The John F. Kennedy Center Opera Ball took place May 21 at the Organization of American States in Washington. For the event, in which the Washington National Opera celebrated a diamond anniversary, Occasions Caterers and Design Foundry created a custom hanging dessert buffet.
Hamptons magazine kicked off its 38th season with a party on May 28 at a private estate in Sagaponack, New York. The event, which was organized by the magazine's event director, Joanna Tucker, celebrated Memorial Day issue cover star Drew Barrymore and new products from her wine and beauty brands. The unique floral centerpieces, designed by Lawrence Scott Events, were inspired by Barrymore's new fragrance called Sunshine, which is a bright citrus floral fragrance with the catchphrase "captures liquid sunshine in a bottle."
Keeping with a Memorial Day theme, Lawrence Scott Events catered the event with summer-inspired bites, including a giant barrel filled with colorful fruits and vegetables.
The 141st Preakness Stakes took place May 21 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore. For the first time, Pimlico operator Stronach Group hosted its Owner's Chalet, which was inspired by an English country estate, in the infield. The outdoor space featured four fire pits, pea gravel walkways, and topiaries.
The Owner's Chalet featured multiple specialty bars including a Luc Belaire Rosé bellini bar, which offered several juices and purees of peach, mango, raspberry, and tangerine.
Chanel turned the Paseo del Prado in Havana, Cuba, into a runway for its Cruise 2017 "Coco Cuba" show on May 3. Guests were chauffeured to the show in more than 100 brightly colored 1950s American convertibles rented for the evening. The vintage cars of Cuba appeared as a print on several gowns, including a flowing dance dress that featured candy-colored prints of Buick, Oldsmobile, and Cadillac cars.
For the BuzzFeed’s NewFronts event, which was held at the Skylight at Moynihan Station in New York on May 2, Portland-based creative and production studio Dot Dot Dash designed and produced a multimedia environment featuring playful vignettes, including a kitten with laser vision and lots of emojis. The presentation took place on a custom-built stage and included three main projection screens and 25 individually projection-mapped orbs.
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.
Univision hosted an Upfront luncheon at Gotham Hall in New York on May 17. Guests could test out their bilingual skills at a recording booth presented by Flama, an English-language digital video site that offers short-form content and series. The activation was a live version of a comical video shown during the presentation.
MTV's Upfront presentation took place at Skylight at Moynihan Station on April 21. Foregoing a traditional theater format, the music network created a pop art trade show called “Buy MTV” with interactive booths for upcoming series and initiatives and a faux storefront featuring limited-edition MTV collectibles.
