As one of the official sponsors of Internet Week, Microsoft had plenty of opportunities to showcase its wares to technology enthusiasts and press at the panels, exhibitions, and parties that filled the agenda June 6 through 13. But, in a bid to turn more heads and illustrate the application of its array of consumer lifestyle products, the electronics corporation hosted a stand-alone reception on June 14, inviting about 200 reporters from a broad cross-section of media to a decor-heavy setting at the Altman Building. Unlike the sleek white environments Microsoft has built for past hardware and software previews, the setting for this event was intentionally decked out with furniture, colorful backdrops, and various accessories, a look crafted by style blogger Heather Clawson of Habitually Chic.
With a space divided into a series of vignettes, the tech giant and Clawson sought to provide context for the latest consumer gadgets and digital solutions. Four residential-style tableaux flaunted software for computers running on Windows, a space modeled after a coffee shop and outdoor café displayed cell phones operating on Windows Phone 7, and several gaming stations were assembled in another section to flaunt the motion-controlled gaming console Kinect for Xbox 360. Microsoft also littered the site with personal touches, such as framed photographs highlighting key moments from 2010.
To complement the distinct areas of the reception, Shiraz Events set up several stations. A table doling out candy in branded bags stood between the kids' room vignettes, cones of different flavored popcorn were handed out from a station beside the Xbox section, and a bar served cocktails in the café space. Additionally, waitstaff passed a variety of savory and sweet hors d'oeuvres, including grilled herb chicken paillard with artichoke mousse, preserved lemon, parsley, and ficelle; seared scallop with sweet corn puree and spring onion on buttered toast rounds; and wine-soaked chocolate cake with ganache and a dried hibiscus petal garnish.