SPECIAL EVENT VENUES Looking for a unique backdrop for a hybrid event, meeting, dinner, or lavish party? These creative venues show off Chicago in fun and memorable ways. By Amber Gibson Wintrust Arena UNIQUELY CHICAGO OUTDOOR VENUES Two hundred people can cruise on Odyssey Chicago River , while 749 guests are welcome to board Odyssey Lake Michigan . Chicago’s First Lady offers a fleet of impressive yachts for private rental. Plan a dinner cruise for up to 250. Shore Club Chicago hosts networking mixers for groups from 20 to 1,200 in a chic setting on North Avenue Beach. The patio at The Lakefront Restaurant , an upscale tavern at Theater on the Lake , seats 80 in a historic setting. The Chicago Yacht Club has several waterfront venues, including a tented patio with Monroe Harbor views that can accommodate 125 for receptions. With breezy balconies and quaint courtyards overlooking Lake Michigan, 63rd Street Beach House is a great option for a banquet of 600 or a cocktail party with up to 1,200 guests. Millennium Park accommodates up to 7,000 people between multiple event venues, including the striking Jay Pritzker Pavilion . Host a reception for up to 1,000 people amidst the lovely blooms at the Garfield Park Conservatory . Guests can mingle among the 12 acres of colorful indoor and outdoor gardens. At The Peninsula Chicago , sixth-floor rooftop lounge Z Bar offers sophisticated global flavors for cocktail parties of up to 230 on its outdoor terrace. Skydeck Chicago ’s event space on the 99th floor can accommodate 175 seated guests, or up to 300 for standing receptions. Thrill seekers can venture out onto The Ledge , a series of glass balconies hovering 1,353 feet above the city. The South Loop’s VU Rooftop fits up to 450 for receptions on its 13,000-square-foot rooftop that includes alfresco areas with fire pits, private bars, and epic views. 360 CHICAGO , perched on the 94th floor of 875 N. Michigan Ave., offers flexible spaces for groups of up to 550. Treat your guests to thrilling downward-facing city views from TILT . There’s an upbeat dance club vibe at ROOF on theWit . The sultry year-round space accommodates up to 300 people under its retractable roof. At The Robey Chicago in Wicker Park, both The Up Room and Cabana Club offer 180-degree skyline views and can host up to 220 people for an indoor/ outdoor reception-style function. Buddy Guy’s Legends , owned by the famed musician, serves Cajun food with world-class blues for groups from 25 to 600. Modeled after the Prague opera house, Pilsen’s Thalia Hall accommodates 800 reception-style. Smaller groups of 100 or less can enjoy dinner at adjacent gastropub Dusek’s Board & Beer or spiked punch bowls at Punch House downstairs. Reggies in the South Loop offers semi-private balcony space, during scheduled concerts, for up to 80. There’s also a 50-passenger rock bus available for transportation. Wine aficionados will relish the concert venue (300 reception-style) at City Winery . The rustic winery/restaurant features Mediterranean dishes and its own in-house vintages. MUSEUMS Enjoy Chicago’s first-ever Infinity Mirror Room by Yayoi Kusama, among other playful art installations, at the West Loop’s wndr museum , which holds receptions for up to 100. The National Museum of Mexican Art in Pilsen can accommodate 180 for sit-down dinners, or 300 standing, with a hardwood stage for presentations. An architectural gem, the Glessner House hosts intimate parties of up to 100 between its coach house, courtyard, and conservatory. Entertain guests among priceless artworks at the Art Institute of Chicago , where elegant event spaces range from ROB SALL PHOTO MUSIC VENUES Opened as an opulent dance hall in the 1920s, Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom accommodates 4,000 guests in an elegant historic landmark. The House of Blues offers state-of-the-art lighting and sound with Southern flair for up to 1,800 across the multi-level music hall. VENUES IN THE SKY Offshore Rooftop & Bar at Navy Pier is the nation’s largest rooftop venue. Multiple gathering spaces, both indoors and out, are perfect for private events of 12 to 900 people. 24 meetinchicago.com
Chicago Meeting Professionals Guide 2021: Page 24
