For a wedding at New York's Wave Hill in June, Jes Gordon of Proper Fun created a pink-and-white color scheme for flowers, which ran down the length of the tables.
In 2010, Modern Luxury Brides magazine hosted a showcase at the Ritz-Carlton, Chicago. The cover of the then-current issue—which showcased pink and peach tones, tulle, and chiffon—inspired the look of the cocktail area. A photo of the Eros statue in London decorated the bar. HMR Designs handled decor.
In October, the women's board of Chicago's Field Museum hosted a gala with a China theme. HMR Designs employed rosy-hued decor that included pink uplighting on pedestals lining the dining room. Frost handled the lighting.
Carasco Photography hosted "Brides, Bubbles, and Bliss" at Chicago's Bridgeport Art Center in 2013. The bridal event showcased tabletops from different vendors. Ashland Addison Florist created a hanging table strewn with hundreds of pink and white orchids.
For a P.C.M.A. event in Chicago in January 2015, Kehoe Designs created a mirrored bar with a backdrop in the shape of the Chicago skyline. Pink and blue lights bathed the structure. The event took place at the Museum of Science and Industry.
In 2011, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation brought its annual Hot Pink Party, a signature fund-raising event, to the Museum of Fine Arts Boston. Brooks Brothers donated pink-striped linens, which added a playful touch to tabletops.
The Ritz-Carlton, South Beach hosted an event-industry gathering dubbed "Dripping in Diamonds" in winter 2014. Each room featured the work of a different design firm, and Blooming Events International designed the "Perfect Diamond" room in blue hues.
Inspired by the ceramics of South African artist Ruan Hoffmann and murals by Rebecca Rebouche, interior designer Alexis Givens created a moonlight feast setting for Anthropologie at Diffa's Dining by Design event in March. The ceiling covering was made from bright blue-painted recycled plastic bottles, and pink flowers decked the tables.
In June, Event Creative gave the summery gala a blue-and-white decor scheme. Bunches of pale blue hydrangeas decorated the dinner tables.
Kehoe Designs provided decor for a private reception at the Art Institute of Chicago in winter 2014. The event featured blue spotlights cascading down the wall in a snowy pattern that matched the season.
In 2009, the Chicago museum hosted a blue-hued event to celebrate its diamonds exhibition. To underscore the theme, Frost created a video of falling diamonds that measured 50 by 660 feet.
Paula Biggs, creative director and stylist at Frog Prince Paperie, designed a baby shower with a "pink birdie" theme in 2013. Decked with birdhouses and an elegant birdcage, the sweets table contained treats in an array of soft pinks. It held raspberry mousse with fresh whipped cream, petit fours, meringues, cupcakes, chocolate brownie truffles, and apothecary jars filled with rosy candies.
"Movies have historically made a big impact on event themes. We’ve all planned and attended our fair share of The Great Gatsby, Moulin Rouge, and Alice in Wonderland parties," said Sarah Miller of Austin-based Caplan Miller Events. "One [movie] that I am personally looking forward to [in 2016] is Tim Burton’s Alice Through the Looking Glass. Event professionals, dust off all your Alice in Wonderland props. It’s back!" Miller also thinks the Ghostbusters remake could translate into more '80s-theme parties, and the slew of new superhero movies will likely mean more action-packed bar mitzvahs.
"Film is always a fun and engaging theme, but with the likes of Kung Fu Panda 3, Finding Dory, and Moana, planners can have fun and use bright, lively color palettes, interactive entertainment, and catering that has a whimsical touch. This also creates an opportunity for an event to be family-friendly, as many corporate events are finding ways to include attendees' families when appropriate," added Gina Wade, president and owner of event production company Gina Wade Creative in Los Angeles. As for 2015's year-end blockbuster, Brian Worley of Santa Monica-based full-service event production company YourBash thinks Stars Wars "will become the barometer for bringing all ages together. As we saw with Moulin Rouge and Gatsby, both movies were highly visual and were the inspiration for many events after their releases. Star Wars, with all of its visual eye candy, will provide a totally new and futuristic genre for event decor."
In terms of tunes, Joel Beckerman predicts a back-to-basics trend. "Look at the popularity of live Broadway musicals on TV, and with us rounding out the year with the phenomenon that is Adele’s album 25. There’s no doubt that natural-sounding vocal performances are back 'in' again. No autotune or sophisticated vocal processing here," said the founder of New York-based Man Made Music, a strategic music company specializing in sonic branding. In addition, Rihanna recently announced a new string of concerts—the Anti World Tour. Produced by Live Nation, the shows will kick off on February 26 at Viejas Arena in San Diego, with nearly 40 shows lined up in New York City, Los Angeles, Toronto, Chicago, Vancouver, Washington, and more. Samsung is the presenting partner on the North American leg of the tour, while PUMA is a supporting partner. Plus, Kanye West and Katy Perry are set to release new albums in 2016.
In 2016, the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute benefit will take inspiration from the museum's spring exhibition titled "Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology," which explores the impact of technology on fashion—from the sewing machine to 3-D-printed garments.
While the Met has always drawn upon historical movements for its gala themes, a new-old figure has made his presence known. "The cultural phenomenon that is [the Broadway show] Hamilton will continue to steam roll forward. I don’t remember a time when Broadway was the obsession on so many people’s lips in the way that this production and [composer] Lin-Manuel Miranda are. When we talk about potential performance talent for future projects, the conversation now has Lady Gaga and Lin-Manuel Miranda in the same sentence. Pretty fabulous," said event designer David Stark. Other Broadway shows event planners should have on their radars include Steve Martin and Edie Brickell's new musical Bright Star, and Waitress with music and lyrics by singer Sara Bareilles.
"The Summer Olympics [which take place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, during August 2016] are always a great starting point for an event theme. And with Rio's colorful heritage and their world-famous Mardi Gras celebration, I have a feeling that this will translate into many themed parties all over the world," said Worley. "Rio is such a culturally exciting city with lots of elements you can play off of for events." In addition to the South American city, Cuba will also spice up 2016 with lots of Havana Nights parties, added Worley. "As U.S. and Cuban relations continue to grow and more people are traveling between the two [countries], many will get inspired from the fantastic culture that Cuba has to share. Cuban food, the throwback to the '50s that resonates with the Cuban culture, and bright colors will lend themselves to creating visually stunning and tasty events."
The continuing global unrest and recent acts of terrorism, though, will make safety a major concern and spur an increase in security measures, such as more metal detectors at public gatherings. But Stark thinks that the "global and political polarization will oddly enough inspire people to create social occasions that, in extreme contrast, are warm, cozy, bring people together, celebrate differences, and are culturally rich in traditions, foods, music, and customs. Events are the perfect place to celebrate exoticism. That’s what makes them experiences." On the flip side, expect the presidential election to bring out patriotic red, white, and blue decor at events.
Stark predicts that frosty grays and cement, winter whites, dusty roses, olive greens, deep purples, and metallics will be popular colors in event decor in the new year. And Pantone's colors of the year—Rose Quartz and Serenity—may inspire more than just baby showers. The company said that the tranquil, soothing hues represent a cultural desire for “colors that psychologically fulfill our yearning for reassurance and security.” The company also said the colors reflect a cultural shift toward blurring gender lines in fashion.
From a decor standpoint, Stark predicts a hybrid of two trends—natural and industrial—will be big in 2016. Think weathered meets smooth, bohemian meets organized, Coachella meets C.E.S.
"Could the top-selling concert ticket in 2016 be a hologram?" asks Beckerman. In November, the Apollo Theater in New York launched a show starring a holographic Billie Holiday. A hologram of Whitney Houston is also slated to hit the road in 2016, plus a holographic comedy club show featuring performances from deceased comics like Richard Pryor will debut in Jamestown, New York. "This is not just audiences thirsting for the past, but to be emotionally moved by artists and spectacle," said Beckerman. Plus, expect virtual reality to remain a huge trend, with the release of the Oculus Rift headset in the first quarter of 2016 (it's a consumer version of the headsets that have been prevalent at many 2015 events); price is reported to be around $300.
Event pros can generate buzz leading up to and surrounding an event with custom emoji. New York-based Swyft Media has been creating custom sets since 2012. Acquired by Monotype early last year, the company frequently works with companies and entities to come up with on-message emoji.
New York-based Eleni's Cookies is among the catering providers incorporating emoji into food presentation. Cookies that imitate the widely recognized happy face emoji are obvious crowd pleasers—and they can be customized with corporate messaging.
Beyond dotting furniture with emoji pillows, organizers can find other ways to add physical representations of the digital icons to the decor. At its Streamy Awards party, Fullscreen hosted a millennial-heavy crowd. In a conceptual twist, Caravents created so-called “emojis in the wild”—accompanied by a well-promoted hashtag of the same phrase—which involved small animal figures placed within the decor throughout the space. The move was meant to encourage guests to share their subtle observations.
At South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, last year, BuzzFeed's BFF Clubhouse offered an emoji fortune-teller. By looking at the most recently selected emoji on guests’ own smartphones, the fortune-teller picked the person’s fortune. The slip of paper, similar to one found in a fortune cookie, included an emoji recommended for guests to use more.
When the Watchmen movie premiered in 2009, emoji were not yet a part of the public consciousness. However, the Los Angeles premiere party’s animated video effects suggested a way to use modern-day emojis: Happy faces lit up two 15-foot circular screens for a larger-than-life audiovisual effect.
