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Whether you're envisioning a classic corporate meeting or a raucous bash for a brand launch, this list of nine new Chicago event spaces is the place to start. We surveyed readers and event professionals for their favorite recent additions to the scene, then sent reporters to visit the most promising. To qualify, a space had to have opened or have been substantially renovated within the past 12 months and have a capacity of at least 75 people. That's not all: To see 21 favorites from previous years, turn to Page 16.
THE GAME ROOM AT CHICAGO ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
Address: 12 S. Michigan Ave.
Capacity: 285 for a buyout, though staff will accommodate smaller parties.
Square footage: 8,500
Cost: A food and beverage minimum of $1,000 applies for parties of up to 30 people, with $500 for each additional nine people; room fees may apply.
Special feature: The wood-paneled elegance of an 1890s landmark building.
The Game Room might be the swankiest new event spot in town. One of five bars and restaurants inside the recently revamped Chicago Athletic Association hotel, it is filled with wood and leather--details that would ordinarily come off as fussy until you consider all the playful menu options and the cocktail choices from of-the-moment bartender Paul McGee. Speaking of McGee, companies that really want to shell out can also rent out his tiny Milk Room, an eight-stool cocktail bar adjacent to the Game Room that features rare liquors ($200 a head for two hours).
Ginny Cook, events manager at the Chicago Athletic Association, says her crew can build packages that take advantage of the hotel's other spaces, including dinner in the Cherry Circle Room or a semiprivate meeting in the library. Guests can even tap the Cherry Circle Room's wine director to track down rare vintages.
BEST FOR: CELEBRATING WHILE LETTING OUT YOUR COMPETITIVE SIDE OVER BOCCE OR A FEW ROUNDS OF POOL
LIMITATIONS Because the building is historic, party-throwers will bump up against some restrictions. Signage is limited to tabletops, and AV isn't allowed.
BOCCE A full-size bocce court on a raised platform can be rented on its own. One guest ordered magnum bottles of Champagne and sliced them open with a saber over the court.
POOL TABLES signal...