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Posted by: Todd Simon

Chicago FastTrak – Behind the Scenes

Chicago FastTrack this year was one of the best – if not the best – ever. To give you a sense of what it takes to put on a FastTrak event, I talked with Jenna Bodenmann, MC² Corporate Marketing Manager. Jenna is our point person for the production of every FastTrak. I wanted Jenna to explain the process for getting FastTrak up and running.

TS: Jenna, this FastTrak was probably our best event ever. Why do you think it was such a success?

JB: I think it was successful for a variety of reasons. We had a great turnout of attendees considering the challenges of the economy. We found and contracted an excellent facility in the heart of Chicago. And we came up with a social function that was very well received by those that attended. The beautiful weather didn’t hurt either.

TS: The James Hotel was an excellent place for FastTrak…

JB: I knew of the hotel from venue research we did in conjunction with Dee Silfies when she was looking for a hip hotel for Exhibitor’s Gravity Free’s housing. They were very accommodating and I was able to contract their property for our event. They had everything we needed in sleeping room costs, meeting space, AV, and catering. We were impressed with their technology and really liked the boutique feel of the hotel. The staff was very attentive and the food was outstanding.

TS: What was the process used for deciding on the Tuesday night social event?

JB: The challenge is to find something that is reasonably close to the hotel. Remember, the attendees have been in sessions all day, and don’t want to spend a great deal of time riding a bus somewhere. But being located in the center of downtown Chicago, we had a number of opportunities. Dinner at a nice restaurant is good, but as we are an experiential marketing company, we wanted something memorable and fun. The attendees also like this opportunity to network and get to know one another.

TS: Everyone loved the boat trip. Why did you choose that particular experience?

JB: We have done a couple of boating excursions in the past, but never one where we were the only party on the boat. The ship was on the Navy Pier within walking distance of the hotel which made it a perfect location for us. And the weather really cooperated.

TS: How many participated in the event?

JB: Almost half of the attendees took the trip. We sailed up the Chicago River and viewed the architecture of the buildings. We then went out and around Navy Pier through the marina and the lake. The trip took about two hours which was just enough time for everyone to have a nice buffet meal, some adult beverages and some social interaction while they enjoyed the gorgeous weather and beautiful views.

TS: Everyone was very pleased.

JB: Yes. We received only excellent reviews and really nice compliments about the entire experience. I think we are going to keep this as a favorite for the Chicago FastTrak going forward.

Thanks Jenna. If you want more information regarding the venues and the experiences she researched go to Jenna's blog page here at www.mc-2.com.

So the FastTrak year is half way through. We have San Francisco coming up the last week of September and then Atlanta (which is home for me) in November.

If you want more information about FastTrak, just click on the Exhibitor FastTrak logo in the upper right corner of this page.

Hope to see you at FastTrak soon!

— Todd

Photos courtesy of Sue Hassis, Exhibitor magazine

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