Jeff Durocher is an award winning event professional. He has been in and out of the hospitality industry his whole life. Starting as a child in the carnival business with the ‘guess your weight’ attraction before moving into food and food services operations at his entrepreneur fathers’ various businesses, to selling and delivering product to venues – all before heading off to Central Michigan University where he played D1 football. After college he transitioned into the professional services world where he eventually became the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) of an international consulting firm. During his tenure he helped the company grow 4x in revenue by expanding the companies brand thorough events—sponsorships, presentations, hosting and promoting events of all sizes. Under his leadership, the firm was regularly quoted in publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fortune and the Financial Times and has a presence at several C-level conferences. The company eventually became well known throughout the world as THE gold standard in CEO Succession. In 2011, Jeff purchased US Poker & Casino Parties to satisfy his interest of becoming an entrepreneur in an industry (hospitality) that he knew well. Over time, the company’s reputation and revenue have grown 5x and now consistently deliver entertainment to 400+ events per year. As an active member in the industry US Poker & Casino Parties has been lucky enough to win several award and prides itself on being an award-winning company. In 2023, Jeff launched a new side hustle called The Networking Experience. This is an umbrella concept to bring new networking skills to GenZ and Millennials to improve their in person networking skills. In 2025, Jeff launched an extended brand for the casino rental company called Bright Light Events & Entertainment. This is a national company that brings live interactive entertainment to company parties. Jeff is currently the President of ILEA Chicago and past board member of the National Association of Casino Operators (NACPO). He is an Ambassador for Choose Chicago, an active member in Meeting Planners International-Chicago Chapter (MPI-CAC), NACE Chicago and Milwaukee, Visit Milwaukee as well as several other organizations. Jeff has a B.S. degree in Marketing from DePaul University. Away from the office, he enjoys watching sports and spending time with his family.