Headquarters Beercade opened a second location in River North in August. With two floors and three bars, the venue holds 1,000 guests for receptions. There is also seating for 200, with additional standing room for 600 guests; additional standing space can be created by removing some furniture. The large space has arcade games and pinball machines, and serves craft beers, specialty cocktails, and nostalgic fare with a twist. Menu items include kimchee deviled eggs, Alaskan cod fish sticks, and a TV-dinner-inspired Salisbury steak with sweet corn succotash.
After opening a New York location in 2012, Offsite will debut its Chicago outpost the week of September 22. The West Loop venue will offer turnkey meeting packages. Its main room will seat 100 guests at rounds or classroom-style and will divide easily into four breakout spaces. It will holds two 3-D LED televisions, a dining area and kitchenette, restrooms, a reception desk, and a coat check. On the mezzanine, a meeting room will have a 26-seat conference table, floor-to-ceiling whiteboard walls, a kitchenette, and two additional 3-D LED televisions.
The Library at 190 South LaSalle, formerly an executive business club, completed a renovation in July. Now available for weddings, receptions, and corporate events, the 40th-floor venue overlooks the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan. With vaulted ceilings and dark wood accents, the space seats 130 or holds 250 for receptions. The venue has a list of six preferred caterers, which includes Entertaining Company and Boutique Bites.
Celeste opened in River North in May. On its third floor, the restaurant and lounge seats 60 or holds 100 for receptions. A rooftop cocktail lounge, called the Garden, holds 75 for receptions. The menu offers items such as baby octopus, jidori chicken, and beets with homemade yogurt. The venue is known for its handcrafted cocktails, which include the "Golden Filigree" milk punch.
Beermiscuous, a craft beer café, opened in Lakeview in June. Serving 300 beers in a coffee-shop-style atmosphere, the venue seats 65 or holds 79 for receptions in the main room. Downstairs, a private space for 20 hosts beer tastings, teambuilding events, and parties. Buyouts are available.
The Presidential Suite at the InterContinental Chicago Hotel completed a renovation in April. The two-story space, housed on the 35th and 36th floors, holds 50 guests for receptions. At 1,700 square feet, the space was designed to feel like a luxury home. It has has a media lounge, a library, a dining room, a living room, and a residential-style kitchen.
Hotel Allegro, a Kimpton property, completed a renovation of two event spaces in July. The Crescendo Room has new artwork and decorative feathers on its ceiling. The space can be enclosed to host private dinners or cocktail receptions for 18 guests. The Green Room, located just above the Crescendo Room, also has a new design. At 2,884 square feet, the space holds 170 for meetings or 250 for receptions. On the room's left-hand side, a small area with a rectangular wood table and a modern light fixture can be sectioned off to host small meetings for eight. The Green Room's cozy prefunction area has a fireplace, hardwood floors, and French doors. The hotel will start a second phase of renovations in early 2015, which will include an update to its "living room" lobby.
Bohemian House opened in River North in July. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant is available for buyout. It seats 102 in the main dining room and 14 at the bar; it holds 132 for receptions. Chef Jimmy Papadopoulos prepares Eastern European fare with a modern twist. Menu items change seasonally and have included potato pancakes with cured salmon, deviled eggs with smoked whitefish, and grilled chicken paprikash.
In the downtown Loop, the Silversmith Hotel completed a major renovation in March. Its new lounge and restaurant, Adamus, seats 200 or holds 350 for receptions. The eatery serves specialty cocktails and contemporary American fare, including yellow-tomato gazpacho, a vegan avocado "Reuben," and short-rib tortellini. Elsewhere, the property offers 2,100 square feet of flexible meeting space.
A Baker's Tale opened in Wicker Park in March. The Alice in Wonderland-theme space, suited to family-friendly functions, tea parties, or creative corporate luncheons, seats 42 inside; a patio seats an additional 24 guests. Decor includes bowler-hat pendant lights, teacup light fixtures, and a custom-made tree with leaves made from book pages. Menu items include sandwiches and baked goods; a signature treat is the honey cupcake with blueberry compote and basil buttercream frosting.
Former commissioner of the New York Police Department Raymond Kelly is a leading security expert whose speeches describe his experience during the rebuilding era following the September 11, 2001, attacks. Other speech themes include “The 14 Traits of a Successful Leader.” He has spoken for the Ringling College Library Association’s Town Hall as well as for corporate and financial groups. Contact Greater Talent Network for more information.
Director of engineering at Google Ray Kurzweil is an inventor, a leader in the field of artificial intelligence, and a futurist who has a 30-year track record of accurate predictions. He is the author of How to Create a Mind, and his speeches cover innovation, healthcare, forecasting, and more. Kurzweil has spoken at legal technology conferences and South by Southwest. Contact CAA Speakers for more information.
Peter Sheahan is the founder and C.E.O. of ChangeLabs, a global consultancy firm that has produced behavioral change projects for companies such as Apple and I.B.M. He is also the author of six books, including Flip and Generation Y. Contact the Harry Walker Agency for more information.
A decorated Navy SEAL, Marcus Luttrell is the best-selling author of Lone Survivor, which was recently made into a film starring Mark Wahlberg. In his speeches, Luttrell draws on leadership, teambuilding, and inspiration. He has spoken as part of Houston’s Brilliant Lecture Series and for religious groups as well as for corporate and financial groups. Contact Greater Talent Network for more information.
Chicago Athletic Association, the 241-room hotel in a newly renovated 1890s building, opened on Michigan Avenue in May. Managed by Commune Hotels and Resorts, the venue has 17,000 square feet of meeting space, including the White City ballroom, which holds 60 for conferences or 400 for receptions, and the Madison St ballroom, which holds 72 for conferences or 300 for receptions. On-site eateries include Cindy's, a rooftop restaurant with a terrace overlooking Millennium Park, which seats 144 or holds 250 for receptions. There's also a game room that seats 120 and has a basketball court that seats 373 or holds 448 for receptions.
