Planning Built on Experience
That Special Event did not begin as a design studio that later added labor. It began with the people and operating standards that make an event work: trained hospitality staff, clear leadership, attentive service, setup, guest care, and breakdown. As clients asked the company to take on more responsibility, the work expanded into coordination, vendor management, layouts, timelines, and full event production.
That origin still defines the company. Planning decisions are made with execution in mind, and staffing decisions are made with the full event plan in view. The result is one hospitality team connecting the room, the vendors, the timeline, and the guest experience instead of asking the client to bridge separate companies.
How That Special Event Developed
1999
Company founded
That Special Event begins as a hospitality staffing company serving events in Chicagoland and on the North Shore. Confirm the exact year, founder, original ownership, and first office location.
Early Years
Reputation built through staffing
The company grows through referrals, repeat clients, and long-term relationships. Its operating foundation is professional staff, hands-on leadership, and dependable execution.
25+ Years of Work
Scale and continuity
More than 10,000 events planned and more than 60,000 events staffed.
The Next Chapter
Planning capabilities expand
Client needs broaden the company’s role from staffing into event coordination, vendor management, timelines, layouts, design support, and full event planning and production. Confirm when this expansion began and whether it occurred in stages.
Current Era
Planning and staffing under one team
That Special Event operates from Northbrook and serves the North Shore and greater Chicagoland. Clients may hire the company for event planning, event staffing, or both.
Hands-On Ownership
Jerry Carlson is the owner most often named by clients and vendor partners, and the available source material consistently places him close to the work: helping shape layouts, developing contingency plans, solving event-day problems, training alongside management, and supporting the teams responsible for execution.
That involvement matters because the company’s standard is not delegated only through policy manuals. It is reinforced through direct review, experienced captains, office coordination, and leadership that understands what happens before guests arrive and after they leave.
For clients, Jerry’s role is not meant to replace the producer, captain, or specialist assigned to an event. It gives those people a clear operating standard and an experienced decision-maker behind them when the event becomes complex.
Local Experience Is Operational Knowledge
Northbrook is our home base, and the North Shore is where we’ve built our reputation through years of working with local families, venues, vendors, and communities. Our experience across Northbrook, Highland Park, Glencoe, Winnetka, Wilmette, Deerfield, Lake Forest, Glenview, Northfield, and Chicagoland gives us the local knowledge to anticipate what each event requires, from private homes and backyard celebrations to weddings, mitzvahs, corporate events, and galas.
The Standard Behind Every Service
Hospitality Before Performance
Guests should feel genuinely cared for. Professional service is warm, observant, and composed, not theatrical or intrusive.
Preparation Before Improvisation
Timelines, layouts, briefings, room checks, and vendor confirmations create the structure. Experience handles the moments the structure cannot predict.
One Event at a Time
The company’s stated pride is earning its reputation event by event, through referrals, repeat relationships, and clients who return over many years.
Until the Last Detail
Setup is only half the job. Service, cleanup, breakdown, leftovers, personal items, and a clean hand-back of the space are part of the guest and host experience.
One Hospitality Company, Two Core Capabilities
Today, That Special Event offers two connected services: event planning and event staffing. Clients can choose either service or combine both for one team from concept through breakdown. When combined, planners shape the event and guest experience while captains and staff bring the plan to life on site. When booked separately, each service still delivers the same thoughtful hospitality and attention to detail.
02
Event Staffing
Experience You Can Count On
Experience matters when it leads to better decisions: realistic timelines, stronger staffing, smoother vendor coordination, and fewer details left for the host to manage. With roots in event staffing, That Special Event understands how events actually run on the floor, allowing the planning team to anticipate challenges before they become event-day problems. The result is a calm, experienced team that knows how to adapt when the plan meets the room.
Long Relationships, Current Results
“Whether it was this past month... or 14 years ago, when they helped us cope with serving 200 guests when the venue’s refrigerators broke down, Jerry and his seasoned crew have always come through!”
Lori
“I use That Special Event for my professional networking events. The staff has been super reliable and professional. Love that we have this resource here on the North Shore.”
Ellie
History Matters. Your Event Matters More.
See how the company plans, how it staffs, who leads the work, and what clients say after the event. Or start with the date and let the office route you to the right person.