When the Chicago charity After School Matters planned its annual fund-raising gala, it expected that about 2,000 people would attend. But, in the week before the event, that number shot up to 2,600.

The reason? Sean Cannon, a director with Event Creative, a company that planned the gala, says people were drawn to the gala’s unusual location: O’Hare Airport’s new runway.

“It attracted a lot of people it wouldn’t have otherwise,” he says. “To be on the runway, that’s not something you’re going to get to experience again.”

The event also showcased young people enrolled in the charity’s after-school programs. Teenagers who participate in the group’s arts programs performed music, dance, and theater. Others who take the charity’s culinary classes helped prepare the dinner and made all the desserts. Teenagers’ artwork was also on display — and for sale — in the runway’s tents.

Each element of the event — the three tents, the trolleys that shepherded guests around, and the departure area, among others — was sponsored by a different donor.

The event raised more than $3-million for the charity.

What do you think of these ideas? What other advice do you have for people planning a fund-raising gala?