ComedySportz is the longest running short-form improv show in Chicago. Now in our 23rd year! It’s not stand-up comedy about sports…it’s improv comedy played as a sport! We’re also known for corporate training and corporate entertainment, improv classes and as a great place for any group celebrating a special occasion. If you like great comedy improvisation, visit our theater, the ComedySportz Theatre

Mention you found us on Hereschicago.com

View From The Top: Indoor and Outdoor Rooftop Venues

Visitors and locals to Chicago will agree about this fact: The city and surrounding communities are flat as the proverbial pancake. The prairie landscape shouldn’t hold back those who have lofty ideas for holding a party or other special event. In this sea-level, altitude-challenged metropolis, there are places that offer a view from the top.

Private clubs, like the Metropolitan Club in the Sears – make that – Willis Tower and the University Club on Monroe Street at Michigan Avenue, offer unparalleled views, facilities, cuisine and service. But these and others only allow members and guests the privilege of hosting events. Here are some venues that will give you and your guests a window to the world that is Chicago.

One private club does open its doors to non-members: The Mid-America Club on the 80th floor of the Aon Center at 200 E. Randolph St. Founded more than 40 years ago, the club boasts something others can’t match: A 360-degree view of the Chicago skyline and lakefront parks and attractions. Planners can host small receptions for 20 guests, a seated banquet for more than 600, or reception for 1,000. The club offers various private rooms and an expandable ballroom in its more than 8,000 square feet.

Perhaps the hottest new sky-high venue to come on line recently is the aptly-named ROOF, the lounge and party space taking up the 27th floor of the Wit Hotel at 201 N. State St. Lines to visit the high-rise venue stretched 30-plus deep this summer to make the scene at ROOF’s indoor and outdoor areas. Reserve this party location and have all 7,000 square feet for you and your guests. They’ll enjoy handcrafted drinks, food from an Italian-themed small plate menu and views of the Chicago River and beyond. ROOF will accommodate up to 150. Contact theWit Hotel

Long-time Chicagoans know the “grand dame” of vertical venues is the Signature Room at the 95th in the John Hancock Center, 875 N. Michigan Av. Known for fine food, romantic dinners, floor-to-ceiling windows and views that can bring in three surrounding states, the Signature Room also can be reserved for a wide range of events, from rehearsal dinners, bridal showers and weddings to themed parties, receptions and corporate dinners.

Want someplace a little more “down-to-earth?” Here are three locations that are, indeed, up on the roof, only a lot closer to the pavement than the aforementioned.

A stalwart on the Greek Town dining circuit, Pegasus at 130 S. Halsted St. opens its Veranda, a second-level outdoor space between Memorial Day and Labor Day. Guests can dine on Greek tapas-style cuisine and take in awesome views of the Chicago skyline. The space can be reserved for 20 to 80 people, depending on the day of the week.

The Rock Bottom Brewery anchors the southwest corner of Grand Avenue and State Streets. Along with various traditional style indoor party rooms, this brewery and casual restaurant offers a rooftop deck during summer months. The views include surrounding office buildings, but Rock Bottom is perhaps the only outdoor venue of its kind within the downtown area. Contact Rock Bottom Brewery

Out in west suburban Oak Park, the Avenue Ale House, 25 S. Oak Park Av., is a popular, spacious year-round restaurant and lounge for after work drinks, a great “pub” menu, live music and catching sports on huge plasma TVs. When the weather warms up, patrons often head upstairs to the only outdoor rooftop deck in the west suburbs. The views aren’t great, but the casual atmosphere, great food and drink make the Ale House a great option.

Visit our directory for a list of all of Chicago’s best indoor and outdoor rooftop venues and spaces for your next friends gathering, bachelor/bachelorette party, birthday party, anniversary, company party, corporate event, wedding reception, rehearsal dinner, wedding, holiday party and more.

Special Event Planning by Otis Productions

At Otis Productions, we custom create special parties given your specific event, desired location, and audience. We believe that effective event planning requires a blend of creativity, attention to detail, strategic planning, and experience.

Otis Productions transforms ideas into spectacular productions to help you entertain, inspire, and inform your audience. From start to finish, we plan and manage:

Bar Mitzvah
Corporate/association meetings 
Corporate parties
Corporate Golf Outings
Product introductions
Award presentations
Fund-raisers
Theme parties
Public image awareness campaigns
Picnics
Conventions
Trade shows
Weddings

We handle every detail from site selection and negotiations to stage entertainment to décor and costuming to music and specialty acts to food and beverage.

Chicago Speakers’ Bureau by Otis Productions

Otis Productions also maintains an internationally recognized speakers’ bureau offering you a wide variety of well-known lecturers, seminar hosts, and celebrities for informative, entertaining, and educational presentations. We help you determine appropriate speakers given your event, audience, and objectives. In addition, we manage all negotiations and contract details on your behalf.

Chicago Destination Management by Otis Productions

Otis Productions provides comprehensive destination management services to ensure that your guests enjoy themselves. We can coordinate all details for you and your group from prepared itineraries to private tours. Our services include:

Site selection and hotel accommodations
Meet-and-greet services
Air and ground transportation
Registration services
Welcome packets
Room gifts and giveaways
Unique, off-premise venue selection
Tours, workshops, and city outings
Sporting events
Foreign language guides and translators

Production Services by Otis Productions

To round out your event, Otis Productions offers complete production services to keep your audience engaged and to make your event memorable. As part of our production services, we:

Develop concepts and ideas
Write scripts and speeches
Handle staging and room decor
Coordinate lighting, sound, video projection, and technical support
Design and execute speaker support slides, multi-image productions, film, and videotape
Coordinate live business theater incorporating performers, music, original lyrics, choreography, and special staging and effects
Speech coaching, media training, and progressive learning programs
Provide access to effective and economical teleconferencing and distribution systems

Contact Otis Productions

Here’s Chicago’s Planner Preferred Full-Service Set Design and Staging Companies in Chicago including Event Production/Audiovisual Services (A/V), Set and Stage Designers/Construction, Full-Service Set Design and Staging Companies and Chicago’s best meeting and event planners.

download The Forlorn album by Ikuinen Kaamos

The Meetinghouse Companies Inc. Planner Preferred!
781 North Church Road
Elmhurst, IL 60126
630.941.0600

The Meetinghouse Companies is a full-service event design and production company with in-house capabilities including scenic decor, event technology, business theater, and floral design. Based in Chicago, the Meetinghouse Companies serve Fortune 1000 clients around the world. Combining innovative design and creative messaging with the utmost attention to detail, the Meetinghouse Companies produce fully integrated, cost-effective events that deliver exceptional results. Click here to view more details and contact information

Ivan Carlson & Associates Planner Preferred!
2224 West Fulton
Chicago, IL 60612
312.829.4616

Ivan Carlson & Associates specializes in scenic design, themed decor, stage sets and creative event design for corporate special events. We operate a 40,000 square foot facility on Chicago’s west side that is home to dynamic props, intriguing themed decor, unusual set pieces and an array of scenic design elements. ade shows and meetings. Click here to view more details and contact information

M&M, The Special Events Company Planner Preferred!
493 Mission Street
Carol Stream, IL 60188
630.871.9999

M&M is essentially an extension of your event team, providing: Tenting, Tables & Chairs, Linen, Table Settings, Décor, Floral and more! With more than 150,000 square feet of event equipment and over 150 event professionals, fleet drivers and installers, M&M works closely with you making your events a spectacular success! Click here to view more details and contact information

Absolute Production Services Planner Preferred!
9827 W. Farragut Street
Rosemont, IL 60018

Absolute Production Services is a full service event, meeting, seminar, and exhibit production company. Since our inception over 13 years ago, APS has established itself as a leader in the production industry. Our services range from a straightforward corporate meeting to a remote concert in the Blue Ridge Mountains with an attendance of 30,000 people and include the single largest simulcast in promotional marketing history, managing over 200 industry professionals simultaneously in 45 markets. Our success has been possible due to our relentless focus on the three cornerstones that define our company: Our People, Our Process, and Our Relationships. Click here to view more details and contact information

Total Event Resources Planner Preferred!
1920 Thoreau Drive
Suite 105
Schaumburg, IL 60173
847.397.2200

Under the leadership of President Kathy Miller, Total Event Resources has worked with Fortune 500 companies and associations nationwide in the management and production of their major events, trade shows and meetings. Known for our creativity, attention to detail, vast resources and commitment to success, we’ve built our business on staying at the forefront of innovation within the meetings and events industry. Click here to view more details and contact information

Below are some additional options for Full-Service Set Design/Staging Companies in Chicago including Event Production/Audiovisual Services, Set and Stage Design/Construction, Full-Service Set Design/Staging Companies for company meetings, corporate events, large outdoor events, in house hotel events, Chicago conference centers, Chicago convention centers and more.

Event Architects
311 West Walton St.
Chicago, IL 60610

Event Creative
311 West Walton St.
Chicago, IL 60610

Five-Star Audio Visual
550 North Commons Drive, Suite 101
Aurora, IL 60504

Freeman Company Chicago
5040 West Roosevelt Road
Chicago, IL 60644

Kobotech Inc.
8 South Michigan Ave., Suite 810
Chicago, IL 60603

Plexus Productions LLC
821 Sivert Drive
Wood Dale, IL 60191
630.860.2948

Redline Event Services Inc.
4932 West Cullom Ave.
Chicago, IL 60641

Ronsley Special Events
1200 North North Branch St.
Chicago, IL 60622

SCS Productions
28 Congress Circle West
Roselle, IL 60172

Stage Right Inc.
13610 Boulton Blvd.
Mettawa, IL 60045

Stellar Productions Inc.
1201 Laura Lane
Lake Bluff, IL 60044

Williams/Gerard Productions
420 North Wabash, Suite 500
Chicago, IL 60611

Visit Hereschicago.com for all of Chicago’s Planner Preferred Full-Service Set Design/Staging Companies in Chicago including Chicago’s Top Event Production/Audiovisual Services, best Set and Stage Design/Construction, Full-Service Set Design/Staging Companies for company meetings, corporate events, large outdoor events, in house hotel events, Chicago conference centers, Chicago convention centers and more.

Shaws Crab House Chicago
21 E. Hubbard
Chicago, IL 60611

Shaw’s Crab House is Chicagoland’s premier seafood restaurant. Shaw’s honor’s our maritime heritage with a daily selection of truly superior seafood. At Shaw’s we don’t save the sparkle just for the holidays. Shaw’s Crab House offers the perfect setting and impeccable service to make any occasion exceptional.
 
Total Capacity and Names of Group Rooms (if applicable):

1. Oyster Hall of Fame Board Room - 30 Max
2. Private Dining Room – 80 Max
3. Craig’s Club Room – 12 Max
4. The Oyster Bar – 200 Max
5. The Main Dining Room - 350 Max
 
Total Capacity of Venue: 500
 
Private or Semi Private Space Available: Yes
 
Room Set at Capacity: Anyway the client prefers
 
F&B minimum to reserve/use the room(s):

Yes
 
Rental Fee to Reserve/Use the Room: Yes, these vary based on availability

Our most Important Target Market is?
 
Corporate as well as social business, looking to host their event in the heart of river north at a unique seafood restaurant
 
We are most proud of our ability to?
 
To work with our clients in creating a menu and environment that suits all tastes, from corporate to social
 
We are famous with customers for our ability to?
 
Make our guests feel all their needs are being met by our professional staff
 
Unlike our competition, we offer customers?

An attention to detail unlike those of our competitors
 
We would like our customers to tell their friends that we provide the best?

Food, service and flexibility
 
Our company enhances customer lives by offering?

The highest recognition and reassurance each of our guests deserves, in an environment unique to the Chicago market
 
We offer our customers the best?
 
The freshest seafood available
 
Recent Clients:
 
1. Merk Pharmaceutical 2. Anheuser Busch 3. Media Mark 4. Neal, Gerber and Eisenberg 5. Robert Baird
 
Awards/Achievements: James Beard, Wine Spectator
 
Shaw’s Crabhouse is perfect for the following groups seeking great restaurants with private rooms:
 
Anniversary in Chicago
Chicago Bachelor/Bachelorette
Chicago Bar/Bat Mitzvahs
Chicago Birthday Party Place
Chicago Bridal Shower
Company Meetings in Chicago
Conventions/Conferences in Chicago
Corporate Events in Chicago
Fund Raiser in Chicago
Graduation Party in Chicago
Group Travel Restaurants in Chicago
Non Profit Events in Chicago
Private Party Place in Chicago
Retirement Party Restaurant Space in Chicago
Reunion Locations in Chicago
 
Shaw’s Crab House Chicago is a Planner Preferred vendor on Hereschicago.com, Chicago’s event planning resource directory.
 
Contact Shaw’s Crab House Chicago

Chicago Event Production Services

To round out your event, Chicago Event Production Suppliers offers complete production services to keep your audience engaged and to make your event memorable. As part of Chicago’s Planner Preferred production services, they offer the following production services in Chicago:

Develop concepts and ideas
Write scripts and speeches
Handle staging and room decor
Coordinate lighting, sound, video projection, and technical support
Design and execute speaker support slides, multi-image productions, film, and videotape
Coordinate live business theater incorporating performers, music, original lyrics, choreography, and special staging and effects
Speech coaching, media training, and progressive learning programs
Provide access to effective and economical teleconferencing and distribution systems

Visit Hereschicago.com, Chicago’s Directory of all Chicago Event Production Companies

Visit Hereschicago.com for a complete list of Chicago’s best Wrigley rooftops for your next company outing, friends get together, bachelorette party, or corporate event. Wrigley rooftops are one of the best networking venues in Chicago. It’s truly a unique and cost effective way to bring friends or clients together for one of Chicago’s most memorable corporate activities during the summer.

Prior to or after the game, book your group space at Cubby Bear or Vine’s on Clark. Both Wrigleyville venues are across the street from Wrigley Field and have group space for small and large groups!

Wrigley Rooftops Video produced by

Cooking is an Art. We Make It a Party.

A unique culinary combination of a hands-on cooking experience and a pampered dinner party, Bespoke Cuisine’s Cooking Parties are a big hit with epicureans and beginners alike.

Chefs from the Bespoke team lead groups through preparing a four-course meal. After the lesson, participants retreat to the loft-like dining room and enjoy being served the meal they created.

All through the lesson and meal, the team imparts tips, facts, and guidance about the food, methods and preparations used. It’s a fantastic opportunity to ask the experts and to learn the tricks of the trade.

Parties are held at Bespoke Cuisine’s location on Restaurant Row where clients have the opportunity to learn in a working commercial kitchen and then retire to the gracious dining room. In warm weather, our doors open onto Randolph Street for a wonderful city dining experience.
 
PRIVATE COOKING PARTIES in Chicago with Bespoke Cuisine - Our signature cooking parties are private social or corporate events, and are popular for for:

Chicago corporate team-building events
Chicago birthday parties & anniversaries
Chicago girls’ night out
Chicago showers and bachelorette parties
Chicago rehearsal dinners
Chicago group dinner parties

Cooking Party Menus: Click here for our Cooking Party Information & Menus. To have this information emailed or faxed to you, or to discuss a customized menu, please contact us.

Minimum/Maximum # of Guests: Minimum: 15 persons (20pp in December); Maximum: 35-40 persons depending on menu.

Pricing: $100 per person - includes professional hands-on instruction, 4-course meal, recipe packet, mini spice box, and soft drinks. Pricing for customized menus, including those with a competition component, will be slightly higher. Does not include food tax or gratuities.

Alcoholic Beverages: Bespoke Cuisine is BYOB. We would be happy to suggest wines, beers or other drinks to accompany your menu. Binnys and Kafka Wine Co. are two vendors who will deliver your order to Bespoke for a $10 fee so we can pre-chill your selections and have your beverages set up when you and your guests arrive. Kafka offers 15% off your entire order when you mention Bespoke!

Take aways: Each person leaves with a menu/recipe packet and a customized tin spice box.

Attire: We suggest wearing comfortable clothing and shoes. Aprons are provided to wear during the event.

Dates/Times: Cooking Parties are about 3-1/2 hours long and are held anytime in the afternoon or evening. Most parties start at 6:30pm and end at 10:00pm.

Other Services/Options:

“iron chef”-style competition
wine pairings or an accompanying professional wine tasting
take-home apron (can include personalization with notice)
customized menus

For more information and to contact Bespoke Cuisine for your next Chicago corporate team-building events, Chicago birthday parties & anniversaries, Chicago girls’ night out, Chicago showers and bachelorette parties, Chicago rehearsal dinners, Chicago group dinner parties

Visit our Bespoke Cuisine details page on Hereschicago.com, Chicago’s group event planners resoure directory.

Contact Chicago Indoor Racing if you are seeking great suburban meeting space, fun Chicago Corporate Activities, Buffalo Grove Meeting Venues, North West suburban conference space or a West suburban meeting venue for your next conference or Chicago suburban sales meeting, fun things to do in Chicagoland, or Chicago team building.

Each event at Chicago Indoor Racing is customized by one of their group coordinators. They will assist you in all the finer details of your event and can help you achieve all of your goals, no matter how simple or complicated. Chicago Indoor Racing Buffalo Grove or Chicago Indoor Racing Addison can work with groups of six to groups of 600 or more. Chicago Indoor Racing’s group event space features the latest in Audio Visual capabilities, including complimentary LCD projectors with pull down screens, as well as flip charts.

Chicago Indoor Racing in Addison | NOW OPENED!

Our new 105,000 square foot location in Addison features two new tracks and a variety of state of the art meeting spaces & entertainment concepts, including CyberSport. Groups events can be booked by calling Alisa Peters at Chicago Indoor Racing; individual walk-ins and same day reservations are happily accepted. Corporate and Group Events.

Five Meeting Rooms featuring the latest in Audio Visual Technology and wireless Internet access.

(The entire facility is a “hot-spot”)

Stewart’s Bar and Grille, a full service Restaurant and Bar, features a large array of cuisine sure to delight any palate! After the Race each location features a full service restaurant with a variety of dining options for individuals and groups of all sizes. They also feature a multitude of alternative entertainment that can be enjoyed before and after racing or dining.

Click here to email or call Alisa Peters at Chicago Indoor Racing for either location (Buffalo Grove or Addison) and tell her Hereschicago.com sent you!

Threats of federal regulation and sensational coverage are creating a paralyzing environment where companies across the country are canceling meetings and events for legitimate business purposes.

After three strong years, Chicago’s downtown hotels are facing tougher times as businesses cut travel budgets and tourists stay home. Because more businesses and groups are canceling meetings at hotels or spending less on food and drink, hotel owners are looking for ways to cut costs.

Business-related travel – including meetings, events and incentives – is a vital part of our national economy and essential to sustaining well-paying American jobs, the health of large and small businesses and the solvency of public services supported by federal, state and local tax-revenue. Broadly, business travel creates 2.4 million jobs, injects more than $240 billion into the national economy annually and generates $39 billion in federal, state and local tax revenue.

Specifically, meetings and events:

Create 1 million jobs to the American workforce in local communities – from big cities to small towns – across the United States.

Many of these jobs support working families in the hospitality and food service industries.

Generate $27 billion in wages for hardworking Americans that are critical to local economies across
the United States, and can play a critical role in our nation’s economic recovery.

Provide $16 billion in tax revenue at the federal, state and local level.

Contribute $101 billion in spending to the U.S. economy.

Support over 200 local convention centers around the county

Are responsible for nearly 15 percent of all travel in the United States.

When businesses cancel productive meetings and events, the American worker and local communities from coast-to-coast are the unintended victims.

Without the jobs generated by meetings, events and incentive travel, the current unemployment rate of 7.6 percent would rise to 8.2 percent and cost the average American household an additional $136 in annual taxes.

Critics have mislabeled many meetings and events as unnecessary and frivolous – causing companies that have received federal government support and many that have not – to cancel planned and future activities.
Whether a company has received emergency government lending or not, its inclination is to avoid the prospect of being ridiculed like AIG, Wells Fargo and others.

No region of the country is immune to the economic impact of canceled meetings, events and incentive programs. American workers and local communities pay the price as meetings, events and incentives decline.

The U.S. Labor Department reported a loss of nearly 200,000 travel related jobs in 2008 and Department of Commerce data predicts a loss of an additional 247,000 travel-generated jobs in 2009.

The meetings and events component of business travel is responsible for nearly 15 percent of all travel in the United States, drives $101 billion in spending, generates one million jobs and creates $16 billion in tax revenue at the federal, state and local levels.

Without the one million jobs generated by meeting and event travel, the unemployment rate in the United States would jump from 7.6 percent to 8.2 percent.

As meetings and events decline, local communities – nearly all of whom are dependent on visitor taxes – struggle to pay for essential services such as education, public safety and social services.

Business travel and events are a smart and cost effective way to retain and develop employee talent, generate ideas and share knowledge that drives future business growth.

Meetings, events and incentives are essential tools for companies to strengthen business relationships; align and educate employees and customers; and reward business performance. Members of Congress share this practice when convening their annual retreats at resorts outside Washington, DC

Incentive programs are two to three times more effective than cash at motivating employee performance. Companies can spend less on incentive travel than on cash compensation to achieve exceptional productivity from employees.

The recipients of incentive travel programs are typically hardworking middle class Americans who have earned trips for their exceptional performance.

According to a recent survey of Fortune 1000 Chief Marketing Officers, meetings and events provide the highest return on investment of any marketing channel.

Companies using taxpayer dollars must abide by best practices for meetings, events and incentives.

Companies that have received emergency government lending have an obligation to operate in a transparent and accountable fashion.

The travel community has addressed an urgent public need by developing clear, workable guidelines designed to ensure responsible business travel practices within companies that have received emergency government lending.

Additional punitive policies to limit meetings, events and incentive travel will unite business, labor and local government leaders in opposition.

The demand for face to face meetings is strong and the importance of having them is greater than ever in our history.  For example, within one week of sending the invitation for our Here’s Chicago Meetings and Hospitality St. Pat’s BASH event taking place on March 2, 2009 we are at capacity with the most meeting and event professionals registered in the history of this event with over 400 registered attendees and another 100 on the waiting list. 

“Business, Meetings and Incentive Programs are what built this economy” and “Our industry is being punished for the mistakes of a few”

“In Obama’s defense, I don’t believe he knows that the meetings industry contributes to “mainstreet”, the exact market he is trying to help. Bus boys, waiters, bellman, sedan drivers, etc.” says Jim Grillo, CMP of Hereschicago.com. 

Meetings, conventions, exhibitions, and incentive travel generated $122.3 billion in direct spending in the United States last year, according to the Convention Industry Council’s Economic Impact Study, released in September. Corporate meetings and events comprised one-third of that, or $40.3 billion; association events accounted for the rest.”

The industry employs 1.7 million people on a full-time basis, and is the 29th-largest contributor to the country’s gross national product.

Looking at types of meetings, conventions and exhibitions account for $67.9 billion, or 55.5 percent, of the total direct spending pie. Corporate and association meetings generated $48.1 billion in spending, or 39.4 percent of the total, while incentive travel made up the remaining 5.1 percent, generating $6.2 billion in spending. (Conventions and exhibitions are defined as events where exhibitions make up the largest component of the meeting, while meetings have a larger meetings component.)

The largest share of the convention and exhibition dollar, 35 percent, is spent in hotels. The rest is widely distributed throughout local economies, with 24 percent spent on air transportation, 14 percent in restaurants, and 12 percent on business services.
 
It is our responsibility today to communicate the positive messages from our industry and how we all directly contribute to the future growth of our economy.
 
Let’s make history together,
 
Jim Grillo, CMP
President
Hereschicago.com
Chicago’s Meetings and Events Resource Directory
 
Emmy Award Winner, Alternate Media/News 2008
Hall of Fame Supplier, Illinois Meetings & Events 2008
President, Meeting Professionals Internatio, nal Chicago 2003-2004
President, Hospitality, Sales & Marketing Assn of Ill. 2001-2004
Committee, Meeting Professionals International 2004-2008
Mentor/Ambassador, Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau, 2000-2002
Member, MPI International Student Advisory Council 2008-2009
 
For a P.R. Toolkit, visit the U.S. Travel Association (USTOA)