To kick off the holiday season, we headed to the Hamptons in November with a group of 20 influential media to immerse them in all things holiday hosting. At CBC’s annual Hosting House, top brands taught us how to bring a little cheer to our holiday entertaining and shared helpful tips and tricks to make hosting a breeze.

 

 

Day 1: Welcome to The Hamptons!

Our group’s first stop in Water Mill, New York was the Parrish Art Museum, a landmark modern art museum known for its focus on local work.  It was the perfect location to not only welcome media to the area, but also introduce them to Tea Forte, a gourmet tea company that keeps design at the forefront of their brand.  The group enjoyed an educational tour of the Parrish’s current collection before heading over to the Topping Rose House for a quaint lunch with Tea Forte.  Editors learned about the design process behind Tea Forte products and some fun facts about tea.  By the end of our 3-course meal, complete with tea pairings, everyone was timing their steeps to create the perfect cup.

 

 

Following lunch, media arrived at their beautiful Water Mill home for the next few days, decked out with holiday lights and décor.  First on the agenda was learning the art of making the perfect bed with Boll & Branch.  Media gained insight into the sustainable background of ethically sourced bedding and took part in layering the softest sheets with perfectly matched flannel duvets and knit blankets, for a bed that looked divinely inviting.

 

 

Before anyone could tuck themselves in, it was time for a lively dinner with Bose!  Their on-site product team led media through the capabilities of the new Bose Home smart speaker and soundbar, demonstrating how to make the perfect dinner party playlist – a must have for holiday entertaining and playing those favorite, festive classics.

 

 

Day 2: Tis the Season

Our group started the day bright and early with a Stonewall Kitchen pajama breakfast.  Yes, you heard correctly…nothing like an old fashioned pj party to get you out of bed.  Editors lined up to build their Insta-worthy waffles at our breakfast bar, complete with a wide range of fun toppings.  The Maine blueberries and maple syrup paired perfectly with everyone’s LL Bean plaid flannel PJs to create a picturesque taste of winter in the Northeast.

 

 

Fueled up from breakfast, it was time to dig in to holiday décor vignettes with Home Depot and Behr Paints.  Media were given an overview of the season’s hottest trends in paint colors and table settings. For a hands-on experience, everyone had the opportunity to get crafty with chalk paint and festive materials to make seasonal wreaths and shadowboxes, ensuring their own home décor for the holidays was on-trend.

 

 

When the clock struck ‘happy hour’, it was Coravin’s time to shine with an around-the-world wine tasting.  Editors were amazed at the ability to pour a glass of wine without uncorking the bottle, allowing for the freedom to taste a nearly endless array of varietals without compromising the quality of the remaining wine.  Imagine the possibilities!  Wine tasting is our new favorite house party theme.

 

 

Following our global wine tasting, we sat down to a one-of-a-kind #pinksgiving with Ocean Spray.  The iconic purveyor of all things cranberry recently launched Pink Cranberry juice and celebrated by creating a jaw-dropping meal of pink décor, pink foods and pink drinks.

 

 

Day 3: A Sweet Farewell

Hosting House closed out with a grand finale at Levain Bakery, hosted by Canon.  The editors got their hands dirty in the kitchen at Levain, making the bakery’s famously gooey chocolate chip cookies.  After popping them in the oven, we hopped next door to Wainscott Main Wine & Spirits, where the group learned about the latest products from Canon – the Ivy Portable Mini Photo Printer and hdAlbum app.  Media took turns printing fun copies of their favorite photos from the memorable weekend, all while enjoying delicious pizza and wine, courtesy of Levain and Wainscott Main.  Of course, they couldn’t leave without testing the fruits of their labor in the cookie kitchen before hitting the road back to New York City.

What would be your favorite part of the trip? We’re thinking those cookies sound pretty scrumptious… If your mouth is watering just like ours and you are curious about how to get your brand involved in an upcoming HOUSE program, contact us here.