| EVENT REPORT 10.20.09 2:39 PM |
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Field Museum Celebrates New Exhibition With 660 Feet of Falling Diamonds
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 | The Field Museum's "Diamond" gala
Photo: Eric Craig for Bizbash |
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On Saturday night, sparkle was in no short supply at the Field Museum, where the women's board welcomed 900 guests to its annual gala. From crystalline centerpieces atop illuminated mirror boxes to strategically placed glittering topiaries, and from projected images of tumbling diamonds to a dessert embellishment that the menu described as "golden sparkle curls," the evening took its visual cues from the museum's latest exhibition, "The Nature of Diamonds."
According to women's board manager Trish Farrell, "the guest list actually exceeded our expectations this year, and I think a lot of that had to do with our very energetic chair, Virginia Bobins. The women's board members were also very excited and kind of created a buzz about the event. And when you have a spectacular exhibition like 'The Nature of Diamonds,' that certainly helps [draw guests] as well."
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Field Museum, Tiffany & Company |
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| NEWS 09.08.09 11:04 AM |
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Fall Preview: What Chicago Event Pros Are Working on This Season
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With the unofficial end of summer behind us (that would be Labor Day), event professionals are looking to the fall—a traditionally busy time—to see how the economic recovery will help the industry rebound from what has so far been a pretty slow year. We asked a group of local planners and vendors what they have in the works for the coming months. Here are some highlights.
"It's encouraging that we are seeing more people planning for the future, and getting excited about it. In addition to more short-term projects, we're also working on several events that will take place in 2010. People are starting to plan for the holidays. Some businesses did so little celebrating throughout the year that they're wanting to do something merry and bright for the holidays. We're currently seeing requests for more conservative and traditional styles and themes, but presented with a festive flair."
—Deborah Borsum, president, Meetinghouse Companies Inc.
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Gen Art, Chicago History Museum, Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, Children's Memorial Hospital, Fall Preview 2009 |
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| EVENT REPORT 10.28.08 8:00 AM |
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Field Museum Guests Shoot Tequila in Tuxes, Gowns
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 | The Field Museum's Aztec Ball
Photo: BizBash |
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Despite the fact that the Blue Plate-catered dinner at Saturday night's Aztec Ball featured an intermezzo course of prickly pear sorbet and sugar-rimmed tequila shooters, guests stayed considerably more sober than the last crew to party at the Field Museum. In fact, the gala's 650 guests set a decidedly sophisticated tone, with attendees adhering to the black-tie dress code in tuxedos and floor-length gowns.
Though elegant, this year's crowd comprised fewer attendees than those seen at past galas, which have typically drawn anywhere from 800 to 1,000 guests. "In terms of pure sponsorship, the museum in general is seeing a downturn," said Trish Farrell, manager of the museum's women's board, which hosted the event. "These times breed caution and uncertainty." Farrell noted that "longtime friends," as opposed to new sponsors, formed the biggest support base for this year's event, with prominent Chicago families the Crowns, Ferros, and Pritzkers all serving as supporting sponsors.
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Field Museum |
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| NEWS 10.27.08 1:40 PM |
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Drunken Kellogg Students Wreak Havoc at Field Museum
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A piece that ran in Friday's Chicago Sun-Times amounted to a warning to local venues: You may want to think twice before renting your space out to Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management. At a September 26 event held after-hours at the Field Museum, the school's M.B.A. students reportedly exhibited behavior that Andrea Hanson, vice president of the Kellogg Student Association, deemed "an embarrassment" in an email to her peers. Alleged cringe-worthy incidents included revelers vomiting, passing out in crowded areas, and even throwing things at Sue, the museum's prized T. rex.
So, will Kellogg students be allowed back at the museum? Nancy O'Shea, a Field spokeswoman, declined to answer the question, noting that the museum has a policy "not to comment on clients who rent museum space for their private events." Hanson's email, however, provided some insight: "It is pretty embarassing," she wrote, "that the Field Museum will refuse to host future Kellogg events unless they can treat it like a high school prom, with Breathalyzers, high security, and chaperones."
Update: Nancy O'Shea reports that, in fact, students did not throw objects at Sue, and nothing was damaged at the event. —Jenny Berg
RELATED TOPICS
Field Museum, Northwestern University, Kellogg School of Management |
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| NEWS 07.07.08 2:26 PM |
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Local Tourist Destinations Dealing With Gas Woes
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The price of gas and other necessities this summer has local tourist hotspots feeling the pinch, according to Crain's Chicago Business. After attendance numbers fell last year amidst rising costs, some attractions have taken action to combat further fall-offs in 2008. Tourist destinations such as Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, the Field Museum, and the musical Wicked at the Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre came up with creative marketing ploys to lure guests to make the trip.
At Six Flags, which is located some 40 miles from downtown Chicago, adult tickets that usually go for $54.99 are selling at children's ticket prices, $34.99. The amusement park is also offering buy-one-get-one-free ticket deals. In the case of Wicked, theater promoters Broadway in Chicago gave last week's ticket holders a $50 gas card.
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Six Flags Great America, Field Museum, Art Institute of Chicago, Wicked, Ford Center for the Performing Arts Oriental Theatre, Broadway in Chicago |
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| TOP 100 EVENTS 07.07.08 10:00 AM |
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Chicago's Top Benefits 2008
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 | Brookfield Zoo's annual Whirl Ball
Photo: Eric Craig |
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1. Chicago Gateway Green’s Green Tie Ball
This rollicking annual outdoor event usually draws nearly 3,000 of the city’s young residents. Celebrity attendees, casino gaming tents, live music, and food from more than 65 Chicago restaurants are slated to be featured at the 2008 Green Tie Ball on September 13. Held at private event space Chicago Scenic Studios, the ball will be produced this year by Denise McGowan and Michelle Durpetti of McGowan Durpetti & Associates. The “Greenivale” theme will feature bands re-creating the sounds of Carnival in Rio. The 2007 ball raised $500,000.
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RELATED TOPICS
Chicago's Top 100 Events, After School Matters, American Cancer Society, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Chicago Auto Show, Museum of Science and Industry, Lincoln Park Zoo, Field Museum, Brookfield Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Butterfly Ball, Adler Planetarium, Chicago Automobile Trade Association, Heartland Alliance, Medical Research Institute Council of Children's Memorial, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Chicago Zoological Society, Alzheimer's Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Parkways Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Breast Cancer Network of Strength, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago Botanic Garden, Boys & Girls Clubs, Children's Place Association, Lupus Foundation |
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