ProActive created and produced a gala evening last week in support of Chicago'­s bid to host the 2016 Olympic games, featuring Olympic hopefuls, ages 8 to 13, and delivering a powerful message of enthusiasm and can-do attitude.

CHICAGO (March 8, 2007)—ProActive created and produced a gala evening last week in support of Chicago'­s bid to host the 2016 Olympic games, featuring Olympic hopefuls, ages 8 to 13, and delivering a powerful message of enthusiasm and can-do attitude.

Appropriately titled "You Can Make It Happen," the event was one of the most successful fundraising efforts of its kind in ChicagoÃ's storied history of public-private partnership. The celebratory evening gave the city powerful momentum in advance of the USOC visit earlier this week.

Nearly 2,000 people attended, raising $9.4 million which will fund the activities Chicago will have to conduct if it makes it to the international stage of the bidding process. In total, the bid committee has raised in excess of $30 million.

ProActive provided full event management, creative and production services for the high-profile event held at McCormick Place. The evening featured Olympic hopefuls putting on displays of sport and athleticism atop elaborate staging and behind full-height scrims placed throughout the room. The athletes shimmered in white with multi-color lighting bringing them to life. Complex rigging was flawlessly executed to control aerial athletes mesmerizing the crowd from above. Singers from the Lyric Opera and The Brass Knuckles provided musical entertainment.

Besides ProActive, dozens of local companies and individuals donated their time and effort or provided their services at cost to help ensure the funds raised went toward the bid. These Value-in-Kind contributions were not included in the fundraising totals.

"Chicago proved it's the 'City That Works'­ once again," said Deb DeHaas, co-chair of the Chicago 2016 Development Committee. "Everyone came together to pull off a spectacular evening."

"Tonight was a huge success so I want to thank everyone who contributed," said Patrick G. Ryan, chairman and CEO of the Chicago 2016 Exploratory Committee. "It is an investment in the future of Chicago in many ways. We hope to inspire our youth, some of whom may actually get a chance to compete in 2016. And we want to leave the types of sport, urban and social legacies hosting the Games can bring."

The United States Olympic Committee (USOC) visited Chicago March 6 and 7 and will make a final decision on the domestic phase of the bid April 14, 2007. The International Olympic Committee will not make their final decision until October 2009.

About the Chicago 2016 Exploratory Committee: The Chicago 2016 Exploratory Committee is an Illinois not for profit corporation (which has applied for status as a 501(c)(3) corporation) whose mission is to seek, on behalf of the City of Chicago, the privilege of hosting the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Chicago. The Committee's Board comprises business, civic, athletic, cultural and academic leaders representing Chicago and the surrounding Midwest region. Its honorary chairmen are Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich. Patrick Ryan serves as chairman and CEO. For more information, visit www.chicago2016.org.

About ProActive Inc.: Founded in 1992, ProActive provides best-in-class, integrated, strategic experiential communications to global organizations in virtually every major industry sector. ProActive delivers the creation, development and production of live events, business meetings, trade shows, corporate training and other communication-based programs. ProActive is headquartered in Chicago, with offices in New York. For more information, visit www.proactiveinc.com or call (312) 654-8844.

# # #

Photos available upon request.