Flash Mob Hits Millennium Park

Ever wondered about coordinating a flash mob to get attention for your client or company?

This idea, started somewhere around 2003, involves using a “large group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual and sometimes seemingly pointless act for a brief time, then disperse, often for the purposes of entertainment and/or satire,” according to its Wikipedia page.

Recently, Infinium Capital Management, a Chicago financial services firm, partnered with agency One Smooth Stone to execute a 250-person strong flash mob at Millennium Park’s ice skating rink in order to bring the company’s culture into the public.

Although the temperatures were frigid on January 8, employees came out in droves dressed in the same fluorescent orange caps to participate in the company’s annual, albeit newly themed, teambuilding event. Joining them were 25 skaters and some random participants who were recruited via social media tactics.

Check out the video here of the group’s perfectly timed activity.

To pull this off, all 250 employees spent a dutiful week in individual training using a specially prepared training video. Four hours before the performance, the team banded together for a group rehearsal in Infinium’s offices, steered by 20 professional dancer instructors and two lead choreographers.

And who couldn’t help but notice this public display? Think of all the local passerbys and visitors to Millennium Park who now know of Infinium because of this one simple act.

(Check out more photos from this even on Illinois Meetings + Events' Facebook page!)

Another fun idea came to me last week from Massage Envy of Chicago. Are you stressed about the upcoming Chicago mayoral elections? This boutique parlor offers special 2011 Chicago Mayoral Massages up until Election Day.

Choose from the “Richard M. Daley Hot Stone Massage,” the “Rahm Emanuel Deep Tissue Massage,” the “Gery Chico Educational Massage,” and the “Carol Moseley Braun Trigger Point Massage,” ranging from $49 to $98.

Massage Envy also says they will provide statistics on the most popular choice, in case you are curious for who may be in the front lead of the polls.

Happy voting!

Selena Fragassi
Editor
Illinois Meetings + Events