Hawthorne Strategy Group

A conversation about the future of the events industry? This calls for a toast.

Recently, McCormick Place Beverage Director Donna Mackey connected with Trade Show Executive's Senior Digital Editor Andrew Warrick to discuss how more show organizers are embracing non-alcoholic beverage options.

We're proud to have helped facilitate such an engaging conversation. Read more here:

Exploring Non-Alcoholic Beverages with McCormick Place’s Donna Mackey Non-alcoholic beverages are all the rage. Trade Show Executive investigated this trend with a leader at McCormick Place.

“Entrepreneurship thrives on resilience, innovation, and community”

Recently, Erica T. Kuhlmann, President and CEO of Women's Business Development Center, was featured in the Spring issue of Enterprising Women Magazine, reflecting on the WBDC’s inspirational 40-year legacy of impact. Erica also offered a look at the promising future ahead.

Check out the full story along with the rest of the issue here:

Enterpising Women Magazine Spring 2026 Our annual Enterprising Women of the Year Awards Commemorative issue is my favorite issue of the year because it gives us the opportunity to shine a spotlight on our award honorees, inductees to our Hall of Fame, Business Icon Award Winner, and more.

Say hello to Hawthorne's newest intern, Griffin! We're excited to welcome him to the team and can't wait to see what lies ahead this summer.

Learn more about Griffin on our website: https://www.hawthornestrategy.com/griffin-owens

When eighth grade students outperform the stock market, it's news.

We're proud to have secured coverage on WGN TV and WBBM Newsradio for Big Shoulders Fund's stock market program to highlight the success of these bright students. Over the last school year, eighth grade students across Chicago managed a $3,000 stock portfolio. They picked stocks, conducted research, and created presentations to justify their decisions. The winning portfolio from St. Mary Catholic Community School grew 50.2%! Everyone worked hard and deserved a shoutout, so we're happy to have helped make that happen on two major Chicago news stations!

Congrats to the students and mentors involved!

Light up Chicago like nobody else!

BOMA/Chicago is offering one Illinoisan the chance to determine the colors of the city's skyline for up to a week in 2027. This new Skyline Lighting Raffle gives the winner the opportunity to design a custom lighting display and have it captured by renowned cityscape photographer Barry Butler. We're thrilled to support our client by securing media coverage and spreading awareness for this incredible opportunity.

Read this article from NBC to learn more about BOMA and how you can enter the raffle:

One lucky Illinois resident will get the rare chance to control Chicago’s skyline. Here's how Soon, a lucky someone will get to choose the color of the Chicago skyline for a set period - for whatever reason they choose.

Empower, Engage, Elevate.

On Saturday, Hawthorne attended Apna Ghar, Inc. (Our Home)'s 35th Anniversary Gala: "Together We Thrive." We were happy to not only celebrate the momentous occasion for our client, but support the announcement of "Recipes from Our Home," a cookbook comprised of 29 recipes shared by survivors of gender-based violence who have taken shelter at Apna Ghar. We are proud of our contributions in the creation of the book and eagerly await its release later this year.

Sign up for updates regarding preorder availability here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe6hHQn0CiwJPTaPPrD6N0ClSbPZBGdkGE2uDZqUuvbEJa06g/viewform

Publicity Club of Chicago just brought data-driven storytelling to the front of the conversation.

Last week, Hawthorne attended Publicity Club's Airwaves to Algorithms conversation on the evolving landscape of media and storytelling at the iconic Museum of Broadcast Communications. Thank you to Publicity Club and the wonderful panelists for an informative evening and an engaging presentation on how audience data is driving strategic decisions in the newsrooms.

Today, Hawthorne was on site at MPEA's Culinary & Hospitality Marketplace: Doing Business With McCormick Place — a supplier procurement, awareness, and networking event. We were proud to help promote the fair so McCormick Place could connect small, diverse local businesses with new opportunities!

Happy ! The observance is a reminder to recognize the importance of protecting the environment. We are proud to support our client, Solar Powers Illinois, in the passage of the historic Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act, which will help Illinois achieve its nation-leading environmental goals while also lowering energy bills for all ratepayers.

Learn more about the recently passed bill and its benefits for Illinois here:

Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability Act | Solar Powers Illinois The Clean and Reliable Grid Affordability (CRGA) Act will deliver $12 billion in energy savings to Illinois ratepayers.

Last Friday, Cynthia McCafferty and Richard Ray attended Press Forward's Illinois Local News Summit and were honored to be members of the event's conference team. We would like to thank Tracy Baim for her hard work and immense dedication.

The summit empowered local news through discourse between local, regional, and national leadership. Illinois Governor JB Pritzker spoke at the summit, saying "We all have a role to play, each and every one of us, to maintain a healthy and prosperous local media ecosystem." For the Governor's full remarks, watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7FhrO0iMuY