Mirrored columns and dancers stationed on light boxes greeted guests as they entered the cocktail reception, which was also home to an extensive silent-auction display. Organized into three distinct sections named after Chicago neighborhoods, auction items included everything from personal training sessions and Cubs tickets to tea at the Peninsula hotel and original artwork. In keeping with the event's design-savvy audience, numerous furniture items, donated by notable manufacturers, were a highlight.

Several bars and highboys decked in black linens from BBJ Linen could be found throughout the reception space. The dancers donned flashy '80s club wear and kept busy to generation-appropriate hits like  "Ice, Ice Baby," "Let's Talk About Sex," and "Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)."

When a sheer black curtain that separated the reception space from the sit-down dinner area finally opened—revealing the banquet room dotted with disco balls, glittering linens, and giant light-reflecting brushed aluminum cubes—camera phones clicked while guests took their seats. "It was a total Steven Spielberg moment," said Diffa/Chicago communications chair Kim Winzeler. "It was like people were being called to the mother ship."

A catered dinner by Chicago Restaurant Partners consisted of courses named after iconic Chicago nightclubs. The first course (entitled "Shelter") offered a choice of baby arugula, seared red pepper, and grilled radicchio with balsamic vinegar, artichokes, and herbed goat cheese or sweet sausage with shaved fennel, summer mushrooms, and a cannellini bean salad. The main course (christened "Limelight") was a braised beef short rib and lobster ravioli duo with a seared prawn, and the finale (fittingly dubbed "Exit") featured black-and-white cupcakes served at the DuPont-branded dessert table. "This group doesn't eat much dessert," said Schnell. "The simple cupcakes this year were a huge hit."

During dinner, a short program included the presentation of the annual Unsung Hero award, this year given to Michele Rust, a long-standing Diffa/Chicago supporter. Screens on either side of the stage showed a six-minute video looking back on the history of the Diffa/Chicago gala, followed up by a live auction officiated by local charity auctioneer Greg Dellinger.

After dinner, the entertainment kicked into back into high gear, with drag queens performing to Madonna and Cher songs. Guests were clearly in the nightclub mood, as they danced until 1 a.m.   —Wendy Wollenberg