This week's roundup includes a particularly Halloween-appropriate event space in Los Angeles, giant projections in Hong Kong, a 40-yard pool in the middle of Manhattan, and a dinner tent with a galaxy-inspired look.
Building on her strength and fame as a long-distance swimmer, Diana Nyad launched an AmeriCares fund-raiser in New York by doing what she does best: swimming. Rather than hitting the Hudson or East rivers, the athlete brought the promotion to raise funds for Hurricane Sandy disaster relief to Herald Square. To pull off the stunt, which ran October 8 to 10, producers constructed a 40-yard pool capable of holding 42,000 gallons of water and withstanding movement for 48 hours straight—all in one of Manhattan's busiest intersections.
On October 17, Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong celebrated its 50th anniversary with an 800-guest bash. A 3-D projection on the building's façade told the story of the hotel's history, starting with its 1963 opening and detailing its development as a global luxury brand.
For the baseball-centric event, the crew from Stoelt Productions set up a 100- by 140-foot tented structure at Dodger Stadium and filled it with accents in the baseball team's signature blue and a look befitting a city known for its celebrities and A-list event attendees. A chandelier in a drum shade contributed to the "elevated Hollywood look" that producer Matt Stoelt said organizers wanted.
On September 30, the New York property celebrated its milestone anniversary with a party for 600 guests (including Oscar de la Renta and Naomi Campbell). David Beahm Design handled production, giving the event a Chinese-carnival vibe. On the red carpet, a traditional Lion Dance accompanied by drums honored the hotel's Asian heritage.
The FlavorSplash launch at the Sony Pictures Studios lot in Los Angeles on October 15 marked parent company PepsiCo’s first-ever consumer event targeted to teens. Special 16- by 30-foot trusses that held a unique water display spelling out Aquafina and "Make a Splash" made for a dramatic visual.
The Los Angeles Philharmonic celebrated the anniversary of the opening of the Walt Disney Concert Hall at its 10th Anniversary Concert September 30. The event, comprising a reception, concert, and post-concert dinner, had a “Starry Night” theme. To create a celestial look, Shiraz Events draped the top of the dinner tent with an LED star-drop curtain, which resembled a twinkling galaxy. A custom chandelier added softly glowing light, and the walls were draped with silvery fabrics.
On October 9 at Riff Raff's in New York, style expert Daisy Lewellyn hosted a crafty launch party for X-Rated Fusion Liqueur's new “Tropix” flavor. In honor of the drink's bright yellow hue—and the event's style-centric theme—guests made their own pineapple-yellow necklaces. An area dubbed the “Hello Yellow Statement Necklace Station” offered oversize Tropix-yellow beads, which guests could string onto yellow or black ribbons.
Thousands turned out for Avicii's October 10 performance at Roseland Ballroom in New York. As guests arrived at the event produced by TH Productions, they were immersed in a world of music-meets-fashion, surrounded by unique, wild signage featuring sponsor Ralph Lauren's Denim & Supply brand and graffiti art plastered across every surface in sight.
SweatUSA made its national debut in South Beach October 11 to 13, attracting 3,000 health and fitness aficionados to the Miami Beach Convention Center for high-energy cardio, strength, and core-based classes, demonstrations, and expo offerings. Though there were plenty of intense workouts to be had, poolside yoga at the Mondrian South Beach offered a serene workout option overlooking the bay.
How's this for a Halloween-party venue? Los Angeles's Hollywood Forever Cemetery—yes, it's an actual cemetery with headstones and bodies under the ground—is an extremely conversation-starting home to many events each year. Showtime hosted a 2006 party for its TV lineup, which appropriately included Dead Like Me, in the space. Guests walked through a mausoleum into a velvet-draped grassy area behind it, where the party space was set up like a haunted garden.
