When it came to choosing a location for the affair, "We didn't want to give one of the large bars [that carry our product] preferential treatment, so we needed a venue that would be kind of Switzerland," said Pam Dzieranowski, director of events at Ultmat parent Patron Spirits Company. The Peninsula Chicago was an ideal fit for the affair, said Dzieranowski, because "We wanted to be downtown, we wanted to have a rooftop patio as well as an indoor space, and our brand—and the hotel—are super premium."

The evening’s entertainment at the Bowery Hotel was in keeping with the circus theme: Circulating among the 315 guests were a juggler, magician, tarot card reader, contortionist, Hula-hoop dancer (with extra hoops for partygoers), and a man on stilts. Before performing, Broadway in South Africa—a nonprofit troupe of Broadway artists—walked the room, the men dressed in sparkling tuxes and top hats, the women wearing body suits, fishnets, and feathers. Guests ate popcorn and cotton candy in addition to passed hors d’oeuvres served by men in suspenders and colorful, oversize clown ties.

According to Nichole Rescildo, senior events manager for Redken, the guest list was a sampling of "our educators, who are out there representing the brand." The objective of the fashion show, which served as a welcome reception for two days of meetings and teambuilding, was to "get all the Pure artists [hairstylits who have been trained by reps for Pureology products] together, and make sure that they're delivering the brand's message to our salons," she said, adding that Chicago was chosen as the event's host city because "it's the center of the country."

"We are excited to have a second gallery with A Taste of Quebec attached. It's a nice step up for us," said Joanne Thompson, who co-owns the boutique and gallery with Sylvain Landry. "This is so much better for receptions right here on site." (The original Thompson Landry Gallery, which showcases Quebec artists, remains open in the Stone Building.)

Bond seats 78 in the main dining room, with an additional 10 seats at the bar. The elevated 300-square-foot Dom Perignon Lounge, which overlooks the main space and is available for private events, can accommodate as many as 30 for receptions and offers guests privacy as well as views of the dining room below.

How is the Keep America Working Tour different than previous Monster.com job fairs?
Our old model was a straightforward career fair. Job seekers would come in, present resumes to recruiters and then leave. It used to be managed through a third party, but this time we decided to do it all in-house by our global events team.

We looked at people's needs this year, and we found that they're really just looking for information and a sense of empowerment. So we created the event with three components. It does have the recruiting area where employers interact with the job seekers, but we've added a theater presentation that has our career experts telling people how to stand out in the market and a kiosk area that shows attendees how to use the different career tools on Monster.com.

What was it about last year’s experience that made you decide to participate in Luminato again this year?
L'Oréal Paris did a tent at Yonge-Dundas last year, and we're doing exactly the same thing this year. Our brand strategy is to really align ourselves with fashion and to show the expertise of our beauty experts. Our vision with that tent was to take everything we do with Fashion Week and with Project Runway Canada and bring that backstage feel to the street. Last year we conducted 6,500 makeovers [over three days]; the success was so great that we decided to do it again.

Why is now the right time for the McCafé launch?
It always starts with the consumer. If you start with the consumer, and focus on what consumers are looking for, the answer is right there. We have a wonderful business research [and] consumer insight team and we talk to our customers regularly. We also have the benefit of our restaurants, which let us communicate with consumers and understand what they're looking for at the restaurant level on a day to day basis. These are products that our customers want [right now].

The live broadcast, hosted by Jamie Foxx, drew 10.65 million viewers. About 10 percent of televisions that were on during the broadcast period were tuned to the awards program, uncommonly high for a cable network, according to Nielsen Media Research findings cited in The Los Angeles Times.

Keynote addresses will include a presentation from Andy Sernovitz, author of Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking, and another from Chad Kaydo, BizBash's editor in chief, who will speak about event style trends with Tom Kehoe of Kehoe Designs. More info on the expo is available here.

The Sun-Sentinel reported the news, saying George Parrado, assistant director of recreation for the department, blamed the cancellation on a lack of sponsors willing to support the event in the current economy. Parrado added that plans for next year’s concert and fireworks show could also be in jeopardy if sponsors can’t be secured.

In past years, the family-friendly event included a concert in the park, food and drink concessions, paddleboat rides, and a finale fireworks display after sunset.