Enhancing the Experience

Washington-based MarcParc hosted the Valet Olympics with events to test drivers' abilities.

Started more than 25 years ago in Paris, Dîner en Blanc is an impromptu picnic now held in dozens of public spaces throughout the world each year. Event organizers ask guests to dress in all-white clothing and bring a list of items, including white plastic folding chairs and tables, white tablecloths and napkins, and white dinnerware.

At TEDActive in Palm Springs, buttons with blank fields labeled "Talk to Me About ... " invited guests to write a short list of topics they love or are knowledgeable about, to encourage meaningful mingling.