Chicago Event Coverage of Benefits, Galas, Public Promos, Launch Parties, Movie Premieres, Fashion Shows, Art Exhibits and Live Music in Chicago by BizBash

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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    11.19.09 3:19 PM Chicago Chefs Prepare Apple-Cider Bubbles, Whipped Salt Cod for Food & Wine Entertaining Showcase Food & Wine's Entertaining Showcase Photo: Rory Tischler/Food & Wine "I can smell truffles in the air," said one guest at Monday night's Food & Wine Entertaining Showcase. Held at the Museum of Contemporary Art, the event treated 600 guests to dishes from local chefs, who peppered their offerings with high-end ingredients that—apart from black truffles —included everything from whipped salt cod to apple-cider bubbles and pumpkin consommé. Now in its 11th year, the tasting is "built around its talent," said Food & Wine's special projects producer, Devin Padgett, referring to the 20 local chefs who dished out sample-size entrées. Padgett said the first chefs he asked to participate were locals who have been highlighted in Food & Wine's annual "Best New Chefs" feature. On Monday, nine such chefs—including Boka's Giuseppe Tentori, Alinea's Grant Achatz, and Tru pastry chef Gale Gand—showed up to man tasting stations. MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Food & Wine Magazine EVENT REPORT    11.19.09 11:06 AM MoMA Gets Suitably Whimsical and Macabre for Tim Burton Tribute Burton-esque hedging around MoMA's bar Photo: Jessica Torossian for BizBash FROM NEW YORK Now in its second year, the Museum of Modern Art hosted its annual film benefit Tuesday night. The gala raised $800,000 for MoMA's department of film, honored director Tim Burton, and kicked off an exhibition of his work with decor inspired by more than two decades worth of movies. A crowd of 240—including event co-chairs Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter, as well as Danny DeVito, Brooke Shields, and Gabourey Sidibe—joined the director for cocktails, a short presentation, and dinner, before the museum lobby opened for a less exclusive after-party. MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Museum of Modern Art, Museum of Modern Art Film Benefit, Tim Burton, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter EVENT REPORT    11.18.09 7:00 AM New Moon Premiere Beckons 10,000 People and 2 Live Wolves The premiere for The Twilight Saga: New Moon in Westwood Photo: Line 8 Photography FROM LOS ANGELES Westwood, being a college town, is accustomed to groups of young people roaming about—but Monday night was no ordinary night in the village. The young people were out, for sure, but many weren't yet old enough to drive, and they were pressed behind barricades on closed streets for the premiere of Summit Entertainment's new installment of the Twilight series, New Moon. Summit's Eric Kops oversaw the hotly anticipated event, tapping ELS for big-time tasks like crowd control and security, and Chad Hudson Events for roles including theater management and R.S.V.P.s, plus production of the after-party at the Hammer Museum. MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Summit Entertainment, Twilight, New Moon, Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner EVENT REPORT    11.17.09 2:32 PM Astronauts Greet, Galileo Tends Bar at Adler Planetarium's Celestial Ball Adler Planetarium's Celestial Ball Photo: Eddie Quinones for BizBash On Saturday night, costumed astronauts lined the steps of the Adler Planetarium, ready to welcome some 600 guests to the women's board's Celestial Ball. Event chair Lisa Lewis worked with co-chairs Laura Myntti and Kimberly Rachal to plan this year's benefit, which had a "Cosmic Fusion" theme that played out in Ronsley Special Events' decor and Food for Thought's internationally inflected menu. In the musem's glass-enclosed Sky Pavilion—which hosted the cocktail reception, live and silent auctions, and after-dinner dancing—Moroccan lanterns topped highboy tables and illuminated lounge areas filled with colorful furniture that Ronsley designed for the ball. Food for Thought staffers circulated with an array of appetizers that included Bengali roasted chestnut soup and Moroccan-style strudel stuffed with braised duck. Beside the planetarium's prop sun, a bartender dressed as Galileo doled out flutes of champagne and served as a cheeky nod to the 400th anniversary of the astromer's first use of the telescope. MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Adler Planetarium EVENT REPORT    11.16.09 1:36 PM Fur Ball Offers Separate Amenities and Ticket Prices for Human and Canine Guests Pets Are Worth Saving's Fur Ball Photo: Gretchen Kelley for BizBash On Friday night, more than 600 guests gathered at the Drake Hotel for the Fur Ball. Hosted by Pets Are Worth Saving, the benefit is billed as the city's only pet-friendly black-tie function, which proved an irresistible selling point for some dog lovers with deep pockets. "This is one of the only events I buy tickets for anymore," said one attendee, nodding at his rhinestone-collared companion. "It's the only ball I can bring her to." With tickets priced at $400 per guest and $100 per animal, the event had amenities that catered to both its two-legged and four-legged attendees. At the entrance, photographers clustered around a red carpet with a step-and-repeat backdrop, snapping photos of donors with their pets. In the hotel's French and Walton rooms, where the cocktail reception and silent auction took place, servers circulated with avocado egg rolls and mushroom phyllo purses while volunteers bustled about with silver water bowls, which they placed near the bars in each room. In the French room, Kehoe's lounge setups featured sleek sofas and bright orange floor pillows, and animal communicator Alicia Halloran conducted one-on-one consultations with pets and their owners. MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Pets Are Worth Saving EVENT REPORT    11.10.09 4:07 PM Dark and Moody Accents, Animal-Inspired Decor Appear on Tabletops at Diffa's Dining by Design A table designed by Mario Pinto with Scott Heuvelhorst Interiors Photo: Barry Brecheisen for BizBash "This looks like a serial killer's home. There should be conspiracy theories written on the wall," said one guest at Thursday night's Cocktails by Design event, which served as a kickoff for a three-day Dining by Design benefit hosted by Design Industries Foundations Fighting AIDS. The event filled the eighth floor of the Merchandise Mart with 42 dining environments decorated by design-industry professionals ranging from painters to architects to fashion designer Maria Pinto. With so many creative professionals behind the tables, the environments ranged from a wooden box tacked with newspaper clippings and bathed in an eerie blue light—which inspired the serial-killer comment—to a cozy gazebo setting filled with fairy lights and plush Ralph Lauren pillows. Though there were tables that defied categorization, some dining environments illustrated popular design trends; one theme was "dark and sexy atmospheres, which we're seeing everywhere this year," said Diffa's director of special events, Peggy Bellar. At an installation from Interior Investments by Gensler, black moving blankets hung behind a table surrounded with dark leather chairs; a chandelier made of painted black cardboard crowned the scene. Hermes glasses in deep purple hues spruced up place settings at a table that Herman Miller by Richard Bliss and Solomon Cordwell Bunez designed; and lacy black napkins dotted the table that Maria Pinto decorated with Scott A. Heuvelhorst Interiors. Artist Francine Turk's design also created a dark, moody ambience with black chalkboard walls, charcoal sketches of crows, and framed paintings of gold Gothic crosses. MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Diffa, Diffa Dining by Design EVENT REPORT    11.10.09 7:00 AM At Jaguar Preview, Guests Design Their Own Doughnuts, Cars A display vehicle at Jaguar's cocktail reception Photo: Mireya Acierto for BizBash On Thursday night, Jaguar invited 200 existing and potential customers to a preview event for its 2010 XJ model at the Chicago Illuminating Company. At the raw venue, chefs prepared snacks at sleek, illuminated food stations. In one corner, DJ Michael Smith, whom Jaguar flew in from Los Angeles for the occasion, played modern remixes of classic songs such as "Stop in the Name of Love" and "Son of a Preacher Man." In another corner, Food for Thought staffers presided over a design-your-own doughnut bar, where a couple of silver-haired guests displayed childlike enthusiasm for decorating their treats with colored sprinkles and chocolate swirls. The scene underscored the brand's vision for the event, which was meant to "convey modern luxury and target our new customer, who is all about balancing work and play," said Stephanie Dauble, national events manager for Jaguar cars. With the launch of the 2010 Jaguar XJ, "we're revealing our new design DNA," she said. "So in the past we've held events at more traditional venues, like country clubs." But to launch this model, "we sought out spaces with clean lines and a modern feel." MORE >> RELATED TOPICS Jaguar 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 Ford 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 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 Floral Designer Anne Kilcullen Prides Herself on Interpreting Clients' Ideas MOST POPULAR STORIES 1. Astronauts Greet, Galileo Tends Bar at Adler Planetarium's Celestial Ball 2. Fur Ball Offers Separate Amenities and Ticket Prices for Human and Canine Guests 3. 8 New Venues for Chicago Holiday Parties 4. Chicago Chefs Prepare Apple-Cider Bubbles, Whipped Salt Cod for Food & Wine Entertaining Showcase 5. New Moon Premiere Beckons 10,000 People and 2 Live Wolves 6. Poll Results: Informal Nights Out Make Most Appropriate 2009 Holiday Parties 7. How Do You Make Staffers Feel Appreciated—at Little or No Cost? 8. MoMA Gets Suitably Whimsical and Macabre for Tim Burton Tribute 9. Masked Raconteurs Tell Tales at Moth Ball, and I Have a Blast

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