Event Ideas!

At the Kohl's Launch of Juicy Couture, an elaborate press wall of roses was inset with a sparkling logo. The event took place at the John Lautner-designed Sheats-Goldstein residence in Los Angeles in September.

In January, Ross Mathews and the Happy Egg Company feted California's Proposition 2 (mandating that eggs sold in the state must come from hens with larger cages) with an event that included cutouts of chickens placed on the yellow arrivals carpet for 3-D effect. The event was at West Hollywood’s Palihouse.

Pandora hosted its first "Hearts of Today” honoree luncheon at the Montage Beverly Hills in November, where a decorative press wall had logos framed in purple roses set against lush hedging.

In 2013, Chandon hosted its American Summer Soiree in New York with a step-and-repeat backdrop that included a dense collection of inflatable pool toys, including those in shapes of blue whales, pink flamingos, and flowers, alongside logo beach bags, balls, bottles, and chairs.

The Museum of Modern Art’s annual Party in the Garden in New York in 2013 had a modern, tropical motif. Accordingly, the arrivals backdrop included plenty of greenery, which was accented with logos from MoMA and sponsor Cartier.

Vogue Eyewear's Los Angeles launch party for its campaign with Eva Mendes in 2013 had a playful feel throughout. A step-and-repeat wall made up of logo balloons arranged in a rainbow grid set the sunny, colorful tone for the alfresco affair.

For the New York premiere of Columbia Picture's Bad Teacher in 2011, a 130-foot step-and-repeat area got 3-D touches in the form of classroom-style elements, including school chairs, desks, and red apples.

The Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic is known for its whimsical decor done in the brand's signature yellow-orange color. In 2013, the Los Angeles event included a vintage flower-stand-style step-and-repeat. In addition to flowers, bottles were potted like plants and logo plaques on wooden sticks were planted in moss.

At Christie's “Green Auction: Bid to Save the Earth” in New York in 2012, the arrivals area was dominated by a wall of live plants. Many of the flowers used—including phalaenopsis, clovers, cabbage, ferns, and ivy—were replanted following the event.

A 2013 event partnership between jewelry and accessories brand Stella & Dot and liquor company Midori resulted in a 3-D press wall enlivened by emerald green colored objects—accessories from the line like sunglasses and necklaces, alongside the brightly colored bottles.

One way to get an event's message out is to write it in a way that's too big to miss. The Angelina Jolie movie Salt premiered in Los Angeles in 2010 with 12-foot-tall letters that spelled out the film's name in eye-catching graphic form.

The Friday portion of the summit started and ended at the TOMS headquarters in Los Angeles (pictured). In addition to a series of workplace immersions, the day included a celebration of Teen Vogue's 21 Under 21 list and live karaoke with castmembers from Pitch Perfect 3. TOMS was chosen because its spaces matched the day's creative, entrepreneurial vibe.

During the Saturday event at 72andSunny's headquarters, guests were greeted by signage saying "Hello, are you ready to change the world?" that immediately set the tone for the day. At check-in was an inspiring quote from poet and artist Cleo Wade, who was also a speaker at the conference. All signage was designed by 23 Stories and produced by Premier Displays & Exhibits.

The overall event, which was held mostly outdoors at the 72andSunny campus in Playa Vista, had a white, yellow, and orange color scheme, creating a clean, sunny vibe. In the main-stage seating area, fuzzy bean-bag chairs were scattered throughout, and a larger-than-life Teen Vogue sign provided a popular photo op. Most furniture rentals were provided by PBteen, and supplemental rentals were by AFR Event Furnishings and Town & Country Event Rentals.

For the opening keynote session on Saturday, 17-year-old actress and activist Yara Shahidi interviewed Hillary Clinton. Clinton repeatedly emphasized the importance of getting young people to vote in the 2018 midterm elections. “We are facing a concerted effort to turn back progress. … This is not some abstract civic engagement. This is a burning house,” she said. “The fire’s not that big yet and there still is a lot of time to put it out. It will only be put out by people standing up, claiming their rights and their values again—and getting out to vote.”

Near the main stage, a step-and-repeat evoked buttons with phrases such as "Women's rights are human rights" and "Love wins."

Erica Boeke, the vice president of experiences for 23 Stories, said it was important to Teen Vogue to find like-minded, socially conscious sponsors, and to integrate them in a way that felt natural. The result was various stations set up throughout the event’s main walkway, marked “Style,” “Create,” “Read Up,” “Play,” and more. Each area had activities and merchandise from sponsors including Facebook Messenger, LifeWtr, Juicy Couture, and more.

PBteen created comfortable seating vignettes for themed conversations and mentoring sessions. Areas were dubbed "Innovator Lounge," "Activist Lounge," "Woke Lounge," and more.

Sponsor Urban Outfitters teamed up with Teen Vogue editors to create a series of empowering tote bags, shirts, hoodies, and buttons. The products were adorned with phrases such as "Resist the Gaslight" and "This is what a Teen Vogue reader looks like."

On-theme buttons were also available at several places throughout the event, providing a fun—and social-media-friendly—keepsake of the day.

Attendees could add the buttons to their name tags, which were adorned with the hashtag #Goals.

Several photo ops throughout the summit reinforced the event's vibe of activism—and encouraged social-media sharing.

Playstation hosted a gaming lounge to promote the “Girls Make Games” initiative, a series of international summer camps and workshops designed to inspire the next generation of game designers and creators.

Sponsor Facebook Messenger created a wall where attendees could "send a message that matters" by leaving notes of encouragement and love.

Inspirational and educational phrases such as "Start your own shit" and information on equal pay adorned the conference's walls.

Speakers on the main stage included Gwenyth Paltrow (left) and Girlboss founder Sophia Amoruso (right).

One of the video booths was built around a new lipstick called “Lady Business.” Guests sat at a desk and faced a mirror to record their stories, which were then shared on social media.

Designed around Luxe’s bright new Riley linen, the vibrant, summery table was a team-up between Jennifer Naylor Catering & Special Events and Mark’s Garden.

Rentals came from Theoni Collection and Premiere Party Rents, while Andrea Davis created hand-painted menus. Luxe Linen’s Amalfi napkins in Coral, Rosa, and Naranja were also on display.

Longtime Luxe Linen partner Premiere Party Rents provided most of the table, chair, decor, and flatware rentals for all tables throughout the evening. The company also had their own table, where it showcased a new hardwood table from its collection. Celebrate Flowers and Invitations designed elegant pink and white florals for the table, and Luxe’s Pink Beads napkins completed the look.

The bright table by Nicole Alexandra Designs and Emblem Flowers was designed to resemble a bowl of colorful fruit punch. Emiko Woods created the backdrop design, and Luxe’s Amalfi linen in Rosa was used.

The table runner was Luxe’s Floral Path design in Tutti Frutti, and Cut It Lab created laser-cut name cards.

Empty Vase handled design, production, and florals for an eye-catching table inspired by Palm Springs. The table used Luxe’s Retro (Pucci) Zig Zag in the Caribbean color, alongside the company’s Mermaid Iridescence napkins.

A team-up between Michelle Garibay Events and Florals by Isabelle, the Mexico-inspired table used Luxe’s colorful Ikat Marmalade linen and Amalfi napkins in Naranja.

Appropriate for a baby shower, the table was designed by Hilary Hamer Weddings & Events with florals by Avant Garden. Luxe Linen’s Wiggle linen in Mist was used.

Premiere Party Rents’ place settings added to the pastel color scheme, and Fantasy Frostings created mini personalized cakes.

A romantic tabletop used Luxe’s Enchanted linen in Mist. It was designed by Natalie Sofer Weddings & Events with florals by Butterfly Floral & Event Design.

A fun, Coachella-inspired table featured design and production by Percy Sales Events and florals by XO Bloom. Rachel Brown created specialty bird-theme art, and Luxe’s colorful Santa Maria linen was featured.

Using Luxe’s Villa Tile linen in Blue, the table by Sterling Engagements and Shawna Yamamoto Event Design offered a darker, elegant take on the tropical theme. With a name that translated to “garden of dreams,” the backdrop spelled out “Never Stop Dreaming” in purple neon. Chiavari Chair Rentals provided the chairs.

The dream-theme continued to the place settings, which featured writing by Calligraphy Katrina and colorful treats by Fantasy Frostings.

An under-the-sea-theme table, which featured an actress dressed as a mermaid, offered a fun take on a girly birthday party. Designer Bluebell Events and florist the Hidden Garden used Luxe’s Oodles linen in Candy Floss, plus the appropriately named Mermaid Iridescence napkins. Hollywood Candy Girls provided candy for the table.

A summery tabletop by Vanessa Michelle Co. and floral designers Oak & the Owl used Luxe’s McGregor Nautical and Shell Amalfi linens.

Mark a milestone event with a jukebox record sleeve and faux vinyl 45 from RedBliss Design. Pricing is available upon request.

Add a touch of whimsy to events with an easy, breezy dream catcher invite from Southern Fried Paper. Pricing is available upon request.

Lucky Luxe offers a selection of pretty handkerchief designs, which can be customized with various ink colors. Pricing is from $721 for 25 invites with return-address envelopes.

Deliver event details with a bang with the toy pistol invitation from Southern Fried Paper. Pricing is available upon request.

Take inspiration from the tropical wedding invitation by Coral Pheasant, which incorporates a bag of Costa Rican coffee beans in honor of the destination locale. Pricing is available upon request.

The colorful boxed invitation from Southern Fried Paper puts an artful twist on a racing ribbon. Pricing is available upon request.

For a 1960s-theme party, RedBliss Design has created a custom mini guitar complete with its own carrying case. Pricing is available upon request.

Give guests a blast from the past with a classic viewfinder from Image3D. Pricing is from $375 for the master reel setup and from $3.25 for each additional reel, plus packaging and viewfinder costs.

At the House of Kim Crawford—a fashion-focused event on August 3 in New York—a golden balloon installation designed by Jessica Fels Event Production and Design and executed by Mixed Greens Events created an eye-catching focal point. The summery event, which also featured bottle art installations, a fortune-cookie tree, and a silhouette-artist station, was produced by Fels and Shadow.

At the Unicef Hope Gala in Chicago in April, designers put an elegant spin on a childlike theme by creating a canopy of suspended neon Slinkys above the dance floor.

For a Coca-Cola event at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a ceiling installation design was inspired by a burst of bubbles exploding from a Coca-Cola bottle. The installation lit up in gold whenever athletes won a gold medal.

Skincare brand La Roche-Posay's street promotion in 2013 brought a colorful suspended installation of branded parasols to New York's Madison Square Park.

At the Friends of the High Line spring benefit in 2014, more than 1,000 linen panels hung from the ceiling in the dining room. Designers dip-dyed them by hand in a dozen inflatable children's pools, and they changed color based on the lighting.

The Museum of Modern Art in New York honored writer and director Alfonso Cuarón at its 2014 film benefit. Large metal sculptures, trimmed with LED lights, were suspended from the ceiling of the museum's lobby.

For the Blaffer Art Museum’s annual gala in Houston in April, creative studio Matter designed a gilded meteor shower ceiling installation using NASA space blankets—an idea inspired by the event’s space theme, as well as the metallic trends seen on recent fashion runways.

A table at Diffa Dining by Design in Chicago in 2013 had a canopy of twigs and a wraparound scene of birds flying in a blue sky, giving the vignette a calming vibe.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s 2015 Costume Institute celebrated all things Chinese. To create a feeling of intimacy in the expansive Engelhard Court, designers lowered the ceiling to 14 feet by hanging nearly 200,000 stems of wisteria overhead.

More than 5,000 T-shirts created a colorful canopy overhead at the Jewish Museum’s Purim Ball in 2014. The custom tees were painted with tongue-in-cheek takes on classic slogans, like "Frankie Says Relax It's Purim" and "Got Spiel?"

Chicago hosted the U.S. Travel Association’s IPW conference in 2014. At the splashy opening-night party, hanging letters and signs served to divide the space and add a sense of intimacy throughout.

At the 2012 Screen Actors Guild awards after-party in Los Angeles, a diamond-shaped, draped ceiling treatment created a dramatic effect.

At Diffa Dining by Design in New York in 2015, Smartwater's space aimed to reflect the brand's natural water purification process, which is mirrored after rain clouds. The fluffy fixtures lit up like a storm above the simple table setting.

For the Food Network's 20th anniversary party in 2013, dozens of prop macarons made from Styrofoam were rigged to create a 10-foot-tall chandelier that hung over a dessert station.

For a destination wedding in Big Sur, California, producer and designer Sterling Engagements suspended a 12-foot dream catcher decor piece above the dance floor.

At the New World Symphony gala, held in Miami in March, decor included hanging floral installations made up of white flowers, moss, and driftwood.

At a New York bar mitzvah, 400 luminaries filled with LED candles were hung from a large oval truss on the ceiling to create a supper club atmosphere.

For the Whitney Museum of American Art’s final gala in the historic Breuer Building in 2014, dining room decor included hanging paper lanterns with the names of honorees.

Designers of the 2009 Bell Gala in Toronto evoked a fairytale theme with oversize flowers and playing cards hung from the ceiling.

At Diffa Dining by Design in Chicago in 2014, inner tubes suspended from the ceiling were one of many playful touches at the tropical cabana created by Kehoe Designs.

As part of U by Kotex's Period Projects, a multiyear program and project series aimed at changing the way people think about periods, the brand debuted a "period pop-up shop" in New York in May. The event featured a ceiling installation created with dangling tampons.

Dramatic chandeliers created an elegant tone at the MSNBC White House Correspondents’ Dinner party in 2012.

For the 2011 Design Exchange gala in Toronto, hundreds of balloons hung from the ceiling during the V.I.P. dinner. The space changed color with each course, starting with blue, morphing to pink for the main course, changing to orange for dessert, and ending in red.

At the 2012 Steppenwolf Gala in Chicago, script pages from the theater’s recent production hung from round chandeliers on the ceiling.

Akos Orosz, bar manager at craft cocktail bar Westbound in Los Angeles, is known for making a hot Christmas Tree Punch with Becherovka, one of his favorite herbal liqueurs. He combines it with cranberry, lemon, and pineapple juice, then adds a dash of bitters and a handful of pine tree needles before warming it up.

“Punches can be a little more user-friendly to people that aren’t in the mood for such a strong cocktail,” says Ann-Marie Verdi, co-owner and beverage director of Los Angeles’s the Bellwether. “We make the perfect punch for fall and winter by infusing tequila with fresh cranberries, really capturing the colder season’s best flavors.” The punch is known as the #5 Cocktail on the menu.

Bartender Noel Bughao of the Ballantyne Hotel & Lodge in Charlotte, North Carolina, serves up the Last Leaf, which contains Maker’s Mark Private Select bourbon, sour apple liqueur, pomegranate and lemon juices, and a syrup made with cinnamon and cardamom; it’s garnished with a spiced apple chip. “The result is a memory of home—the leaf is a tribute to fall and [leaves] falling.”

“This has a lot of the appeal of an Irish coffee, but with more delicate, nuanced flavors,” says Morgan Schick of the San Francisco Proper Hotel about the Mile End Toddy, which contains rye whiskey, Cointreau, and Earl Grey tea with marmalade. “The pithiness of the marmalade and the floral notes in the Earl Grey make a nice counterpoint to the rich vanilla and toffee of the whiskey. Perfect for looking out over the fog next to a fire.”

“During the winter months, I love working with Dram Pine Syrup. It can be incorporated into so many different types of cocktails and personifies the taste and smell of the season,” says Teodora Bakardzhieva, partner and beverage director at Publico Kitchen & Garden in Boston. “The pine garnish [of the Pine Old Fashioned] brings that element of surprise and delight to the cocktail that makes it memorable for guests.”

“Love it or hate it, pumpkin infusions are here to stay,” say Parker Boase and Gregory Lucas of Liquid Lab NYC. “We personally like to pair it with egg whites to give it that frothy consistency and additional spices for an added kick.” The Allspice Pumpkin Flip contains spiced rum, five-spice pumpkin syrup with allspice and pumpkin spice, fresh lemon and pineapple juices, plus an egg white.

Adil Yamin, beverage director at Heirloom Hospitality in Detroit, serves up a RyeChai with WhistlePig 10-year rye whiskey, Averna Amaro, angostura, and hot chai tea. It’s garnished with angostura and Averna-infused whipped cream, a cinnamon stick, lemon spiral, and shaved dark chocolate.

Mixologist Kristy McKinney at the Havana Beach Bar & Grill at the Pearl Hotel in Rosemary Beach, Florida, offers up a flight of eggnog concoctions, including Eggnog Brulée with Bulleit rye whiskey, whipped cream, and turbinado sugar; Havana Nog with Coco Lopez cream of coconut, Appleton Jamaican dark rum, pineapple juice, and freshly toasted coconut; traditional eggnog; Merry Cherry Eggnog with Spring 44 gin, Luxardo maraschino liqueur, and whipped cream; and Eggnog Espresso with Kahlua, Godiva white chocolate liqueur, and espresso ganache.

The Hesitant Elephant cocktail at Cindy’s in Chicago contains Rittenhouse rye, Sailor Jerry rum, Campari, Averna, cold-brewed coffee, cinnamon, and fresh citrus juices. It’s then topped with Edmund Fitzgerald porter.

The High ‘n Dry cocktail from mixologist Leigh Lacap at Campfire in Carlsbad, California, combines gin, Douglas fir bitters, blanc vermouth, Indian tea, and cucumber.

“Around the holidays you’ll find most bartenders diving into ingredients that are both seasonal and have the ability to really bring people back to holiday memories,” says Brian Stewart, Belvedere Vodka’s U.S. mixology ambassador. “Warm drinks that use ingredients including nutmeg, cinnamon, apple cider, and cranberries are very popular as the temperature dips. I had a pear tree in my backyard growing up that had a rosemary bush right under it. Because of this, winter herbs with sweet fall fruit remind me of home, which is why you see that combo a lot in my cocktails.”

Zellers threw a farewell party produced by Candice & Alison in November as the Toronto retailer got ready to shutter all its stores after 61 years of business. A massive, four-sided bar was covered in enlarged newspaper clippings from 1951, the company's opening year.

At the Whitney Museum of American Art’s annual Art Party in New York, producers MKG hung black and white lanterns over the main bar.

Also at the Whitney Art Party in June, the hallway bars had illuminated displays composed of hundreds of individual lightbulbs that served as backdrops.

Turner Broadcasting Latin America presented its newest lineup at New York’s Jazz at Lincoln Center in October. At the preshow cocktail reception, Triton Productions cloaked the space with LED backdrops and placed a 40-foot-long bar made of ice on one side of the room. Behind the bar, a performer on a platform acted as the focal point.

For the launch for Absolut's new sparking wine-infused vodka in New York, event designer Nicky Balestrieri of ExtraExtra tapped Confetti System to create silver Mylar installations spelling out the product's name to hang over the bar area.

Target hosted hundreds of shoppers at a pop-up store for its Shops at Target program in New York in September. As a whimsical way to incorporate a bar into the event, the production team at ExtraExtra built a diner-style coffee shop set.

Showtime hosted the second-season premiere of its drama series Homeland aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York in September. Glowing lanterns made the central outdoor bar easy to spot from afar.

One of the bars at the Design Exchange’s DX Intersection event in Toronto had an eclectic decoupaged look.

Following the premiere of The Amazing Spider-Man in Los Angeles in June, guests headed to an outdoor party designed by 15/40 Productions. The premiere party's central bar in the round got a reptilian look inspired by the film's villain.

Samsung launched its Galaxy Note II in Los Angeles with an event at interior designer Kelly Wearstler's private home. Event Eleven constructed a futuristic-looking bar and food buffet that sat on an LED-lit platform.

The theme of the Emmys Governors Ball in September was "A Romantic Rhapsody in Red" and saw the Los Angeles Convention Center's West Hall designed to look like the inside of a red rose. Red rose petals were suspended in the sculpted ice bars, sponsored by Grey Goose.

BrownHot Events partnered with Mille Fiori Floral Design to create an 8- by 20-foot paper flower backdrop for the V.I.P. tent bar at the third annual Veuve Clicquot Polo Classic in Los Angeles in October.

At a Cort Event Furnishings preview event at Washington's Four Seasons Hotel in March, designer Richard Carbotti used some of the company's rentals to create an Asian-themed bar area.

Food festival Chicago Gourmet took over Chicago's Millennium Park in September. Event Creative was tasked with building out the tents that housed tasting bars for brands, including Constellations Brands' "Passport to Wine" tent, where the designers accented the white bar with faux boxwood hedges.

For the grand opening of Mariano's newest Chicago location in October, Kehoe Designs arranged for a disco-themed soiree inside the supermarket. To bring a Studio 54 vibe to the space, the designers used shimmering bars and disco balls for the decor.