If you’re a designer or creative professional in Chicago, you are obligated to attend [Merge presents] Reply All this Friday at Evil Olive! I can vouch for last year’s party—it was packed with every designer worth buying drinks for. However, this year there has been a number of upgrades: awesome sponsors, prizes, live DJs, original motion design pieces for the event, and guest speakers! People, design events don’t get more official than this.

And on the note of guest speakers, I’ve been graciously asked to be one of them! I’ll be telling an embarrassing story about a design project that went horribly wrong. I get chills just thinking about the Hell I went through producing it. You’ll just have to attend the event to hear all the sloppy details! And with 446 attendees who have already RSVP’d, my palms are already starting to sweat…

If your company’s dumb holiday party is on the same night (like mine is), seriously consider changing your plans. Or bring everyone with you!

Lastly, thank Mig Reyes for doing such a bang up job organizing this beast of a party. He’s the brains behind it all!