The Steampunk-theme gala took place at the Carlu in Toronto on March 4. The evening featured a unique bar sponsored by digital marketing agency Ecentricarts. “Modernist Cocktails,” prepared by Barchef, included a concoction called the "Steampunk Snow.” The drink was made with elderflower “snow,” cubes of black licorice, basil sprouts, gin and chamomile, violet gel, and aromatics of grapefruit.
This year's January 9 gala in Miami had less of a backyard-barbecue feel than previous iterations, with a look modeled on a French garden. Greenery, high hedges, silver tones, and amber lighting all added to the sophisticated, outdoorsy vibe. The event took place at the YoungArts Campus and Wow Factor handled decor. Starr Events also worked on the benefit.
The Chicago art museum celebrated the opening of its new exhibition, "Van Gogh's Bedrooms," with a 450-guest gala on February 20. HMR Designs handled decor, and worked with Frost to create projections of the artist's works that surrounded the dining area. The idea was to let guests feel as though they were dining inside a Van Gogh painting.
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.
Create a virtual celebrity photo opportunity with Air Graffiti Dallas’s new augmented reality technology. The new system, which launches this summer, is intended for brands that are looking for ways to leverage their celebrity endorsement contracts. Air Graffiti Dallas shoots a brief video of the celebrity in advance, for example, walking into the shot, waving, or bouncing a ball. At the live event, fans stand in a designated photo area, and the video of the celebrity is virtually added to the image. Guests receive copies of the images, which can include sponsor branding, to share via email, text, or social media.
Photoboxx is a social media printing station for parties and events. When guests post their photos to Twitter or Instagram using a designated hashtag, the Photoboxx printer automatically prints a hard copy. Hosts can customize the background color of the prints and also add graphics or logos. They can also choose whether to display or hide information such as username, profile image, and comments. After the event, Photoboxx provides a report on hashtag usage, impressions, and reach.
The SloMo Lounge from Air Graffiti Dallas turns four seconds of video into a 30-second slow-motion playback. The system uses a high-speed, high-definition camera to record guests interacting with one another and with quirky props so the playback can reveal funny facial expressions. Guests receive a copy of the video, and they can select stills from it to print on site; all the content is shareable via email, text message, or social media. The activation can be set up in a 10- by 10-foot area and can be done with a plain white, black, or green screen backdrop.
Add a splash of bright colors to event photos with the Neon Video Booth from Foto Master. Guests stand in front of a dark backdrop and use an LED spray can or pen to create virtual doodles. A camera in front of the guests uses an algorithm to detect and track the LED light. The resulting image of guests and their artwork can be saved as a video or turned into photos, GIFs, or flip books, all with brand logos and messages. Hosts can choose the color and size of the neon pen.
In Chicago, Event Creative rents out a charging table. With a built-in display shelf, the table also provides a work space and power outlets. The piece can be customized with corporate colors or brand logos, and it's available at three heights: lounge, seated, and highboy.
Blueprint Studios' Charging Cube doubles as a branded accent table and a charging station.
At Diffa Dining by Design at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart in November 2015, doodling was encouraged at the table designed by Allsteel and Henricksen. The design incorporated pages plucked from adult coloring books, and centerpieces held crayons and colored pencils.
