design studio

FoxTales’ gravity-defying StoryRoom is a rotating 360-degree visual experience. The room and video camera rotate in unison, creating the illusion of guests crawling up the wall and dancing on the ceiling. For Comic-Con International in July, the New York-based experiential marketing firm customized the StoryRoom with branding for FX’s comedy-drama Atlanta.

A sand sculpture near the arrivals carpet bore the Shark Week logo and was topped with a detailed likeness of a toothy shark.

At the event, which was held during the Television Critics Association summer press tour, sharks appeared to stalk slowly about the Beverly Hilton pool, thanks to moving projections.

Moving projections on the Beverly Hilton's white wall showed imagery related to Discovery's Shark Week programming.

Sponsor Volkswagen brought in a custom red shark cage, a contraption that will be part of Shark Week on-air.

Candy shark fins topped on-theme cupcakes from Washington's Georgetown Cupcake.

Custom upholstery on chairs showed off Shark Week imagery.

The 80-foot screen hung on a curved truss in front of the columns in the National Building Museum’s Great Hall.

The “Land, Sea, and Sky” theme of the National Geographic flag inspired an array custom tables and toppers, including glacier ice sculptures. Syzygy Events International created the custom pieces for the event.

Lucite tables were filled with natural objects like sea shells.

Living plants served as centerpieces on select tables.

Iconic, high-definition National Geographic images and video clips were displayed on projection screens during the 125th anniversary gala dinner and program.

For the program’s finale, the 80-foot screen projecting high-definition National Geographic videos and still images flew up in a four-second reverse Kabuki drop, revealing the Society’s Explorers-in-Residence, photographers, 2013 Emerging Explorers, the Washington Symphonic brass, and six gala awardees: explorer and filmmaker James Cameron, National Geographic Bee moderator Alex Trebek, oceanographer Sylvia Earle, scientist and author Edward O. Wilson, philanthropist Howard G. Buffett, and BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner.

The inspiration for the massive screens originated from the opening ceremonies of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Black-out lids were used for the gala, which had never been done before at the National Building Museum.

Illuminated Lucite boxes etched with maps of the world hung over the bar in the reception area. The lower rim was outlined in iconic National Geographic yellow.

National Geographic fellow and chef Barton Seaver worked with Occasions Caterers for the gala’s three-course menu.

A new art piece on the festival grounds called "Mirage," envisioned by festival art curator Paul Clemente and created and executed by experiential design and media company Pearl Media Productions, took the form and architecture of a mid-century Palms Springs mansion, standing at 40 feet tall, 80 feet wide, and 100 feet long. A total of 12 zones of high-tech HD projections made it appear that changing activities were taking place inside the home's rooms and its pool. The project requires 18 gigs of custom content and more than 70 facets of individual video over the course of the six-day festival.

As the night wore on, the sand was filled with the imprint of the American  Express logo from the flip-flops.

Ideal for company picnics and outdoor festivals, the mobile zip line from NY Party Works lets guests of all ages fly overhead. The line from the New York-based company accommodates two people at a time and travels at 21 miles per hour and as high as 300 feet. The zip line’s spring-based system slows down the landing, using a hydraulic decelerator to lower the thrill-seeker to the ground. The zip line is currently permitted for events in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Pricing, including staff, is from $3,795 for four hours.

Attendees took part in intimate “tent talks,” where speakers like Colin Cowie hosted small groups for informal discussions over a picnic lunch inside tents provided by Shelter Company.

In a new take on the traditional photo backdrop, guests bounced on a trampoline before having their photo taken. Side rails around the custom station kept guests safe.

A 20-foot-long interactive wall of letters in the lobby gave guests an opportunity to create words.

Reminiscent of an artist's studio, a table for CS Interiors designed by Casa Spazio with Atelier Turner had paper walls, ample brushes, and open jars of paint. Guests were encouraged to get creative and add to the background mural.

At Gensler and Herman Miller's vignette, the dining table was surrounded by walls covered in thousands of Hershey's Kisses wrapped in purple foil. Attendees were invited to take one as a symbol of the "many hands it takes to spark positive change."

Select Lucite tables served as aquariums with water and plant life inside.

A 30-foot-diameter floral chandelier made by Set Masters decked the yellow dining pavilion under a clear-top tent. Wolfgang Puck Catering's custom menu included on-theme treats, like flower-shaped cookies that seemed to bloom from flowerpots. DJs Spider and Daisy O'Dell spun for the crowd. Town & Country handled the rentals.

At the Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic, a collection of six marigold chandeliers filled the V.I.P. tent ceiling, each standing eight feet high and made from thousands of strands of silk marigolds in the brand's recognizable yellow shade.

To celebrate her partnership with Garnier and the brand's latest product launches, brand ambassador Mandy Moore hosted a girl’s night event in May at the Hills Penthouse in West Hollywood. As part of the evening’s activities, guests could personalize Unemployed Denim jackets, which were custom made with white paint splatters and pink-stripe detailing. Pins and patches such as flowers, lips, and animals were available for guests to add to their jackets. Plus, as a way to tie in brand elements, patches of the various fruits like bananas, coconuts, avocados, papayas, and goji berries found in Garnier’s new hair masks were up for grabs.

New York-based the Neon Tea Party works with brands to create customized projects, such as D.I.Y. pearl earrings for Dial’s recent product launch event. The earring station was created to promote the household brand’s Pearl Essence 2-in-1 products. The Neon Tea Party founder Marisa Morrison can be on site to assist guests in creating their crafts.

White flowers and manzanita branches spruce up the Whole Foods Market South Loop's Tablescapes design.

Details for both shows from Tommy Hilfiger included gates branded with the designer’s initials set in iron and a square-shaped brick runway bordered with gravel and artificial maple trees.

Fox launched its fall programming with a casino-style kickoff party decked out in autumnal decor.