Stage Design

The venue's lower level was set up with a maze of angular black seating. Guests found their seats thanks to paths illuminated by diagonal spotlights. On a series of glass screens were projections of multiethnic young faces that delivered a chorus of words once the lights went off and the walls were lit.

Details for both shows from Tommy Hilfiger included gates branded with the designer’s initials set in iron and a square-shaped brick runway bordered with gravel and artificial maple trees.

"I love creating a unique place for guests to congregate and enjoy one another, so I thought, why not create a massive floral carpet that would serve both as a beautiful focal point and a gathering area? I designed a 'carpet' and filled it with hundreds of beautiful blooms and then covered it with Plexiglas. The result was a statement piece that allowed guests to dance on air." —Preston Bailey

"I like the chic simplicity of it. We used crystal and glass elements to make the historic building more modern and fun." —André Wells

"My favorite part about the design was the research trip to Kazakhstan. Since the national color is blue, I created a palette of blue and grey and used elements like cobalt blue mirrors to showcase a modern Kazakhstan, and yellow miniature calla lilies for the bright future they have ahead of them." —Colin Cowie

"We were influenced by our surroundings. We let the decor of Blue Hill at Stone Barns rule our aesthetic, letting nature dictate the design. The hand-hammered copper urn visually grounded the design." —David Beahm

"We imagined what an amusement park would look like in the world of the Simpsons. Attendees loved the way the characters were integrated into the games, and my favorite part was turning Whac-A-Mole into Maggie’s Peek-A-Boo Pumpkins." —Larry Abel

"I find out what will be trending and available to the public around the time of my event—and then I avoid it." —Billy Butchkavitz

"The V.I.P. tent was inspired by the surfboard that is given as the award. Each year it is fun to see what the award will look like and then get to design a space that represents it. This tends to be one of my favorite spaces to design because it allows for lots of color and whimsy." —Brian Worley

"From atop a 20-foot-tall viewing platform, guests viewed a giant optical illusion ‘street’ drawing created by chalk artist Michael Macaulay as well as many other radical art installations, sculptures, performances, and video art pieces." —David Stark

"The second the guests crossed the threshold, they were transported to another world, through the looking glass and down the rabbit hole. We raided Bergdorf’s warehouse and brought scenic elements from iconic window displays over the past 111 years—this was their 111th anniversary after all." —Bronson van Wyck

"The beauty of this design was the bold use of color, which complemented the essence of Picasso’s art without focusing on a specific piece of his work. It allowed guests to step into his world of color." —Jeffry Roick

"We designed a sunset dinner to showcase the New Museum’s Sky Room venue. Top-tier clients mingled in a space designed to convey the experience of watching the summer sunset from a field of foxtail millet." —Garin Baura

"I created a sweep at the rear of the room with a banquette wall covered in slipcovers in boxwood print. At the top of the curve was a waterfall of heather and hydrangeas. The seating in this area had a cocoon-like feeling. The chandeliers are actually painted Formica board in navy with phosphorus tape and
painted interiors." —Todd Fiscus

"One of my favorite things is to take an ordinary space and turn it in to something completely unexpected. The Atlanta Hyatt, which was hosting an elite group of local and national corporate event planners, wanted to serve them dinner in one of the hotel kitchens. To make the space pop, we built floor-to-ceiling chalkboard walls on which we personalized each guest’s apron, laid wall-to-wall carpeting, and, my personal favorite, created one-of-a-kind hanging chandeliers out of plastic flatware. It was a complete transformation from boring to bold." —Steve Bales

"The event showcases student work, which is contemporary with an edge, requiring an environment that celebrates that level of creativity." —Jeffrey Foster

"We designed and built the Kino Bar as an homage to Montreal native Kino Guerin, a master furniture builder and sculptor who bends rigid woods to get beautiful, graceful flow and movement." —Michelle Gubitosa

"We were inspired by the beauty of Boston’s Harbor Islands at sunset, bringing the outside inside in a glass-enclosed tent surrounded by water." —Bryan Rafanelli

"The inspiration was a formal French garden, which originated from the French dances performed that evening. To make the vast space seem cozier we floated panels of lattice with wisteria and smilax over the dinner tables. " —DeJuan Stroud

"We brought Hudson River Park activities to life. We created centerpieces using park activities and surprising facts, and peppered them throughout the room. Together with the playful ceiling and unexpected programming, guests were tantalized from all angles." —Matthew David Hopkins

"We designed sheer white fabric cubes floating low over each table. This produced both an impressive vision and gave an intimacy to the enormous tent. We accented them with summery yet minimal branch projections in a blue-green shade, providing detail and a coolness to the warm evening." —Bill Heffernan

"M&M's is an official sponsor of the Super Bowl, so we wanted to celebrate by creating an event that encompassed the glamorous side of chocolate. We wanted to create a luxurious yet fashion-forward speakeasy environment, which we felt was certainly befitting to the New Orleans-focused evening." —Jes Gordon

"We wanted to create a space where guests could dream about being whoever they wanted to be. By playing with scale, technology, and theater we created a space that inspired young and old souls alike." —Nicky Balestrieri

"I admire Picasso because his entire life was devoted to the creative process. I am presently going through my own blue period. Combining that with his guitar made for what I thought was a great theme for a museum party." —Stanlee Gatti

"The concept was to take MoMA’s ‘Party in the Garden’ and have it continue as the ‘Dinner in the Garden’ with a modern approach—classic roots, fruit trees, massive topiary cones, and French symmetry." —David Monn

"We used a theme of minerals and semiprecious stone, with Brazilian agates and geode images for the walls and tables, anthracite leather banquettes, and garnet-colored carpet. It took seven people four days to hang all the gold mirrored chain for the ceiling installation." —Thomas Ford

"It was an honor to feel trusted and believed in by Carole Segal, who set the standard of retail design, not to mention the thrill of working with original pieces from the very beginning of Crate & Barrel." —Tom Kehoe

"The use of bamboo dipped in 18-karat gold with thousands of purple orchids imported from the Netherlands spilling out from crevices drilled into the bamboo all made for one explosive visual." —Marc Hall

"Tiffany approached us to create an ambience for its annual holiday press luncheon that was not overly holiday, considering it was held in November pre-Thanksgiving. I thought winter white seemed to be the perfect solution. The wall-to-wall carpeting, custom room dividers, and ultrasuede tablecloths with white New Zealand peonies set the mood for the holidays. It was elegant, modern, and also magical." —Ron Wendt

"We always want to create unexpected moments for guests. We accentuated the industrial elevator entrance with a massive installation. Guests rode the elevator to the party, and later it transformed into a bar, which surprised guests after dinner." —Jung Lee

"The client asked for an interactive space where guests could use the Note II to do fun things like order a drink, share music, or design a T-shirt, device cover, or dessert. We designed four individual pod-like stations showing off each capability. We had one week to design, fabricate, and install the custom pieces." —Tony Schubert

"This corporate dinner needed to merge two very different companies: the lavish aspect of Moët Hennessey and the modern, urban edge of Wallpaper magazine. We played with contrast and scale by creating a floating garden overhead while the actual surface of the table was merely a strict double row of square glass votive candles." —Lewis Miller

"The most challenging aspect of producing this wedding was bringing in 10,000 hydrangeas from South America. It was virtually impossible to get our desired breed of hydrangea in the color palette and quantity needed for the wedding, but we love making the impossible possible." —Karla Dascal

"Geller Events turned to us to create a barn-style setting in a tent. We designed a dance floor area with a peaked ceiling using fabric and reclaimed wood beams. A drop-ceiling arbor over the dining area was covered with foliage and accented with wooden lanterns. Hand-painted hardwood floors helped set the stage of permanence for this temporary structure." —Edgardo Zamora

“We wanted to bring the Reidel brand to life organically with this centerpiece chandelier of 125 champagne flutes, each filled with a tinted resin and a ‘foam’ of micro glass beads.” —Andrew Stevens

"I wanted the entrance to this indie wedding show in Seattle to have the maximum amount of wow factor but be totally familiar in its materials." —Matthew Parker

"The fluid silks lining the ceiling, puddles of votives above the dance floor, and water pools on the tabletops instead of flowers created a watery, underwater, ethereal setting." —Antony Todd