CONVENTION CENTER 

McCormick Place continues to offer more services and flexibility to the millions of customers it welcomes annually. Some changes are more visible than others, but all are being done with the purpose of meeting customers’ demands. 

The new West Building includes 470,000 sq. ft. of exhibition space and 250,000 sq. ft. of meeting space, all of which can be easily configured to any size event. Its flexible space makes it perfect for everything from large corporate exhibits to small-scale sales meetings and medical conferences. And its 103,000 sq. ft. ballroom, the largest and most adaptable in the Midwest, could comfortably fit the footprint of a professional football field. 

Advanced technology throughout McCormick Place adds to its state-of-the-art appeal to customers. McCormick Place has expanded its wi-fi coverage and can now manage more than 3,000 concurrent users at any given time—the most of any convention center in the country. Customers are demanding and using more and more bandwidth with every passing month as technology needs increase with every show. McCormick Place is the only convention center in the country with a connection to Internet2, allowing customers to access a variety of activities, including high-definition quality video broadcasting opportunities to multiple sites across the world. 

ACCOMMODATIONS 

Chicago’s current downtown hotel inventory offers more than 30,000 rooms. Earlier this year, the 188-room Elysian Tower opened its doors followed by the 261-room Hotel Palomar in 

April. The 600-room JW Marriott is scheduled to open later this summer. The city offers 800 rooms within one mile of McCormick Place, more than 3,500 rooms within two miles and more than 20,000 rooms within three miles. 

DINING 

Travel & Leisure, Saveur and The Robb Report have all named Chicago the top dining city in America, and the James Beard Foundation recently awarded Alinea’s Grant Achatz the Outstanding Chef Award. Here you’ll experience more 5-Diamond restaurants than any other city and sample everything from hot dogs to steaks to haute cuisine and everything in between. 

RECREATION 

In addition to world-renowned museums and theater, Chicago is home to spectacular attractions, including Millennium Park, Chicago’s latest international icon. The 24.5 acres of green space feature an outdoor performing arts pavilion, an indoor, year-round theater, a restaurant, an ice-skating rink, a contemporary garden, public art, fountains and a promenade area for special events. And Chicago’s 77 unique neighborhoods showcase the city’s tremendous cultural diversity. Each offers its own mix of eclectic shops, ethnic restaurants and free festivals for you to explore. 

GETTING THERE 

Chicago’s central location and dual-hub airport with nonstop flights to 148 U.S. and 68 international destinations allow business travelers to visit Chicago, conduct business and return home on the same business day.