The National Association for Catering & Events (NACE) recently hosted a night of Caribbean music and cuisine at The Grove in Glenview, IL. With floral products donated by Kennicott Brothers Company, the pavilion outside The Grove’s Redfield Estate was elegantly decorated for the gathering of elite event-planning professionals. Utilizing a stunning blend of cut flowers and trendsetting supplies, Hlavacek Florist of Glenview volunteered their design talents to create the arrangements for the networking affair.
“Kennicott spared no expense in letting us design the most engaging and beautiful centerpieces for this showcase,” stated lead designer Maria Woltmann (Hlavacek), “and to feature their products on the exact plot of land where the Kennicott family had first put down its roots was very special.”
Now a historical landmark maintained by the Glenview Park District, The Grove was indeed an appropriate site on which to feature flowers from Kennicott Brothers Company. In 1842, Dr. John Kennicott (a noted circuit doctor and horticulturalist) founded his first nursery on the very grounds where the NACE event was held. Dr. Kennicott actually took out a federal grant and made the land not only his home, but home to his growing family. In a time before railroad service (let alone automobiles), the flowers harvested in The Grove by Kennicott and his kinsfolk were regularly advertised for sale in early issues The Chicago Tribune.
In 1881, Dr. Kennicott’s two sons Flint and Amasa founded what is known today as Kennicott Brothers Company. The business has grown into the largest cut flower and design supplies distributor in the Midwest today. As NACE members, Kennicott regularly attends events geared towards expanding the network of options available to designers and event professionals in their markets.
The June 10 NACE event at The Grove also featured the finest food, décor and entertainment from area members Catered By Design (Morton Grove, IL), Stitely Entertainment (Evanston, IL), Chicago Farm Tables (Tinley Park, IL), and North Shore Photo Booth (Glenview, IL).
Source: Kennicott Brothers Company