Galas

The Boston institution hosted its opening night gala in late September. The decor was loosely inspired by the symphony's Shakespeare-related programming this season, and a dinner table was laid out in a way that mimicked the shape of an English garden.

At its 2012 Modern Ball, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art paid homage to the artist Picasso. Inspired by some of the painter's imagery, decor from Stanlee Gatti included centerpieces meant to resemble Cubist guitars.

At its 2014 fall fashion event in Los Angeles, Macy's erected a step-and-repeat that featured albums from the '70s and '80s, as well as suspended records. The entrance underscored the event's overarching rock 'n' roll theme.

Event staffers passed out guitar-shaped cookies as favors at the ballet's 2011 gala at Embassy of the Russian Federation in Washington. The dessert played off the evening's rock-inspired decor from Syzygy Event Productions.

At the TV channel's 2010 music fest in Brooklyn, Ultimate Lighting provided thematic gobos of the event logo and musical notes for the tent ceiling.

In 2013, Macklemore's hit song “Thrift Shop” was topping charts. When investment banking company Roth Capital Partners held its 25th annual Orange County conference at the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, it brought the rapper for headline entertainment. Elite Productions International played up the performance with an overall thrift-store theme. Mismatched pillows and seating groups contributed pops of color—and a thrift-store vibe— throughout.

In 2014, the Los Angeles Philharmonic's annual benefit was dubbed “A Celebration of John Williams: Opening Night Gala Concert.” Inside the dinner tent, Shiraz Events' decor included blown-up replicas of Williams's score for “Soundings.”

Piano prodigy Lang Lang headlined the Ravinia Festival's Benefit Gala in Chicago in 2013, and Jewell Events Catering prepared a thematic feast. For dessert, a chocolate piano was filled with passion-fruit mousse, then set on a starburst-shaped display of sauces.

In 2013, the Boston Lyric Opera hosted its annual gala on October 4. The evening included a performance of The Magic Flute that was set in the Mayan ruins of Mexico. Dancers from the Touch Performance Art Group escorted guests between the two venues, and some dancers dressed in Aztec-inspired costumes.

In 2013, The Phantom of the Opera celebrated its 25th anniversary with a masquerade ball at the New York Public Library. Inside, a projected image of the Phantom mask illuminated drapes. Low lighting in red and blue hues added to the eerie, almost ethereal look.

At a screening of the James Brown biopic Get on Up in Washington in 2014, André Wells incorporated such objects as old-school-style microphones and records into floral centerpieces to channel the movie’s musical premise.

The premiere's step-and-repeat included the show's multicolor title illustration created with giant 3-D letters.

Elderflower liqueur brand St-Germain partnered with creative director Lily Kwong for the Los Angeles debut of Maison St-Germain, which took place August 2 at the Houdini Estate. The event had a magical realism and botanical fantasy theme, with decor elements that included a white silhouette of a house with hanging florals.

Keeping with the botanical fantasy theme, servers with painted florals on their arms and hands served St-Germain cocktails from behind bushes. 

Cupcake Wines had an activation that let guests pose inside a prop wine bottle that was surrounded with bubbles. 

On the other side of wall, guests were invited to spray paint messages of political resistance. The graffiti wall by Jokubas Nosovas/Nikitas Broukakis & Sam Khoshbin entitled "Too M@ch Talk," was a colorful counterpoint to the black and white of the opposite side. 

Lollapalooza returned to Chicago's Grant Park from August 3 to 6. Between stages, festival grounds offered plenty of props for guests to pose with—including a giant fake lollipop in the festival's signature blue-and-orange hues.

Summer-staple games—including ping-pong—were also readily available on festival grounds. 

More games, including an oversize Connect-Four board, could be found in a family-friendly area known as Kidzapalooza. 

Some brands incorporated old-school games into their activations. Godiva, for instance, had a giant Plinko-style drop board. Depending on where their game chips landed, guests could win prizes such as tote bags, keychains, or free ice-cream treats. 

In State Farm's #HeretoHelp lounge, guests could charge their phones and study up on local charities. The lounge also hosted charitable activities. On Sunday, for example, guests could make dog toys for a local shelter. 

In another Jane Says challenge, guests used their body heat to try to win free T-shirt prizes from a frozen block of ice. 

Pepsi brought its "Zero Chill House" to festival grounds. The fun-house-style activation invited guests to jump into a pit of foam blocks in the soft drink's signature hues; guests could also grab prizes. 

On Saturday night, Lucky Brand hosted an off-site event at the Freehand Hotel. BMF Media Group produced and designed the event, which had a '90s house party theme and featured a performance from Brandy. The event took over several rooms, turning them into '90s-style bedrooms filled with posters for Nirvana and other bands of the era. In the room, music from bands like Smashing Pumpkins played, and guests could pick up beers in red Solo cups.

Conveniently located at the Beverly Hilton’s Circa 55 restaurant and Aqua Star Pool, which are situated directly outside the ballroom where the Globes are held, HBO’s bash is often the first stop on the Globes party circuit. The event was overseen by HBO’s Cindy Tenner—who continued her longtime collaboration with event designer Billy Butchkavitz and his brother Brian Butchkavitz—and featured a palette of golds and orchid with geometric patterns inspired by 1960s art. Images by Lighting handled lighting, and animated 3-D projections by Bart Kresa completed the look.

The red carpet immediately presented the event decor themes, with geometric patterns on the walls, a palette of gold and orchid, and a series of oversize gold vases. Agile Eye Solutions provided all large-scale decorative elements.

Upon entering the Netflix party, guests were offered a glass of wine by hands coming from a Netflix-branded wall. They also could stop by a shoe valet, and trade in their heels or dress shoes for a pair of slippers.

For this year’s event, Stoelt Productions ditched the traditional gala format, instead creating mini “studios” based on those at the Inner-City Arts campus so attendees could experience what the organization offers its students. The event was held at City Market Social House in Los Angeles in October.

At this year’s event, held at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto in November, guests enjoyed a dinner created by Nota Bene executive chef David Lee on the stage of R. Fraser Elliott Hall. A close-up shot of roses was projected on the large screen behind them.

Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum honored the 2018 National Design Award winners with a cocktail reception and award ceremony at the museum’s Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden in New York in October. The decor by David Stark Design & Production was inspired by Cooper Hewitt’s exhibition “Tablescapes: Designs for Dining” and featured gravity-defying light fixtures made from chairs and a red-carpet backdrop of plates.

In October, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County and Arsht Families hosted its children’s Imagination Ball. The afternoon event featured immersive activities and a light and dance show by iLuminate on the Lynn Wolfson Stage of the Ziff Ballet Opera House.