Minimalist Designs for Events

Lucite chairs, candles, and sleek white linens dressed the 150-foot tables at the Joffrey Ballet gala in Chicago in 2010.

Photo: Greg Davis/Powell Photography Inc.

From simple, elegant table settings to sleek stages and lighting, here are minimalist ideas to incorporate into events and meetings.



For his September show in New York at Spring Studios entitled “Beauty,” Jason Wu went simple and stark with the all-white venue. Produced by Bureau Betak, the space featured simple white bench seating and a floor-to-ceiling backdrop that mimicked a deconstructed boudoir mirror—with detached molding that created a mirage-like effect.

Photo: Jamie McGregor Smith



The 2006 Screen Actors Guild awards gala in Los Angeles had a striking but simple look from event designer Stanlee Gatti, with bunches of upside-down calla lillies hanging overhead. White furnishings were arranged in lounge-like formations.

Photo: Nadine Froger Photography



At this year's Dining by Design, the annual fund-raising event hosted by Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS, Smartwater's space aimed to reflect the brand's natural water purification process, which is mirrored after rain clouds. The fluffy fixtures lit up like a storm above the simple table setting. The event took place at New York's Pier 92 in March.

Photo: Cornelia Stiles/BizBash


A joint event between Variety and British Airways in 2013 took place at a Los Angeles mansion, and black-and-white decor took on a residential feel. To celebrate the heritage of British Airways, the Union Jack appeared on black-and-white pillows at a seating group that surrounded a modern fire pit.

Photo: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Variety


At a Saucony-hosted event in Boston in 2011, an art exhibit around the perimeter of the space incorporated the brand's sneakers and minimalist art.

Photo: Phase One Photography



In 2012, Yahoo marked the relaunch of Genome, a brand previously known as Interclick, with a minimalist affair in New York. To create a modern aesthetic inside a SoHo townhouse, the producers employed a mix of clean lines and white furnishings. For entertainment, the organizers brought in synchronized swimmers dressed to look like aliens.

Photo: Sean T. Smith



At a 2013 brunch for L'Oréal, designer and producer Joe Moller added subtle branding to the setup on the Viceroy Miami's outdoor terrace, adding L'Oréal lettering to the backs of chairs and using shallow gold vases filled with products as tabletop centerpieces.

Photo: Joe Moller


The Women's Wear Daily Beauty Summit in 2013 had a sleek, all-white design from Shiraz Events. Guests sat in clear Miro chairs at communal tables topped with white linens and simple birch vases holding cobble moss balls.

Photo: Sean Smith



To cap off New York Fashion Week in 2010, Calvin Klein hosted a party with seating vignettes of minimalist, low-slung white sofas and ottomans around fireplaces.

Photo: Billy Farrell/PatrickMcMullan.com



At a product launch for watch brand Q&Q in New York, guests were encouraged to take photos against a modern backdrop. Guests who posed for snaps received a coin that would allow them to receive a free watch from a giant gumball machine.

Photo: Kent Miller Studios



To launch its newest A8 model at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2010, Audi created a 45,000-square-foot temporary structure. EventStar worked with Audi, German architecture firm the Design Company, and Miami event management firm Siinc Agency to design the pavilion.

Photo: Elizabeth Renfrow for BizBash



At a dinner to mark new gallery openings at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2011, Heffernan Morgan bathed webbed scrims in golden light to cast spiderweblike patterns throughout the modern dinner space.

Photo: Robert Carl

Source: Bizbash

byBest Events

in Event Decor

1:20 PM

Minimalist Designs for Events

Lucite chairs, candles, and sleek white linens dressed the 150-foot tables at the Joffrey Ballet gala in Chicago in 2010. Photo: Greg Dav...

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12 Dramatic Draping Ideas

Draping is one of the hardest-working details of event production: It can serve as dramatic decor, guide guests in the right direction, hide elements in a space that are irrelevant or yet to be revealed, or advance a theme—and sometimes it serves multiple functions all at once. See how these corporate events and benefits around North America incorporated drapery in inventive and attractive ways.


The New York City Opera's spring gala in 2008 celebrated the opening night of King Arthur. At the event, long strips of multicolored drapery served as a tent over the promenade of the New York State Theater.

Photo: Joe Fornabaio for BizBash


Goldie Hawn hosted the Hawn Foundation’s “Goldie’s Love In for Kids” in Los Angeles earlier this month. There, purple draping accented with chandeliers lent a rich look and feel within the party space.

Photo: Courtesy of the Hawn Foundation


Last year, Toronto’s sold-out “Motionball” gala, in support of the Special Olympics Canada Foundation, had a “Glitz and Graffiti” theme. Accordingly, drapes and bright lights added a feeling of warmth and vibrancy in the reception space.

Photo: Courtesy of Motionball


At a 2015 party surrounding Roth Capital Partners’ financial conference in Orange County, California, flowing black drape provided a a retro '80s glam vibe to support a performance from the band Poison.

Photo: Cynthia Halverson



Luxurious white draping strung with Edison-style bulbs formed the entrance to the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar party in Los Angeles in February.

Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash



The previous year, the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar party got a purple-draped entrance punctuated by hanging disco balls.

Photo: Alesandra Dubin/BizBash



Black and white stripes lent a crisp, clean look at the Elton John AIDS Foundation Oscar party in Los Angeles back in 2009.

Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage



For a 2012 holiday party for CyberCoders in Newport Beach, California, 10 crystal chandeliers decorated a heavily draped ceiling in a space done in black, gold, and purple.

Photo: Callie Biggerstaff



Following the SAG Awards in Los Angeles in 2012, People magazine and the Entertainment Industry Foundation co-hosted the official awards gala, where Event Eleven created a diamond-shaped, draped ceiling treatment to serve as the event’s dramatic centerpiece.

Photo: Nadine Froger Photography



At the same party in 2013, Event Eleven designed a sumptuous Art Deco-inspired setting with draped fabric panels from Crdzines.

Photo: Nadine Froger Photography



Toronto’s Regent Park School of Music held the first Chrismukkah benefit in support of Toronto’s Regent Park School of Music in 2009. At the gala, designed to combine elements of Christmas and Hanukkah, organizers draped panels of sheer fabric from the ceiling in the concert hall. The drapes, done in white, combined elements from the wintry holidays.



Samsung Mobile launched its Galaxy Note II in Los Angeles in 2012 at the Beverly Hills home of interior designer Kelly Wearstler. There, Event Eleven tricked out a 80- by 40-foot tent on the home’s tennis court, with details like draping with a striped effect.

Photo: Line 8 Photography. All rights reserved.

Source: BizBash

byBest Events

in Event Decor, Events

5:00 PM

12 Dramatic Draping Ideas

Draping is one of the hardest-working details of event production: It can serve as dramatic decor, guide guests in the right direction, hid...

Read More

7 Jungle Book Inspired Ideas for Events

Kehoe Designs transformed the Fairmont Hotel's ballroom into a tropical setting with lagoon-colored lighting, leafy centerpieces, and giant cutouts of animal silhouettes for the Goodman Gala, which was held in Chicago in May 2013 and celebrated the theater's production of The Jungle Book.

Photo: Ryan Sjostrom



When Peter Jackson's remake of King Kong premiered in December 2005, Universal Pictures threw an enormous party for 3,000 guests in New York. The event included an elaborate—and complicated—waterfall that took a crew of workers from Garden State Koi and Aquatic Center three days to assemble. The installation was part of the jungle-theme section of the premiere party and included sound effects and a light fog.

Photo: Jeff Thomas/ImageCapture for BizBash



For the HBO Emmy after-party in August 2010, event designer Billy Butchkavitz concocted a “summer safari” theme that featured animal-print tablecloths in preppy pink and banana and palm trees as high as 30 feet.

Photo: Gabor Ekecs



A fire pit next to the arrivals area kept HBO's guests warm at the Pacific Design Center in Los Angeles.

Photo: Gabor Ekecs



Palm leaves, lilies, and zebra print decorated the ballroom of the Four Seasons Chicago for the Service Club of Chicago's gala in November 2011.

Photo: Ryan Sjostrom



Dense arrangements of tropical plants were suspended between white pillars, creating a jungle-like canopy effect at the Museum of Modern Art’s 2013 Party in the Garden in New York.

Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash



The arrivals backdrop—featuring the Cartier, which underwrote the event, and MoMA logos rendered in neon and marquee lights—echoed the dense arrangements of tropical greenery found inside the dinner space.

Photo: Nadia Chaudhury/BizBash

Source: Bizbash.com

byBest Events

in Event Decor

4:00 PM

7 Jungle Book Inspired Ideas for Events

Kehoe Designs transformed the Fairmont Hotel's ballroom into a tropical setting with lagoon-colored lighting, leafy centerpieces, and...

Read More

7 Fresh Looks for Seated Dinners

Thick, bold stripes displaying the word "Hope" served as an eye-catching backdrop for Interior Design's vignette, which was designed by Ali Tayar in collaboration with SilverLining Interiors.

Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash



De Gournay’s Le Eden wallpaper served as the backdrop for Luxe Interiors & Design magazine's tablescape, which was designed by Sasha Bikoff. The rainforest-like setting featured woodwork from Liaigre, an abundant floral overhang, and tree trunk stools.

Photo: Erik Bardin



Design Within Reach partnered up with design studio Icrave to create a Palm Springs-inspired setup featuring a clever divider made from black flower pots and tropical monstera leaves, along with an acrylic table topped with matte-white tableware.

Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash



Echo Design's setup evoked a safari sit-down dinner with a thatched rug, canvas director’s chairs, caged pendant lighting, and a zebra pop-in guest.

Photo: Erik Bardin



To celebrate the New York Design Center’s 90th year, Antonino Buzzetta created a festive rooftop party setting complete with graffiti-covered walls, colorful balloons, and an abundance of goodies stacked high on the tables.

Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash



Neon hearts, which are created by joining two AIDS-awareness ribbons, were the focus of Gensler and 3form's vignette, which featured Herman Miller furniture and a concrete table.

Photo: Taylor McIntyre/BizBash

Bring nature in designed by Erin McDonald

Source: BizBash

byBest Events

in Event Decor

2:35 PM

7 Fresh Looks for Seated Dinners

Thick, bold stripes displaying the word "Hope" served as an eye-catching backdrop for Interior Design's vignette, which was...

Read More

7 Tips for Small Stages With Big Impact #events

Not every event warrants a big-budget, stadium-worthy setup. Keep these tips in mind to create a small stage with considerable impact.

1. Consider your audience size. “For a small stage and a large audience, make stage elements large, impactful, and easy to see and understand,” says Melissa Kirby of Event Creative. For a small stage and a small audience, “details are critical,” she says. “Propping makes a big difference.”

2. If you can’t go up, go wide. Hotel conference rooms often have low ceilings. “Make an impact by extending the set out to the sides,” Kirby says. “Or, bring in additional [decor] elements throughout the room to make the stage feel bigger than it is.”

3. Be conscious of space. Matt Stoelt of Stoelt Productions notes that even small stages can have a large footprint, due to backline support equipment. “Be sure to place the stage in a corner or against a wall if possible to reduce the amount of space [the entire setup] will take up,” he says.

4. Skip heavy lighting fixtures. “Using lightweight LED fixtures will help to create a large impact in a small space,” Stoelt says. “These fixtures are great for creating abstract looks and generally weigh a lot less than traditional luminaries, allowing them to be rigged to points in the venue rather than ­using an overhead truss.”

5. Raise the stage. To leave room for subwoofer cabinets, Stoelt advises raising small stages to at least 24 inches. Another audio tip: “Using smaller line array systems can typically save space by putting them directly on the downstage edge and off the floor,” he says.

6. Look for preexisting backdrops. Whenever possible, place a small stage in front of preexisting video walls or other visually rich elements within an event space. This can “save on costs while raising production value overall,” Stoelt says.

7. Cover it up. “Always cover the stage to match the venue design or theme of the event,” Stoelt says. “Rental decks are used often, so [they] are typically in poor condition. Low-pile carpet will give a fresh new look to any small stage, and Duvateen fabric can be stapled directly onto the decks.”



Univision hosted its annual Hispanic 411 forum, an event that educates brand marketers and agencies on Hispanic trends and culture, at the Epic Hotel in Miami in February. Produced by Production Resources Group and designed by Shiraz Events, the stage had to conform to the ballroom’s low ceiling height and sphere-shaped chandeliers, which were ultimately incorporated into the set.

Photo: Courtesy of Univision



Shiraz Events helped produce Oxygen’s upfront event in New York last year. At the colorful bash, held inside the Penthouse at Dream, the centerpiece was a presentation platform topped with a 25-foot-wide, 14-foot-tall yellow arch embedded with marquee lights. The piece was modular, allowing the team to construct it and break it down in under an hour.

Photo: Jaka Vinsek


In February, Teva Pharmaceutical hosted a three-day conference at the Fairmont Waterfront hotel in Vancouver. Playing off the event’s 007 theme, AVW-Telav designed the opening session stage to look like the office of MI6 head “M,” with a faux fireplace, working light fixtures, and a red leather door. The presentation began with a James Bond-inspired video montage starring the company’s vice president, who eventually appeared on stage via a hidden opening in the set’s bookcase.

Photo: Darryl Matthews


In April, a Fragrance Foundation award breakfast took place at New York’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel. For the 20- by 12-foot stage, designers from Empire Entertainment created a floral backdrop that mimicked the blooms sprouting in Central Park, which the venue overlooks.

Photo: Jonathon Ziegler/patrickmcmullan.com


Diffa’s Believe gala in Chicago last year had a garden-inspired setting. A small stage was used only for the DJ and announcements, but producers from Event Creative added a pergola to give the raised platform more presence and to incorporate it into the event’s overall look and vibe.

By Jenny Berg for BizBash

byBest Events

in Event Decor, Events

3:55 PM

7 Tips for Small Stages With Big Impact #events

Not every event warrants a big-budget, stadium-worthy setup. Keep these tips in mind to create a small stage with considerable impact. 1....

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10 Fresh Ideas to Steal for Interactive Events

As guests entered the Aragon Ballroom, models dressed as "hired spies" passed flutes of champagne. The so-called spies also gave guests "missions," or fun, thematic tasks to complete throughout the evening.

Photo: Marcin Cymmer


Event Creative decked the venue with 007-inspired decor. One of the evening's interactive activities, or "missions," was to snap a photo in front of a step-and-repeat featuring a spy plane.

Photo: Marcin Cymmer



Another one of the missions: posing for a photo in front of a golden "007" logo that appeared at the top of a stairwell.

Photo: Marcin Cymmer



The illuminated bar had the image of a safe embossed with Groupon's "G" logo.

Photo: Marcin Cymmer

Get Up Close and Personal! If you're showcasing performers such as dancers, gymnasts, stilt-walkers, aerialists, etc., consider integrating their work into the crowd during cocktails or a reception. Seeing performers up close is always more compelling than sequestering them far away on a stage or in one area of a space.
At this year’s Rolling Stone Live Super Bowl party, producer Toast created a "trashed hotel room" where guests could take photos and pretend to live the rock star life. The event took place at the Bud Light Hotel, a Wyndham property in New Orleans rebranded for the weekend. Photo: Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images for Rolling Stone

At the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center’s gala in Miami, guests could pose for photos behind an oversize golden picture frame. Shiraz Events provided decor for the event, which drew 600 guests to the JW Marriott Marquis Miami and Hotel Beaux Arts in December.

Photo: Courtesy of Shiraz Events

At the Lipton Uplift Lounge at the Sundance Film Festival in January, guests including Lil Jon could pose for photos while sitting in a real ski-lift chair set against a snowy, branded backdrop.

Photo: Todd Oren

David Copperfield helped produce the L.A.'s Promise "A Night of Magic" gala in October. The producers at Chad Hudson Events worked with Copperfield's team to set up a photo booth that made it look as though guests were floating in midair in front of the famous magician. In reality, the station had a potted plant placed sideways against a wall, while attendees stood on a metal stand that was hidden from the camera by clothing and feet.

Photo: Sean Twomey/2Me Studio

Last fall’s New Yorkers for Children gala had a "light the way" theme, inspired by the nonprofit's mission to improve the lives of young people. David Stark handled the decor, embellishing a photo backdrop of a forest scene with white birch trees, lush greenery, and a path lit by lanterns.

Photo: Billy Farrell/BFAnyc.com

Source: BizBash and Huffington Post

byBest Events

in Event Decor, Event Entertainment

4:00 PM

10 Fresh Ideas to Steal for Interactive Events

As guests entered the Aragon Ballroom, models dressed as "hired spies" passed flutes of champagne. The so-called spies also gave ...

Read More