Taste Talks Brooklyn
At the All Star BBQ at East River State Park on September 11, Aberlour whiskey served festivalgoers custom cocktails from a branded bar designed by its agency. The bar had doors reminiscent of the brand's distillery in Scotland.
Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash
'Finding Dory' Premiere
Disney-Pixar hosted the U.S. premiere for Finding Dory at El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood on June 8. The all-ages party shared a blue carpet with the arrivals line, which featured sand art for an on-theme, festive tie-in.
Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images for Disney
A balloon backdrop behind a glowing bar set the stage for the Institute of Contemporary Art's 75th Anniversary Gala’s after-party in November 2011.
Photo: Liz Linder
A stilt walker outfitted in a balloon spaceship greeted fans at the world premiere of Disney’s Tomorrowland, which took place at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, in May 2015.
Photo: Jesse Grant/Getty Images for Disney
Hermès threw a beachside party in Palm Beach, Florida, in March 2013 with balloons wrapped in the luxury brand’s silk scarf prints at the entrance.
Photo: Matthew Carasella
At the Friends of the High Line’s opening summer benefit in June 2009, held at the Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers, hundreds of green balloons hung overhead in the cocktail area; the attached strings were intended to look like blades of grass.
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash
Self-taught “balloon twister” Addi Somekh makes unique, larger-than-life balloon installations, such as the pink poodle that greeted guests at the event registration area at BizBash Live: The Expo Los Angeles, which took place in July at the California Market Center. In addition to funky decor, Somekh can provide live demonstrations for events, creating balloon hats and inflatable crowns custom-designed for guests’ personalities and style.
Photo: Michele Kyle Photography for BizBash
In April, event designers Tinsel & Twine created an ethereal balloon canopy installation for a media party introducing LeSportsac's latest bag collection at the Glasshouses in New York; the balloons were reflected in the mirrored-top tablescape.
Photo: Courtesy of LeSportsac
For its 20th birthday, Old Navy held a “selfiebration” in Times Square in October 2014, complete with a “balloon billboard.” Covered with 1,000 custom balloons, the 15-foot billboard was created by Deeplocal, which referred to the creation as a “selfie machine.” The marketing agency’s software grabbed images from Twitter that had the “sefliebration” hashtag and rasterized the photos to display them on the billboard via inflated balloons.
Photo: Deeplocal
Balloon Express constructed a floating, multicolored display for the Wildfox pool party in the Boulan South Beach pool during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Swim in July 2014.
Photo: George Martinez
The cocktail reception at the Canadian Cosmetic, Toiletry, and Fragrance Association’s annual Mirror Ball fund-raiser, held in November 2014 at Toronto’s Liberty Grand, included a silent auction and a balloon burst from sponsor Hudson’s Bay; the balloons contained prizes, such as gift cards. The gala benefits two programs—Look Good Feel Better, a workshop for women with cancer that provides makeup and skincare products, and FacingCancer.ca, an online support community for women with cancer.
Photo: George Pimentel
At a Vogue Eyewear launch party, which was held at a private home in Los Angeles in March 2013, a wall of colorful branded Mylar balloons served as an eye-catching step-and-repeat.
Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Vogue Eyewear
Chicago-based Balloons by Tommy creates a wide range of balloon decor installations, including centerpieces, arches, bouquets, sculptures, and more. For a wedding at Ovation in July, the company designed a floating wall of balloons in various sizes. Pricing ranges from $250 to $20,000, depending on the style and size of the installations.
Photo: Courtesy of Balloons by Tommy
S’mores Hot Chocolate
The S’mores Hot Chocolate from the Carolina Inn combines two campfire favorites. The Chapel Hill, North Carolina, property makes the drink with both Mexican chocolate and white chocolate and lines the rim with graham cracker crumbs. A brûléed marshmallow garnish tops it off.
Photo: Courtesy of The Carolina Inn
27. Warming Cocktails
“The signature cocktail is the ‘Winter Warmth’—a blend of Belvedere vodka, sweet vermouth, milled cherry juice, and eggnog froth with a dusting of nutmeg and a star anise garnish.” Cocktail from Shiraz Events in Miami, New York, Los Angeles and London
Photo: Courtesy of Shiraz Events
Hot apple cider with spiced rum, garnished with apple slices, cranberries, cloves, and cinnamon sticks for stirring, by Paramount Events in Chicago
Photo: Courtesy of Paramount Events
Domenic Chiaromonte used a molecular product called transglutaminase to create square pieces of chicken which he then dipped in red candy gooseberry plum sauce.
Photo: Nikki Leigh McKean for BizBash
'Food & Wine' Best New Chefs Event
At the culinary event at New York's Pranna on April 2, large marquee letters spelling out "Food & Wine" surrounded a lounge area.
Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash
Two by Two for AIDS Art Gala and Action
Todd Events designed the October 2013 event at the Rachofsky House in Dallas. "The black-and-white theme was selected because every year the event has an honorary artist," said a rep for the company. "The artist from last year worked in a black-and-white medium for his art pieces, so we played the event decor off that." Tables were decked with striped linens and glassware that reflected the theme.
Photo: Roderick Peña
The Walrus Gala
Books and the printed page inspired the Walrus Gala in Toronto in January. The black-and-white color scheme carried over into decor elements such as festive cocktail straws.
Photo: Tom Sandler Photography
The Phillips Collection's Gala
At the 2007 event in Washington, designer David Tutera wrapped napkins in paper filmstrips to create an old Hollywood look.
Photo: Anne E. Stewart/BizBash
In January, W magazine hosted its It Girls event, hosted by Lynn Hirschberg in partnership with Stuart Weitzman. The event took place at Los Angeles’s A.O.C., where rustic chairs lined a simple, white-clothed table, topped with squat arrangements of colorful blooms and little else.
Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for W Magazine
The second annual Dinner by Design presented by Caesarstone in support of Casey House and Design Exchange took place in Toronto in 2016. Guests to the exhibition viewed 12 original dining installations by Canadian designers, including a striking white set-up topped with a vivid colorful centerpiece that spilled from a clear sphere.
Photo: Ryan Emberley
Elle’s annual Women in TV celebration took over West Hollywood’s Chateau Marmont in January. The residential-like, understated hotel is not known for events with over-the-top decor, and accordingly, Elle’s event relied on candlelight and understated flowers for a dramatic look against glass windows.
Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Elle
To commemorate Harper’s Bazaar’s 150th anniversary, the magazine hosted what it dubbed the 150 best-dressed women around the world at a January event at L.A.’s Sunset Tower hotel, where candles in glass vessels of varying heights surrounded the pool.
Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Harper's Bazaar
In November, A.F.I. Fest presenting sponsor Audi hosted a private dinner in Los Angeles. Letting the Hollywood Roosevelt rooftop's visual drama speak for itself, the dinner set-up included a simple, unclothed table set with monochrome white chairs and flowers.
Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Audi
The second annual Variety and Nickelodeon 10 Animators to Watch event took place in Los Angeles in May. Sterling Social created the event’s look with a sleek, minimal white palette, allowing the animations and lighting on the sound stage to bring in the pops of color.
Photo: Courtesy of Nickelodeon
In October, InStyle presented its second annual awards at the Getty Center in Los Angeles. A black and white motif created a sense of elegance and intimacy for the A-list crowd.
Photo: Courtesy of InStyle
For the Blaffer Art Museum’s annual gala in Houston in 2016, a ceiling installation used NASA space blankets to mimic the look of a meteor shower using only a simple, repeating material.
Photo: Max Burkhalter
At its seventh annual film benefit in 2014, the Museum of Modern Art honored writer and director Alfonso Cuarón. The Academy Award-winning director's movie Gravity served as a design inspiration for the event’s interpretive design: Suspended from the ceiling of the museum’s lobby hung large metal sculptures trimmed with LED lights. The effect was dramatic, although the decor pieces took simple geometric forms in only black and white.
Photo: Cornelia Stiles/BizBash
In November, Rolex feted the 40th anniversary of its Awards for Enterprise in Los Angeles. The presentation took place at the Dolby Theatre, and afterward a large screen lifted to reveal the dining area, which was set up right on the Dolby’s stage. Producer and designer Bounce-AEG played up the fact that the dinner took place on an actual theatrical stage, choosing Edison lightbulbs as the major design feature: Suspended at all different heights over diners, the lights resembled a starry sky. The decor element added drama while being simple and unfussy.
Photo: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Rolex Awards for Enterprise
This curvy confection from Puff 'n Stuff Catering boasts alternating layers of hazelnut mousse, dark chocolate ganache, white chocolate mousse, and chocolate genoise (an Italian sponge cake), all topped with toasted, crushed hazelnuts and a banana chip.
Photo: Rosy Usmani
A chocolate mousse parfait with chocolate-macadamia crumble from Abigail Kirsch is filled with liquid caramel bourbon and blood orange sauces and is garnished with a toasted macadamia tuile.
Photo: Andre Maier
For a sweet pick-me-up, Relevant Events offers espresso mousse in a chocolate demitasse cup.
Photo: Courtesy of Relevant Events
Puff 'n Stuff Catering’s version of a financier features an almond-chocolate sponge cake coated with dark chocolate flakes and topped with a chocolate hazelnut crémeux.
Photo: Rosy Usmani
