• Illinois M+E Best of 2020 Finalists

     
    POSTED February 20, 2020
     

Congratulations to all of the finalists for Illinois Meetings + Events Best of 2020 readers' choice awards! We look forward to celebrating and announcing the 2020 Best of winners and finalists as well as our 2020 Hall of Fame inductees in the upcoming Summer 2020 issue! Check out a full list of this year's finalists below.

Best Audio-Visual/Visual Presentation Provider
A/V Chicago
FROST  
PSAV  

Best Boats/Cruises/Charters
Chicagoline Cruises
Chicago's First Lady Cruises  
Odyssey Chicago River  

Best Brewery/Winery/Distillery
City Winery
Lagunitas Brewing Company Chicago
Revolution Brewing

Best Catering Company (On- or Off-Site)
Blue Plate
Catering by Michaels  
Food for Thought

Best Conference or Resort Venue
Eaglewood Resort & Spa  
Lincolnshire Marriott Resort
McCormick Place

Best Convention + Visitors Bureau – Outside Chicagoland
Greater Galena Marketing Inc.
ILLINOISouth Tourism
Springfield Convention & Visitors Bureau  

Best Convention + Visitors Bureau – In Chicagoland
Choose Chicago
Meet Chicago Northwest
Rosemont Convention & Visitors Bureau

Best Destination Management Company (DMC)
360 Destination Group  
CTC Destination Management
Revel Global Events

Best Entertainment (Performer or Talent Agency)
BeatMix Music
Fig Media Inc.
Magnificent Events

Best Event Décor/Florist
HMR Designs  
Kehoe Designs
Revel Decor

Best Historic or Cultural Venue
Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago History Museum
The Field Museum

Best Holiday Party Venue
The Drake, a Hilton Hotel
The Geraghty
The Walnut Room

Best Hotel with Meeting/Event Space - Less Than 350 Guest Rooms
Chicago Athletic Association Hotel
The Rose Hotel
theWit Chicago - a DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel   

Best Hotel with Meeting/Event Space - More Than 350 Guest Rooms
The Drake, a Hilton Hotel
LondonHouse Chicago  
Palmer House Hilton 

Best Meeting/Event Venue No Hotel
Bridgeport Art Center
Lincoln Park Zoo
Theater on the Lake  

Best New Venue
The Hoxton
RPM on the Water  
Starbucks Reserve Chicago Roastery  

Best Nightlife Event Space
ROOF on theWit
Tao Chicago
Three Dots and a Dash

Best Outdoor or Rooftop Venue
Chicago Botanic Garden
Cindy's  
ROOF on theWit   

Best Photography/Videography
Edward Fox Photography & Video  
Jennifer Girard Photography
Rick Aguilar Studios

Best Private Club Venue
Chicago Yacht Club
Soho House
Union League Club  

Best Private Dining Space in a Restaurant
City Winery
Girl and the Goat
The Signature Room at the 95th

Best Renovation  
Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile
InterContinental Chicago
ROOF on theWit

Best Rental Service Provider (tables, linens, tents, etc.)
BBJ Linen
Halls Rentals  
Marquee Event Rentals

Best Team-Building
Bad Axe Throwing
Topgolf
WhirlyBall

Best Transportation (limo, motorcoach, taxi, shuttle)
Aries Charter
Signature Transportation Group
Windy City Limousine

Best Venue Outside Chicagoland
The Abbey Resort
Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum  
Grand Geneva Resort & Spa

Best Venue on the Water
Beatnik On The River
River Roast   
RPM on the Water

 

Webinars to Help Make the Most of Working From Home 

Daily life has been significantly altered by COVID-19, no matter the industry. Many are working from home, while children stay inside for online schooling. Meetings and events have been hit especially hard, since the essence of the industry is face-to-face interactions. While we continue to self-isolate, plenty of organizations have been offering webinars with insights on how to handle the pandemic—watching webinars is a great way to use that extra time you might have used for your commute to learn something useful.

 
Putting to Use 'Hotels for Hope'

As the spread of the novel coronavirus continues to put immense pressure on the U.S. health care system and the people who keep it running, the American Hotel and Lodging Association is working to connect hotels with health workers who are struggling to find housing.

 
Uncertain Times, Necessary Connections

With the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, most people are working from home. Many are social distancing or quarantining with their children, who have transitioned to online classes. Restaurants, bars, coffee shops, offices, stores and so much more have been temporarily shut down in many states, affecting daily life in the most unexpected of ways.