Chicago

An empowering approach to leadership makes Jill Torke, director of sales and marketing for The Ritz-Carlton, Chicago, a superwoman in the city’s hotel scene.

Think creative F&B always has to be expensive? Think Again. We asked a hotel, a restaurant and a conference center to create three menus at three different price points - and they delivered. 

Halls of Fame

Beatnik on the River’s best-selling cocktail is healthy-ish.

Nearly 200 guests convened in the lobby of the stunning Builders BLDG at 222 N. LaSalle in Chicago on May 10 for the Illinois M+E Best of 2018 readers’ choice awards. DJ D. Jones spun upbeat tunes, while MDM Entertainment provided A/V and Tag Prints hosted a photo booth. The event was co-hosted by DineAmic Group and Builders BLDG and emceed by one of the magazine’s associate publishers, Susan Rose. It was a night to remember for all the Best of winners and finalists and Hall of Fame recipients. 

New and recently renovated hotels are cleared for takeoff.

Dawn Young first joined Choose Chicago in June 2005 as director of association sales, and in May this year, was promoted to vice president of hotel sales. It’s a perfect example of rising up the ranks for someone who’s so passionate about moving tourism forward. Though her experience in the industry runs deep, she’s got her work cut out for her to keep the numbers growing: Chicago set a tourism record in 2017 with more than 55 million visitors. A major reason for that? “Chicago just rocks accessibility,” says Young.

Float This Idea

Each morning at 6:15 a.m., Spiaggia Director of Sales Erica Yack wakes up, drinks her coffee, walks a mile to her office at 980 N. Michigan, and works on returning hundreds of emails and voicemails (including at least 12-15 RFPs a day). But if that was the most rigorous part of her routine, it would be a quiet day for Yack, who is constantly caught in a balancing act that includes managing client demands, following up on leads, executing events and leading a small sales team at the fine-dining restaurant. 

Sweet Tooth