MY FAVORITE VENDORS 04.11.08 10:05 AM The University of Chicago Favors Food for Thought
As the director of special events at the University of Chicago for the last eight years, Daniela Butler-Ludwig plans 50 institution events annually, including convocation and meetings for the board of trustees. She is currently organizing an on-campus donor recognition ceremony, “Chicago Convenes,” which is set for May 2.
Catering: “For catering, my favorite is Food for Thought, especially one sales rep in particular, Brian Kiefer. He is the best contact to have at a catering company because he never gets tired. I call or email him 20 times a day before a big event, and he is always on top things. I never have to worry, and the food is outstanding.”
Decor: “Nikki Lee of Heffernan Morgan used to work for Botanicals Florist, and I love working with her; I have for years, because she works with your budget and she tries to really understand the event and our constituents.”
Venues: “Union Station—the history of it adds to it and the staff is very helpful. You can really transform the venue; it’s a fun place. I also like the Adler Planetarium. The view of the skyline is great, and their exclusive caterer is Food for Thought, so that helps.”
Entertainment: “I have used the band Lynne Jordan and the Shivers twice because they perform good dance music, and they are popular with our group of middle-aged donors.”
Audiovisual Production: “Frost Lighting, they’re all over the place. For our reunion event they transformed the gym into a real party space. Also Lime Green, is helping with the event coming up in May to transform Rockefeller chapel into a dinner space, and they helped us in the past with a tricky live presentation—almost like a play production, in which the lights go down and come up for speakers, and they’ve done promotional videos for us.”
Carnivale
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Cork Catering & Special Events
Cork Catering & Special Events is a leading provider of food-service offerings, including fine catering and event planning in the Chicagoland area. They are the sister company to Corky's Catering, which has been in business for more than 30 years. More >>
BizBash SCHED*
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