Awards Dinner
Loyola University Chicago’s Founders' Dinner highlights the achievements of alumni that honored their alma mater through their community, corporate or philanthropic leadership. Since its inception, Founders’ Dinner has entertained audiences of over 800 people each year and raised over 5 million dollars for the university.
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After two successful years, we were asked to “get it out of a hotel.” We proposed bringing the event back on campus. The challenge was a location that could handle seating for 800+ including a stage, orchestra and dance floor, as well as space for catering and production. The only space large enough was the university’s gymnasium, a space NOT designed for high-end dinners, so we had to “transform” the space into a ballroom. We received permission to invest in several major design pieces (drapery, staging and carpeting) that could be used over and over again (all earned their money back in 3 years). This investment and the utilization of university support systems (facilities, security and housekeeping) made for a memorable evening that served multiple purposes:
- Brought alumni back to campus (worth its weight in gold). When possible, we used the university’s latest building as the site for the cocktail reception.
- By utilizing internal resources as well as on campus parking, we saved on expenses otherwise included in an off-site venue.
- Created a sense of pride and family for our alumni in an evening that was “pure Loyola.”