Dave Calzaretta

Dave Calzaretta grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and graduated from Indiana University with a degree in accounting. He passed the CPA examination on his first shot and did a two year stint in corporate America as a financial analyst for General Mills. Sitting in a cubicle was just not Dave’s style, as he longed to do something with his creativity and musical abilities.

In 1998, Dave founded the award winning national cover band Maggie Speaks. With Maggie Speaks, Dave has performed over 5,000 shows in 15 different countries and 35 different states over the past 25 years. In 2000, he founded Magnificent Events and Entertainment. He quickly established himself as one of the top event producers in the Chicagoland area, helping clients produce high quality events, securing top quality celebrity and professional entertainment and production for their events.

Magnificent Events has been recognized annually as one of the top event producing companies by NACE (National Association of Catering and Entertainment) and ILEA (International Live Event Association) at the NICE and Sparkle Awards. Magnificent Events and Maggie Speaks have been the recipient of the following awards:

• ILEA Lifetime Achievement Award – Dave Calzaretta (2020)
• BizBash Magazine – One of the 500 Most Influential Event Professionals (2021)
• ILEA Rising Star Award – Dave Calzaretta (2012)
• ILEA Sparkle Awards – Best Musical Entertainment (2023)
• ILEA Sparkle Awards – Best Social Event (2023)
• ILEA Sparkle Awards – Best Fair or Festival (2023)
• NICE Awards – Best Musical Entertainment (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019)
• NICE Awards – Best Fair or Festival (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)
• NICE Awards – Best Team Event (2017)
• NICE Awards – Best Social Event or Wedding (2018)
• Illinois Meetings and Events Magazine – Best Entertainment (Magnificent Events, 2016)
• Event Solutions – Entertainment Ensemble of the Year (Maggie Speaks, 2010)
• American Entertainment Magazine – Best Duo or Group (Maggie Speaks, 2009)