A month into lockdown, memories of parties are taking us out of our perpetual Groundhog Day and lifting spirits. We wanted to pay homage to IRL events and asked members to send in a photo from an event that sparks good memories for them. The result is a colorful collection of some truly incredible work that we hope will transport you to lighter times.
Alber Elbaz x LeSportsac NYFW Collaboration Launch Party | Chelsey Wayte Kaffka, Founder & CEO, VIJON
Alyssa Greenberg
Hands down my all time favorite IRL moment, and a major career milestone at the time, was producing the Alber Elbaz x Lesportsac collaboration event during NYFW a couple of years ago. The stories you hear about Alber being one of the nicest designers around are all true. He's also a total creative genius. Working alongside Alber and bringing the vision to life was an experience I'll never forget - we built a giant 15 foot tall birthday cake, hand painted balloons that looked like handbags, filled an oversized gumball machine with fun surprises, dropped rainbow confetti, covered the walls floor to ceiling in printed fabrics, and more. There was something new to experience in every inch of the room, and hand on heart I've never seen grown adults (especially the fashion crowd) have so much fun!
Belvedere X Janelle Monae “Beautiful Future” Bottle Launch | Harrison & Shriftman
The Belvedere x Janelle Monáe “A Beautiful Future” program was one of the most impactful events for H&S in 2019. We counsel our clients to create work that is purposeful, diverse and fair. “A Beautiful Future” captured the shared ambition between Belvedere and Janelle of creating a future where your natural character and your differences are celebrated. We worked with the Belvedere team and Janelle to create beautiful and immersive experiences in three key communities to spread this dialogue and celebrate what a beautiful future means through the lens of diversity, equality and self-expression.
Tag Heuer Connected Watch Launch | Jack Bedwani, CEO and Founder, the projects*
Our launch experience for TAG Heuer’s new Connected Watch was one of the last luxury events before the COVID Crisis brought New York and the world to a screeching halt. In the weeks leading up to the event, our team navigated a rapidly shifting landscape, in which new information emerged daily and the scope and scale of the crisis was just beginning to come into focus. In the end, it was a proud moment for the projects* as our agility, thoughtfulness and creativity enabled us to prioritize guests’ safety and comfort. We brought the world of the new Connected Watch to life with a spectacular, immersive event in the final moments before a global industry reset.
Absolut Electrik House | Laura Gavin President, MKG West
Marissa Joy Photography | MKG's collaborating partners included Sid Lee, Weber Shandwick, 360i, and Windmill Factory
Recently I find myself longing for any kind of party, but a good house party is definitely one of my all time faves. Absolut Electrik House took everything we all love about a quintessential house party and made it electric. Guests explored wild rooms that each put an unexpected twist on house party classics like an all robot band, CompressorHead set in the garage, a moose head with laser beam eyes and interactive dance floor in the living room, a hair-raising photo experience powered by static electricity in the study, and drone barbacks pouring drinks at the kitchen bar. To close out the night, Empire of the Sun performed in the backyard accompanied by a 40-foot, interactive, Absolut bottle-shaped tesla coil that was triggered by the performance. This epic house party was also featured in Absolut's global commercial campaign. Truly the party of the century!
CUUP x BCRF Panel | Cindy Krupp, Founder, Krupp Group
On October 8th, 2019, Krupp Group worked with DTC bra brand, CUUP to host an intimate afternoon of self-care (services from WTHN and Jon Katayama) and awareness in support of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation at the NoMad Hotel rooftop. An inspiring body of women were invited to join a panel discussion hosted by Veronica McCarthy of DORÉ: Melissa Telzer of InKind Space, Dr. Elizabeth Poyner of Poynor Health, Dr. Nadja Piinnavaia of Plantable, Chloe Kernaghan of Sky Ting Yoga and Kerrilyn Pamer of CAP Beauty.
As a company comprised of (mostly) women, this event felt especially intimate to the team at Krupp Group as we’ve all experienced the affects of breast cancer through people in our lives who have been diagnosed. It was incredibly moving to be able to bring together a group of women (and men!) to support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and bring overall awareness to the cause.
Ferrari 70th Anniversary Celebration | Jed Weinstein, Founder, Rise & Set
Rise & Set was honored to be chosen by world-renowned sports car manufacturer Ferrari to produce their 70th Anniversary celebration in New York City. We oversaw the concept, design, fabrication, logistics at 4 different event sites (Sothebys, Hublot flagship on 5th Avenue, Park Avenue Ferrari and the main activation at Rockefeller Plaza). This event proved to be the start of a long term relationship with Ferrari.
The Dalmore L'Anima Launch | Akbar Hamid, President and CEO of The 5th Column
To celebrate the launch of The Dalmore L'Anima, a collaboration between Dalmore Whisky Master Distiller Richard Paterson and World's Best Chef Massimo Bottura, the team at The 5th Column brought Osteria Francescana from Modena, Italy to NYC for a one-night-only dining experience prepared by Bottura himself. Taking place at Sotheby's, the magical evening was attended by top tier media in food and spirits. It was a rare moment allowing some of the industry's greatest minds to come together and share a meal prepared by a maestro, paired with some of the best whisky in the world. Moreover, these guests were the first to see Oprah's newly curated exhibit, By Women, For Tomorrow’s Women, set to launch the following day. It was lovely. I truly hope that we'll be able to see people come together like this again soon, to just share a meal, drink, and laugh. It's so inspiring to see Massimo continue to do great things and be a maverick in his field. I've been tuning in to his 'Kitchen Quarantine' series, for example, where he welcomes viewers into his home to follow along for fun recipes and light-hearted commentary -- it makes us all feel connected during such a tough time.
Secret Deodorant with Essential Oils Launch | Dera Lee, Founder and CEO, Dera Lee Productions
One of my favorite events Dera Lee Productions has designed and produced to date is the launch of Secret Deodorant with Essential Oils in Beverly Hills. It was so memorable to me because there were so many things that changed during the production and reminds me that being able to PIVOT quickly for our clients is one of our greatest talents. Originally the event was supposed to be in NYC with a completely different concept and due to scheduling conflicts we moved the event to LA last minute. Then finding a LA venue with the PERFECT garden and within budget wasn't an easy task. When we found this AMAZING mansion, it wasn't available. Surprisingly, a day later the client who booked it cancelled their event so we were in luck! I believe that we were meant to host Secret's event in that venue and am grateful we had the opportunity to design such a beautifully, powerful event for them and the influencers and editors who attended.
Tik Tok Make Black History Summit | Brian Feit, Co-Founding Partner, BMF
BMF produced Tik Tok’s Make Black History Summit back in February, during Black History Month. This was a 3-day summit held at The Line Hotel in Los Angeles that brought together 150 Creators from all across the country and featured appearances by and sessions and workshops with Tracee Ellis Ross, Tyra Banks, Nick Cannon, Terry Crews and Doja Cat, as well as gift bags including items from brands like Fenty and Puma. As a celebration of creativity and authenticity, this event was heartfelt, inspirational and conveyed a strong sense of community that we are looking forward to getting back to!
alice + olivia x Keith Haring Launch | alice + olivia
This is a hard one as all of our events bring fun visuals and amazing interactive activations. Our favorite IRL event to date was the launch of alice + olivia x Keith Haring at Highline Stages in November 2018, with the theme of “Art is for Everybody.” Keith Haring bold graphics and cutouts bounced off the walls, skate kitchen girls rode their skateboards on a Haring half-pipes in the middle of the room and guests played throwback arcade games and with life-sized lite bright, while drinking colorful cocktails with superimposed imagery from the collection provided by Pernod.
Attendees were encouraged to bring their own artistic flare by coloring a Keith Haring graphic backdrop, for yet another fun instagrammable moment. Models and mannequins outfitted in the collection floated around the room as The Dolls played homage to old school 80’s hits. Every details from vintage TV screens sporting Keith Haring graphics and paint buckets filled with flowers felt like the perfect nod to Keith Haring’s artistic spirit. Every inch of the room was made to feel colorful and fun.
AHS: 1984 Camp Redwood Experience | Industria Creative
"On Friday the 13th of September 2019, FX Networks hosted a carefully curated group of influencers, VIPs and sweepstakes winners at its 'Camp Redwood Experience' in anticipation of the launch of the new season of American Horror Story: 1984. Industria Creative was tapped by FX's Integrated Promotions team to transform 110-acres of the Santa Monica Mountains into the network’s first overnight experience – a working 1980s summer camp. AHS:1984 and the 'Camp Redwood Experience paid homage to the slasher films of the 80s by following a small group of counselors-in-training (CITs) as they try to survive the night. Guests arrived ready to live out their nightmares by becoming participants in an immersive, multi-track tale about the camp’s past history and horrors.
Ranked as Promax's Top Entertainment Experiential Activation of 2019, this program highlighted an event's ability to not only fully immerse guests into a property via environmental design and multi-track narrative - a growing trend within experiential – but also demonstrated how an intimate number of guests can be brought together to deliver broad awareness and impressions on behalf of a brand partner.
Moxy Chelsea Avant-Garden Coming Out Event | Diana Pavlov, Senior Director, Global Entertainment Marketing & Michael Fragoso, Global Entertainment & Experiential Marketing, Marriott International
Moxy Hotels celebrated its debut in the heart of New York’s Flower District, inviting city-dwellers to “Play On”’ in Moxy’s Avant-Garden, a botanical odyssey, served with a side of unpredictability. As a brand custom curated for fun-hunters, Moxy Hotels sets trends, and never follows them. Through social listening to determine what our guests engage with across social platforms, we identified ASMR as a theme that could seamlessly integrate into one of Moxy’s most defining programs: Moxy Bedtime Stories. The brand’s global storytelling program features cheeky 60-second stories under the themes “chill out,” “go out” or “pass out” for guests to listen to in their guestroom. By integrating the psychological sensation into the program, Moxy became the first hospitality brand to utilize ASMR, exclusive for guests of the new Chelsea location.
The exclusive videos were created in collaboration with ASMR-experts Whisperlodge, and featured influencers, including @bellathorne, @dani_thorne and @carolinevreeland. Each told a titillating Bedtime Story while interacting with props that reflected their personalities. The videos were released in-room the night of the event and across each influencer’s social channel in the subsequent weeks, ensuring campaign longevity and sustainable buzz for Moxy Hotels and its Chelsea location. During the event, guests experienced an intimate, one-night-only ASMR spa within the hotel’s suite. Inside, they were taken on a personal journey that induced a deep connection with the hotel and its surroundings. To further extend the reach, the event featured additional NY influencers including famed tattoo-artist-in-residence @Jonboy, who inked guests & permanently gave them a night to remember. For guests with something less permanent in mind, an Avant-Garden makeup station came to life with artists who curated designs on the face of @Ninaagdal and other guests, utilizing real flowers along with makeup from Throne by Bella Thorne. DJS @tysunderland, @mazurbate, and @ official_lady_bunny, along with a surprise set from @dani_thorne, kept the party up all night. [Editor's Note: Moxy Chelsea Avant-Garden Coming Out Event was produced by BMF]
Macy's Barbie Beauty Pop-Up | Stephanie Kimes, Founder & Creative Director, OneNine Design
One of our favorite IRL experiences is our collaboration with Macy's and TwelveNYC, creating beauty pop-ups at their iconic Macy's flagship store, Herald Square. The latest pop-up we designed celebrates Barbie's dream beauty space highlighting her partnership with Pure Cosmetics. Complete with a life size Barbie box photo op, vanity and interactive instagramable moments. It's exciting working with two iconic brands and bringing to life an experience that lives in a space for an extended period of time reaching so many people.
Richard Ginori “Mythic Soiree” Dinner | Marlene Capron, Vice President, Design at Karla Otto
It's so difficult to choose my favorite pattern in the Richard Ginori archive, but the “Il Viaggio di Nettuno” porcelain collection by British artist and designer Luke Edward Hall, was the perfect pairing. The collection launched last fall, and to celebrate, Richard Ginori hosted a “Mythic Soiree” dinner in New York City. The entire collection was used throughout the evening for the 4 course dinner -- and the guests left with a custom vide poche (porcelain catchall). The artwork was the same that was created for the invite. Mine hangs in our dining room as a constant reminder of such a beautiful night.
The West Hollywood EDITION Opening Party | Jonathan Frydman, Vice President Communications, PURPLE
Working on The West Hollywood EDITION opening was such a strong moment in my career. Not only because it meant being lucky enough to watch such an iconic and prominent figure as Ian Schrager and his fantastic team in action, learning by just observing and listening but also because it meant putting together the perfect guest list. The result was incredible, with thousands of guests coming to discover this new hotel from the lobby bar and the restaurant to the rooftop and the club. And seeing Chaka Khan on stage was truly magical!
Longchamp 5th Avenue Store Opening | Workshop
Workshop partnered with Longchamp to bring a little slice of Paris to NYC to celebrate their 5th Avenue store opening. We brought the convivial culture of Parisian street cafes to life with the installation Café de Longchamp. We extended their new storefront onto 5th Avenue to create the arrivals photo moment for the press event and then kept the café up and running for customers, influencers and all of NYC to enjoy throughout the opening week.
Christie’s, Phaidon, and Kering Celebrate GREAT WOMEN ARTISTS | Michael Moore, Director of Events, Christie's
Christie’s, Phaidon and Kering gathered 80 designers, curators and collectors on the eve of the Frieze Los Angeles at the palatial Laurel Canyon home of Brigette Romanek to celebrate Great Women Artists, a book paying homage to more than 400 female artists, from Catherine Opie to Agnes Denes.
