The Professional Convention Management Association hosted its Convening Leaders conference in Chicago Sunday to Thursday. During the day, some 4,000 attendees attended sessions at McCormick Place that tackled topics such as branding events. At night, they attended events that attempted a not-easy feat: to impress seasoned event planners. One of the biggest bashes, the opening-night event, was held on Sunday night at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. And it offered something that appealed to almost any mix of guests: lots of food and drink.
The 3,700 guests in attendance represented a mix of local residents and out-of-town guests. To honor the host city, planners chose a Chicago neighborhoods theme, which allowed for a diverse—and robust—menu. "The menu was a large part of this [event], as we wanted to showcase new culinary trends along with our ability to make menu offerings fun and whimsical," said Linda Kingsley, senior event consultant of corporate and private events for Sodexo Leisure Service at the Museum of Science and Industry.
Each court of the museum represented a different neighborhood, such as Chinatown or Wicker Park, and food offerings in each space matched that neighborhood's cultural tone. "We wanted guests to feel as if they were strolling from neighborhood to neighborhood, and I think we accomplished this," Kingsley said. In "Chinatown," offerings included Peking duck bao and bubble tea, while the space inspired by Devon Avenue served up samoas and chicken tandoori lollipops.
Between bites, attendees explored the museum's exhibits, and Kingsley said guests were buzzing about the scientific offerings as well as the event's culinary aspects. "There were lots of tweets about how many different food and entertainment choices [there were]," Kingsley said.
Along with keeping the large crowd fed and entertained, planners were concerned with ease of transportation. A line of buses stood at the museum's entrance on Sunday night, and taxis funneled into a parking-lot entrance for pickups and drop-offs. "Transportation was key as guests were coming to the event from several host hotels along with McCormick Place," Kingsely said. "Also, there were several after-parties. So along with the buses, we had to plan for many taxis, Uber drivers, and individual supplier transportation. We orchestrated a plan that incorporated separate drop-off and pick-up zones for each of those mentioned and communicated this to guests through ample signage and staff."
