
Read of the Month: Performing Under Pressure
We have ALL been there and being able to perform under pressure is key for any event planner. While this book may not have been written by event planners, it could have (should have?) been. Clients can cause a lot of stress and during an event, a worried client is...

Realistic Organization Tips
Start Off Easy - Stop Trying to Completely Change How You Live Sometimes it's hard to be organized, especially if you do not have any OCD tendencies. In the events world, everyone assumes your home and work space looks exactly like a Crate & Barrel display. But...

Caterer of the Month: Cappuccino Catering with CCI Presents
Our Caterer of the Month is CCI Presents. What makes them interesting is the vast array of beverages they offer in addition to the unique and beautiful presentations of their offerings. When I first saw this company at a Choose Chicago event, I was blown away by the...

Work in Hospitality in Chicago? Find out Who Has Discounts with Industry Night Insider
Listed by days, find out what locations provides discounts to hospitality industry members in the city! New places get added every week. Go to www.industrynightinsider.com

Venue of the Month: Virgin Hotel
Chicago Planner Magazine's Venue of the Month is the Virgin Hotel Chicago, located in the heart of downtown Chicago. With incredible Chicago views, the first of the Virgin Hotel chain also boasts its rooftop, Cerise, which is sure to be the place to go this summer....

Read of the Month: Performing Under Pressure
We have ALL been there and being able to perform under pressure is key for any event planner. While this book may not have been written by event planners, it could have (should have?) been. Clients can cause a lot of stress and during an event, a worried client is...

Realistic Organization Tips
Start Off Easy - Stop Trying to Completely Change How You Live Sometimes it's hard to be organized, especially if you do not have any OCD tendencies. In the events world, everyone assumes your home and work space looks exactly like a Crate & Barrel display. But...

Caterer of the Month: Cappuccino Catering with CCI Presents
Our Caterer of the Month is CCI Presents. What makes them interesting is the vast array of beverages they offer in addition to the unique and beautiful presentations of their offerings. When I first saw this company at a Choose Chicago event, I was blown away by the...

Work in Hospitality in Chicago? Find out Who Has Discounts with Industry Night Insider
Listed by days, find out what locations provides discounts to hospitality industry members in the city! New places get added every week. Go to www.industrynightinsider.com

Venue of the Month: Virgin Hotel
Chicago Planner Magazine's Venue of the Month is the Virgin Hotel Chicago, located in the heart of downtown Chicago. With incredible Chicago views, the first of the Virgin Hotel chain also boasts its rooftop, Cerise, which is sure to be the place to go this summer....

Corri McFadden for Gateway Green’s Annual Fundraiser: OfficeMax’s Green Tie Ball
Have you ever realized that the Chicago expressways always seem to be very clean? Did you know that it's not government, but rather private organizations maintaining it? Chicago Gateway Green beautifies expressways with plants and sculptures while keeping them...
Great Articles on Conference Planning: Trends, Going Green, Common Mistakes & Marketing
I'll have to thank my LinkedIn friends for their wonderful posts on things to know for conferences. While that is not the specific area I work in (I'm hospitality), there are MANY conferences in this city and it is important to keep up with trends, ideas and optimum...
Cvent Ranks Chicago in Top 5 Destination Cities
Well Chicagoans, out of 50 cities, Cvent ranked Chicago #5 after Orlando, Florida #1 (they do have Hogwarts, Disney World AND Universal Studios), Washington D.C. #2, Las Vegas #3, & Miami, Florida #4. I think that's pretty good, considering there are lots of...

10 Things To Do Before the End of Summer
You look at the calendar and repeat the date back to yourself. August? And it's almost over?! Before you know it the Chicago snow will be rolling in while the temperature drops and the sun goes away for everything but late morning and afternoon. It always seems...

Labor Day Party Ideas For Inside City Dwellers
When reading through different labor day party ideas I hoped to find a wide variety of creativity. It was basically "stuff to do in your backyard." Well if you're like many Chicagoans, chances are you're lucky if your building has a roof or balcony or any kind of...

Using Twitter for an Event
Recently I had a coworker come in and say to me "Hey guys, we should all get on twitter! I just figured it out and it's awesome." To which my immediate thought was You just figured it out? ...I get it, though. I feel like I've just gotten the hang of Pinterest and...

More Things To Do In Chicago
There are so many awesome things to do in Chicago and when I put it out my Top 5 list, it was quickly made apparent that it should be a Top 10 list! So firstly I must thank the lovely fellow Chicagoans on Linked in for these great ideas! Here are a few more items to...
10 Pop-up Event Venue Ideas
Sometimes other people can say things better than you can yourself. Cvent has this great blog post about Pop-up Event Space that I just HAD to share! So reconsider how you may use an empty space and turn it into a fabulous party!...

RM Champagne Salon
All Photographs by Derek Richmond RM Champagne Salon: The name alone sounds pretty fabulous. The concept is also great - a cozy yet classy establishment with great wines and champagnes complemented by small plates, cheeses and salad options. There's a lovely...
Taking My Own Advice: Social Media in Real Life
Last week I wrote about the importance of getting more involved in-person with your social media efforts. This week I had the pleasure of working a dinner for a company who wanted to display their products for people they recognized to be very influential for...