At the Walrus Foundation gala, the shape of the city skyline also appeared in lights along one wall of the venue.
Glamour magazine and Facebook are planning a series of live events to reach young women this election season. The initiative was announced at a launch party that took place in March at the P.O.V. Lounge at W Washington, D.C., hotel. Donkeys, elephants, and the Glamour and Facebook logos were emblazoned on the lemons and limes used to garnish drinks.
Social content publisher TheAudience hosted an event where sponsor Wildfox offered swag from a claw machine.
New York's annual tasting event took place April 25 at 225 Liberty Street in Battery Park. A wall of orange helium balloons featuring the No Kid Hungry logo served as the backdrop for the event's main photo booth.
This year's Social Media Marketing World took place April 17 to 19 at the San Diego Convention Center. At the opening night party, attendees played “Networking Bingo” by gathering Twitter handles of fellow guests that met the criteria indicated in the boxes. All completed cards were entered in drawings for prizes such as a ticket to the 2017 conference or a free annual pass to the Social Media Examiner membership site.
The Turner network hosted its annual Upfront party at New York's Terminal 5 on May 18. Guests entered the event through a water-like 3-D projection.
On July 22, Revolve helped launch Moet & Chandon’s new Ice Imperial Rosé at the Watermill home. Hosted by style star Olivia Palermo, guests enjoyed the rosé while wandering through the Moet Secret Rosé Garden. Decor included a greenery-fronted DJ booth with social media handles and hashtags spelled out in Scrabble-style tiles.
Colorful cutouts with expressions designed in comic-book font were set up throughout the space.
Selffee’s technology uses edible food coloring to print directly onto coffee, cold drinks, cupcakes, cookies, and more. After guests take a selfie, their high-quality image is printed on the treat and is available to eat almost immediately. Selffee is available in the New York City area for social or corporate events.
Keep a Child Alive’s Black Ball, which was held in October at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York, evoked the spirit of '80s activism, when the fight against AIDS began, and paid respect to those who acted during that time. The decor reflected the theme with elements such as a glow-in-the-dark graffiti wall and street art-inspired linens, programs, and graphics. In addition, for the first time the event was live-streamed on Tidal. The evening raised $2 million for children and families with H.I.V. in Africa and India.
Beauty brand Kiehl's celebrated the launch of its new facial cream with a beach-theme event on January 5 at Bleecker Event Hall in New York. The facial cream’s natural ingredients—manuka honey and Korean red ginseng root—inspired various decor elements, including honeycomb cubbies that served as coat check storage. Entertainers also roamed the space dressed as bees.
Max Ultimate Food
A graduate of Boston University with a degree in hotel and restaurant management, Matthew Donegan considers living and working in Paris as his biggest career break. Upon returning to the United States, he owned and operated two restaurants for 10 years and worked at the Catered Affair before joining Max Ultimate Food in Boston. There, his catering roster includes prestigious venues and fund-raising events for nonprofit organizations, such as the Boston Ballet gala, the DeCordova Museum gala, and the Perkins School for the Blind gala.
Chocolate caramel tortes with bubble truffles, mini cappuccino shakes, and a wand to blow edible bubbles
"Catering is a true collaboration … and it takes a village. And you have to be willing to take a risk. Sometimes my staff thinks I’m crazy for trying certain complicated menus for large events. My comment is always ‘you can’t stump greatness.'"
Pinch Food Design
Known for his innovative approach to plating, Bob Spiegal is in constant demand to cater prestigious New York events, such as the Whitney Museum’s fall gala, New York Philharmonic’s opening in the park, and the Cooper Union gala. He embraces the idea of one-bite food served without traditional silverware and plates, making Pinch a go-to caterer for unconventional presentations.
Formaggi, prosciutto, salumi foccacia, and Italian pickles served on a clipboard
"We wanted guests to have the same experience [of a traditional trattoria], but at an event. The clipboard was logical because it held the butcher’s paper, which had the menu printed on it."
Rather than only using traditional floral centerpieces, RJ Whyte Event Production opted to make breakfast breads and accompanying spreads on round stones the focal point of the tables for the Washington Performing Arts’ Inauguration Weekend Brunch on Sunday at the Hay-Adams hotel.
Another installation was a forced-perspective art piece created by Michael Murphy. Titled "Suspension of Disbelief," the installation was created by hanging a variety of household items strategically to spell out the title of the series. Attendees could stand on a floor marker to see the materials align perfectly to spell out the title in FX's style.
The event also included a faux food truck that served poke bowls and shrimp chips. AJ Strasser from Sculptural Solutions provided the New York-theme decor.
Upfront Ventures hosted its fifth annual summit on February 1 and 2 at the Event Deck at L.A. Live in Los Angeles. Produced by RG Live Events, the event featured two interactive LED light tunnels that led to a custom-built theater.
The second Chicago-theme menu is Nuts on Clark, a summer-inspired display that offers popcorn, nuts, and more as an homage to Clark Avenue, which is two blocks from Wrigley Field. The display offers a variety of popcorn toppings and mix-ins including caramel, chocolate, and garlic olive oil, candy and nuts, and flavored seasonings including ranch, cheddar, and sriracha. Beverages include bottles of Americana-brand flavored soda.
One of the primary functions of a name badge is to increase conversations and networking. For the ninth iteration of the Engage! luxury-wedding business summit, held in Las Vegas in 2012, name badges served as an icebreaker: The number of crystal charms on the tag identified how many times the badge-wearer had attended an Engage! conference. Veteran attendees had nine balls, while first-timers had one.
The pop-up featured a group of large butterfly murals that represented the Metamorphosis collection.
The San Francisco Symphony held its opening-night gala on September 5 at San Francisco City Hall. The gala’s Grove Street after-party, which was designed by Blueprint Studios, featured a wall of doughnuts that formed the shape of the symphony’s logo.
Authentic Brit fare by Design Cuisine included savory scones and biscuits, fish and chips, grilled lamb, and Yorkshire pudding. The lush, vibrant florals were provided by Philippa Tarrant and Twigz.
On August 25, the 100th anniversary of Leonard Bernstein’s birth, Tanglewood Music Center in the Berkshires in western Massachusetts commemorated the composer who was an alumnus and faculty member at the academy. The special centennial gala party featured giant drum chandeliers by Rose Brand with photo panels of the late Bernstein.
Canadian Opera Company’s sixth annual fund-raiser took place November 1 at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto. Gala attendees dined on the venue’s stage, against a backdrop of pink, red, and white flowers that mimicked the floral centerpieces on the tables. The event was designed by the company's special events team.
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.
Swedish banking company Klarna held its first U.S. event on January 31 at the Michelson Studio in New York. The event, which was produced and designed by Sequence Events, had a photo booth where guests could wear a shaggy brown coat and stand in front of a fan, mimicking a Klarna ad starring an Afghan dog. The booth, from Smilebooth, printed lenticular photos and offered videos for social sharing. Oversize props came from 11th Street Workshop.
