Non Plus Ultra

In a time that still feels like it was just yesterday, the global pandemic forced an uncomfortably rapid shift from in-person events to virtual settings. Even as the impact of Covid-19 began to subside, there was still an understandable apprehension when it came to large gatherings. As the weeks and months went on, many people began to wonder – is this the new normal? After all, the virtual events seemed easier to host, were fairly inexpensive, and pretty much got the same thing done, right? Well, not so fast. See why we think in-person events are coming back into their prime in the latest issue of The Event Horizon below! #nonplusultra #npu #eventhorizon

Finding the perfect space for your amazing event is almost as important as planning the event itself. But how do you know you're choosing the right one? We've got you covered with the latest entry in our blog - EVENT HORIZON. Discover the Top 8 Things to Consider When Searching for Event Venues in 2024. Our roundup discusses the importance of things like location, capacity, ambiance, legal considerations, and more, when choosing the perfect space. Let our guide support your decisions for an unforgettable event experience in 2024 and beyond. #EventPlanning #VenueSelection #CorporateEvents #EventProfs #EventTips2024 #NonPlusUltra #NPU #EventHorizon

Every big event starts with a big idea... Don't let boring venues, logistical letdowns, roadblocks, or mountains of permits get in the way of bringing your ideas to life. At Non Plus Ultra, we make the impossible happen!

In a world where corporate culture often resembles a tumble in a washing machine, it's refreshing to see Access DMC, always the supportive partner to Non Plus Ultra, receiving its due. Navigating the pandemic tempest, the dynamic team of Jennifer Miller, Danielle Phippen and Heidi Brown not only kept the ship afloat but propelled it to new heights, boasting a staggering $175 million in revenue and a workforce of 1,500 (that's 87% female) spread across 40 locations. These women aren't just leaning in—they're busting down the door and bringing everyone along for the ride. So here's to Access and fierce female leaders everywhere who aren't just breaking glass ceilings—they're shattering them into a million glittering pieces, leaving a trail of empowerment in their wake. These women aren't just leading their companies, they're leading us all to a future where the only glass left to shatter is our empty champagne flutes! https://lnkd.in/e7GcEHSs

BizBash turns the spotlight on New York Latin Fashion Week® 2024, where practicality was so last season, common sense went AWOL, and lattes and moisturizers were the new must have accessory. Cetaphil stepped up, declaring your skin regimen should be as runway-ready as any couture gown, leading many fashionistas nodding in agreement and declaring: "This season, my pores are more important than my Pradas." Adobe and Christian Cowan turned fashion into a high-tech affair with their electronic dresses (exciting news we were near last to break in the Event Horizon Issue No 6), establishing once and for all that your grandmother's floral dress could really use an electronic upgrade. Yves Saint Laurent Beauty sweetened the deal with an Industria Creative collab, showcasing their Candy Glaze line – which came with a bitter lesson for those of us who tried a taste. And Bluestone Lane made sure your latte was more stylish than your entire wardrobe. Untrue to form, NYFW 2024 was less about the fabric and more about the experience -- like a circus, but with better-dressed clowns, where sipping bespoke coffee, getting inked, and ogling techno-color-shifting gowns occurred as drones air-dropped non-snackable, though fashionably flavored, lipsticks right into your lap. https://lnkd.in/g7U4cJaW

Launch into Issue No. 6 of "The Event Horizon," where we're blending the extraordinary with a dash of everyday quirk. Prepare to be enthralled, amused, and possibly bewildered, because we are curating stories that are more intriguing than your favorite conspiracy theory. So, grab your metaphorical explorer's hat as we journey through a universe where each story is a star, lighting up the galaxy of creativity and innovation in immersive experience and event production.

In a world where art fairs are often as diverse as a vanilla ice cream convention, Art Dubai stands out like a peacock in a hen house, showcasing an eclectic mix from Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Latin America. It's like the United Nations of art, but with fewer arguments and more blockchain, under the hipster leadership of Auronda Scalera and Alfredo Cramerotti. They've transformed Art Dubai into a digital art arcade, making traditional art fairs look like your grandma's living room. Not that there in anything per se wrong with crochet doilies, black-and-white classics on the tube, warm cookies, and the faint scent of mothballs, it is charmingly nostalgic. But in Art Dubai's basement game room has 3D art projection shows on reclining haptic chairs and molecular gastronomy snacks, all while a robot butler adjusts the ambient lighting to suit your mood. https://lnkd.in/gtUR_6TP

Our spectacular partners at Palace Games, the geniuses behind possibly the best escape room out there, have cooked up "Lollyland," a mini-golf puzzle adventure that's more twisted than a licorice stick. Running the course in Non Plus Ultra's Palace of Fine Arts in San Francisco, here golf meets brain-teasers in a world where scoring low isn't the goal, but solving puzzles with a high-tech putter is. It's a place where mini-golf doesn't just mean dodging windmills, but dodging your own brain's limitations. Part mini golf, part escape room, all fun, think of it as a hole-in-one for the mind. https://lnkd.in/gXpSb4xS

Looking for inspo? "The Studio" is a team of designers, artists, makers, strategists, and thinkers inside NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, led by the inimitable Dan Goods and David Delgado, who are passionate about helping scientists and engineers imagine the future, and giving people a sense of awe about the universe. Among my favorite, and most low-tech, of their works is their space-age art show "Visions of the Future", a series of posters blending 1930s nostalgia with exoplanet exploration. These WPA-style posters, inspired by vintage travel ads, invite you to cosmic destinations that are a bit harder to reach than Yosemite. These imaginary getaways to newly discovered exoplanets capture the allure of unexplored cosmic destinations with a nostalgic twist. It's space tourism meets art deco, demonstrating how even interstellar travel looks better with a retro filter. Creative Strategy: Dan Goods, David Delgado Illustrators: Liz Barrios De La Torre (Ceres, Europa) Stefan Bucher (Jupiter Design) Invisible Creature (Grand Tour, Mars, Enceladus) Joby Harris (Kepler 16b, Earth, Kepler 186f, PSO J318.5-22, Titan) Jessie Kawata (Venus) Lois Kim (Typography for Venus and Europa) Ron Miller (Jupiter Illustration) https://lnkd.in/eUpvER5u

Who is pushing the limits of immersive experience design? NEOM's latest addition, Elanan, is where luxury meets a leafy oasis, offering 80 rooms of serene well-being and Instagrammable introspection. Think of it as a high-tech Zen garden, with architecture so cutting-edge it probably does yoga better than you. For those who don't know what NEOM is, its a Saudi Arabian mega-project that is like playing SimCity with an unlimited budget. It's a region, not just a city, complete with mirrored skyscrapers, floating cities, and a ski resort in the desert. Ambitious, controversial, it's got everything from sustainability goals to human rights controversies.  Neom will consist of 10 projects in all, Elanan being the sixth one announced.