Talent

“Getting 29Rooms launched was by far the biggest challenge," Gelardi explains. "It was really hard to get people to understand the concept, to get sponsors on board to help finance it, and to prove that people would come to an art warehouse party all the way in Greenpoint [Brooklyn] during New York Fashion Week.”

The inaugural Teen Vogue Summit, held in Los Angeles in December 2017, gathered more than 500 young people for two days of activism and empowerment-theme talks, panels, and sponsor activations. Erica Boeke and her team at CNX designed the event with Generation Z and young millennials in mind, using a cheery white, yellow, and orange color scheme. 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.

On-theme photo ops throughout the space were designed to be social-media-friendly. Near the main stage, a step-and-repeat evoked buttons with phrases such as "Women's rights are human rights" and "Love wins."

The summit was the culmination of two months of meet-ups held around the country, aimed to bring the content to as many Teen Vogue readers as possible—especially those who couldn’t travel to Los Angeles or afford the main event's ticket price. At the meet-ups, a video booth asked attendees how they plan to change the world.

At the meet-ups, guests were able to attend two-minute mentoring sessions with the event’s speakers, including former Teen Vogue editor in chief Elaine Welteroth. The summit itself also offered mentoring sessions.

Erica Boeke

Housed in a 30-year-old warehouse in Los Angeles, Two Bit Circus's decor is designed to be imperfect and nostalgia-inspiring, with irregular detailing, mismatched wood textures, and simple string lights. A main draw for the public is the arcade area, which has 27 different games. While many of them resemble typical arcade games, most are infused with updated technology that allows the content to be switched out as needed. Many of the games also require some level of physical exertion, such as the Twister-inspired Button Wall, which gets the heart rate going and encourages interaction.

In one area, a robot bartender creates and serves drinks. (A human bartender is on hand to interact with the robot and make sure nothing goes wrong.) The venue also serves what organizers call “farm to circus cuisine”—fresh, organic twists on traditional circus food. Signature drinks are also designed to be an experience, incorporating elements like fire and liquid nitrogen.

Roughly 20 percent of the venue is made of up virtual-reality experiences. While some are solitary experiences, organizers really wanted to focus on the group capabilities of VR. In the Hologate, for example, four people can team up to fight robots.

Eric Gradman (left) and Brent Bushnell

Outstanding in the Field’s pop-up dinner parties are known for their single long table and stunning locations on farms, beaches, mountaintops, and more.

One exception was a dinner during the Los Angeles Times Food Bowl Night Market in May. Instead of a rural location, Outstanding in the Field popped up in the middle of Los Angeles's Grand Park.

Jim Denevan