On October 30, the top names in meetings and events gathered for the BizBash IdeaFest New York at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center's North Hall. Following sold-out conferences across the country, the highly anticipated return of the Event Innovation Forum brought together influential thought leaders and creative thinkers to share their latest success stories, innovative strategies, and creative breakthroughs to a crowd of more than 400 attendees.
Metropolitan Exposition oversaw the on-site exhibitor load in the day before the show. Out-of-town attendees stayed at the New Yorker Hotel and enjoyed a preparty at XL Nightclub, where BizBash announced the first group of National Event Style Awards winners. Extreme Beam, provided by T. Skorman, entertained attendees during the preparty. Prior to the event, attendees received BizBash IdeaFest information on the event app, which was developed by DoubleDutch.
The next day at the show Eventbrite handled online and on-site registration, and Agencia provided registration staffing. The first 200 attendees received a special key for an opportunity to win prizes from a treasure chest at the Best Corporate Events booth. Wizard Creations sponsored volunteer T-shirts and attendee bags.
The morning kicked off with the BizBash Workshop Series, which featured audiovisual production from Corporate A/V. The V.I.P. lounge included Pixe Social’s social media photo booth, gifts from Coyote Promotions and M&M’s, and a step-and-repeat from New England Country Rentals. Zak Events furnished and designed the lounge with items from the Zak Collection; the speaker lounge, registration lounge, and expo floor stage also included the furnishings. A Bill Clinton look-alike from GigMasters greeted attendees in the V.I.P. lounge, which was sponsored by Zak Events, Pixe Social, M&M’s, Coyote Promotions, and SwarmWorks.
On the trade show floor, GigMasters provided entertainment, while Brightroom, the show photographer, took photos throughout the day. Eventbrite and CORT Event Furnishings hosted the floor’s central lounge, where showgoers listened to presentations on social media and marketing.
Later in the morning, attendees gathered at the Event Innovation Forum where SwarmWorks provided a special interactive device for audience feedback and participation. Dynamic Drape & Decor provided draping as well as the backdrop for the main stage. Wizard Studios managed main stage production, BML handled the main stage audiovisual production and lighting, and Ryan Scammel provided motion graphics. Forum attendees also enjoyed a networking lunch that had tables set with linens from BBJ Linens and floral arrangements by Zak Events.
The day concluded with the announcement of the remaining Event Style Awards winners; NYY Steak Midtown was the title sponsor. The Water Coolers entertained guests with musical numbers, and Society Awards provided the crystal trophies. Following the ceremony, the celebration continued at the after-party at Parlor.
BizBash extends a special thank-you to Backdrops Beautiful, Badgetec, Cambridge Security, and all of this year’s exhibitors and the nearly 3,000 attendees for taking part in BizBash IdeaFest New York 2013.
View all of the Event Style Award winners here. For more information about our events, please visit bizbash.com/events.