The Unexpected Places Top Designers Have Found Event Inspiration

For Dream & TD Securities' Grand Cru dinner benefiting United Hospital Network Foundation, the designers at CANDICE&ALISON in Toronto were inspired by what they imagined the view would be from under Monet's pond.

"The dramatic angled drape lines represent beams of light cutting through the surface of the water," explained partner Candice Chan. "The lighting effects behind the drape slowly changed colors over the course of the evening, representing the different times of daylight. We aimed to deconstruct the pond, letting guests sit beneath the dangling roots of lily pads seemingly floating in water."

"The table centerpieces were water-filled mini vignettes of different pond florals including floating lily pads and blossoming chrysanthemums," added Chan. "The glass table and mirrored flooring created mesmerizing reflections enhancing the illusion of being underwater."

Cara Kleinhaut, founder and CEO of AGENC Integrated Experiential Global Experiences in Los Angeles, is always on the lookout for inspiration—"the right lighting in a shop, the colors of a painting, texture in a pool," she explained. "But for me personally, there is one place that constantly keeps me in a state of wonder and delight, and that is exploring a great local market, both when traveling and at home. From the year-round bounty of the Santa Monica Farmers Market I frequent every Wednesday to the floral and fruit markets in Jaipur, the lavender fields of Provence, and the brightly colored blankets the Masai women laid out their beaded and wood carved pieces for sale in Kenya—all of this informs the experiences we create at AGENC."

Pictured: A lemon wall at an AGENC-produced Dolce & Gabbana fragrance launch, which Kleinhaut notes is one of the agency's most engaged-with photos ever posted on social media.

Left: Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, India. Right: A tabletop shoot it inspired, which was styled by Kleinhaut.

For ESSENCE magazine's 10th annual Black Women in Hollywood Awards in 2017, the brand's Candace Montgomery and Jovanca Maitland asked Kleinhaut and her team to draw inspiration from African American visual artist Mickalene Thomas. "We worked with the ESSENCE team to incorporate her overall visual identity into the stage design, step-and-repeat, graphics, and tabletop," remembered Kleinahut. "It was one of the most meaningful and fruitful outcomes in a gorgeous, immersive, and cohesive event experience."

David Stark is no stranger to finding inspiration in unexpected places. Case in point: this year's Robin Hood Big Benefit, held at the Javits Center earlier this month. "The clouds in the sky and the view of NYC from above were our initial inspiration," Stark, the chief creative officer of David Stark Design and Production in New York, explained. "As the evening focused on the foundation's interest in AI and other innovations to fight poverty in NYC, our clouds were an apt metaphor for being digitally 'in the cloud' as well—a springboard to a wider conversation during the evening's dynamic program."

For another event, Stark was inspired by a simple pleasure: butter and toast. "Inspired by one of my favorite books growing up, Bread and Jam for Frances, this charming breakfast utilized actual toast and sticks of butter as decor building blocks—literally," he said.

And for a Stark-designed Super Bowl event, a giant football took center stage, creating a unique ceiling moment. "Inspired by America's favorite pastime, a football was our giant hero of a set piece at The One Party by Uber, held in the transformed theater at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas during Super Bowl LVIII week," he said.

Los Angeles-based designer Billy Butchkavitz is often inspired by his travels. "I’ve been traveling to Mexico City since the late 1980s, endlessly inspired by the architecture, the art, the antiquities, and the people of this fabulous city," explained the owner of Billy Butchkavitz Design. "Over the years, I’ve had numerous decorative items manufactured in Mexico for my events. During one of my trips to Mexico City, I was stuck in the airport for an unusually long flight delay. While staring up at the ceiling (pictured, left), I thought, 'This would look great as a tent ceiling.'"

For this event, Ty Kuppig, the founder and creative director of TYGER Event Design + Production in Boston, drew inspiration from the world of graphic design. "Inspiration for this event's palette came from the vibrancy of flag design, particularly that of Brazil," he explained.

For another event, Kuppig drew from his childhood memories. "I was inspired by fond memories of plucking white fluffy dandelions and blowing them in the wind as a child," he said.

Another Kuppig-designed event (pictured, right) was inspired by artist Chris Burden's installation "Urban Light" in Los Angeles (pictured, left).

For the Fashion Trust US Awards Show, Tony Schubert—founder and CEO of Event Eleven in Los Angeles—came up with the idea to split a room with two complementary colors, with 50 percent red and 50 percent pink. “Each side was monochromatic, and the center tables were split right down the center by custom painting tables, napkins, menus, and florals,” he said. As for his inspiration? “The use of color and how it looks during the day and how lighting plays a big part at night. We went round and round on the right pink for this to ensure the temperature for evening.”

Kendyl Wright, founder and head of experiences at LOUDER Experiences in Dallas, is always on the lookout for inspiration, whether it's something she sees online or in someone's home, or even a piece of art on a random wall.

"My phone is filled with snapshots of inspiration photos from all over," she said. "Several years ago, I saw a front porch with monochrome-painted pumpkins (pictured, left). Using those as our inspiration, we bought hundreds of beige pumpkins and painted them to create a multicolored fall installation (pictured, right) at one of our retail clients. While I am typically not a fan of seasonal-heavy installs, this wall became one of our client's most photographed pop-ups."

For a wedding, Kristin Banta—the owner and creative director of Kristin Banta Events in Los Angeles—and her team used a unique inspiration to add a personal touch for the bride: In memory of her late grandmother, the ceremony area featured an installation of over 2,000 monarch butterflies—climbing up Ojai Valley Inn’s iconic Friendship Tree, perched atop seats, and flying toward an outcropping of sunflowers where the couple said their vows.

For a b'nai mitzvah, Banta and her team found inspiration in books and old libraries, along with music. The idea was to reflect the individual passions of the twins being honored, which largely focused on literature and classical music.

For one event, "I was inspired by New York City bodegas!" said André Wells, the founder and CEO of Events by André Wells in Washington, D.C. "They are these unique and oddly satisfying and curious spaces. We go in for one thing but come out with many unnecessary and fun items. I was attracted to the clutter and color—the ways you get lost and the labels you read and things you want to touch."

It was an appropriate choice for the skating party he was producing for a "very fun and vibrant couple," he added. "It was the wife’s 35th birthday and she had grown up skating and going to skating rinks. I took that same energetic feeling and turned it into a bunch of wow and urban fun!"