We have been producing events for PEAK6, a Chicago-based asset risk management company for over 10 years. Their anniversary event is always the crown-jewel of their social calendar. Each year we are tasked with creating a theme and weaving that theme through all elements of the event – the venue, décor & name entertainment as well as the food & beverage. Coming up with the theme is the initial challenge each year, as the aim is always to outdo the previous year’s event. The next major challenge is coming up with the venue. As the company has continued to grow, so has the event, making it difficult to find a venue that can accommodate the guest count, as well as the extensive décor and production needed for BIG name talent (which is always a surprise).

For the 2014 event, we created a James Bond theme at the Redmoon Event Venue in Pilsen. The venue has a barren warehouse feel and features high ceilings and an open floorplan, which lent itself well to a Bond-themed setting, essentially providing a blank canvas for us to employ various décor, technology & production elements.

Guests arrived to a walkway of silhouetted dancers and were offered martinis “shaken, not stirred.” They then arrived at M’s office where they were required to provide a password, which allowed them access to the event. The main venue was transformed into a world of James Bond. The space was divided into areas representing various Bond themes and concepts, including a casino complete with gaming tables, a gold lounge complete with gold painted dancers, a shooting range, and a photo area where guests could take photos with one of the machine gun-outfitted Aston Martins used in the Bond film, Die Another Day.

The food & beverage was tailored to the theme including a champagne chandelier where an aerialist served guests champagne while suspended in silks 25 feet above the crowd. Hors d’ oeuvres were both passed by staff and delivered aerially by cutting-edge, radio-controlled quadrocopter drones.

The room was highlighted by a center focal bar, which housed a center stage where Rozzi Crane, a talented singer from the hit show The Voice opened the program with “Skyfall.” Her performance in the middle of the room led into the surprise headline performance from Maroon 5 on the main stage. Upon departure, guests received custom-designed martini shakers.