There’s something inherently soothing about the presence of greenery at events. In fact, studies have shown that houseplants can reduce stress, improve mood, boost productivity, and enhance creativity—benefits that can also be harnessed in the event world.
Incorporating plants and foliage into event design not only enhances the aesthetic appeal, but also conveys a sense of serenity and sustainability, providing guests with a refreshing, engaging, and invigorating experience. From lush stage backdrops to foliage-filled centerpieces to plant-filled installations, check out these 15 over-the-top uses of greenery that made a big impact at recent events.
At Money20/20 Europe, held in Amsterdam in June, the Na.i.ture Stage was originally conceived with a tree canopy to provide shade from the glass ceiling. The nature theme was then used to tie into the broader 2024 event theme of "Human x Machine," with the team imagining what a tree- and plant-based stage design would look like if created by AI. The resulting stage was a hybrid design featuring black steel and LEDs for the roots, plus tree trunks and real plants and foliage for the bushes and canopy. To ensure the stage was as sustainable as possible, all the plants used were replanted in local greenhouses after the show. See more: 8 Steal-Worthy Engagement Strategies From Money20/20 Europe
Photo: Courtesy of Money20/20
In February, The Children’s Oncology Support Fund's Aspen Snow Ball merged fantasy and nostalgia with a Through the Looking Glass theme. The idea was to lean into a more surrealist and modern approach to the Alice in Wonderland tales. An antique clock shaped the entrance, which led guests into a foliage-filled garden space that mixed effervescent lighting, weaving vines, and vibrant, large-scale floral arrangements. Throughout the space, neon signs from featured artist Olivia Steele added a unique and whimsical touch. See more: This Gala Offered a Surrealist Take on a Classic Event Theme
Photo: Nick Tininenko/Getty Images for Children's Oncology Support Fund
The Recording Academy’s Grammy House returned for its second consecutive year in February. Presented by Mastercard, the immersive pop-up in downtown Los Angeles gathered music makers, culture creators, and rising industry leaders for three days of programming. Within the space, Mastercard created the Secret Garden, a lounge and interactive exhibit for guests and talent to relax and network in. The garden theme was inspired by Mastercard's Priceless Planet Coalition, which aims to preserve the environment through the restoration of 100 million trees in five years. Mastercard worked with marketing partner R&CPMK and fabrication partner Unboxed Group on the space.
Photo: Caitlyn Ridenour
At Grammy House, guests could stroll through a lush green setting full of real living plants, trees, and ivy. Highlights included an oversized gramophone, where the gold exterior was swapped for living moss, along with a live tree that was growing through a disco ball. See more: Grammys 2024: 40+ Trend-Setting Event Ideas From the Week's Star-Packed Parties
Photo: Caitlyn Ridenour
Fairmont Chicago was draped in shades of green via live plants and colored furnishings for the 2017 Pantone Color of the Year event, where Kehoe Designs helmed the event's design. Running with a greenery theme—Pantone's then-color of the year—the event design team incorporated appropriately colored products from the client's product line, such as green mop heads, which were used to form the oversized, makeshift weeping willow trees. Working with sister company Floral Exhibits, the team aimed to make it appear as if living plants were growing right out of the tables themselves.
Photo: Courtesy of Kehoe Designs
In 2019, jewelry company Pandora brought the Pandora Garden to New York's High Line. The experience, which touted the brand’s new spring collection, involved a futuristic digital butterfly garden, created by multimedia studio Moment Factory. Abel & McCallister & Abel contributed to the production and build of the installation, which contrasted the digital environment inside with an outdoor tunnel covered in foliage and a topiary version of the brand's logo. See more: In Movement: How Brands Are Using Motion-Capture Technology at Events
Photo: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Pandora
In a fun twist on wellness, Canopy by Hilton Bethesda North launched the “Green Room” in 2022, a new plant-filled space designed to help guests feel relaxed and renewed. The Green Room was separated into four vignettes, each designed to reduce stress, boost productivity, improve moods, and freshen the air. Next to the coffee bar, for example, an herbal garden featured antioxidant-rich herbs like rosemary, sage, and basil, which were ready to be trimmed and added to tea or cocktails. Anchored to the headboard, meanwhile, were air plants, and on the nightstand, lavender intended to offer a restful environment for sleep. Moisture-absorbing moss and hanging vines decorated the bathroom, while eucalyptus hung from the shower. The hotel partnered with plant and flower studio REWILD to create the room; REWILD also led a series of educational workshops for guests.
Photo: Canopy by Hilton Bethesda North
More than 5,000 attendees from all over the world gathered for the 13th edition of C2 Montreal, which was held in May at the Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal. The three-day event was built around some of the key industries driving the Montreal economy, including sustainability and artificial intelligence—and a greenery-covered backdrop proved an appropriate way to immerse guests in some of the themes. See more: C2 Montreal 2024: How a New Venue Aimed to Inspire Networking and Connection
Photo: Courtesy of C2
A more subtle take came from The Wall Street Journal's Future of Everything Festival, held in May 2023 in New York. The festival's plant-covered main stage hosted high-profile speakers like former First Lady of the United States Michelle Obama (pictured). The stage was later upcycled through a partnership with New York's GreenThumb; the day after the festival, the WSJ team reassembled the stage to create a shade structure and trellis at Hart to Hart Community Garden in Brooklyn, where it still stands. See more: Inside The Wall Street Journal's Innovative Event Sustainability Strategies
Photo: Gary He for 'The Wall Street Journal'
Plant-based skincare brand Origins and California grocery chain Erewhon brought their partnership to life through a gardenlike oasis in Los Angeles in September 2023. The invite-only affair centered on a bespoke, botanical-based brunch that nodded to Erewhon and Origins' emphasis on the benefits of veggies and herbs in a variety of ways. One highlight? A table bursting with fruits and veggies served as a farmers' market for guests, who were encouraged to fill up their reusable bags with health foods.
Photo: Courtesy of Origins
Photo-worthy arrangements of foliage and mushroom variations served as table runners. The event was produced by experiential agency NOUN. See more: How Erewhon Partnered with a Skincare Brand to Make Healthy Habits Cool
Photo: Courtesy of Origins
For a summer fete in 2019, French liqueur brand St-Germain created a striking flower- and greenery-filled meadow that was suspended from the ceiling of a Brooklyn warehouse. The 12-ton meadow spanned 1,200 square feet, nearly the entire length of the warehouse, and featured 1,000 elderflowers, highlighting St-Germain’s tagline of having 1,000 elderflower blossoms in every bottle. To execute the project, St-Germain partnered with Williamsburg-based exterior design and landscaping firm ManscapersNY, who conceptualized the idea, and experiential design company The Gathery, who helmed production and design. See more: See How St-Germain Brought a Floating Meadow to Brooklyn
Photo: Benjamin Lozovsky
Mercedes-Benz hosted its 2022 Academy Awards viewing party at the Four Seasons Los Angeles in Beverly Hills. Designed and produced by Sterling Social, the glamorous gathering took a bold, masculine, and sleek approach, with a tonal color palette of black, pewter, and slate gray. As a focal point, four suspended 4-foot Mercedes-Benz logos—adorned with textured greenery—functioned as faux chandeliers hanging overhead. See more: Oscars 2022: Event Highlights From the Week's Most Glamorous Gatherings
Photo: Clark Studio
Spotify's annual Best New Artist Party took place at Paramount Studios during Grammys week in 2024, honoring the year’s Best New Artist nominees Gracie Abrams, Fred Again, Coco Jones, Noah Kahan, Victoria Monét, Jelly Roll, Ice Spice, and The War and Treaty. The space was decorated with lush greenery and subtle Spotify logos. See more: Grammys 2024: 40+ Trend-Setting Event Ideas From the Week's Star-Packed Parties
Photo: Gonzalo Marroquin/Getty Images for Spotify
At Fox's Golden Globes bash in 2016, producers 15|40 created an art deco-inspired look with a dramatic foliage focal point. See more: Golden Globes 2016: How HBO, 'In Style,' Netflix, and Others Celebrated
Photo: Line 8 Photography
