This year, DirecTV partnered with Pepsi to present a series of events surrounding the Super Bowl. Held at Pier 70, the events were meant to showcase music, technology, and art. The Thursday-night kickoff, dubbed DirecTV and Pepsi Super Thursday Night, featured a concert from Dave Matthews Band. Organizers wanted the concert venue to provide maximum fan engagement and brought in a cutting-edge sound system, arty designs, and projection-mapped photo walls. Murphy Productions built and designed the venue. Kuki Design handled decor.
The Lacoste crocodile showed up on a mini putting green as well as tons of other unexpected places at the party.
Lacoste also put its stamp on coconuts, which were freshly opened on the spot and served with straws.
WTC 860—Riviera at the World Trade Center
Riviera Caterers in partnership with Silverstein Properties launched its versatile event space at 4 World Trade Center in New York in December 2015. The 34,000-square-foot venue on the 68th floor offers 360-degree views of the city, movable walls, and interchangeable lighting for event customization. Riviera provides food, beverage, and culinary design, and partnered with 4Wall for lighting and Patrick J Clayton Productions for event production and design. The venue has hosted events including the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative Gala and the Forbes 400 Philanthropy Summit.
TED2016—The Vision of Infinite Dimensions (The VOID)
Submitted by Procreation Design Works
Procreation Design Works brought in virtual-reality company the Void to activate its multisensory experience for attendees at TED2016:Dream, which took place in February 2016 at the Vancouver Convention Centre. The 5-D activation combined virtual-reality with interactive physical environments for an Indiana Jones-style adventure that allowed guests to engage with storylines and challenges crafted by the Utah-based startup. The experience featured hardware that facilitated body tracking for environmental responses that included temperature, smells, and sounds.
The event's hashtag was presented in giant block letters and located at the central gathering spot for attendees.
#10 Political & Press Event (up from #11)
The seventh annual Peter G. Peterson Foundation Fiscal Summit brought together leading experts and policymakers to discuss fiscal and economic policies for the next president of the United States. Speakers included members of Congress including Nancy Pelosi, Mike Enzi, Sheldon Whitehouse, Lindsey Graham, and Joe Manchin. Also in attendance were Keith Hall, director of the U.S. Congressional Budget Office; Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action; and Heather Boushey, executive director and chief economist at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. Next: May 2017
#8 Benefit (up from #10)
In conjunction with the National Park Service’s Centennial Celebration, the Trust for the National Mall’s ninth annual luncheon highlighted the next 100 years of the National Mall, where the event was held on April 28. Scandal co-star Bellamy Young, who serves as ambassador for the trust, emceed the luncheon, and National Park Service director John Jarvis received the History, Heroes, and Hope Award. The event raised $1.3 million to help restore and improve the National Mall. In 2017, for the 10th anniversary of the partnership with the park service, the trust will host an evening gala, the Ball for the Mall, instead of the luncheon, recalling its former Ball on the Mall event. Next: May 11, 2017
The event’s main installation was 800 floating lanterns assembled like a free-formed chandelier, with a view of the night sky through the clear tent above. Glowing stone walls nodded to the elements inspiring the event: metal, stone, earth, and air. DJ Tendaji spun for the crowd.
Bart Kresa created the event’s animated 3-D projections, and Images by Lighting handled the lighting. Special Event Contractors built the sub floors and pool installation, plus the party’s 24-foot high and 180-foot-long perimeter wall. Billy Butchkavitz worked with his brother, Brian Butchkavitz, on the textiles, custom carpet, tabletop decor, custom furniture, and other details.
The centerpiece of the festivities was a dramatic so-called "Shimmering Pavilion,” floating within the Beverly Hilton's Aqua Star Pool. Floating decor pieces in the exposed section of pool surrounded the pavilion.
Fox partnered with 15/40 Productions for the production of its annual viewing- and after-party.
Below the lantern installation sat the main bar, an onyx grid design meant to incorporate all of the warm tones used throughout the space.
The environment was meant to evoke nature, with a palette of coppers, golds, and silvers, and clusters of yellow forsythias and lush green palms completed the Zen-inspired vibe.
This year’s Xbox Media Briefing took to the Galen Center, with an attendance of more than 4,300 people, including broadcast, print, and online press, partners, developers, and fans. Spike TV picked up the live, commercial-free broadcast, and the event live streamed online as well. The event got an immersive set design from producer Zed Ink that flanked the arena from end to end. An 80-foot center screen changed dynamically throughout the show through massive moving semi-transparent scenic doors that opened and closed to accommodate trailers and demos of varying aspect ratios. Three additional LED screens stood angled on the floor as the backgrounds for satellite stages designed for the staging of multi-player demos and presenters throughout the show.
