A food wall invited guests to try small mystery bites through different doors, which were labeled with cheeky names that hinted at what guests were sampling. Each bite, which was immediately replaced after a guest took one out of the door, was inspired by food associated with Hilton properties, such as a brownie that originated at the Palmer House in Chicago and a red velvet cake that originated at the Waldorf Astoria in New York. For those with food allergies, a list of ingredients for each bite was displayed to the left of the doors.
To celebrate the premiere of 2 Dope Queens, HBO hosted a slumber party-theme viewing party of the debut episode on January 30 at Public Arts at Public hotel in New York. The event, which was produced by Team Epiphany, offered plush seating, show-theme cocktails, and a blanket customization station.
For Valentine’s Day, photographer Ruvan Wijesooriya partnered with art curation website Absolut Art to turn the underground subway tunnel at 14th Street and Sixth Avenue in New York into a public art installation. The tunnel showcased thousands of Wijesooriya’s photographs of people kissing, as well as photos of bunnies, rainbows, flowers, and puppies. Passersby were invited to select one photo from the installation to take with them.
Metro Events—the in-house venue managers of Pier 35 in San Francisco—partnered with Danielle Gibson Events to plan and design the Camp Pier 35 Showcase, which transformed the venue into a glamping-theme space highlighting 40 local vendors on January 23. Upon entering the event, each guest was given a wooden coin to spend in the “General Store.” The store space—which was designed by Bright Event Rentals and M. Design Styling and Florals—offered camp-theme swag such as beanies, tote bags, candles, homemade granola, and more.
Ahead of Super Bowl LII, Jennifer Lopez headlined AT&T Presents DirecTV Now Super Saturday Night at Nomadic Live on February 3 at the Armory in Minneapolis. Giant boomboxes made with LED lighting came to life when guests pressed the play button, triggering lights, music, and the emergence of dancers who performed routines. They also housed a DJ booth in the “tape deck” part of the boombox, where DJ Myles Hendrik spun tunes for general admission guests. Blue Revolver handled the event’s experiential production.
Relocated after 10 years in the meatpacking district, Scarpetta New York City opened its new location in NoMad at the James New York hotel in February. The signature restaurant concept from LDV Hospitality, the Italian restaurant is known for its pastas made by hand at the restaurant—dishes include taglierini with knuckle clams, leeks, scallion, and caviar as well as a classic spaghetti with tomato and bail—and also offers fish and meat entrées. The main dining room seats 115 or holds 200 for receptions, and a private dining room seats 30. The Bar at Scarpetta seats 52 or holds receptions of 75. A new cocktail lounge, the Seville, is located underneath the restaurant.
Guerlain Spa moved from the Waldorf Astoria New York to the Plaza, opening in late October. The spa, located on the hotel’s fourth floor, spans 6,500 square feet has 11 treatment rooms, including a couples suite. The space is available for private receptions, lectures, and meetings, and can be booked for full or half days. For meetings elsewhere at the hotel, the spa offers options for group wellness. Its 15-minute “feel-good sessions” range from stretching sessions to guided laughing sessions to get blood flowing, reduce blood pressure, and ease stress. The spa can also arrange for speakers on topics relating to health and wellness.
A newly built property, the Embassy Suites by Hilton New York—Midtown Manhattan opened in January in the city’s garment district. The 310-room hotel includes two spaces for small meetings: The Empire Room holds 40 theater-style or 30 in a classroom set-up, and a boardroom seats eight. In April, the property plans to debut the SkyLawn Bar and Social Space, spanning 3,560 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space. The third-floor venue holds 235 guests for a reception.
Instead of serving French fries at a stationary table, Limelight has used a wheelbarrow to deliver Belgian frites at events. The fries are served in cones, and assorted sauces are displayed on the side.
For the Francis W. Parker gala, held in March at the Geraghty in downtown Chicago, Kehoe Designs created whimsical Alice in Wonderland-inspired chandeliers for the independent school's event theme: “Through The Looking Glass.”
Nearly 400 people attended the museum’s annual benefit and after-party in West Palm Beach, Florida, in February, which honored trustee Gilbert Maurer for spearheading the New Norton, the expansion project that’s in its final year of construction. The evening raised more than $1 million to support the museum’s programs and exhibitions.
In January, the National YoungArts Foundation in Miami held its largest annual fund-raiser, the Backyard Ball. The evening honored Academy Award-winning playwright and YoungArts master teacher Tarell Alvin McCraney with the 2018 Arison Alumni Award and featured a cocktail reception and seated dinner catered by Starr Catering Group. The benefit raised more than $1.5 million to support aspiring and emerging artists.
Drink Company partnered with the National Cherry Blossom Festival for its second annual pop-up, which serves thematic cocktails in eye-popping rooms inspired by cherry blossoms, Tokyo streets, and Japanese pop culture. The design of each room was led by Drink Company’s special projects leaders Matt Fox and Adriana Aspiazu. A garden room decorated with boxwood, a variety of florals, and 1,300 monarch butterflies pays tribute to Washington in spring bloom. The pop-up debuted March 1 and is open through April 29 at 1841 Seventh Street NW.
For the seated dinner, the museum’s Samuel Oschin Pavilion was transformed to resemble King Tut’s royal tomb. Video mapping from Bart Kresa Design masked the space shuttle Endeavour, turning it into the dining room’s focal point. The color palette changed throughout the night, from warmer gold tones at the beginning of the evening to shades of blues and purples during dessert service.
"This year, for the first time ever, the event's dinner was actually held in the garden, as opposed to the Agnes Gund Garden Lobby. The greenhouse vibe with the clear tenting, faux grass carpeting, and the cheery springtime colors was an immediate mood-lifter, and fit the 'garden' theme of the annual event perfectly." —Michele Laufik, style editor
Pinch Food Design catered the event. Stations included dessert trays attached to oversize helium balloons. Catering staff guided the balloons through the crowd.
Dave’s Killer Bread held a prison-theme restaurant pop-up January 28 to February 10 in Toronto. The pop-up, which aimed to educate the public about ex-offenders, featured a station where attendees could pick up prison-style phones to listen to the stories of former inmates. Mosaic Experiential Marketing produced the pop-up, which also raised money for two charities that give ex-offenders and at-risk communities a second chance.
In February, the Boston Ballet hosted its annual gala at the Castle at Park Plaza. This year’s event, titled “Juliet's Ball,” featured decor inspired by the Ballet’s spring show, Romeo & Juliet. The event raised $1.7 million, with more than 500 guests in attendance.
In January at the Bomb Factory in Dallas, the Birthday Party Project, which hosts monthly birthday parties at homeless and transitional living facilities across the country, celebrated its own birthday with help from Gifts for the Good Life. The design duo created the Joy Store, in collaboration with Emily Clarke Events, for the event, a pop-up fund-raising station that featured goods, including watches, hoodies, hats, and superhero costumes, for kids and adults with low price points, allowing all guests to participate.
