Special Events Management

Special Events Management (SEM) is the largest full-service producer of events in the Midwest. They includes many of Chicagoland's most popular and best-known runs/walks and art/street festivals. Each year more than 500,000 individuals participate in SEM-produced runs/walks. Another 1.5 million visit its art and street fests.   Beyond its home market, SEM  (www.chicagoevents.com) is also involved in the production of the annual Salt Lake City Marathon in April, the annual Palm Beaches (Fla.) Marathon & Run Fest in December, and the traveling "Run for Sight" held annually in cities that have included  San Francisco and New Orleans.   SEM was founded in 1988 to fulfill the professional management and event production needs for both non-profit and corporate clients. SEM's wide-range of one-stop services include: event planning; on-site logistics; budgets, accounting and financial planning; event consultations; marketing, graphic design and public relations; sponsorship sales; vendor/artist relations; staging and sound systems; talent/music bookings; security; cleaning services; security; and governmental relations that includes working with elected officials as well as police and sanitation departments, among others.    SEM’s staff is comprised of talented event managers, vendor/artist relations specialists, an accounting team, sponsorship sales personnel, a music booking director, and stage/sound, marketing and graphic design specialists. The company also provides assorted services (e.g., staging, barricades, street closures, run/walk course equipment cones, etc.) to more that 50 other events annually including parades and concerts.   SEM's marquee annual events in the Chicago market include the Wells Street Art Festival, Belmont-Sheffield Music Fest, Northalsted Market Days, Puerto Rican Festival, L.A.T.E Ride Chicago, Taste of Lincoln Avenue, AIDS Run/Walk Chicago, Roscoe Village Burger Fest and the Chicago Cub's Charities' Race to Wrigley, to name just a few.  In addition, SEM-produced events raise millions of dollars for scores of non-profits, charitable organizations, community and business groups, and chambers of commerce.   In addition, SEM Exhibits & Trade Show Services is a specialty division that provides a one-stop, full-range line of customized exhibit booth design and construction services.