Effingham Country Club

In 2007, best friends Jonathan Bricklin and Franck Raharinosy had a crazy idea—to practice ping pong night and day and get so good that they could make the USA Olympic Team. So, they got busy doing what any future Olympians would do—throwing a weekly ping pong party! Their parties drew in an eccentric range of artists and actors, musicians and bankers, brokers and broadcasters, and (of course) professional ping pong players and everyone in between. The diversity of the crowd fueled the fun and vibrant energy that remains the essence of SPIN today. Bricklin and Raharinosy joined forces with retired investment banker and former tennis pro, Andrew Gordon, to launch SPIN’s flagship location on Park Avenue in New York City in the summer of 2009. From the moment we opened our doors, we have seen the world-wide growth of an iconic ping pong culture, lifestyle, and movement, which has redefined the game to know no boundaries. It’s all about having fun, not taking life too seriously, making human connections and embracing the contradictions. At SPIN, we come together to socialize and celebrate play. At our core is the drive to connect through ping pong—a game that transcends age, gender, ethnicity, and all physical boundaries. We are the original ping pong social club, your offline social network, a place to call home. We welcome diversity and embrace the unconventional. With venues in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington DC and Boston we encourage you to participate. Do it together and never alone. #UnitedbyPingPong

Extraordinary was born from a singular, ambitious vision: to assemble the most creative collective of event professionals on the planet. We believe that exceptional events are the result of elite talent working in perfect unison. With centuries of combined in-house expertise, our team provides an unparalleled depth of knowledge across the entire event lifecycle—from initial creative sparks to breathtaking design, production, and captivating entertainment. Whether orchestrating an intimate gathering for 10 or a large-scale production for thousands, our commitment to excellence is unwavering. Based in major hubs across the United States, we partner with the world’s most recognizable brands and agencies to turn "visions" into seamless, high-production realities. We don't just plan events; we deliver nothing short of an extraordinary experience, every single time.

Since opening in 1991, Kinzie Chophouse has remained a cornerstone of Chicago dining. Rooted in the energy of River North, Kinzie pairs the traditions of a classic Chicago steakhouse with the warmth of Mediterranean hospitality–woven into everything from the welcome at the door to the menu itself. On the plate, Kinzie showcases both wet- and dry-aged prime cuts from longtime purveyor Meats by Linz, served alongside fresh seafood and timeless steakhouse sides. Complemented by tableside steak presentations and an award-winning wine program, Kinzie Chophouse is the kind of restaurant where regulars return and newcomers feel at home–a neighborhood steakhouse that is unmistakably Chicago.

Beatrix is a neighborhood coffeehouse, restaurant, and meeting place in Chicago’s River North, Streeterville, Fulton Market, Loop, and Oak Brook neighborhoods. Our semi-private and private dining spaces are perfect for your next family-style brunch, business lunch, reception or dinner party. The menu features healthy meets delicious options, and is known for its iconic coffee and bakery counter, including signature cookies and in-house pastry favorites. The chef team takes pride in serving a menu that caters to all food preferences, including gluten-free, dairy free, vegetarian and vegan options.

TeamWorx is based just outside silicon valley California and specializes in team building events for tech companies and tech employees, engineering companies and engineers, and groups looking for robotic themed events. Our signature Robot Team Building events are Robot Build and Battle 1, Robot Build and Battle 2, and our newest addition, Robot Racing! We deliver events for large groups anywhere in the United States: Robot Build and Battle 1 up to 300 people, Robot Build and Battle 2 up to 500 people, Robot Racing up to 200 people, and combine 1 & 2 for up to 800 people!

When it comes to professional conference photography, Kyle Fleming Photography will deliver unique, high quality photos capturing all of the important details of your conference. We capture every aspect and all of the details large and small of your conference, including keynote speakers or presentations, audience interactions, conference booths or exhibits, and every important aspect of the conference.

Educational and entertaining keynote that blends cybersecurity with mentalism. Gary S. Chan is a performing mentalist known for blending keen insight, psychology, and a touch of mystery into unforgettable experiences for his audiences. Gary's presentation explores the intersection of deception, intuition, and the human mind. Whether in intimate gatherings or larger venues, his style emphasizes connection, wonder, and the deeper mysteries behind what it means to think and believe. Testimonials: • “Gary performed as a keynote for a conference I help organize and he was awesome! The audience loved him and his presentation was wonderful. He was also really easy to work with and an amazing professional.” – Alex W. • “In addition to his phenomenal stage performance, Gary was great to work with behind the scenes as we discussed the finer details around planning the event. His show is well-designed and planned to perfection, and he comes ready with everything needed to deliver a high-value performance.” - Jodi S. • “Gary was a keynote speaker at the annual Gateway to Innovation conference in St. Louis. Gary was very easy to work with prior to the conference. He was very responsive on all communication and questions. Gary delivered a great keynote with mind-boggling exercises that engaged the entire audience of 1,500 attendees. The audience participation, exercises, and messaging all worked very well together in delivering an awesome presentation.” - David K. • “Gary recently performed a mentalist act at our company meeting with over 500 people in attendance and had everyone laughing and at the edge of their seat! Fabulous 5 star performance, very creative, highly recommended!” – Jamie B. Speech Summary: Another day, another phish. With the advancement of research in psychological behavior and tools like ChatGPT, it is increasingly difficult for organizations to protect themselves from their weakest link — their employees. What happens when one moves beyond phishing emails to predictive analytics? Find out with acclaimed mentalist Gary S. Chan, a mind-reader who will show you that it's possible to predict human behavior under real-world conditions and influence people to "freely" make the choices you want. This is social engineering on a completely different level. This is . . . Extreme Social Engineering. https://gschan2000.com Learning Objectives: • Increased awareness and appreciation for the breadth and effectiveness of social engineering • Importance of being observant and skeptical Trailer (with audio): https://gschan2000.com/trailer Sample video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBKSgSyvubk Past reviews: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Gary+the+Mentalist/@38.6731679,-90.4346444,17z/data=!4m7!3m6!1s0x8adf5b5e31f7d53b:0x1abdd10387defa8e!8m2!3d38.6731679!4d-90.4346444!9m1!1b1 Bio: Gary S. Chan is a security mentalist, an intellectual who uses game theory and math to predict and influence people. As a highly sought after speaker, Gary’s unique approach blends cybersecurity with the magic of mentalism to help audiences around the world learn to be more observant of how criminals use predictable human behavior to exploit others for gain. Gary is trained in behavioral profiling, conflict management, negotiation, interrogation, and mediation. He is currently System VP and CISO at a large US-based healthcare system, has architected anti-fraud systems for state agencies, has led the information security teams for a large-cap technology company, and was an evaluator and mentor for cybersecurity start-ups as part of a venture capital fund. He served as President of the FBI St. Louis Citizens Academy Alumni Association and Technology Officer for the Greater St. Louis Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. He holds four security certifications and a degree in Electrical Engineering & Computer Science from MIT. Washington University article about Gary: https://commonreader.wustl.edu/how-to-become-a-mentalist/ Insured by Specialty Insurance Agency as a mentalist, emcee, and public speaker while in the US. Proof of insurance available.

We’re throwing it back to the roaring ’20s with our vintage, Prohibition Era-inspired design. Our sumptuous 18,000 square-foot restaurant, bar and live entertainment space hosts the largest selection of American whiskies in the world as well as carefully crafted cocktails. Our dining menu includes shareable bites, perfect pastas and beautifully creative desserts. While you dine and drink the night away, you can enjoy world-class entertainment with weekly music and titillating cabaret-style performances from Chicago’s finest. So what are you waiting for? Come join us for an undeniably unique and sensuous night out in the windy city.

Tabu - Bringing a fresh take on Latin cuisine and craft cocktails in a unique and eclectic West Loop space. Tetto - There’s no better place to experience the season than on our enchanting rooftop bar. Drawing inspiration from the lively rooftop bars of Italy, Tetto (or “Roof” in Italian) is THE place to savor each sip of summer until its bitter(sweet) end.

We’re an experiential events agency that partners with teams to create experiences that make brands easy to love and hard to forget. Most companies already know what makes them easy to love; we help teams design moments that truly stick backed by our trademarked neuroscience tool, Nistinct.