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Event Coverage BIG-NAME BRANDS Horseshoe Casino Builds Buzz With Pre-Opening Party in Vacant Retail Space Chicago Magazine Mixes Singles and Sponsors eBay Live Draws 10,000 to McCormick Place West Teknion Treats Clients to Comfort Food and Confetti Drops Global Woos Customers With Chocolate During NeoCon Show NetJets Targets Potential Clients at MCA Event Absolut and Kanye Collaborate on Neon-Hued Postconcert Party   BENEFITS O'Hare Airstrip Becomes Art Gallery and Stage for After School Matters Gala Northern Lights Inspire Symphony's Opening Night Gala 60,000 Butterflies Decorate Harris Theater for Music and Dance Gala Green Tie Ball Channels Rio With a Carnivale Theme (and Steamy Conditions) Galapalooza Benefit Offers Outdoor Lounges, Roving Dim Sum Carts Shedd Aquarium Blu Party Offers Unhindered Views of Venetian Night Campaign Logo Inspires Look of Children's Memorial Hospital Event   FASHION FOCUSED Rush Medical Center Reels in 175 Models for 82nd Fashion Show Macy's Gets Totally '80s for Glamorama's 10th Anniversary Blowouts and Botox on Offer at Glossed and Found Launch Party Local Designer Stages Buzz-Garnering Boutique Opening Nordstrom Previews Fall Fashions at History Museum CS Magazine Produces Green Fashion Show Zac Posen Shows Off Wares for Steppenwolf     EVENT REPORT    11.06.09 2:01 PM Michael Kors Opens New Chicago Store With Runway Show, Raspberry Martinis Designer Michael Kors at the opening of his Chicago store Photo: Barry Brecheisen On Wednesday night, seamstresses and Elite models filled a vacant storefront that formerly housed the 900 Shops' Waldenbooks store, which became an impromptu backstage area for a Michael Kors fashion show. To celebrate the opening of the designer's new boutique on the shopping center's first floor, Michael Kors vice president of global communications Billy Daley enlisted the services of XA, the Experiential Agency, to produce a high-octane runway presentation and after-party within the 900 Shops. And according to XA event producer Katie Hall, the first challenge of the planning process was finding a place to put said runway.  "Initially, we thought about having the show on the second floor, where the fountain is," said Hall. "We thought we'd cover the fountain with a platform, and have the models walk up from the backside of the fountain and down a runway. But we couldn't fit a long-enough runway there; and as you know, in fashion it's very important to have the right runway." MORE >> EVENT REPORT    11.03.09 12:50 PM Healthy Schools Campaign Hosts Fund-Raiser With Student Chefs A student chef at "Cooking Up Change" Photo: BizBash On Thursday night, some 600 adults paid $100 a head for a school lunch as the Healthy Schools Campaign hosted "Cooking Up Change." Held at Salvage One, the benefit comprised a V.I.P. reception with a cooking demo from Vie chef Paul Virant, a 50-lot silent auction, and passed hors d'oeuvres and cocktails. But "the centerpiece of the evening was the cooking contest," said volunteer co-chair Kelly Dettmann, adding that this aspect also "had the most moving parts."  Involving 15 teams of five or six culinary students from local public high schools, the contest challenged participants to create two recipes—one for a school lunch and one for a cookie—that adhered to "strict health and nutrition guidelines that were developed by the Healthy Schools Campaign," Dettman said. The winning team's reward was a trip to Washington, D.C., where they'll work alongside the Obamas' personal chef to prepare a meal that will be served to members of the U.S. House of Representatives. MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Healthy Schools Campaign EVENT REPORT    10.30.09 11:42 AM Microsoft Introduces Windows 7 With Cute Kid, Product Vignettes TV commercial star Kylie introduced Microsoft C.E.O. Steve Ballmer at the Windows 7 launch. Photo: Richard Koek FROM NEW YORK Given Microsoft's enormous customer base—a January 2009 report put the technology giant's market share at 88 percent—when it launches a product, there's always a certain amount of buzz surrounding it. But rather than replicate the elaborate marketing stunt it produced for the debut of the Windows Vista operating system, Microsoft took a simpler approach to the press event introducing Windows 7. Inside Skylight Thursday, October 22, some 340 journalists, software testers, and executives from hardware manufacturing partners gathered for a six-hour launch that combined art gallery-style exhibits with live demonstrations and product vignettes. "We wanted to create an event that represented the product and be mindful of the current state of the economy and the broad consumer mindset. So we set a tone that was simple, approachable, and authentic while demonstrating the excitement we all feel for Windows 7," said Windows group marketing manager Ed Chase, who led the planning of the project. To pull it off, Chase collaborated with Pinnacle Exhibits and a crew of other local and West Coast companies. MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Microsoft, Windows, Dell, Samsung EVENT REPORT    10.28.09 11:52 AM Shriver's Women's Conference Adds Second Day of Programming—Plus a Step-and-Repeat—for 25,000 in Attendance Helen Devore Waukazoo on the podium with Maria Shriver at the Minerva Awards Photo: Gold/Wong FROM LOS ANGELES It might be said that 2009 is a year that created a particular need for inspiration and community support—especially in a state like California, where budget shortfalls and the unemployment rate have become notorious. Either in spite of or because of that climate, California's first lady, Maria Shriver, and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's Women's Conference once again drew masses of women from all over the state to join a packed roster of about 70 high-level speakers and participants at the Long Beach Convention Center. This year, the program ballooned from a single day to two full days—to accommodate the increasing number of would-be attendees. (Each year, full-day passes to the conference sell out in record time. Tickets this year sold out in less than two hours, beating last year's record of three.) The first day's program, a Day of Transformation, served as somewhat more informal programming, with two 1,500-attendee sessions and six 400-person breakout sessions. "We were getting so much feedback from people who wanted to participate and have access," said executive producer Alexandra Gleysteen. "It's a way to get more hands-on information—how to get a new job, start a nonprofit—all in a spiritual context and a serene environment. It's on a different scale, more intimate, than the main program." MORE >> RELATED TOPICS The Women's Conference, Maria Shriver, Arnold Schwarzenegger EVENT REPORT    10.27.09 4:13 PM After Management Change, Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion Keeps Signature Elements—Minus the Cocktails Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion show in Chicago Photo: Billy Rood Photography Part of Chicago's Fashion Focus, Gen Art's Fresh Faces in Fashion event comprises a runway presentation that showcases the work of emerging designers and an after-party that typically calls out the events' sponsors with branded elements such as custom lounges and bars. This year's Saturday-night happening, which began in Millennium Park and wrapped up with an after-party at Enclave, differed from its previous iterations in a few notable ways. But according to event manager Marcia Callaghan, those changes had everything to do with the economic climate and nothing to do with Gen Art's recent merger with Rock Media. Callaghan worked with lead producer Lauren Hurley to organize the event. Both planners started working with Gen Art prior to its afiliation with Rock Media, and "the merger didn't affect us at all," when it came to organizing this year's fashion event, Callaghan said. "Fresh Faces has been around for seven years, and it's still standard [Gen Art] event programming. Right now, the [Gen Art and Rock Media outlets on] the coasts are still adjusting to the merger; but in this market, Rock Media has never had any offices. So as far as Lauren and I go, management just kind of let us do our thing while [the two organizations] get used to working with each other in other markets.'" MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Gen Art, Smartwater, MoroccanOil, Fashion Focus 2009, Absolut Vodka EVENT REPORT    10.27.09 10:32 AM Science and Industry Museum Launches Exhibit With Beet Soup Shooters, Acrobatic Performances The Museum of Science and Industry's Columbian Ball Photo: JB Spector/Museum of Science and Industry On Friday night, guests in black-tie attire perched atop furry pink love seats at the Museum of Science and Industry's Columbian Ball. "One of our co-chairs referred to the lounge areas as our Austin Powers setups," said Denise Hicks, the museum's manager of campaign special events, before the gala. "The theme of the ball is 'A Celebration of You: Mind, Body, and Spirit.' It's based on our new permanent exhibition, 'You! The Experience,' which is very colorful and interactive, and we wanted that to play out throughout the evening." Bold hues and '60s inspiration carried over from the museum's lounges to the dinner tent, which Heffernan Morgan decked with red, blue, yellow, and green strips of fabric. Designers also hung disco balls and chandeliers from the marquee that lead to the dinner area, and topped tables with bright floral arrangements and glowing light boxes. MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Museum of Science and Industry EVENT REPORT    10.26.09 3:19 PM Volkswagen Party Launches Car and Its iPhone App Counterpart The 2010 GTI Photo:John Minchillo for BizBash FROM NEW YORK More than 100 members of the gaming and automotive press made their way to the mouth of the Holland Tunnel last Wednesday, where Volkswagen launched both a tangible and video game version of its latest GTI model at the Classic Car Club. To cater to the tech savvy crowd, Volkswagen brought in G4TV's Olivia Munn to host, built several gaming stations, and filled the room with suggestions to guests to post comments about the party to Twitter. As of the morning after the party, the 2010 GTI became the first vehicle launch on Apple's app store—with a role in a free version of the popular Firemint Real Racing game—so the mobile application was woven into the fabric of the party almost as much as the car itself. MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Volkswagen, Apple, Twitter EVENT REPORT    10.21.09 1:48 PM Etihad Airways Hosts Cocktail Party With Business-Class Seating Etihad Airways' Chicago cocktail party Photo: Phil Marty On Thursday night, flight attendants doubled as coat checks at the Peninsula Chicago as Etihad Airways hosted a cocktail party for some 350 guests. Outside the hotel's ballroom, model airplanes perched atop illuminated pedestals; inside, display areas held actual first and business-class seats and a chef-manned buffet station offered fare from the airline's menu. The goal of the event, said start-up manager Janet Rivers, was "to let the corporate and [travel] agency community know that we have arrived in Chicago," and to "create awareness of our brand," which began offering nonstop service from Chicago to Abu Dhabi in September. Along with bringing the airline's actual seats, menu items, and staffers into the event, planners branded the cocktail party with a series of plasma-screen TVs. Behind the stage where Mayor Richard Daley and airline C.E.O. James Hogan spoke—and where, at the end of the night, the Charlie Love Blues Band took up residence—five screens broadcast promotional videos of Abu Dhabi and of the company's aircrafts. Branding continued in the gift bags, which offered travel accessories and miniature airplanes splashed with Etihad's logo. MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Etihad Airways EVENT REPORT    10.20.09 1:39 PM Field Museum Celebrates New Exhibition With 660 Feet of Falling Diamonds The Field Museum's "Diamond" gala Photo: Eric Craig for Bizbash 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." MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Field Museum, Tiffany & Company EVENT REPORT    10.14.09 4:04 PM Movie Pictures: A Look at Meatballs, Zombieland, Law Abiding Citizen, and Whip It Premieres Food props on the red carpet of Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs Photo: Line 8 Photography FROM LOS ANGELES In some parts of the world, fall brings crisp weather and colorful leaves that crunch under foot. In Los Angeles, it brought a hyper-busy event calendar filled with parties that included movie premieres packed with ideas—like an army of zombies, oversize donuts that hung overhead, and decor that begged to be admired but definitely not touched. Here is a selection of photos from the arrivals scenes and bashes for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Zombieland, Whip It, and Law Abiding Citizen. MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, Zombieland, Whip It, Law Abiding Citizen, Sony, Fox Searchlight, Overture Films, Columbia Pictures, Derby Dolls MORE NEWS Search for Suppliers Activities/Experiences Catering/Food Services Decor/Design/Flowers Entertainment Event Planning & Marketing/Meeting Planning/PR Event Production/Audiovisual Services Gifts/Premiums/Awards Industry Resources Invitations/Name Tags Photography/Videography Planning Tools/Software Rentals/Props Security/Fire Services/Insurance Signage/Banners/Printing Special Effects Staffing Trade Show Services Transportation/Parking Services Search for Venues By Type All Types Activity Venues Ballrooms (All Venues) Banquet Halls Bars/Clubs/Lounges Boats/Yachts Casinos Conference Centers, Convention Centers & Auditoriums Entertainment Venues/Performance Spaces Golf Courses/Clubs Hotels Independent Event Spaces Lofts/Photo Studios/Raw Spaces Mansions/Houses Movie Studios/Sound Stages Museums/Cultural Spaces Outdoor Spaces Private Clubs Quick Trips Religious Spaces Resorts Restaurants Retail Venues Spas/Relaxation Places Stadiums/Arenas Terraces/Roofs/Gardens (All Venues) By Neighborhood/Location All Neighborhoods West Town Andersonville Bronzeville Bucktown Chinatown Garfield Park Gold Coast Greektown Humboldt Park Hyde Park Lakeview Lincoln Park Lincoln Square Little Italy Logan Square Loop Magnificent Mile Old Town Pilsen Printer's Row Ravenswood River East River North River West Roscoe Village Rogers Park South Loop Streeterville Ukrainian Village Uptown West Loop Wicker Park Wrigleyville Evanston Lombard Naperville Oak Brook Oak Park Rosemont Schaumburg St. Charles Other Areas Show Only New Venues RECENTLY VIEWED Stories 3 Hotel Steak Houses With Private Space Cisco Caps Three-Day Partner Summit With Executives-Only Rock 'n Roll Gala MOST POPULAR STORIES 1. 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