A Grand Finale on Chicago’s Global Stage: As thousands of international travel professionals gathered in Chicago for IPW 2025, the city’s official closing celebration was tasked with leaving a lasting impression – and it delivered. Choose Chicago, more than just a ‘tradeshow’, in partnership with BlackOak Technical Productions, transformed Navy Pier’s Festival Hall and East End into a vibrant, multi-sensory playground that celebrated Chicago’s creativity, hospitality, and cultural richness.
The evening unfolded across multiple zones of immersive entertainment, with performance stages, live bands, DJs, food & beverage activations, and bespoke lighting and video installations, all unified by bold color palettes and dynamic media design.
As technical producer, BlackOak delivered end-to-end AV production, blending logistics with high-impact design. From LED piano keys spinning above the dance floor to fully programmed entertainment lighting, the space came alive with energy and technical precision
Guests entered through a custom-chalked UV-lit welcome path and explored experiences from retro VW camper lounges to LED butterfly dancers and culinary vignettes under glowing pergolas. Musical acts kept the crowd buzzing across multiple zones, while bold visuals, programmed using Resolume and mixed live on site, turned every surface into a canvas.
The final performance under a skyline projection of a glowing cyber-Chicago left attendees in awe, reinforcing both the city’s forward-looking spirit and the global impact of IPW.
This event was more than a party, it was a statement. Choose Chicago, in collaboration with an all-star creative and production team, showed the world what the city can do when art, technology, and hospitality align. For BlackOak, this was a perfect showcase of what it means to produce boldly, partner seamlessly, and elevate moments into memory.
- Lighting
- Entertainment
- Stage Management
