The Santa Barbara channel area of the Mission Creek Gala also incorporated ocean elements, with large shells used as floral vases. Hogue & Co handled the evening’s floral design.
Photo: Baron Spafford
TEDActive in Palm Springs, California, in 2013, had a similar idea: Buttons with blank fields labeled "Talk to Me About ... " invited guests to write a short list of topics they love or are knowledgeable about, to encourage meaningful mingling. Attendees could attach the buttons to their existing badges. The independent TED-style event TEDxWaterloo in Canada, takes it a step further, leaving titles and company names off of name badges. Instead, organizers leave 40 characters on the badges for attendees to finish the phrase “I'm chasing … ,” which gets conversations started among attendees on a deeper level.
Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash
