This year's Meet & Greet event took place on a blustery Tuesday night at Quartino Ristorante & Wine Bar in River North. Meet & Greet events are a perfect opportunity for prospective members to witness the benefits of becoming a CoreNet member first-hand, as well as enjoy some good calamari and pizza! Members who brought a prospective new member were given free attendance to the event.
Upon walking in the door on that Tuesday night, event attendees were warmly greeted by the "welcomers"- friendly young leaders wishing you well and encouraging you to get a nibble to eat and drink. You felt immediately comfortable.
With over 81 people in attendance, the room quickly filled up with excitement and laughter. Numerous board members were present at the event, introducing themselves to members and non-members alike. We spoke to a handful of new members and some non-members throughout the night. All of them had one thing in common: they could clearly see the camaraderie in the room. "There's such a diverse group of people here!", "Are all of the CoreNet events this entertaining?", "Everyone seems so genuine here", were some of the common refrains heard throughout the night.
About an hour into the event, Molly Ellingsen, chair of the Young Leaders, with her co-chair Jenna Bruce, officially welcomed everyone in attendance over the loud speakers. Both Molly and Jenna have done a wonderful job as the Chair and Co-chair dynamic duo over the last year plus. This marks another successful year for the Young Leader group in Chicago!
This year's successful Meet & Greet event is perhaps a "good omen" for many more good Young Leader events to come.