Before the summer speeds by entirely, we wanted to take a moment to celebrate July 25th one last time.
McKenna Design Group’s studio at 725 Chicago Ave in Evanston, IL has been a special place for our agency to grow in staff, expand our marketing capabilities and create a collaborative space for staff, partners and clients. We don’t get to show it off every day, but on July 25th we throw open the doors and try to do something really special.
This year was no exception! We looked to some of our Evanston neighbors to help us out. Sketchbook Brewing and Smylie Brothers were happy to collaborate!
Sketchbook Brewing, just up the street at 821 Chicago Ave was our beer partner for the event. We took special care to select 4 brews that would pair with the food we planned on serving our guests.
To make things a little more interesting, guests were asked to vote on their favorite sudsy beverage. This contest (that had no winners or losers) had one very strong audience favorite – Honeybird Pale Ale was the perfect sweet note on 43% of our guest’s palates. Cumulus had a strong second place, with 30% of attendee’s selection.
And the food we paired the beer with, required a slightly longer journey. We ventured to 1615 Oakton Ave for Smylie Bros BBQ. Parties are for indulging and one of our favorite ways is with pulled pork and brisket. The conference table turned into a buffet, loaded with the perfect BBQ feast.
Since we already had people voting on beers, we decided to see how their BBQ preferences went. Votes were cast for Kansas City BBQ Sauce, Texas Mopping Sauce or for the living dangerously Mix of 2. KC edged out the competition with 45% of the vote. Only 24% of the guests liked to mix 2.
For entertainment, we reached out to some Chicago-based connections (though they’re currently recording at Space). Jack Butlers Jones’ headliner joined us all evening for an acoustic set of classic Blues tunes and some originals.
Food, beverages and entertainment were covered – all we needed were guests to fill the room.
Our 725 studio was packed with people celebrating summer with us. Evanston neighbors joined in on the fun. Many of our favorite partners showed up and some partners we’ve got waiting in the wings. Clients from just up the street and others from as far away as California joined us.
It was a night that celebrated the summer, yes, but also the great work that McKenna Design Group gets to do with great clients.
The evening capped off with prizes for some of our guests. From beer to s’mores kits, to the evening’s grand prize of an iPad, the party was made even more exciting for quite a few of our guests. Talk about a Return on Experience™.
Thank you to everyone who reserved a summer evening to celebrate with us. For those who couldn’t make it – you can save the date for the next one. We’ll throw the doors open again on July 25, 2019!
celebration we’re taking stock in what we believe. Last Thursday we kicked off “15 Acts of Kindness.” These acts are our team’s small way to contribute to our community because we believe that giving our time and talent can make a difference. We believe that no one should go hungry. Our annual #SignToGive campaign is one way we support this belief. #SignToGive will launch on Giving Tuesday – November 28, 2017 . Last week , we paused client work and came together for a community service day.
We volunteered at the 
gratification that technology has afforded us, we’ve lost track of the simplicity of doing nothing. Thanksgiving should be a day when you get to choose what you want to do: eat turkey, watch football, hang with family and friends. But the train moves forward…next stop Black Friday.
annual meeting were greeted with unexpected in the lobby of the Orlando Hyatt. What better way to start the morning than with a doughnut and a cup of coffee from the team at Hyatt Orlando.
excellent example of the power of branding. Even though the Cubs haven’t won a World Series in 108 years, the fervor and passion their fans demonstrate shows how a brand can capture the hearts and minds of customers.