Embassy Suites Chicago Magnificent Mile - MPI Garden Event

On March 8, 2018 the Meeting Professionals International, Chicago Chapter hosted its annual Education Conference at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile. Meeting Professionals, and Event Professionals alike, gathered to learn all the latest industry trends. Attendees were not only visually stunned upon entrance to the hotel with state-of-the art lighting installations, and custom staging, built to enhance the multi-tiered intelligent projection screen system, but were able to enjoy interactive virtual reality stations themed with the hotel’s fresh take how it’s keeping it’s finger on the beat of what’s fresh and healthy in the culinary world.

Meeting planners may have had an idea of what was to come upon entry to the hotel’s new driveway, boasting a hand painted 176 ft. mural, depicting scenes of “Urbs in Horto” or city in a garden, including the Logan Square Farmers’ Market. All nine prominent locations were artfully drawn in blooming color and showcase beautiful vegetarian from Nancy Pochis Bank Art Studio. Since July 2018, guests are transported for this AAA 4 diamond hotel within walking distance of top Chicago attractions including Michigan Avenue shopping, family fun at Navy Pier, Lake Michigan shore, Millennium Park, the Chicago Contemporary Art Museum, and the Chicago Riverwalk.

The hotel specializes in utilizing fresh herbs from its own in-house herb garden (open to the public) and growing fresh herbs 365 days/year. The hotel’s mottos is “Cultivate Your Senses and with each capital project, the hotel transforms itself into an indoor garden in the sky. Press the button in the elevator, labeled ‘Sky Lobby’ and you will immediately notice the glass walls and ceiling that transport you to feel as if you have walked into a greenhouse; (The Embassy Suites Magnificent Mile houses the largest living green wall in any hotel in Chicago, so it practically could be.) In March, 2017 over 720 sq. ft. of walls were built, with 3,840 living plants to extend the hotel’s [already popular] water feature.

At MPI’s lunch break, guests were able to dine in the open air atrium, among the foliage, and were offered an opportunity to share cooktop experiences with the chefs, where chefs were able to speak to the food in which they are so passionate about, and showcase the ways in which the different herbs (grown in-house) can be used in a multitude of ways to create and be worked into many different kinds of cuisines. From grilled chicken tacos with cilantro, to wok-fried rice with Thai Basil [to name a few dishes] the Hotel’s food service culminated with a self-serve bright and vibrant famer’s market. The market showcased local Chicago and Chicagoland area growers from local farming communities and urban farms who work closely with the Hotel’s Executive Chef to provide as much sustainable material as possible. Plants take a lot of time and energy to grow (Hayes, 2010).

The fruit and vegetable theme displays allowed for guests to grab fresh snacks, and enjoy unpasteurized* juices, while they learned about different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants (and how they work within each individuals bodies.)  Juices, when left *unheated/unprocessed can be used to boost your immune system, help remove toxins from your body, and aid digestion (Zeratsky, R.D., L.D., 2016).

 

Stay abreast of all the action at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile as they begin their next project, the 18th Floor Vegetable Garden, here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EmbassyMagMile/

Instagram: @embassymagmile

Website: www.embassymagmile.com

Resources:

https://www.mpiweb.org/chapters/chicago-area

https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/juicing/faq-20058020

Leave a Reply

Sorry, you must be logged in to post a comment.