Hospitality Uncorked is Southern California’s most creative fundraising event for the hospitality industry. Hosted each year to support The Collins College of Hospitality Management at Cal Poly Pomona, the event brings together chefs, hospitality professionals, students, and local businesses for an evening built around food, wine, and hands-on experiences. It’s part showcase, part celebration, and part fundraiser, with proceeds supporting student programs, scholarships, and real-world learning opportunities in hospitality.
In 2026, Hospitality Uncorked’s theme dove headfirst into an underwater concept with “TIDE OF FLAVORS.” Because CR&A Custom has deep expertise in the hospitality industry, we were asked to manage the event graphics.
The goal was to create a truly unique and fun experience for the event’s attendees. The CR&A team set out to create a fully immersive environment that guests would step into, interact with, and share on social media. The centerpiece was a deep-sea scene anchored by a large porthole graphic, giving the illusion of looking out into an underwater world filled with coral, sea life, and a sunken ship.
CR&A worked alongside the event’s planning team to build out the visual concept so everything felt connected. The octopus wrapping across the foreground, treasure chests spilling gold, schools of fish moving through the background. Every detail was designed to pull people in and give them something fun to engage with.
Once the creative direction was locked, production moved into high gear.
Large format printing is where details in design, production, and installation make a huge difference. This project required rich color gradients, fine detail, and materials that could perform under event lighting. CR&A produced the graphics using high-resolution digital inkjet print systems to capture the depth of the ocean scene and the texture of every element, from coral to metal.
Material selection mattered just as much as print quality. The surfaces had to be installed cleanly, lay flat, and avoid glare so photos would look sharp and believable. The goal was that when someone stepped into the scene, it needed to feel fun and seamless.
CR&A’s expert installation brought everything together. The porthole had to frame guests perfectly, while the surrounding graphics extended the environment without visual breaks. Alignment, scale, and placement all had to be exact so the illusion worked from every angle.
Guests grabbed their printed snorkels and masks, stepped into the display, and instantly became part of the scene. The structure wasn’t something they walked past, but rather something they interacted with. Photos were taken, shared, and circulated throughout the night, turning the installation into one of the most talked-about elements of the event.
That’s the real role of event graphics when they’re done right. They don’t just decorate a space. They create moments people want to be part of.
Hospitality Uncorked thrives on that kind of energy, and this installation fit right into it. It supported the theme, elevated the experience, and gave attendees something memorable to take with them.
For more than three decades, CR&A Custom has helped bring clients’ ideas to life. From concept through production and installation, the focus stays on creating large format graphics that don’t just look good, but actually work in the environment they’re built for. To build something special together with us, contact our team to start exploring ideas for your event graphics today.
