Client: Chicago Gateway Green

Event: Green Tie Ball XVIII, Saturday, September 26, 2009

Event Overview:

In the fall of 2009, Chicago Gateway Green hosted the eighteenth annual Green Tie Ball, employing the services of McGowan Durpetti & Associates to produce the event for the third consecutive year. The gala is the non-profit organization’ s signature fundraiser, and has become a highly regarded charity event and high priority social date for many of Chicago’s prominent civic leaders. The 2009 event drew an attendance of more than 1,500 guests, maximizing the venue capacity, and attracting local celebrities and corporate sponsors, including NBC and Tesla Motors amongst others. The Rhapsody in Green themed event was held at Chicago Illuminating Company and Room 21, with tenting on the adjacent outdoor patios to connect the two locations. Chicago Illuminating Company transformed the first of its three rooms into the Horseshoe Casino for an evening with charitable gaming tables, while the two main rooms of the venue catered to gala guests for drinks and dancing. As a unique dining experience, guests were able to wander into the outdoor restaurant tent that was host to a variety of Chicago’s most popular restaurants, including Gene & Georgetti’s, Sunda, and Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak, & Stone Crab, offering select tasting menus specifically designed for the event. The outdoor patio of Room 21 was converted in to the VIP lounge, an area only accessible to VIP ticket holders to enjoy private bars, live entertainment, live and silent auctions, and dancing. The most exclusive access area at the event was inside Room 21 for Emerald Circle patrons, hosting private and corporate tables, personal cocktail service, and an After Glow dessert buffet featuring Starbucks coffee and a luscious chocolate fondue fountain from The Melting Pot. The success of the event has been manifested throughout features in Chicago’s most well known publications, as the Chicago Tribune, Michigan Avenue Magazine, and Chicago Social.

Services:

McGowan Durpetti & Associates took on the role of the maestro conducting all notes of Rhapsody in Green in harmony. MD&A assisted the client from the very start of the planning process, providing consulting services in venue selection, advance logistics, vendor coordination and negotiation, production budget development, and site plan layout. The event came alive as the team directed production set-up, lighting the Illuminating Company in green and bringing the event to life with guests. The team ensured a smooth flowing event, promptly solving any troubleshooting during the event and directing an efficient tear-down. The client expressed their absolute satisfaction with the event production as a result of MD&A’s creative direction and financial efficiency in remaining under budget.