S’mores got their start as sticky, gooey, handheld campfire treats, but events have reinvented them in many ways friendlier to guests, such as this example of a lollipop version at the Engage!14 Wedding Summit dessert party.
At the Watermill Center’s benefit in 2015, Great Performances created dishes that would allow guests to easily roam—all self-serve options designed to be hand-held and didn't even necessarily require plates. Among them was fried chicken served in waffle cones.
At a September event, Preston Bailey transformed the new Four Seasons New York Downtown in celebration of his relationship with the property. As part of the event’s catering options, the hotel supplied tiramisu served as grab-and-go offerings.
Rather than the traditional bowl of splash-prone red sauce, New York’s Elegant Affairs offered a neater take on spaghetti and meatballs, using mess-free form topped with a micro meatball and marinara and sprinkled with parmesan.
Mary Giuliani Catering and Events in New York created a catering option of one-bite paella with shrimp and chorizo with sips of sangria, a take on the hearty rice dish.
Salad can be messy, with the risk of oily dressing ending up on clothes and hands. Occasions Caterers in Washington created a wedge salad bite hors d’oeuvre, served on a fork, that tidies up salad service.
Always a crowd favorite, hummus can get messy when served as a dip. At the 2014 Washington Humane Society's annual Fashion for Paws runway show, hors d'oeuvres during the reception included beets and hummus on pita points as a tidy alternative to service at a station.
A popular alternative to soup in a bowl, with all of its messy slurp potential, many caterers offer inventive soup shooters. One example: Chicago’s Boutique Bites' artful soup shooters with popcorn and truffle oil.Â
Spotify hosted a summer block party for its 750 employees on June 8. Held at the Knockdown Center in Queens, New York, the event featured basketball courts, a disco ball, a roller rink, a 1977 Cadillac Coupe DeVille photo booth, and a performance by T-Pain. An interactive graffiti wall allowed guest to spray paint their own designs. The event was planned and produced by Tinsel & Twine.Â
Comic-Con International, which was held from July 20 to 23 in San Diego, is known for over-the-top stunts and interactive fan experiences. Comedy Central series Broad City got in on the action for the first time this year with a life-size coloring book activation. Illustrations designed by Broad City artist Mike Perry covered the walls and furniture.
Throughout the long weekend, attendees used neon paint to add color. The activation—which took place at the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center—also offered Broad City-inspired manicures and temporary tattoos.
On July 20, the Long Beach Convention Center opened its newest event space, the Cove, with a street party that included food trucks and games such as ping-pong and foosball. In honor of Long Beach's history as a port town, and to tie into Pow Wow Long Beach, which created large outdoor murals around the city, the event at the Cove featured large shipping containers that guests could paint throughout the evening. The containers were provided by Duncan & Son Lines.Â
At BizBash Live: Los Angeles and BizBash Live: Florida, held on July 19 and May 4, respectively, Champagne Creative Group encouraged guest participation at its booth with a giant coloring book.
To mark the launch of her new line at Michaels, Martha Stewart hosted a colorful, interactive paint party at Hudson Studios in New York on June 15. David Stark Design and Production built a colorful house facade out of 2,710 bottles of home-decor paint and watercolor-craft paint. Guests were invited to grab paint brushes from window boxes, then go to work painting everything inside the house—including rugs, couches, lampshades, duvet covers, nightstands, and more. Organizers wanted to show the versatility of the paint, which can be used on fabric, wood, glass, ceramic, and metal surfaces.Â
Taste of the Nation for No Kid Hungry draws top chefs and mixologists who donate their time and efforts to end childhood hunger in America. The 2017 event, which was held on June 11 at Media Park in Los Angeles, included tastes from more than 40 restaurants, breweries, wineries, and mixologists. Guests were invited to grab a paint brush and contribute to a mural using paint supplies donated by Yoobi.
Toronto architectural studio Raw Design hosted its annual “Raw” party in June 2015, taking over a 3,000-square-foot industrial space. The 3,000 guests became an “army of artists,” according to organizer Kim Graham, and were invited to help create a giant paint-by-numbers picture, spray paint onto other guests, write on the wall, and paint on bottles at the bar.
At Diffa Dining by Design at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart in November 2015, doodling was encouraged at the table designed by Allsteel and Henricksen. The design incorporated pages plucked from adult coloring books, and centerpieces held crayons and colored pencils.
Art doesn’t have to involve paints and markers. At the inaugural Panorama music festival, held on Randall’s Island in New York in July 2016, Macy's partnered with LeadDog Marketing Group to produce the Macy's Oasis. The lounge gave festivalgoers a chance to relax, and featured a string art wall created by attendees.
In 2016, national furniture rental company AFR introduced a new initiative called #ColorYourEvents, which allows guests to grab a marker and color in branded decals that are adhered to tabletops. Clients provide the artwork and markers, and AFR handles the decal printing and pasting. Pricing depends on the item and the size.
At the New York City Wine & Food Festival, held in October 2016 at Piers 92 and 94, a Coca-Cola-sponsored barbecue showcased a giant illustration of New York that guests were encouraged to color in throughout the event's duration. The illustration was created by Robert Gerdts, artistic director of Warren Moore Events.
