17
Feb 2026
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2:30 PM - 5:00 PM Salon 61 61 West Hubbard Street Chicago, IL
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10
Mar 2026
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1914 Club - Wrigley Field
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As we head into the new year, be sure to save the dates for two exciting MPI-CAC events you won’t want to miss. Our Winter Education Event will kick off 2026 on February 17th with an engaging program bringing planners and suppliers together to explore the real dynamics behind successful partnerships, from communication best practices and negotiation strategies to boosting ROI, navigating challenges, and understanding the external forces shaping today’s sales process, followed by a cocktail networking reception to connect and exchange ideas. Then, mark your calendar for March 10 as we head to Wrigley Field’s iconic 1914 Club for Bingo Night, an evening of big-league bingo, ballpark vibes, and unforgettable fun. More details coming soon, but for now, pencil it in like opening day.
An Annual Partnership with MPI-CAC is more than a sponsorship — it’s a year-round collaboration with one of Chicagoland’s most vibrant meetings and events communities. Our Annual Partners enjoy exclusive benefits that provide direct access to industry professionals while elevating their brand visibility across our chapter. We extend our sincere appreciation to our 2025 Annual Sponsors whose support, engagement, and partnership make our programming, education, and member experiences possible. Their commitment strengthens the MPI-CAC community and helps propel our industry forward. As an Annual Partner, your organization will be showcased through recognition at all chapter events and in event communications, targeted eBlasts to our membership, social media promotion across Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn, complimentary memberships, discounted event registrations, and more. It’s a powerful way to stay connected and positioned at the forefront of the Chicagoland meetings industry. Don’t miss the opportunity to join this exceptional group of partners. For more information, contact our sponsorship team at sponsorship@mpicac.org.
Congratulations to our 2026 MPI-CAC Award Winners! We are proud to recognize this year’s outstanding honorees whose leadership, dedication, and impact continue to elevate our chapter and the meetings and events industry as a whole. Your passion, professionalism, and commitment to excellence inspire our community and set the standard for what it means to lead with purpose. Thank you for all you do, and congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!
 
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There’s no place quite like Chicago during the holidays, and December is the perfect time to enjoy the city’s classic seasonal experiences. From strolling through Christkindlmarket with a warm mug in hand to taking in ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo, the city offers festive moments around every corner. Holiday traditions like The Joffrey Ballet’s The Nutcracker, ice skating at Millennium Park, and the sparkling lights along the Magnificent Mile continue to bring locals and visitors together year after year. Whether you’re hosting out-of-town clients, planning a team outing, or simply soaking in the season, these Chicago holiday classics remind us why this city shines a little brighter in December.
As we raise a glass to the year ahead, the meetings and events industry is entering 2026 with renewed intention and smarter strategies. One trend we’re especially excited about is stronger, more collaborative partnerships between planners and suppliers — relationships built on transparency, communication, and shared goals rather than one-off transactions. Alongside that shift is a move toward intentional networking, where meaningful conversations and curated connections take center stage over transactional meetings. We’re also toasting the continued rise of experience-first events, where engagement, creativity, and human connection matter just as much as logistics. Finally, ROI-focused education is leading the way, helping professionals sharpen skills, maximize value, and walk away with tools they can immediately apply — setting the stage for smarter events and stronger results in 2026.
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The value of receiving an award is very important to all of us but so is the recognition of being nominated by one or more of your peers or colleagues. For every award given there are several other people who are equally deserving and may have been nominated several times before they were chosen to receive an award.
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Source: Skift Meetings
The human brain is wired to process and integrate information from our senses, and uses that to enhance our perception of an experience. That’s why designing for the senses — sight, sound, smell — makes so much sense. It doesn’t have to cost a lot, or take up much of a planner’s time. It just requires looking at things through a different lens. Take color, for example. Most planners think about color in relation to branding, but it can be used for so much more. “Color is one of planners’ biggest secrets for controlling emotional responses, and adds to the mood and energy of any gathering,” said Dianne Devitt, president of Dianne Devitt, LLC and author of What Color is Your Event? Following are 10 strategies for using color, scent, and sound to elevate your events.
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Source: Smart Meetings
Step into any holiday-season event, and you’ll feel it instantly—that electric hum in the air. People are festive. Committees are cheerful. Leaders are exchanging handshakes with donors, members, partners, and employees. From the outside, it all seems effortless, like this beautiful celebration somehow orchestrated itself. But behind the curtain? Your events team is spinning plates, calming chaos, and solving problems in real time. They’re wrangling vendors, adjusting menus, resetting rooms, handling tech hiccups, and doing it all while making sure no one sees the seams. As the rest of the organization begins to slow down for year-end, your events team is speeding up, quietly powering the magic that makes it all look easy.
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