Once a month, BizBash brings you even more inspiration for your own gatherings with our "Cool Event Ideas of the Month" column, where we round up some of the creative ideas we haven't had the chance to cover yet. Our September 2023 roundup includes a Denver Broncos-themed retro game show, a chandelier-filled gala in Paris, larger-than-life wrestling belts outside the New York Stock Exchange, an immersive tunnel utilizing spatial audio, and much more.
Bose's QuietComfort Line Launch Event

On Sept. 14, Bose announced the next generation of its QuietComfort line—the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones, QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, and QuietComfort Headphones—with an immersive brand experience and launch event in New York. Intended to introduce the new products to consumers, press, and influencers, the Mirrored Media-produced gatherings kicked off with a memorable press event. When guests arrived at Williamsburg’s Weylin venue, they entered a light tunnel filled with LED lights that pulsed in the updated brand colors. The tunnel was accompanied by 360-degree spatial audio featuring a playlist of music from friends of the Bose brands. When guests reached the end of the tunnel, they were met with the reveal and debut of the brand-new QC Ultra Headphones and Earbuds on a custom, internally lit plinth levitating the product in front of product lifestyle key art.
Photo: Courtesy of Mirrored Media/Jess Baumbung

Members of the press then made their way into the venue’s basement, which was transformed into a traditional music studio—complete with a live band, a full studio mixing console, a studio engineer, and more. Guests donned a set of Bose headphones and were able to hear the live band play; in each demo, guests were instructed to switch between different modes to experience the product’s powerful audio. In a fun touch, once guests took their headphones off, they were met with the loud sounds of the NYC streets in the room—a surprise-and-delight moment to remind them of Bose’s noise-cancellation capabilities.
Photo: Courtesy of Mirrored Media/Jess Baumbung

After the press event was a blowout evening launch party that hosted more than 600 people and featured live performances from Ice Spice, Pink Panthers, and DJs Jamie xx and Blue DeTiger. The event was also held at Weylin, and Mirrored Media took advantage of the former bank’s vaulted dome ceilings with a light show display plus an immersive sound tunnel. Guests could sign up for product demos throughout the evening, as well as visit a custom merch bar.
Photo: Courtesy of Mirrored Media/Jess Baumbung

There were also several interactive video booths designed for content sharing. One was a robotic “Glambot” arm (pictured) that gave guests a chance to model their headphones as they stepped into the product photography key art to be featured in their own Bose ad. The other was a karaoke experience inside a Porsche; guests could sit in the vehicle, grab the mic, and sing along to the headliners’ tracks—highlighting Bose’s audio integration with Porsche and creating another fun, shareable moment.
Photo: Courtesy of Mirrored Media/Jess Baumbung
Ritz Paris' Gold Gala

The Ritz Paris celebrated its 125th anniversary on Sept. 14 with the Gold Gala, which drew more than 800 guests from the worlds of fashion, entertainment, and the arts. A tribute to the hotel’s founder, César Ritz, the evening was inspired by the power of gold in honor of the Sun King, Louis XIV, who created the famous Place Vendôme. The hotel’s Grand Garden glimmered with thousands of lights as more than 90 artists offered performances created under the artistic direction of Frédéric Fontan.
Photo: Courtesy of Ritz Paris

The evening unfolded in three acts: "le roi chante" ("the king sings"), "le roi danse" ("the king dances"), and "tout le monde danse" ("everybody dances"). Performers included musician/composer Charly Voodoo and countertenor Théophile Alexandre, accompanied by dancers inspired by the Marquise Casati, among others.
Photo: Courtesy of Ritz Paris

Glittering chandeliers, gold-draped entertainment, and gastronomic offerings from Ritz Paris' culinary team complemented the elegant, artistic theme.
Photo: Courtesy of Ritz Paris
Hendrick’s Gin at Sea.Hear.Now Festival

Hendrick’s Gin worked with Momentum Worldwide on its unique Boat Bar activation at the Sea.Hear.Now. Festival, held Sept. 16-17 in Asbury Park, N.J. In between musical sets, guests could visit the space for a variety of cocktails featuring Hendrick’s Gin, as well as photo ops, chairs for lounging, giveaways, and more.
Photo: Courtesy of Momentum Worldwide

A memorable photo op? A cucumber bathtub, complete with floating bubbles.
Photo: Courtesy of Momentum Worldwide
CBS' 'Suvivor' Buff Takeover

To celebrate the 45th season of Survivor, which kicked off Sept. 21, CBS unveiled a unique national marketing campaign dubbed the “Survivor Buff Takeover.” Eight landmarks across the United States were wrapped in the show’s signature bandana, known as the “buff.” The landmarks included the Make Way for Ducklings statue in Boston, with each of the mama and baby ducks adorably wrapped in the colorful buffs. CatAlina Productions handled creative direction, brand partnerships, production, and logistics for the campaign, while UnMatched Lighting Inc. handled fabrication and additional production and logistics.
Photo: Constantine Economides

Other landmarks included Ripley’s Believe It or Not! in Hollywood (pictured). To further celebrate the new season, the Empire State Building in New York will shine in yellow, blue, and red this evening, an homage to Survivor’s iconic torches. Viewfinders on the building’s 86th-floor observatory are also donning colorful buffs today.
Photo: Jordan Orsak
Denver Broncos Game Show Experience

Denver’s Empower Field was recently transformed into a game show set for the inaugural Broncos Game Show, a trivia experience made possible by Interactive Entertainment Group’s Game Show Mania offering. Two teams, each featuring former Denver Broncos players, faced off in a five-round duel, which was hosted on local channel KUSA. The Broncos’ in-stadium PA announcer, Conor McGahey, hosted the experience, which featured questions surrounding football as well as pop culture, for an audience of season ticket holders and Broncos cheerleaders.
Photo: Courtesy of Interactive Entertainment Group
Adidas' FĂĽtopia Pop-Up

Strategic design agency Latitude worked with Adidas to design a six-month pop-up destination for soccer fans in downtown Miami. “Fütopia” is a 4,500-square-foot pop-up that’s equal parts boutique, soccer clubhouse, and museum of beloved soccer star Lionel Messi.
Photo: Courtesy of Latitude

The shop sells Messi fan apparel, Adidas soccer lifestyle/performance items, and other Adidas essentials.
Photo: Courtesy of Latitude
AG1's Mobile Tour

Popular foundational nutrition supplement AG1, from Athletic Greens, worked with Coffee 'n Clothes on a mobile tour that traveled to New York, Denver, San Francisco, and Chicago this summer. Inspired by the brand’s new "Never Miss a Day" campaign, the activation popped up in high-foot-traffic locations to spread brand knowledge, distribute refreshing cocktails, and give away branded swag.
Photo: Courtesy of Coffee 'n Clothes

Highlights included a custom-wrapped truck and AG1 product and swag displays. Ultimately, more than 4,000 cocktails were served, and the mobile tour generated 113,000 impressions.
Photo: Courtesy of Coffee 'n Clothes
Peacock's 'The Continental: From the World of John Wick' Fan Screening

On Sept. 13, Peacock hosted a fan screening of the three-part streaming event The Continental: From the World of John Wick at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles. Fans were treated to an early screening complete with complimentary concessions and music from DJ Graham Funke, plus photo ops and immersive touches like the hotel facade and a vintage Ford Mustang.
Photo: Courtesy of Peacock

Inside, fans could check out costumes from the series.
Photo: Courtesy of Peacock
TKO Group Holdings Launch

Wrestling-focused media conglomerate TKO Group Holdings officially launched on Sept. 12. The experiential production team at 160over90 worked alongside Endeavor’s corporate events team on the project, along with Heidi Noland, senior vice president, brand and creative, at UFC; and Julie Sbuttoni senior vice president, creative services, at WWE. 160over90 oversaw the fabrication of the event elements for the launch, including the two larger-than-life UFC and WWE belts that sat outside the New York Stock Exchange throughout the day.
Photo: Michelle Farsi/Zuffa LLC via Getty images
Dope Africans and The NBPA's Dinner and Evening Reception

On Sept. 22 in conjunction with the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Dope Africans—a cultural initiative led by MVD Inc.’s Massah David and Miatta Johnson—teamed up with the National Basketball Players Association for an evening dinner and reception at the NBPA’s headquarters in New York. The gathering, held directly on an indoor basketball court, served as a platform to further ongoing efforts to help players reach broader global audiences and champion new and existing economic development opportunities in Africa. It also provided a chance to celebrate the substantial contributions of current and former players involved in social impact work supporting the United Nations' sustainable development goals across Africa.
Photo: Miguel McSongwe
Oner Active's Stronger Together Festival

U.K.-based women's athletic brand Oner Active, co-founded by influencer Krissy Cela, hosted its largest event ever in Los Angeles Sept. 23-24. Celebrating the brand's third birthday, the Stronger Together Festival was a massive pop-up on Melrose Avenue spanning more than 25,000 square feet; it was produced by Stoelt Productions. Rooftop panel discussions featured a custom shade sail structure and lounge.
Photo: Courtesy of Stoelt Productions

Inside, the space featured shareable photo moments, a full heavy-lifting gym, a retail experience with exclusive sales of the birthday collection, and an iPad shopping zone.
Photo: Courtesy of Stoelt Productions

Oner Active athletes hosted gym training sessions, studio workouts, panel discussions, and meet-and-greets.
Photo: Courtesy of Stoelt Productions
Knott's Scary Farm's 50th Anniversary Celebration

Celebrities like Tiffany Haddish (pictured), Haley Lu Richardson, and Kaitlyn Dever had some creepy company as they walked the black carpet for Knott’s Scary Farm’s 50th anniversary event on Sept. 23: Costumed characters lurked behind the guests as they posed. Attendees later enjoyed Southern California’s longest-running Halloween theme park, which this year has new mazes, scare zones, and shows.
Photo: Jerod Harris for Getty Images
Fifth Street DMC's A Night at the Track

Fifth Street DMC recently held a 1,200-person client event called A Night at the Track at Circuit of the Americas racetrack in Austin. Upon arrival, guests were greeted within the paddock club area by professional drivers, who showcased their skills with high-speed laps around the track. Later, the paddock garages opened to reveal a dining setting set in the hub where F1 and NASCAR teams make their preparations. The dinner ambiance included dynamic neon accents that complemented a plated, multicourse dinner from Contigo Catering. Other vendors included rentals from ROAM Rental Co., Premiere Event Rentals, and Table Manners; lighting from Cicada Lighting; sound from Nomad Sound; and shipping containers from Steel Box Containers.
Photo: Olexiy Kryvych

As dinner came to a close, the opposite end of the garage doors ascended to unveil the carnival-themed after-party. The celebration included an array of games from Talley Amusements followed by a private concert featuring Sheryl Crow.
Photo: Olexiy Kryvych
Glossier STRETCH

Food Truck Promotions recently partnered with Glossier Inc. to promote the launch of its latest collection, Glossier STRETCH. Matching mobile pop-ups were parked outside the brand's flagship stores in LA and NYC, with passersby treated to custom popsicles. As consumers waited for the pops, they could explore the brand's 32 shades of Stretch Fluid Foundation at a custom display wall before heading in-store to get shade-matched.
Photo: Courtesy of Food Truck Promotions
Saint James Estate

Ready-to-drink iced tea line Saint James Tea took over a Southampton estate for the entire month of August. The so-called Saint James Estate was a collaboration with like-minded brands and influencers; the space hosted workouts in partnership with companies like Brooks Pilates Studio, Katie Austin, Brianna Joye Fitness, and more, along with stretch classes, facials, and beauty and fashion giveaways.
Photo: Courtesy of Saint James Iced Tea

Throughout the month, attendees could lounge on outdoor, poolside furniture from Arhaus. Key attendees at the Saint James Estate included Brooks Nader, Ellie Thumann, Batsheva Haart, Xandra Pohl, and more.
Photo: Courtesy of Saint James Iced Tea
Automotive News Congress

The Automotive News team consolidated its multimarket congress events into a single-day event, held Sept. 12 in Detroit during Auto Show weekend. Stoelt Productions built a total of six structure tents to host the event, with a 60-by-165-foot main tent that hosted exhibitors and panel discussions throughout the day. Another 40-by-60-foot structure hosted food and beverage, with the remaining structures for production and green rooms. The seven-day buildout started with flooring, the structure, carpet, decor, and then AV.
Photo: Courtesy of Stoelt Productions