Our Favorite Event Moments of 2023—So Far

This classy-meets-whimsical spin on beverage service made its debut at the Lauren Tracy “Drape My Day” launch in the Camden Room at the Charleston Visitor Center in June. The event spotlighted premier wedding and party vendors showcasing everything from linens and table settings to mixology and high-end eats.

Belle of the Bubbly made its grand debut with an Instagrammable Champagne skirt, which can be fully customized, from florals to models, to fit any theme and style. “Any way a brand or event professional can cut down on the bar line is a win,” shared owner Megan O’Brien. “People hate waiting in line for anything, and this is not only a way to quickly serve their spirits, but adds an element of entertainment. All of our guests were posing with the skirt and taking videos for their social media.” As an added bonus for beverage brands, O’Brien said this is a smart way to get guests to do the promo work for you.

At the end of February, Quest Software held its annual sales kickoff event, Quest SKO24, in Las Vegas. Quest aimed to create an event that prioritized the professional development of its sales team and make an opportunity to further connect and boost morale for the new fiscal year. To strengthen these team connections and involve Quest employees in the experience of the conference, Orlando-based media production agency edgefactory created an interactive TV channel called QTV that played custom videos created for specific days and business sessions. These video segments, called the QTV Pregame Show, featured interactive interviews with conference attendees, important announcements, and other fun content—all featuring employees attending the event. Edgefactory also brought on comedian Mike Carr to play the role of the QTV Pregame Show host.

The team filmed unique interviews and segments with meeting attendees each day. The videos were edited and turned around overnight by the edgefactory team to be played as walk-in content for all sessions the next day. “This kind of TV channel-style video concept is a great way to have attendees all be involved in something and collectively participate in a memorable experience,” said edgefactory CEO Brian Cole. “Attendees respond really well to video moments like this because it really creates a tangible atmosphere and buzz. Getting people involved in the production process of creating these segments creates a memory for attendees.”

In March, a few lucky fans of the popular mobile game Merge Mansion were treated to an activation that was part immersive theater, part escape room. Oh, and Pedro Pascal was there too. (You may have seen him in the game's viral ad campaigns.) To coincide with the game’s biggest-ever update, which lets players inside the Boulton family mansion for the first time, game developer Metacore took over a real-life mansion in Los Angeles on the same day. The experience featured actors playing in-game characters and guiding guests through the space to find clues, solve puzzles, encounter props related to the game, and even dig their hands in real pies and crawl through a fake fireplace.

Another aspect we loved? Producer of the experience Jack Morton Worldwide used AI to create artwork, personal documents, clues, and other details that further immersed guests in the game's world—all aiming to evoke the feeling of stepping into a lived-in mansion and riffling through personal documents.

We love an event moment with an air of mystery. At SXSW 2023 in Austin, Texas, Peacock launched a campaign for its newest original series at the time, Mrs. Davis. “To build buzz for our premiere event on March 14, we unveiled posters around the city, asking festivalgoers if they’d seen Simone, the nun played by Betty Gilpin in the series,” explained Jo Fox, senior vice president of consumer and content marketing at Peacock. To prompt social media impressions, SXSW attendees who saw a nun were encouraged to post with the tags @Peacock and #MrsDavisGiveaway for a chance “to get their wings” and win prizes. “We then unleashed nuns in blue habits throughout Austin,” Fox said. Throughout the week, spectators could find the nuns “riding a mechanical bull, singing at a piano bar, and biking down the street, encouraging passersby to participate in getting their wings.

In March, Miami event profs gathered at the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science for PartySlate’s futuristic bash featuring otherworldly elements from planner and event designer Annie Lee of Daughter of Design and PLANNIE, with Elan Artists at the entertainment helm. A standout catering element was the innovative CBD bubbling ramen bar, which offered diners an interactive and edible installation. Executive chef Elgin Woodman of Constellation Culinary Group used a mesmerizing scientific contraption to infuse CBD into miso broth. Next, ramen noodles were added, and then guests could customize their bowls with toppings and sauces of choice.

The TED House Party, which took place at the Vancouver Convention Centre in April, transformed a massive 54,000-square-foot space. Every room had a different design, energy, and purpose. A library and living room were designed for intimate conversations among a small group. The Rumpus Room was filled with games to allow people to connect in playful yet meaningful ways, and the Tickle Trunk zone allowed guests to dress up in tutus, wigs, and other fun accessories; get their hair and makeup done; or just dance it out with a drag queen. The backyard and back alley were the party zones that played host to the dance floor, food trucks, and fire pits.

“Having opportunities for people to explore and different vibes in each space really allowed our audience to feel like they mattered and that there was a space for them,” shared Stephanie Furlong, TED manager of experience production. “Creating smaller nooks of environments allowed us to have more variety, be more creative for our design and decor, and accommodate different party personalities.”

All Worthy People Creative Agency joined forces with See You Soon and nonalcoholic libation company Coyote Eight for See You Soon Presents: See You in the Desert during the first weekend of Coachella in April. The micro-festival was held at The Good House Hotel & Spa, which is the only Black-owned hot spring hotel in the area. The event brought together a community of Black-owned collectives and offered a different spin on the bar experience with wellness-driven, plant-based mocktails from award-winning mixologist Rosie Ruiz. The offerings included the "Coyote Playful," made with dandelion, citrus, and cardamom, and "Coyote Wisdom," a sage, apple, and mushroom blend.

“Each of our businesses believes in the progression of the events industry, and how it has become a multisensory experience of mind, body, and soul,” said founder of All Worthy People and marketing director of The Good House Hotel & Spa Lauren Carothers. “That mindset and intention should not stop at the bar.”

Talk about showstopping. We loved this larger-than-life floral moment, which tied into the announcement of Bad Bunny as the first Latin artist to headline Coachella. In honor of the milestone, Adidas teamed up with the Puerto Rican rapper on the Adidas Campus Experience, an on-site, cube-shaped pop-up that celebrated the pair’s latest sneaker release. Produced by Corso Marketing Group and fabricated by Whalefilm, the space’s eye-catching exterior boasted 50,000 live florals in 60 different varietals. Elevation Vertical Gardens handled the exterior vertical garden systems and Eric Quintana handled the planting element.

In April, Austin’s own Tito’s Handmade Vodka curated a “Taste of Texas” pop-up bar space at the Las Olas Wine and Food Festival in Fort Lauderdale. Along bustling Las Olas Boulevard, the spirits brand stood out among dozens of other liquor sponsors with a fenced pop-up experience featuring bright-orange high-top tables and chairs to enjoy the “Make Your Own Seltzer” bar. The activation greeted guests with oversize “We don’t make seltzers, you do” signage and a welcome swag station filled with sunglasses and branded bandanas, and then invited guests up to the bar to customize their own Tito’s and soda with different garnish options. Once the sun set, illuminated neon bar logo signage worked to attract curious imbibers.

The legendary Parisian-style brasserie that made a big name for itself in New York’s famed early-2000s dining scene pulled out all the stops for its Miami debut. In April, Pastis’ sister location opened with a French fete to remember in the bustling Wynwood Arts District. From raw-bar delicacies to a floral-draped macaron cart to bottomless bubbly, upscale food and beverage offerings abounded. In addition to “Happy Meal”-style boxes of delectable treats to take home, a caricaturist created custom art for guests, which featured a pre-drafted sketch of the new restaurant’s entrance as a clever branding tactic that doubled as a memorable event keepsake.

“We wanted the event to feel like you were stepping into the coolest house party ever, transporting guests to a home in the French countryside while still feeling whimsical, sexy, and cool,” said Karina Crespo, director of marketing and sales for creative marketing agency Secret Sauce.

In May, JJLA curated the GLSEN Respect Awards production at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York. Instead of spending money on large floral centerpieces, JJLA and GLSEN came up with a way to tie the organization’s mission to the decor by utilizing books from its Rainbow Library collection as centerpieces on the table. Each table was made up of books that GLSEN includes as part of its K-12 set of LGBTQ+-inclusive reading material. As part of the fundraising element of the evening, attention was directed to the centerpieces to show donors the important stories and narratives that were being shared with youth, along with a direct visual connection to their donation efforts.

“Decor can be utilized strategically to tell the brand story and organizational missions and still remain beautiful and impactful,” said Lee Doud, JJLA vice president, head of events. “Specifically for nonprofit organizations, JJLA always encourages tying concrete items to fundraising moments—showcasing the incredible work the nonprofit is doing while reminding donors of the importance of giving.”