Check-in desks and registration areas are an often overlooked component to an event's overall design, but an eye-catching setup can help set the tone for the event ahead. From costumed attendants to 3-D logos, here are 11 ways to liven up check-in desks.
For a Catch Me if You Can screening in New York in 2011, Stella Artois transformed the restaurant Casa Lever into a 1960s airport lounge. The hostess stand was remade as the departure gate counter, where guests could check their tickets against a seating chart.
At the Canadian design fair the Interior Design Show in 2013, Ikea took over the ticket counter, using a lamp as a simple, homey touch that made the space feel less clinical. The brand also decked the back wall with a leafy, wallpaper-like design and placed its bright red logo front and center.
In 2012, the Washington Ballet's Jeté Society hosted an Alice in Wonderland-theme dance party. A large white tree decorated with red hearts inspired by the story's Red Queen served as the backdrop for the check-in desk.
At the WWD Beauty C.E.O. Summit in 2012 at the Breakers Palm Beach in Florida, the apothecary-inspired registration desk held different-sized jars filled with colored liquids, cotton balls, and Q-tips. Pink peonies in white vases, bright-colored towels, diffusers, and WWD magazine issues also adorned the desk.
When Progressive Insurance hosted auditions in 2010, the company built a space inside the Metropolitan Pavilion designed to look like the fictional Progressive store in its commercials. As such, the check-in desk at the front was decorated in the brand's signature white with blue and orange accents, and a large sign touting the website served as the backdrop.
The check-in area at Turner's 2010 upfront in New York included cut-outs in the walls and 3-D logos on pedestals. David Stark handled decor.
Fairchild Fashion Media's Kristen Wildman worked with XA to create the modern design of the WWD C.E.O. Summit inside the Plaza in New York in 2013. A color scheme of bright yellow against white was used throughout, including in the registration desk, giving the decor a clean, uniform look.
At the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's annual ball in 2013, the theme of "Saturday Night Blues" influenced the decor at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. The check-in area reflected the theme with statement decor pieces including hanging saxophones and crystal orbs.
At a private event by David Beahm, the check-in area was "influenced by our surroundings. We let the decor of Blue Hill at Stone Barns rule our aesthetic, letting nature dictate the design," Beahm said. "The hand-hammered copper urn visually grounded the design."
Shiraz Events designed the registration desk at the FN C.E.O. Summit in Miami Beach in 2013. The bold blue and yellow table featured a grid behind it featuring the summit logo, and it held flowers and candy jars with white treats.
The check-in desk at a law firm's "Big Gay Party" in July 2014 included draping that matched the rainbow hues in the pride flag.
