Chicago native Anthony Navarro, creative director and founder of Windy City-based Liven It Up Events, credits his grandmother for his event-planning approach. Having grown up in a family of restauranteurs and hoteliers in the northwest suburbs around O’Hare International Airport, Navarro says the family’s matriarch was the leader of the successful businesses.
“My grandmother was a pillar, an inspiration [for me],” he says. “I remember when I was young and with her at one of our restaurants, I asked her, ‘Why do people come back to our restaurant?’’’ He notes she mentioned typical conscientious restauranteur things, such as the quality of the food, the high level of service, and taking care of the restaurant/making sure it looked nice. But there was more to his grandmother’s hospitality philosophy. Navarro explains, “She then said, ‘The main ingredient in the recipe of this successful restaurant is that every time I cook, I am cooking with love.’ I realized later, what she was saying is if you are pouring your passion into your work, that is what comes through [to clients].”
Liven It Up Events’ 10-employee team plans many types of gatherings nationwide with passion and plenty of fun, including meetings, conferences, social gatherings, and corporate and branding events. The latter typically includes activations, pop-ups, brand-awareness gatherings, client appreciations, and company anniversaries. Although headquartered in Chicago, Liven It Up Events has a secondary office in Los Angeles.
Navarro and his team have amped up the fun at meetings with distinct add-ons like a surfing simulator and dueling DJs during breakfast. He also mentions a gathering last summer his company planned that jazzed some rather tall attendees: WNBA All-Stars during the 2025 WNBA All-Star Weekend, which took place July 18-29 in Indianapolis. He elaborates, “We produced the opening night players’ welcome party. We took it upon ourselves to elevate the look and feel of the space. Two players live-streamed the event, which went viral. Our party became the party of the night. The players’ live stream of the event created such a buzz that we were flooded with players arriving out front looking to get in.”
He adds, “It is about giving adults the chance to escape the day to day and allowing them to play, giving them a little bit of their childhood back. It’s amazing to me [to watch how] fun elements really change the mood of an event.”
 his company's buzzworthy soirees.){kind=link}