13 Cool Event Ideas You May Have Missed From Ralph Lauren, Playboy, NBA and More

During Miami Art Week in early December, Deepak Chopra, Adrian Grenier and more than 200 artists, thought leaders and performers gathered for “Regenaissance: Art Inspiring a Regenerative Future.” Organized by Design Science Studio, Future of Cities, Buckminster Fuller Institute and habRitual, the three-day immersive art fair, panel discussion and dining experience focused on conservation and social equity. One of the more memorable art exhibits on display was Benjamin Von Wong’s three-story #TurnOffThePlasticTap (pictured), which was fabricated by Elana Novali; it was built using ventilation ducts scavenged from a building that was about to be demolished, which were then cut, painted and adapted to look like a suspended faucet. The “water” was made from plastics, which were held together with rope made from more plastic bottles.

American Express’s Platinum Studio returned to Art Basel Miami Beach this year, popping up outside the Miami Beach Edition from Dec. 2-4. Throughout the week, cardmembers could enjoy curated programs and experiences that celebrated emerging artists and creators, including a three-course dining experience, interactive exhibits, signature workout classes with Equinox and a live performance from Lizzo.

In an effort to remove weight stigma and shift the diet conversation during the holiday season, FDA-cleared weight management brand Plentify built an edible billboard in the middle of New York City. Open from Dec. 17-18, the activation featured appearances from actress Hayley Hasselhoff, celebrity chef Kelvin Fernandez and nutritionist Joy Bauer. The billboard, which was filled with sweet treats for passersby to enjoy, featured the phrase “Who said you can’t eat what you love while losing weight?”

On Dec. 20, animation database GIPHY opened a free visual experience called “New Window” in an empty storefront in New York’s Lower East Side. Meant to offer a unique take on the typical holiday window display, the activation is a looping art installation of work from artist Sam Cannon; it uses specialized screens that render videos invisible to the naked eye—but when viewed through suspended “windows,” the film is revealed, depicting performers suspended in fly harnesses and traveling through wind and rain. The exhibition is open 24 hours a day (though the artist recommends viewing it at night) until Jan. 14.

To celebrate the Fenty Liquid Killawatt highlighter launch earlier this month, the Rihanna-owned brand worked with Gladiator Productions on an eye-catching mobile promotion. Two Rolls-Royce Cullinans were simultaneously launched in Miami and Los Angeles; the cars were fully wrapped in Fenty Beauty branding and offered rides to influencers, celebrities—and even consumers, who could follow the brand’s social media accounts to track down the car and get a ride. Inside each car was a brand ambassador along with products and merch for riders to explore. Each participant was vaccinated and asked to submit a negative PCR test within 24 hours.

American Express teamed up with the NBA to host the first-ever American Express x NBA 2K22 Experience, a pop-up experience for card members and fans that took place Dec. 10-12 in Los Angeles. Highlights included free NBA 2K physical and digital merchandise including complimentary sneaker cleanings, plus a Twitch-streamed live NBA 2K22 match-up between NBA star Paul George and WNBA star Breanna Stewart.

The pop-up also had fun photo ops including a step-and-repeat made from sneakers, as well as a face scan studio where fans could scan their pictures to create a lookalike character in the game and an “infinity cube” that immersed guests in the sights and sounds of the NBA 2K22 game.

In celebration of BIGBUNNY, Playboy’s first luxury lifestyle label, the brand hosted a Surrealism-themed party during Miami Art Week. The event drew inspiration from artist Salvador DalÍ, with features like a live performance that played on themes on consumption, another performance interpreting Botticelli’s Venus and cumulus clouds hanging over the dance floor. Commissioned works from artists Nina McNeely, Miranda Makaroff, Filip Ćustić and Maria Forqué were also on display; Makaroff’s piece (pictured) was intended as a reinterpretation of classic Playboy covers, along with a metaphorical representation of how it feels to be a woman in 2021.

To stand out during a busy Art Basel, Half Gallery worked with 14B Marketing to produce a single-day art exhibition—a mile out to sea. Accessible only by boat, Stiltsville is a set of 1960s-era cabins off Coconut Grove; the show marks the first time a Stiltsville house has ever been activated as an art gallery. On Dec. 2, about 125 press and VIP guests were transported via branded water taxi catamarans to the space, where they viewed work from 17 artists (and some great city views) and enjoyed refreshments like individually wrapped charcuterie cones from Gouda Life LLC. 14B Marketing served as the overall event producer, while Wile Design created the logo and Island Queen Cruises provided the boats.

On Dec. 9, Ralph Lauren Fragrances celebrated its new Ralph’s Club Eau de Perfume with a cocktail reception at the Sunset Tower Hotel in Los Angeles. Guests enjoyed cocktails inspired by the notes of the fragrance, as well as a performance by Prince Charlez. To set the mood, the hotel’s pool area was surrounded by candles, with the brand’s logo floating in the water.

Experiential retailer CAMP’s latest shopping pop-up is open at New York’s Hudson Yards through Jan. 2. Inspired by the popular children’s show Paw Patrol, the experience includes themed environments, games and activities, including a lookout tower where kids can communicate with each other via an intercom system as well as an indoor zipline.

Also on-site is an interactive activation where kids grab a fire hose and "douse" a colorful projection of out-of-control fireworks in a recreation of the show's City Hall.

The Anaheim Convention Center recently turned into an 18-hole disc golf course to raise $5,000 for a local nonprofit. Bringing together 72 local members of the tourism and hospitality industry, the Dec. 13 event featured a course that weaved throughout the 1.8 million-square-foot center. The money raised is going to the Anaheim Community Foundation.