Our Chicago team including Ron Javier, along with our collaborators from Whitespace Interiors, attended Hospitality Design's CitySCENE event at the Boleo Bar and Restaurant at the Kimpton Gray Hotel in Downtown Chicago. Our Chicago team is working hard to make their presence known in the local industry scene. This means that on top of designing projects, meeting with clients, and maintaining project schedules, this talented group also spends a good deal of time at networking events after-hours spending quality time with designers, suppliers, brand executives and other architecture firms. Our group took advantage of this time to connect with many local professionals and toured the Hospitality Design model room. Don’t they look cozy?

CitySCENE Next Generation Networking events are gatherings hosted by Hospitality Design Magazine that bring together up-and-coming and established hospitality professionals for a fun evening of networking. These casual events draw together attendees for an evening of cocktails and hors d’oeuvres at some of the area’s hottest hotels and event spaces.

Our Windy City group also recently attended The Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA)’s 7^th annual Small Projects/Firm Awards on May 4^th. Billed as “the biggest little party of the year” by AIA, the evening highlighted the best residential, commercial, and institutional architecture and functional projects designed over the past year. Presented by the AIA Chicago Small Practitioners Group, the goal of this awards program is to raise public awareness of the value that architects bring to small projects and to promote small practitioners as a resource for design excellence. We cast our votes for the People’s Choice Award and enjoyed exploring the display room at Architectural Artifacts, where the award ceremony was held.