This year's Butterfly Ball on Friday, a black-tie benefit for the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, used a natural choice of venues: the museum itself. In the atrium, sage tablecloths covered highboys during a mint-julep-fueled cocktail reception. Green balloons floated above the heads of raffle-ticket sellers (who had tied balloon strings to their wrists), helping them stand out from the black-tie crowd. In two large dinner tents set on the front lawn and upper-level balcony, green linens and wine glasses festooned the tables.
The color scheme underscored the evening's "living green in Chicago" theme. According to the museum's development manager, Kristin Lynch, the annual ball presents an opportunity to showcase accomplishments from the past year to "an audience of 600 corporate and civic leaders." This year, "we felt strongly about letting everybody know that we want to be the leader here in Chicago of eco-friendly practices and environmental education," she said. As guests took their seats inside the dinner tents, oversize screens flashed suggestions for greener living. ("Take shorter showers" was one tip.) At each place setting, menu cards printed on recycled paper let guests know that the Calihan-catered dinner comprised sustainable produce from local farms; more tips for eco-friendly living appeared below the list of foods. After dinner, the tent lights dimmed and a short film showcased locals pledging to lead greener lives (and detailing the steps they would take to achieve that) in front of a backdrop branded with the museum's logo.
Gift bags made of reusable plastic carried on the green theme with organic candles, gift certificates for local cleaning service the Green Maid, and carbon-footprint calculators adorned with the logo for Aon (one of the evening's biggest corporate sponsors). After the event, Lynch and her staff donated leftover flowers to local senior living facilities, where they were to be replanted.
The color scheme underscored the evening's "living green in Chicago" theme. According to the museum's development manager, Kristin Lynch, the annual ball presents an opportunity to showcase accomplishments from the past year to "an audience of 600 corporate and civic leaders." This year, "we felt strongly about letting everybody know that we want to be the leader here in Chicago of eco-friendly practices and environmental education," she said. As guests took their seats inside the dinner tents, oversize screens flashed suggestions for greener living. ("Take shorter showers" was one tip.) At each place setting, menu cards printed on recycled paper let guests know that the Calihan-catered dinner comprised sustainable produce from local farms; more tips for eco-friendly living appeared below the list of foods. After dinner, the tent lights dimmed and a short film showcased locals pledging to lead greener lives (and detailing the steps they would take to achieve that) in front of a backdrop branded with the museum's logo.
Gift bags made of reusable plastic carried on the green theme with organic candles, gift certificates for local cleaning service the Green Maid, and carbon-footprint calculators adorned with the logo for Aon (one of the evening's biggest corporate sponsors). After the event, Lynch and her staff donated leftover flowers to local senior living facilities, where they were to be replanted.
Photo: Patti Sotos
Photo: Patti Sotos
Photo: Patti Sotos
Photo: BizBash
Photo: Patti Sotos