WhirlyBall's atmosphere described as comfortable, fun and competitive
An interview with John Krol, marketing director at WhirlyBall.
Q: Tell us a little bit about the business.
A: WhirlyBall has grown into a destination for friends, sports fans, couples, corporate meetings/events, mitzvahs, weddings and celebrations of all sizes. Each location provides a restaurant and sports bar, as well as WhirlyBall - the sport that combines basketball, lacrosse and bumper cars. Vernon Hills and Chicago locations include lasertag arenas, and the Chicago location (largest in the world) has 12 bowling lanes, a large dedicated event space and a second-level patio with a view of the city.
Q: What does the venue have to offer when it comes to corporate meetings?
A: Flexible meeting spaces with all the necessary A/V options, terrific dining and buffet menus and exciting, competitive team-building activities.
Q: Describe the atmosphere.
A: Comfortable, fun and competitive with a big smile. For those familiar with design, the official description of the new design look being rolled out to the suburban locations is, "modern industrial."
Q: What size groups can meet here?
A: Room sizes and configurations vary for each location and can be customized for the event, of course. However, groups with 10 to as many as 1,000 guests (in Chicago) can be accommodated.
Q: What are people in your industry taking about?
A: Comfort, connectivity and engagement. Interacting with presentations using devices/apps, learning from shared experience and capping it all off with fun competition to grow the team.
Q: What attracts clients here when booking meeting space?
A: We make it clear we are very flexible and will work to make sure all needs are met, including space configurations and tech requirements. Of course, knowing they're in for some unique fun on the WhirlyBall court with their colleagues at the conclusion of the meeting is pretty appealing, too.
Q: Tell us about catering options.
A: Our catering options have transformed quite a bit over the years. In fact, our dining and buffet menus will be changing once again! We've brought a new Corporate Executive Chef into our WhirlyBall family, so look forward to more exciting changes this year.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself. What is your past experience in the industry?
A: From humble beginnings as a bartender, my marketing journey began while booking bands and promoting events at the River West Chicago (formerly located at the corner of Elston and Cortland) from '89-'96. Although WhirlyBall came into my life in August of '96, I continued to work to help businesses grow over the years. From a bowling alley in the Belmont-Central area to a fun, flourishing America's Bar in Hoffman Estates, it's been one wonderful learning experience after another!
Q: Tell us one interesting fact about the business that most people may not know.
A: People seem genuinely surprised to learn there is a WhirlyBall National competition held each year at a WhirlyBall somewhere in the country. So get your team together and start practicing.
Locations: Chicago, Lombard, Vernon Hills
Phone: (773) 486-7777
Owner: Sam Elias
Employees: 100-150
When business opened: Original Lombard location opened in 1993
Web address: whirlyball.com