CIMA’s 2015 Rio Holiday Party at the Aragon Ballroom Chicago
Chicago Interactive Marketing Holiday Party
I attended the Chicago Interactive Marketing Association annual holiday party on Thursday, December 10, 2015 at the Aragon Ballroom on the Northside of Chicago, IL. I must say, I was BLOWN away by the event, the caliber of people, the organization of the event from the food to the music as well as the charitable work that the organization does.
The Chicago Interactive Marketing Association (CIMA) is a dedicated group of digital and interactive marketing professionals working to provide the Chicago interactive marketing community with opportunities to network, learn, and share expertise. The organization was founded in 1997 and it’s current president Mike Hadgis is in his last year overseeing the organization. He spoke onstage about the organization and all of the great things that CIMA has accomplished in the years that he has been president.
In addition to providing opportunities to the professional community, CIMA is investing in Chicago’s future as a leader in technology through educational scholarships and research grants, grants for local startups, and the CIMA Interactive Marketing Certificate Program at DePaul University. CIMA also gives back to the community at large, partnering with Off the Street Club in which they donated $45,000 to the organization during the an intermission at the holiday party where Mike Hadgis presented the check.
CIMA has been organizing and throwing this holiday party for the past eight years and the event was absolutely amazing! My guess is that there were well over 4,000 people in attendance this year as registration stopped at 4,000. Ticket registration and sales online sold out this year and at $250 per person you can imagine the caliber of people that further complimented an already amazing party.
I was modestly dressed in a suit with my camera in tow and I typically look for the best events in Chicago to attend and cover on my blog especially during the holidays. The month of December truly brings some of the best events to the forefront in Chicago leading up to New Years Eve and you couldn’t think of a better time to be out mingling and networking than now.
