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Celebrating 19 Years as Barrington’s Signature Magazine
Celebrating 19 Years as Barrington’s Signature Magazine
Shaun Rajah believes that there is a need for event planners who genuinely focus on the authenticity of each client. With 20 years of hospitality experience, he recently launched a boutique event planning business, Events By Shaun Rajah, to deliver that focus—offering an inherent guarantee that no two events will be alike. A notable name in the event planning world, Rajah is hands-on with the execution of every detail up to and including being onsite for the event. Based in Chicago, he knows the best venues, florists, and photographers, yet his planning knows no boundaries globally.
Rajah was born and raised in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and followed his career dreams to France, to be trained at the Institute Vatel, which is considered the top international hospitality and tourism management school in the industry. After earning his bachelors in Hotel & Catering Management, Rajah landed his first job at the Four Seasons Hotel Kuala Lumpur. Then, a management position with the Palm Court tearoom at The Drake in Chicago, where Martha Stewart took notice and mentioned him in her Ultimate Places to Eat guide. Over 16 glorious years, he brought back live music to the Palm Court, put The Drake back on the map, and ultimately earned his way to Director of Social Catering. In 2021, The Langham Chicago hired Rajah as its director of catering, where he remains as a consultant after recently starting his event planning business.
Rajah is known for his meticulous detail, timeless style and design, and modern touch that caters to each client. “Each event should be a reflection of the client’s personality and vision,” Rajah said. A master of the ever-important first impression for event guests, Rajah also ensures that every aspect of the event flows smoothly. Hallmarks of his approach include thoughtful offerings for non-alcohol drinkers, bite-sized food to enhance mingling, and making sure the restrooms are kept refreshed. He also makes sure the line to the bar never backs up, a pet peeve of his.
Working with clients is a passion for Rajah who remains transparent in his personalized, seamless, and collaborative planning process. His clients can expect tailored service, exclusive attention, and direct involvement. His advice for hiring him is tied to venue schedules. “I generally recommend reaching out to me nine to 12 months in advance for weddings and larger events. For South Asian weddings, planning may need to happen in a shorter timeframe due to culturally specific dates. For other types of events, a lead time of four to six months is typically sufficient,” he said. But don’t wait too long, as this owner and principal of Events By Shaun Rajah takes on a limited number of events to assure his clients receive his undivided attention.
To learn more, visit ShaunRajah.com, follow @EventsbyShaunRajah, or call 312-371-0231.
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