Illinois Meetings + Events Magazine

For those about to rock. 

Jennifer Dalsbo, recreation sales manager for Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, just north of the Illinois border in Wisconsin, shares her best advice for planning a golf outing for a group.

Z BAR, the globally inspired cocktail lounge atop The Peninsula overlooking Michigan Avenue, offers customized batch cocktails for groups in an upscale, but relaxed atmosphere. The individual responsible for dreaming up and preparing these communal beverages is Vlad Novikov, who’s official title is director of cocktails and culture. Novikov’s travels frequently inform his mixology.

An unusual "glass" makes this drink the hit of any event. 

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. 

Lucky Strike served as the host venue for the third-annual Hospitality Fest, which gathered more than 750 meeting and event planning professionals for a four-hour evening event. With the goal of spotlighting options across Chicagoland for holiday parties, 74 table sponsors showcased ideas for F&B, event spaces and corporate activities. The teams and volunteers wore bowling shirts with presenting title sponsors’ names on the front to create a fun, laidback atmosphere.

From new interactive F&B ideas to clever ways for introducing bold flavors to picky palettes, consider this your guide to more creative cuisine in 2019. 

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