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Based on attendee feedback, organizers learned that attendees wanted more chances to connect. That concept was on display in the popular 29 Questions room, where guests were paired up with strangers to answer a series of intimate questions. Signage outside the space asked guests to put away their phones and "Try our social experiment and tap into the joy of shared humanity."

Another room where strangers were encouraged to interact was called Blind Date With Destiny. Two narrow spaces were connected through small holes in the wall. Guests read a quick tutorial on palm reading, then took turns reading each other's palms—without ever being face to face.

One popular room, called A Long Line of Queendom, celebrated black culture and beauty. A collaboration with Refinery29's Unbothered platform and photography series Unity In Color, the golden space included graffiti such as "ghetto until proven fashionable," "my hair isn't up for debate," and "black AF."

Other highlights of the space included bars of shea butter designed to resemble blocks of gold.

We wrote about Aaron Taylor Kuffner's Sonic Sanctuary room in our New York coverage, but new to Los Angeles was a companion piece called Sonic Shadow. A collaboration with Aye Hasegawa, the large space encouraged guests to put down their phones and experience a contemporary dance experience. The dancers' moves were reflected on the large wall behind them, creating a surreal experience.

Of course, some spaces just wanted to give guests that fun photo op. New for Los Angeles was a room called Claim the Stage, a partnership with Amazon Prime Video's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Guests took photo ops on the stage with their names on the marquee.

Another photo-focused room was called No Filter. Intended to demonstrate how light can transform an environment, the space used two different lighting methods to manipulate light, color, and shadow. The goal, said organizers, was to shift your perception and allow attendees (including Lena Waithe, pictured) to see themselves—and their surroundings—"in a new light."

Speaking of Lena Waithe, a room by the actress and screenwriter was one of the more talked-about experiences. Called Oh Say Can You See, the four-part video discussed life as a black person in America and being trapped between the country's founding promises and the history of discrimination. Displayed on four oversize screens, creating a fully immersive experience, the video traced decades of black protest, black heroes, black art, and black excellence. The video was set to Whitney Houston's rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.

The emotional video ended on an inspirational note, displaying a quote from Greek poet Dinos Christianopoulos.

Another celebrity collaboration was a bit more whimsical. Singer Kesha created Deep Sea Gallery: Welcome to My Mind, a surreal, colorful room that fused sea and space, using plenty of glitter, neon, and props.

Guests were invited to wear space helmets in a photo op.

On the other end of the spectrum, the room Between the Sheet discouraged the use of phones. A guided audio experience with a poem by Rupi Kaur, the space saw guests walking through while picking up, carrying, and ultimately disposing of sand, symbolizing a journey to "leave what weighs you down and make space for love and lightness," according to organizers.

A Different Tune featured musical performances from local Los Angeles choirs who use music and song to unify people from all backgrounds. A collaboration with Glaad, the room aimed to amplify underrepresented voices with performances from the Trans Chorus of Los Angeles and Tonality (pictured).

Continuing the event's activism was the Plan B Hotline, a partnership with Plan B One-Step. Similar to last year's Planned Parenthood display, attendees could pick up the phones and listen to stories of people who have used the emergency contraception.

One of the more branded spaces was from Pantene, called Play, Rescue, Reset. Designed to embrace ideas of play and joy, the colorful room (which included a second area behind a wall of ribbons) offered new ways to wear your hair. “We work very closely with our brand partners in the same way that we do with our artists to create meaningful IRL experiences that leave our audience with lasting memories that will stay with them forever," explained Albie Hueston, creative director of experiential at Refinery29 and 29Rooms, in a conversation with BizBash in September.

Another branded area was Party With the Fun, a partnership with Smirnoff. The space was intended to just be a fun party filled with lush topiaries, dancing drag queens, including Anita Procedure and Gigi Goode, and plenty of vodka.

New to 29 Rooms Los Angeles this year was an AR experience called 29th dimension. Guests could pose in front of colorful backdrops; when viewed through a phone app, graphics from artist Shawna-X created filters that could be shared on social media. The technology was a collaboration with Buck and used Spark AR.

Also new—and just in time for holiday shopping—was a partnership between MasterCard and Fred Segal. MasterCard, the official payment technology partner for all editions of 29Rooms, worked with the retailer to create an immersive ecommerce experience. Using apps and virtual-reality headsets, attendees felt like they were in a physical store, where they could browse gifts from an exclusive collection. The experience was fueled by Next Retail Concepts.