After a long Oscar night, host Seth MacFarlane's official after-party included a station from Tkees, which encouraged guests to check their heels (similar to the way they would at a coat check) and pick up a pair of flip-flops—in gold, appropriate to the occasion.
Guests arriving at USA Network's event atop the High Line in New York last summer found a receiving line of umbrella-wielding staffers, who provided shelter all the way to the entrance of the covered bash.
At Lacoste's Coachella pool party in the blazing desert sun, cigarette-style girls, clad in Lacoste gear, passed Kiel's sun-protection products.
When the weather unexpectedly turned sour at South by Southwest this year, ponchos from Warner Brothers served as protection from the rain as well as an opportunity to promote CW television series Arrow.
Bonnaroo attendees could relax in hammocks and enter to win V.I.P. passes in the "Great State Lounge" hosted by State Farm. The insurance company also provided what it called "Bonnaroo Roadside Assistance"—free services such as help with flat tires and dead batteries.
At the WWD Beauty C.E.O. Summit in Palm Beach, yoga on branded mats on the lawn allowed guests to relax and unwind.
More than 80,000 people traveled to a remote 700-acre farm in Tennessee June 7 to 10 for the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. Knowing the attendees would be outside day and night listening music on multiple stages, brands such as Garnier Fructis provided practical services such as free hair-washing and styling in a 40- by 40-foot air-conditioned tent.
Things tend to get messy at food festivals, tastings, and other events with lots of grub, so Delta provided toothpicks, hand wipes, and mints at the 2010 New York City Wine & Food Festival, a smart way to get the brand in front of attendees.
During Upfront Week in New York last year, Turner Broadcasting held back-to-back late-night events and, to help transport guests from the Adult Swim party to the shindig for TruTV, provided a fleet of pedicabs offering free rides.
For a recent press event in Los Angeles, Paul Frank brought Starring Fragrances for a station that gave guests the chance to take home custom fragrances, made on the spot according to their individual tastes.
At the FN C.E.O. Summit in Miami, guests could charge their smartphones in a luxe lounge—a stylish, discreet solution to manage the task that everyone wants as a convenience at events. The centerpieces during the education sessions were framed instructions on how to reference the summit on social media and log on to the hotel's Wi-Fi network.
MSNBC also had a flip-flop station at its White House Correspondents' Association Dinner after-party, providing relief for folks who had been on their feet all evening.
The Chicago iteration of Macy's fall fashion event took place at the Harris Theater on August 9. At the after-party—held on the theater's rooftop—sponsor Luna played off the event's "Fashion in a New Light" theme. Product samples were displayed on wave-like shelves and highlighted by hanging lamps. A sign read: "Snacking in a new light."
Piano prodigy Lang Lang headlined the Ravinia Festival's Benefit Gala in Chicago on July 27, and Jewell Events Catering prepared a thematic feast. For dessert, a chocolate piano was filled with passion-fruit mousse and sliced fresh lychees, then set on a starburst-shaped display of mango and raspberry sauces.
BMF Media Group returned to the Hard Rock Hotel to host the "It's so Miami Lounge" throughout Lollapalooza weekend. Starbucks hosted its first festival activation this year at the lounge. The suite offered oversize chess and Connect Four games, plus small café tables stocked with buckets of bottled iced coffee.
At the event in Chantilly, Virginia, Danielle Couick of Magnolia Bluebird Design & Events strung gift bags from the ceiling on ribbons. A stilt walker handed guests the bags as they exited the venue.
Guests at the Summer Spin Pool Party in Washington August 3 were asked to tweet about the event in exchange for gift bags with swag from brands such as Converse, Lacoste, Stila, and Kate Somerville cosmetics. Sponsors South Moon Under and Rock the Vote used the strategy to expand the reach of the intentionally intimate pool soiree.
Chalkboards are popping up in all kinds of event decor. Available through Pressed Cotton are chalkboard tags, $3.50 each, which can be used as signage or place cards or can be hung from the neck of wine bottles to designate tables.
Target and Disney collaborated on a large-scale preparty formula for the world premiere of Disney's Planes. The August 5 event at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles began with a family-focused party at the "Target Landing Zone," where the "Bullseye Balloon Pop" invited guests to toss balloon darts at red and white balloons in the shape of Target's signature bull's-eye logo. Caravents was the lead agency.
Looking for teambuilding ideas for fall? The Park Hyatt Washington has a new activity centered on the quintessential autumn treat: apple pie. During interactive culinary classes held in the newly renovated event and meeting space, chefs lead guests through the process of making a fruity, spicy pie and share details about the dish’s history.
So easy to set up, your mother could do it. That’s how the Taylor Group's business development director, Rory Amelio, describes his company’s newest modular exhibit rental product: Modulbox. "With Modulbox, you get it from point A to point B and open the doors, and everything is set up and ready to go. It’s an event space in a box."
Orlando-based artist Rock Demarco’s claim to fame is that he can paint anything in less than 10 minutes. Performing to a rock 'n' roll soundtrack, Demarco can speed-paint portraits of celebrities, C.E.O.s, and other notable figures on canvas for a fee that ranges from $6,000 to $10,000. His latest live-performance element: wearing a glove equipped with five finger-like paintbrushes that shoot lasers as he works.
