Former Chicago Bulls Practice Home Will Be An Elegant Event Center

Preliminary renderings have been released for Venue One North Shore, a new state-of-the-art meeting and event space to take shape later this year at the site of the Berto Center, the longtime practice home of the Chicago Bulls in Deerfield.

Designed by Lional Rivero-Cannon, Chief Creative Officer of Event Creative, the transformed facility at the corner of Kates Road and Corporate Drive in Deerfield, will feature a combination of indoor and outdoor spaces with the capacity and scalability to accommodate private events of up to 1,500 guests, smaller social events, corporate meetings and proprietary events. Highlights include a 7,000 square foot outdoor garden, a wine room and a 15,000 square foot main event space.

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“There’s simply nothing like it in the area,” said co-owner Dan Gibbons. “There is a lot of history and positive energy tied to this site which was a big draw for us. This facility helped create some of the greatest moments in Chicago sports history. We plan to maintain some elements of that rich history as well as the spirit of what the Chicago Bulls built here, but also make some significant changes to update the look and elegance of the venue.”

For the building itself, fancy dinner parties, private functions and large business meetings will be quite a change from the practice time put in by basketball superstars Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman and Derrick Rose - all of whom have practiced at the facility on a regular basis.

Gibbons and Sean Cannon, Chief Executive Officer of Event Creative and Venue One, are undertaking a $2 million renovation of the entire complex they purchased in March. It will soon offer 85,000 square feet of event space that can be used for meetings, celebrations and private functions.

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“We’ve been looking for the right site on the North Shore for some time,” said Cannon. “Many of our clients are from the area so we understand the tremendous demand for an elegant, versatile and convenient venue north of Chicago. Venue One’s business model has always been to build in the event infrastructure on-site so our clients can focus on their creative elements and ideas that will make their events memorable.”

The new facility will also be equipped with advanced technology, lighting and sound systems. It will have a full restaurant-caliber kitchen with culinary staff on-site led by 22-year veteran Executive Chef Shawn Doolin.

Venue One already has a facility in the West Loop.

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