For a an element of corporate social responsibility, employees helped create a college-theme mural for students at the nearby Jenner Academy of the Arts. Some employees opted to draw their own high school insignias or mascots.
Photo: Jonathan Mathias
Night Swimming
The Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina has partnered with San Diego Bay Adventures for a nighttime water activity. Dubbed “Nite Opps,” the experience lets guests take guided tours through the San Diego Bay while standing on LED-lit paddleboards. Afterwards, guests gather around a fire for refreshments and Hawaiian-style storytelling. A typical group for the activity is 10 to 20 guests, but the program is available for larger numbers of attendees.
Photo: Ken Farren
Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes offers unconventional spins on typical golf outings. Designed as conference breakout sessions, options include Foot Golf, which combines golf and soccer; Glow Golf (pictured), where groups play the glow-in-the-dark course at night; and the Full-Swing Golf Studio, which has a state-of-the-art Foresights Sports GC2 Golf Simulator and software that provides real-time statistics. The 102-acre oceanfront resort offers 60,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
Photo: Casey Figlewicz
Rage Ground opened in the Garment District downtown last summer. The venue allows guests to take out their anger on a variety of inanimate objects, such as glassware, household appliances, and piñatas. Rage Ground is available for groups and corporate teambuilding, and accommodates as many as 25 people at a time. The venue provides coveralls, a face shield, gloves, and a vest, as well as tools such as bats and sledgehammers.
Photo: Courtesy of Rage Ground
The Hollywood Entertainment District launched a new public tour earlier this year. The Old Hollywood Walking Tour covers the years 1886 to 1960, telling the story of how Hollywood transformed from a small town into the entertainment capital of the world in fewer than 50 years. Stops include Hollywood’s first movie theaters, the longest continuously operating restaurant in the neighborhood, and architecturally significant buildings. Tickets cost $25 per person, and customized tours are available for groups.
Photo: Lara Sumera
Bulletproof 360, the brainchild of biohacker and author Dave Asprey, opened its Upgrade Labs venue in June. Billed as the “world’s first human upgrade facility,” the Santa Monica lab features out-of-the-box treatment options including cryotherapy, virtual float tanks, bone trainers, and more services usually only available for elite athletes or celebrities. Groups as large as 30 can host private, two-hour experiences where guests can experience the full range of treatments; private events cost $250 per person for the first two hours, and $100 per person for every additional hour. Services such as IVs, vitamin boosts, and snacks such as collagen bars can be added, as well as catering from the Bulletproof Cafe and wine from Dry Farm Wines.
Photo: Courtesy of Bulletproof Labs
Southern California’s largest escape room, Escape Room L.A., opened a new experience called the Pyramid in November. Inspired by the secrets and rituals of the ancient Mayans, groups work their way through an "undiscovered" Mayan pyramid, solving puzzles involving cryptic Aztec calendars and fighting indigenous creatures. The room holds eight people for 60 minutes; tickets cost $32 per person on weekdays and $37 per person on weekends, though group rates are available. Escape Room L.A., which is located downtown, has four additional themed rooms, and can accommodate private events and teambuilding activities.
Photo: Courtesy of Escape Room L.A.
The new BMW Performance Center, located in the Palm Desert a few hours east of Los Angeles, offers driving schools for a fast-paced teambuilding option. Groups of five to 250 can be accommodated for two-hour, half-day, full-day, or two-day classes; prices start at $299 per person. Classes are taught by BMW professional driving instructors on a private, 5.1-mile course with mountain views. The center itself has a conference room, a coffee bar, and Wi-Fi, so work can be done throughout the day.
Photo: Chris Tedesco
Ziplines at Pacific Crest offers high-flying group adventures in the San Gabriel Mountains, 75 miles northeast of Los Angeles. The company has two zip line courses ranging from 200 to 1,500 feet in length; tours are entirely tree-based, and designed to minimize environmental impact. Regular tours cost $109 per person and last two-and-a-half hours. For more experienced participants, the company offers Full Moon Tours at night, followed by outdoor refreshments. Each tour can hold as many as eight people; for larger groups, multiple customized tours can be booked back-to-back. The company offers a discount for groups of six or more; parties should call ahead to make reservations.
Photo: Courtesy of Ziplines at Pacific Crest
In June, Catalina Island Company launched a new line of guided adventures at Two Islands, a community located on the island’s more rustic, less crowded west end. The tours aim to give the experience of a local, with opportunities for groups to hike, kayak, paddle board, and snorkel. Adventures are limited to groups of eight people, and pricing varies; for example, a 1.5-mile hike to Ballast Point costs $30 per person, while a kayaking trip to the island’s Blue Caverns is $40 per person. A new Cyclone powerboat can bring visitors from Avalon—the island’s more popular tourist destination—to Two Harbors in 40 minutes, making it possible to visit both sides of the island in one day.
Photo: Courtesy of Catalina Island Company
Host an upscale event—with a competitive twist—at the Hotel Palomar Los Angeles—Beverly Hills, which debuted a $12 million renovation last year that brought its total event space to 5,000 square feet spread over eight versatile rooms. A new addition was Double Take, a full-service restaurant, bar, lounge, and activity venue. The stylish space is designed to resemble a Hollywood backlot, with exposed ceilings and movie-theme touches. The highlight of the venue, though, is the 934-square-foot gaming lounge, which holds 35 guests and features Skeeball, darts, pool, and other games for some friendly competition. Double Take’s main dining room holds 55, while a lounge seats 50 or holds 60 for receptions. The three interconnected areas can be rented together for a large event.
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Palomar
Brand Activation Services, which is based in New York but does work nationally, provides memorable and interactive experiences for brands, including social media photo ops, customizable giveaways, video booths, games, and more. At BizBash Live, the brand showed off its Shower Karaoke, inspired by the notion that people love to sing in the shower. The company had created a similar idea for an Art of Bathing campaign for American Standard, where passersby in Times Square donned virtual-reality goggles and sang karaoke in the shower, and then shared the videos on social media.
Photo: Haute Photography and Videography
For an offbeat event activity, OC Ramps, based in Orange County, rents skateboard and bike ramps for events, trade shows, and TV and music videos. Options available for rent are the mini half pipe, quarter pipes, grind rails, grind boxes, and launch ramps; custom ramps can be designed and built for an additional fee. Ramps can be delivered to Los Angeles, Orange, San Diego, and Riverside counties.
Photo: Haute Photography and Videography
American Express Experience
Guests who wanted to stay active indoors could play a game of mini bowling.Â
Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash
The viewing party took place July 31 at Miami Ad School Auditorium. One hundred of Kemp-Gerstel's followers were invited to the event.
Photo: World Red Eye
Kemp-Gerstel posed with an oversize tape prop at a rainbow-hued craft installation created by the Creative Heart Studio. The installation featured branding of event sponsor Joann and Damask Love, Kemp-Gerstel's blog.
Photo: World Red Eye
Additional props at the installation included oversize buttons and colored pencils.
Photo: World Red Eye
Kemp-Gerstel posed for photos with a bedazzled, Joann-branded shopping cart.
Photo: World Red Eye
The viewing party featured D.I.Y. stations, including a make-your-own cupcake bar. Ingredients were provided by Bunnie Cakes.
Photo: World Red Eye
Other food stations included a D.I.Y. popcorn bar and a candy kabob station, with gummies provided by Trolli.
Photo: World Red Eye
Guests were invited to make their own felt flower headbands with supplies from Joann.
Photo: World Red Eye
Attendees were given a Joann swag bag filled with Kemp-Gerstel’s favorite crafting items.
Photo: World Red Eye
Elderflower French liqueur St-Germain and landscape artist Lily Kwong celebrated the summer solstice by creating a floral installation and a hedge maze, which debuted in June 2017 on the High Line in New York. The maze included a bicycle covered in greenery, designed to resemble topiary.
Photo: Benjamin Lozovsky/BFA.com
U.S. Open
American Express held its annual fan experience at the stadium, which included an augmented-reality experience called Super Rally that let fans play tennis both digitally and physically. After getting a tutorial on how to play by Venus Williams, fans used a custom-designed 3-D printed racket to hit virtual tennis balls against physical targets.Â
Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for American Express
Swisse's Destination Happiness activation debuted at Wanderlust 108 in Brooklyn's Prospect Park on September 9. The activation was produced and designed by Mirrorball.
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images for Wanderlust
The activation features lounge seating and branded pillows, along with displays of Swisse products.
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images for Wanderlust
The Dream Dome offers a shaded area where guests can partake in guided meditations and learn about Valerian root, a key ingredient in the Swisse Sleep supplement.
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images for Wanderlust
Guests can receive chair massages at the Detox Platform section, which features hanging Spanish artichokes. The artichokes are found in the Swisse Liver Detox Ultiboost product.
Photo: Courtesy of Swisse
In the Beauty Garden, attendees are invited to pose with signs in front of a floral wall with Sicilian blood oranges, highlighting a key ingredient in Swisse's Hair Skin Nails Liquid Ultiboost product.
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images for Wanderlust
The garden area also has a hair-braiding station.
Photo: Courtesy of Swisse
Guests can get personalized product recommendations using an interactive digital platform, which also provides the option to purchase products onsite.
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images for Wanderlust
Swisse ambassador and celebrity trainer Luke Milton hosts Movement Mate, a full-body movement class designed to loosen up muscles and joints after the Wanderlust workouts.
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images for Wanderlust
Billed as a "mindfulness triathlon," Wanderlust 108 offers mass meditation, running, and yoga sessions.
Photo: Brad Barket/Getty Images for Wanderlust
At this year’s VidCon, held in Anaheim, California, in June, Facebook created a tranquil, outdoors-meets-indoors lounge specifically for creators. Attendees were encouraged to add inspiring messages and drawings for their peers on a large chalkboard wall.
Photo: Trevor Muhler
Facebook Messenger used a similar idea at the third Girlboss Rally, held in Los Angeles in April. On a wall dubbed "Messages That Matter,” attendees and speakers left hundreds of messages of encouragement for each other throughout the day, such as “Just write the draft,” “Be fkn nice,” and “Be a self-made dreamer.”
Photo: Chris Swoszowski
National Geographic hosted two separate movie premieres for its documentary Gender Revolution in Washington and New York in February 2017. The standout element at both events was an eye-catching message wall. Before the screening, the white wall with the hashtag #GenderRevolution emblazoned across the middle served as a decor element. Afterward, event producers brought out paint and markers for guests to decorate with. A mixture of handprints and empowering statements about sexuality and gender identity covered the walls by the end of both events.
Photo: Courtesy of National Geographic
HBO held an interactive pop-up exhibit inspired by the network’s new late-night series, Random Acts of Flyness, in August in New York. The exhibit, which was produced by Team Epiphany, featured vignettes inspired by the themes and cultural idioms featured in the series, which explores patriarchy, white supremacy, and sensuality through a stream-of-conscience style. The “Black Women Won’t Save Us All?” room recognized black women who have made history by broadcasting names on a screen. Attendees were invited to write the name of a black woman who has inspired them on two walls that flanked the screen.
Photo: Dorothy Hong
At the 29th annual Glaad Media Awards, held in Los Angeles in April, biopharmaceutical company Gilead had a photo booth with images printed on-site; guests could post their photo on a wall and write messages about how they will help end H.I.V./AIDS in the United States. Gilead representatives were also on hand to discuss the company's initiatives.
Photo: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Glaad
The Hollywood Reporter and SAG-AFTRA teamed up to host an Emmys party earlier this month in Beverly Hills. Emmy nominees such as Darren Criss (pictured) were asked to write words of advice and wisdom for their peers, which were displayed by the red carpet.
Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Hollywood Reporter
L’Oréal Paris worked with Agenc to host a "Galentine’s Day" event in New York in February 2017. At a graffiti wall, guests were encouraged to write why they are “worth it," a play on the beauty brand's well-known slogan.
Photo: Donald Bowers/Getty Images for L'Oreal
At Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood event, held in Los Angeles in August, sponsor 3 Musketeers created a #ThrowShine photo op. Celebrities, including 14-year-old actress Peyton Elizabeth Lee (pictured), chose a magnet to post on the wall; each magnet included inspiring, encouraging messages for their peers.
Photo: Stewart Cook for Variety
To celebrate the premiere of its new 1980s dance musical drama series Pose, FX worked with BMF Media Group to host an authentic ball in a former Harlem church in June. At the #Pose4Love activation, guests could watch messages of positivity recorded by cast members. They could also write positive messages of their own and post them on the wall; the messages were later shared with members of L.G.B.T.Q. organizations.
Photo: Sean Smith
At the "Pandora Sounds Like You: Summer" concert, held in Los Angeles in July 2017, feminine hygiene product brand Always created the Always Empowerment Wall. Guests were invited to write messages of women’s empowerment, then take photos to share on social. Always also activated in the women’s bathroom, placing custom decals on the mirrors and handing out samples.
Photo: Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Pandora
Danielle Gibson Events holds a regular event series called Take Time to Toast, which is dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs and toasting accomplishments of those in nontraditional work roles. The February edition, held in San Francisco, had a "Galentine’s Day" theme. A “Collaboration Station” featured a bag for each attendee. Next to the wall was a candy station by CandyClub with branded valentines that included phrases such as “I want to take time to toast you” or "You're the best* thing in my life (*besides Rosé).” Guests were encouraged to fill a small candy bag and write a card to another attendee.
Photo: Meg Smith Photography
To launch its new EcoSport, Ford held an experiential event in January 2018 in New York. Produced by Civic Entertainment Group, the event showcased life hacks for traveling, cooking, organizing, and more. Attendees completed the phrase "In 2018 I will..." and added their hang tags to a giant display board.
Photo: Donald Bowers/Getty Images for Ford Motor Company
Scent sommelier Kelly Jones led a “scentstorming” walk that inspired guests to think about how fragrances evoke different emotions and memories and how scents can be integrated into events and client experiences. She paired their discoveries with perfumes inspired by each element such as moss, stone, and fern. Guests were then able to make their own fragrance; Gifts for the Good Life collaborated with the perfumer to create the custom packaging.
Photo: Laura Dee
Wolfgang Puck Catering works with Los Angeles’ Chefs to End Hunger, Dallas’ Equal Heart, and other food recovery programs in local markets around the U.S. to help feed the hungry with any leftover prepared food.
Photo: Courtesy of Wolfgang Puck Catering
Founded by cancer survivor Dan Schorr, Vice Cream features tasty mix-ins in eight different flavors such as Choc of Shame (chocolate ice cream with brownie dough and dark chocolate shavings), Toffee Wife (peanut butter ice cream with chopped toffee bars, peanut butter cookie dough, and a toffee ripple), and Breakfast in Bed (sweet maple ice cream, sticky bun dough, pecan praline, and a touch of cream cheese). Through its “Nice Vice” program, the brand partners with national cancer institutes, donating a portion of sales to support patients, doctors, nurses, and organizations that care for patients and their families. The ice cream ($5.99 per pint) is available throughout the U.S. at retail stores.
Photo: Courtesy of Vice Cream
Made from fallen palm leaves, VerTerra’s lightweight, compostable products are a sustainable alternative to disposable paper and plastic plates. The collection includes plates, bowls, serving trays, to-go boxes, cutlery, and cheese boards, and is able to withstand hot and cold foods and liquids, plus items are microwave- and oven-safe. Pricing starts at $9; shipping is available nationwide.
Photo: Courtesy of VerTerra
New York nonprofit Transfernation picks up extra, untouched food from events and corporate cafeterias and delivers it to the closest local food program such as a homeless shelter or soup kitchen. Event hosts can download the organization’s app and request a pickup for their leftover catered food, similar to a rideshare app. The service charges a small fee to reimburse the independently contracted food runners; donors receive tax receipts for the donated food.
Photo: Courtesy of Transfernation
Random Acts of Flowers delivers recycled flowers to local health care facilities by coordinating with event hosts in Knoxville, Tennessee; Tampa; Chicago; and Indianapolis. The Knoxville-based organization transforms lightly used flowers, which it receives from florists, grocery stores, funeral homes, weddings, and other local events, into bouquets. (Donations can be dropped off, or pickup can be arranged within a 30-minute radius of the facilities.) The group also hosts Flowers After Hours events, where attendees can participate in a hands-on demonstration with a local floral design expert. Each person takes home an arrangement; any additional arrangements are delivered to a local nursing home.
Photo: Courtesy of Random Acts of Flowers
Orlando-based Play With a Purpose offers the “Ye Olde Toy Shoppe” activity where groups can assemble and decorate a variety of children’s toys and furnishings, which are then donated to a local charity.
Photo: Courtesy of Play With a Purpose
Instead of plastic straws, set out Kikkerland Design’s eco-friendly, wax-coated paper straws, which are printed with soy-based inks and are biodegradable and compostable. A pack of 144 straws costs $9.
Photo: Courtesy of Kikkerland Design
Hyatt Regency Austin, located on the shores of Lady Bird Lake in downtown Austin, recently introduced its “Keep Your Meeting Weird” experiential menu for meetings and groups. Planners can now organize Austin-theme experiences for attendees, including goat yoga, build-a-guitar teambuilding, an interactive graffiti wall, and more. Also, inside the pop-up PeaceBox, a mobile venue for meeting attendees to relax and recharge, instructors work with groups to provide wellness training and guided meditation during an event.
Photo: Courtesy of Hyatt Regency Austin
Ancolie, located in New York’s Greenwich Village, creates meals prepared in reusable glass jars including salads, desserts, and breakfast items like oatmeal. The fast-casual eatery also offers catering options. Pricing for a typical lunch with a large salad jar and chocolate bite starts at $16 (plus tax and delivery) per person. Items are served in reusable vessels or with compostable utensils, and all food scraps are sent to a community garden in the East Village.
Photo: Courtesy of Ancolie
Charity gift card-giving site Donors Unite allows users to purchase a tax-deductible gift card, which recipients can then redeem and donate to one of more than 1.5 million registered and IRS-approved charities listed on the site. Gift card amounts start at $10. Donors Unite also lets users buy an unlimited number of gift claim codes that can be printed on their own correspondence or on pre-printed personalized cards.
Photo: Courtesy of Donors Unite
Manual Arts built the pop-up, which ran October 18 to 20 at the House of VR.
Photo: Courtesy of Tetley
Before smashing the cups, attendees were given protective gear to wear.
Photo: Courtesy of Tetley
Guests wielded baseball bats painted in Tetley’s blue color.
Photo: Courtesy of Tetley
In an enclosed room, attendees smashed the teacups on a padded surface.
Photo: Courtesy of Tetley
The pop-up served guests Tetley’s three new Super Tea flavors: Boost, Immune, and Antiox. The pop-up also featured a branded photo wall decorated with shattered pieces of teacups.
Photo: Courtesy of Tetley
A wall displayed white teacups inscribed with blue words such as "weak," "timid," "delicate," and "fragile." The cups were examples of what attendees could smash.
Photo: Courtesy of Tetley
Another wall displayed a motivational message in line with the activation concept.
Photo: Courtesy of Tetley
Planners can arrange for guests to get massages from licensed therapists provided by Zeel, an on-demand massage company that operates in 70 cities.
Photo: Courtesy of Zeel
Stella Artois’s “Host One to Remember” Event
Stella Artois partnered with actress Olivia Culpo to kick off its “Host One to Remember” campaign—which aims to provide inspiration for hosting holiday gatherings—with an event on November 7 in New York. The kick-off event invited guests to decorate cookies shaped like the Stella Artois chalice and star logo.
Photo: Craig Barritt/Getty Images for Stella Artois
A fire performer known as Scarlet Black put on a show in front of the building. The entertainment was kept a secret, so Eatertainment faked a fire alarm to move attendees outside.
Photo: Courtesy of Eatertainment
Prosecco Pong ($30) from Talking Tables is an upgraded version of the classic beer pong game. The kit includes plastic champagne glasses and a bright pink ping-pong ball—you just add the bubbly.
Photo: Stuart Vinter
Oriental Trading Company’s Inflatable Reindeer Antler Ring Toss Game ($5.99) turns the partygoers into the entertainment.
Photo: Courtesy of the Oriental Trading Company
This Christmas Lyric Challenge game from Etsy shop Favors & Stuff ($5) includes four PDFs available for instant download. The first person to fill in the blanks of the well-known holiday favorites like “Frosty the Snowman” and “Jingle Bell Rock” wins.
Photo: Courtesy of Favors & Stuff
The Drink If… game, Ugly Sweater version ($9.99) from Big Dot of Happiness offers players festive dares, such as “drink if you hate fruit cake” or “drink if you're wearing a Christmas sweater.” To play, designate someone in charge of picking cards and deciding who drinks what and when. Cocktails not included.
Photo: Courtesy of Big Dot of Happiness
Big Dot of Happiness’ Jolly Santa Claus iteration ($9.99) of the “Drink If” game includes prompts such as drink if: “someone is wearing elf shoes” or “you're holding your cell phone.”
Photo: Courtesy of Big Dot of Happiness
Each pack of the Christmas Name Game from Talking Tables ($13.99 per pack) contains six party hats and 40 double-sided name cards (including 10 blank cards to personalize). Players try to guess the word on the card that’s sticking out of their party hats based on clues from their team before time runs out.
Photo: Stuart Vinter
Employees can test their skills with the Inflatable 3 in a Row Snowball Game from Oriental Trading Company ($17.99). It includes a vinyl game board along with eight three-inch plastic balls.
Photo: Courtesy of the Oriental Trading Company
The first person to match the actors to their correct holiday movie such as It’s a Wonderful Life and Love Actually wins the downloadable Christmas Movie Match Up game from Etsy shop Favors & Stuff ($5).
Photo: Courtesy of Favors & Stuff
A wintery spin on a classic party game, Oriental Trading Company’s Pin the Nose on the Snowman Game ($3.99) includes a 16 1/2-inch-by-20 1/4-inch snowman face, ten “carrot” noses, and a blindfold.
Photo: Courtesy of the Oriental Trading Company
Relate is a new conference series from software company Zendesk that is focused on exploring relationships and customer service. To tie to that theme, organizers offered a thank-you note station at the May event in San Francisco. The company’s in-house creative team designed witty cards and invited attendees to personalize them with a hand-written note expressing their appreciation to their colleagues. More than 300 cards were stamped and then mailed by Zendesk staff, and attendees took home an additional 1,000 cards and envelopes.
Photo:Â Courtesy of Zendesk
At C2 Montréal in May, attendees stepped inside the “Channel” experience, where they could grab one of the phone receivers and have a conversation with another guest in the room. Organizers say the activity was intended to explore what it takes “to truly hear and be heard in our modern, hyper-connected world.” After the conversation, participants moved into a debriefing space to discuss the connection between the experience and their work.
Photo:Â Agnieszka Stalkoper
At Zendesk’s Relate conference, which took place in Sydney in July, the company created coloring books as a playful look at the complex relationships businesses and customers experience. Each illustration depicted two opposite forces—such as sun and moon, sea and space, etc.—along with a poem or joke that further explored those relationships. Attendees could color the books using colored pencils provided on tables around the event, and they also received a coloring book to take home in the conference gift bag.
Photo:Â Courtesy of Zendesk
A picnic combines an alternative to traditional meal service with a networking activity. And when held indoors, a picnic can take place year-round. Organizers of the TED Conference, which was held in Vancouver in February, provided blankets and baskets filled with food for six people and invited attendees to find others to share it inside the Vancouver Convention Centre.
Photo:Â Ryan Lash/TED
With hundreds, or even thousands, of people in attendance at most conferences, it becomes an ideal opportunity to attempt to set a Guinness World Record title. The attempt creates buzz even if it fails. At the National Federation of the Blind’s 2015 conference in Orlando, 2,480 attendees participated in a successful Guinness World Record title attempt for the largest umbrella mosaic. The open umbrellas created the image of the organization’s logo and tagline, “Live the life you want.” The stunt was part of the association’s 75th anniversary celebration.
Photo: Courtesy of National Federation of the Blind
Badge decorating is an activity that allows attendees to show their individuality and creativity—and creates an easy topic of conversation among strangers. At the 2015 Summer Brand Camp Conference in Dallas, organizers invited guests to decorate their badges with colored beads, in a nod to the event’s children’s-camp vibe.
Photo:Â Jill Harper/Summer Brand Camp
Refinery29's 29Rooms
At Refinery29’s 29Rooms in New York in Los Angeles, illustrator Jen Mussari designed hand-painted punching bags and gloves for a “The Future Is Female” installation. Electronic music artist Madame Gandhi created beats in the space that guests could turn on by punching the bags.
Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash
Take Time to Toast Event Series
Danielle Gibson Events holds a regular event series called Take Time to Toast, which is dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs and toasting accomplishments of those in nontraditional work roles. The February edition, held at Stable Cafe in San Francisco, had a "Galentine’s Day" theme. A “Collaboration Station” featured a bag for each attendee, each of which was hand-calligraphed by Blushtype with her name, title, and business. Next to the wall was a candy station by CandyClub with branded valentines that included phrases such as “I want to take time to toast you” or "You're the best* thing in my life (*besides Rosé).” Guests were encouraged to fill a small candy bag and write a card to another attendee. “Some attendees also took this opportunity to drop their business cards into the bags and spread the word of their own business,” said Shaina Braun, an event coordinator at Danielle Gibson Events. “It was a nice icebreaker to start the event and a great way to get to know the other women in attendance. At the end of the night, each attendee brought their bag home with them and got to open up lots of love and girl-power messages.”
Photo: Meg Smith Photography
Girlboss Rally
Sophia Amoruso’s company Girlboss hosted the second Girlboss Rally at Industria Studios in New York in November. The event brought together top female entrepreneurs including Ashley Graham, Elaine Welteroth, Leandra Medine, and Whitney Wolfe, plus 600 attendees from 14 countries. Decor from the Gathery included a pink-lit hallway with hanging signs that said “No-Shame Zone,” “Start Your Own Shit,” and other inspiring phrases.
Photo: Cindy Ord/Getty Images for Girlboss Media
Girlboss Rally
The sold-out Girlboss rally also had inspirational phrases on the walls from prominent women such as Beyoncé and Maya Angelou.
Photo: Ben Draper
Refinery29's 29Rooms
The Los Angeles edition of Refinery29's 29Rooms in December also featured messages of women's empowerment. A room from entertainer Lilly Singh presented women as superheroes and addressed the cycle of girl-on-girl hate. Refinery29 staffers acted as models for the painted work. Attendees were also invited to enter a phone booth and call a female friend to spread a message of love.
Photo: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for Refinery29
Refinery29's 29Rooms
Both the New York and Los Angeles editions of 29Rooms collaborated with Planned Parenthood on a large-scale installation called “Bright Future,” which used bright neon signage to highlight women’s healthcare issues. Guests could also listen to stories from people who’ve been touched by the organization, as well as pledge their support.
Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash
Sparkle and Shine Darling's Vision Board Soiree
Miami-based retail shop and event space Sparkle and Shine Darling hosted a female-focused event in January 2016. The Vision Board Soiree invited 200 women to create their own motivational vision boards with photos, quotes, magazine cutouts, and more. The boutique was transformed into a creative space meant to empower women of all ages, and guests could snack on cookies featuring phrases such as “She believed she could, so she did.”
Photo: World Red Eye
AwesomenessTV and Gatorade's Workout Class
In December in Los Angeles, AwesomenessTV and Gatorade welcomed local high school girls to a motivational workout class led by celebrity trainer Gunnar Peterson, actress Lea Michele, World Cup champion Julie Foundy, and TV host Rachel DeMita. The women led a conversation about how playing sports shaped who they are today, and workout area featured colorful lockers adorned with the phrase “Sisters in Sweat.”
Photo: Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Awesomeness
The Makers Conference
Held in NeueHouse Hollywood in February, the Makers Conference drew advocates for women’s rights from the tech, entertainment, business, and nonprofit fields. The 2018 edition featured discussions on the Time’s Up movement, the power of creating a collective group, and a speech by Hillary Clinton. Speakers—including executive producer of Divided States of Women at Vox Media Liz Plank (left) and Emmy-winning screenwriter Lena Waithe—held discussions underneath a stage backdrop that displayed the conference’s theme of “Raise Your Voice.”
Photo: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Makers
'The Handmaid's Tale' Art Installation
To celebrate the premiere of The Handmaid's Tale in April 2017, Hulu showcased an interactive public art installation at the High Line in New York. Designed by graphic artists Paula Scher and Abbott Miller, the multimedia installation was produced by Civic Entertainment Group and fabricated by Duggal Visual Solutions. It featured a red-and-black color scheme with illustrations of handmaid silhouettes, along with hanging light fixtures resembling the white hats the title characters wear in the series. As passersby grabbed novels, the piece was deconstructed to reveal messages of female empowerment and anti-authoritarian resistance.
Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Hulu
'Teen Vogue' Summit
In December, more than 500 young people gathered in Los Angeles for the inaugural Teen Vogue Summit: two days of activism and empowerment-theme talks from Hillary Clinton, Congresswoman Maxine Waters, Women’s March organizer Paola Mendoza, poet and artist Cleo Wade, film director Ava Duvernay, and more. The event, which was designed and produced by 23 Stories, featured an eye-catching step-and-repeat that evoked buttons with inspiring, inclusive phrases such as "Women's rights are human rights" and "Love wins."
Photo: Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Teen Vogue
'Teen Vogue' Summit
Sponsor Urban Outfitters teamed up with Teen Vogue editors to create a series of empowering tote bags, shirts, hoodies, and buttons. The products were adorned with phrases such as "Resist the Gaslight" and "This is what a Teen Vogue reader looks like."
Photo: Andrew Noel for Teen Vogue/23 Stories
'Teen Vogue' Summit Meet-Ups
Leading up to the December summit, Teen Vogue hosted a series of meet-ups in five cities around the country. Each event had a video booth that asked attendees—most of whom were young women—to explain how they plan to change the world.
Photo: Andrew Noel for Teen Vogue/23 Stories
Pandora Sounds Like You: Summer
At the Pandora Sounds Like You: Summer concert, held in Los Angeles in July, feminine product brand Always created the Always Empowerment Wall. Guests were invited to write messages of women’s empowerment, then take photos to share on social. Always also activated in the women’s bathroom, placing custom decals on the mirrors and handing out samples.
Photo: Rachel Murray/Getty Images for Pandora
'Mother' Magazine's In Good Company Conference
Mother magazine’s inaugural In Good Company conference took place in September in San Francisco. Designed as a space for creative and entrepreneurial mothers to exchange ideas, collect information, and inspire each other, the event encouraged women to bring their children to the conference. Atlejee designer Suvi Silvanto brought her nine-month-old son, Alfons. “I don’t have to worry if my baby’s accepted or not. That makes it unusual,” Silvanto said. In addition, a mother’s lounge by Plum Organics gave breastfeeding or pumping mothers a place to relax and decompress. Toys by Shop Bitte were on hand to entertain the kids.
Photo: Kara Brodgesell
'Essence' Black Women in Hollywood Awards
Every year, Essence magazine teams up with event firm AgenC to produce the Black Women in Hollywood Awards. Intended to honor and celebrate Hollywood's most impactful African-American women, the award show is always held during Oscars week and televised on OWN. For the 10th anniversary event in 2017, the heavily-female crowd could recharge and re-glam at the L'Oreal Beauty Bar. Attendees sampled the Infallible Paints collection and left messages on the adjacent mirror about "why they are magic."
Photo: Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.
U.S. Senate Visual Protest
In July 2016, more than 100 black women gathered in a replica of the U.S. Senate chamber at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute in Boston. The gathering served as a form of “visual protest” of the fact that—at the time—there were no black women in the United States Senate. (California’s Kamala Harris has since been elected.) The attendees of the political gathering, who were asked to “Take Your Seat” and elevate black women's voices, included then-Massachusetts first lady Diane Patrick; faith leader Mariama White Hammond; Higher Heights co-founders Glynda Carr and Kimberly Peeler-Allen; and Sarah-Ann Shaw, the first female African-American reporter to be televised in Boston.
Photo: Eric Haynes
'Galore's Girl Cult Festival
The inaugural Girl Cult festival, created by Galore magazine and Goldenvoice and held in Los Angeles in August, drew 1,500 young attendees for an all-female lineup of panelists and performers. Pre-event materials billed the event as a “festival for kickass women and allies who want to come together and create a new vision.” Organizers aimed to create an environment that was accepting of all races, religions, genders, and sexualities. One popular photo op aimed to make attendees (such as Justine Skye, pictured) feel like queens for the day. The area featured a throne and a tiger, with a colorful backdrop that listed sponsor names.
Photo: Prince Chenoa & Jacob Dekat/Galore
HBO's New Year, New You Week
To promote the second season of the Sarah Jessica Parker-led show Divorce in January, HBO partnered with lifestyle brands in New York to deliver fans a week of experiences focused on self-improvement in the new year. The network partnered with experiential marketing agency LeadDog Marketing Group to conceptualize the experiences, ensuring that each one was related to self-improvement and empowerment. For example, DreamDry salon offered guests complimentary blowouts inspired the Parker’s character, Frances.
Photo: Jane Kratochvil
