10 New Products & Ideas for Winter Events

Kimpton RiverPlace Hotel recently launched its “Maker Menu” workshops, in collaboration with Portland, Oregon’s local craftspeople, from upholsterers to distillers. The two-hour-long offerings include Build Your Own Bitters with Portland Bitters Project ($120 per person); Terrarium Workshop with Portland Bloem ($110 per person); and Build Your Own Sham with Revive Designs and Upholstery ($120 per person), where guests learn how to hand-stitch buttons onto take-away shams. The teambuilding activities, which can be customized, are designed for a maximum of 50 people and include food and drink options from King Tide Fish & Shell.

Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry recently unveiled its new daytime backstage tour, including an immersive film shown inside a custom-built theater called the Circle Room. Hosted by Opry members Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood, the film experience takes fans on a journey through the eyes of the artists who have performed on the Opry stage and features archival footage along with iconic songs and concert-like special effects. Built by experience design and production agency BRC Imagination Arts, the Circle Room, which is named after the Opry’s famous circle that sits at center stage, is part of the venue’s $12 million expansion and renovation project that also includes a new V.I.P. room, retail store, and enhanced food and beverage options. Tour pricing starts at $33 for adults.

Miami-based Ronen Rental’s new Meadow sofa ($350 each) features simple lines with a maple plywood base and solid cushions and seats up to four people. It’s available for rent in South Florida and Orlando with gray or cream cushions.

Lip Smacking Foodie Tours has expanded to the Los Angeles area. The Santa Monica-based culinary tour—specifically designed for private and corporate groups of 15 to 70 people—allows guests to sample food from the Bungalow Santa Monica, Elephante Beach House, Meat on Ocean, and Herringbone. The company also runs tours in Las Vegas and San Jose, California.

The Chicago Architecture Biennial, the largest exhibition of contemporary architecture, art, and design in North America, kicked off on September 19 and runs through January 5, 2020, with its central exhibition located in the Chicago Cultural Center. Free and open to the public, the third edition, which is titled “...and other such stories,” features exhibitions, full-scale installations, and programming, as well as new and commissioned projects from Forensic Architecture and Invisible Institute, Wolff Architects, Mass Design Group, and Theaster Gates. And it also highlights issues ranging from public housing to social justice to the environment.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Just Bars’ LED Acrylic Swirl collection includes high-top tables ($100 each) and bar stools ($40 each) in RGB color choices. The rental items can be set to display one color or can rotate through the range of shades. Or for a clear option, simply turn them off. The LED lighting lasts for eight hours, and the bars and tables use a charging system similar to a cell phone.

Wolfgang Puck Catering has expanded to the San Francisco market. The off-premise catering company, led by celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, is available for both social and corporate events; it's the preferred caterer at the Regency Center, the Terra Gallery, Fort Mason Center, and more.

New photo service startup Shoott connects customers to professional photographers, offering packages that start at $15 or less, including a 30-minute photoshoot at select locations. The service is also available for events, with pricing starting at $185 per hour for the first hour and $150 per hour for subsequent hours. Digital galleries are delivered in three to five business days and include 40-plus high-resolution, lightly edited photos for every 30 minutes of shooting. Shoott is currently available in Austin, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego, San Francisco, and San Antonio.

Sherman Oaks wine bar Augustine has launched Augustine Wine Car, a 10- by 20-foot mobile wine bar that can travel to events and festivals in Los Angeles and throughout California. The stylish 1960 Ford Grumman-Olson van can serve beer, wine, and small bites; all event staff and bartenders are included in the rental fee.

Abbey Road Entertainment, an event rental and entertainment company in Toronto, recently added the Giant Floor Piano to its catalogue. The oversized piano features keys lined with LEDs, which light up when guests step on them. The company also provides performers who play a number on the piano prior to opening up the floor to guests, and an attendant is on hand to show guests how to play basic music. Pricing is $2,750 (Cdn.) for up to four hours, plus delivery fees.