The Financial Times plays the Chicago Theatre
(Chicago, Ill., February 5, 1999) Even the most conservative business events can become opportunities for creative expression, featuring the unique personalities of the hosts and the guests. When the London-based Financial Times, the world's most prestigious global daily newspaper, opened a Chicago printing facility to enable quicker news delivery to the Midwest market, they celebrated the news with assistance from Paint Me A Party Productions. The 14-year old event management and production company was tapped to organize and design the gala event to entertain business and civic leaders from Chicago and around the world.
"The challenge of putting on an event like this, is to make it memorable, and to not let it become a routine business affair. We believe every event is unique and that cookie-cutter solutions do not exist. We take an event to the next level by infusing it with creativity. Our goals are to bring out the personality of the client, and to meet and exceed the business goals for the event, whether it be a media launch extravaganza or a corporate meeting for only a few key individuals, said Sally Schwartz, president, Paint Me A Party Productions.
Timing, experience and good connections are everything when the pressure is on! Often successful event planning is about how fast you can put an event together. "Working with the Financial Times in London and the public relations firm in New York we were able to put the show up in just a few weeks," said Kerri Gimbel.
Location, location, location! Event site selection is everything in real estate and event planning. Marrying the right venue space with an event makes a spectacular statement, even before the guests arrive. "When you are introducing an international newspaper to a major American market, finding a venue with the right combination of ingredients, including theatrical panache and business savvy, is crucial, said Kerri Gimbel, director of sales at Paint Me A Party, and the executive producer of the Financial Times event. We wanted a venue that would exemplify the history and beauty of this great city, and the historic Chicago Theatre was the perfect place, said Gimbel.
The guests were on stage -- literally. "The guests were the stars of the evening! We were able to share the original splendor of the elegantly restored theatre and give them the chance to experience what it may have been like to look out into the 3500 seat theatre, just as thousands of performers over the years that have danced, sang and acted on that very stage over the years, said Kerri Gimbel. The Chicago Theatre was built in the 1921, and has featured such headliners such as Frank Sinatra in his early days, and more recently, the Broadway hit musical, "Rent."
PMAPP event planners also used the old-fashioned marquee at the classically designed American landmark theatre entrance, which gave The Financial Times bright visibility, announced the newspapers Midwest printing debut and welcomed the evening's guests with bright lights and excitement.
PMAPP set the stage with theatrical table and stage lighting, and rich brocade linens and classic old English roses. Twenty-five tables were strategically placed on-stage. Another detail that made a big impact were hand calligraphed menu cards placed within gold-gilded frames, and set at each table. "Several guests commented on how elegant it was to see the menu presented that way, which was also a comfort to those with various dietary preferences," said Kerri Gimbel.
Music was in the air, from guest arrival through dining, performed by a string quintet with musicians from the Chicago Symphony. Under the dazzling lobby chandeliers at the cocktail reception, guests enjoyed a repertoire of Gershwin tunes performed by Jim Rollins, the piano stylist at Chicago's world famous Pump Room. "By including local stars as entertainment, the overall gracious Chicago-style welcome for The Financial Times was enhanced," Gimbel commented.
The program had a sophisticated international flavor, as well, mixing exciting world business and sports news. Throughout the evening, Richard Lambert, editor of the Financial Times, kept guests informed of the record-breaking progress of baseball stars Mark McGwire, and hometown slugger Sammy Sosa. Jürgen Schrempp, chairman of Daimler Chrysler, brought some humor to his keynote remarks by promising not to sing like Sinatra prior to sharing his views on the global economy.
"Sometimes whimsical touches bring the event to the next level," said Sally Schwartz. "We brought in one of our ready cast of characters, an actor dressed as a vintage newsie Originally from England, he called out the news and distributed the early edition of the Financial Times to departing guests, a simple, but dramatic gesture that told the story of the quicker local business news turn-around," she continued.
And, the morning after? Chicago awoke the next morning to the spectacular sight of the 25-story Financial Times trademark hot-air balloon. "In the Windy City known for it's strict fire codes and crazy winds, getting permission from Chicago city officials to bring in a sky-scraper size propane-breathing hot air balloon is no easy task," according to Gimbel. PMAPP arranged for permits from the city and Navy Pier, that allowed the flight. "We knew who to talk with at Mayor Daley's office and at the Pier to get something like this done quickly and safely," she continued. Those who missed the hot air balloon's live, personal appearance, saw it on the evening's news, and in the great Midwest, the Financial Times was in business!
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