Chicago Meeting Professionals Guide - 2026
Choose Chicago is here to help
2025-12-26 06:04:36
Choose Chicago’s experienced and award-winning Sales and Client Services teams are available to assist planners with meetings, events, conventions, and conferences of any size. We look forward to having you meet in Chicago!
SALES
• Source the availability of Chicagoland’s approximately 165 hotels within the central business district, representing 50,000 guest rooms.
• Qualify leads without mass distribution.
• Assist in developing bid strategy.
• Provide up-to-date information on new properties and renovations.
• Share important details on airlift, conventions, and community events that could impact designated meeting dates.
• Ensure proposals meet deadlines.
• Arrange well-organized hotel and venue site inspections.
• Assess and source availability at McCormick Place, the largest and most flexible convention center in the Western Hemisphere, housing four state-of-the-art buildings with 173 meeting and ballrooms, 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space, an arena, and a theatre.
CLIENT SERVICES
• Provide attendance-building services via the Connecting to Chicago program.
• Source venues, speakers, entertainers, transportation, decor companies, special event spaces, caterers, and more.
• Act as a liaison with city departments.
• Assist conventions in navigating hundreds of dining, private event, tour, shopping, and entertainment options throughout the city of Chicago.
• Support client equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives.
ONLINE RESEARCH TOOLS
• Go to meetinchicago.com and use the venue search tool to find meeting spaces, special event venues, restaurants with private dining, convention and conference centers, and more.
• Tap into domestic and international visitor statistics for multiple years.
CONNECTING TO CHICAGO
Choose Chicago’s Connecting to Chicago initiative lets clients tap into our area’s vast intellectual capital to help build attendance. We connect clients with Chicago’s civic and corporate communities to help increase attendance, activate innovative branding and marketing ideas outside of the convention center, increase student participation, assist in finding local industry speakers, and more. Using expert knowledge of the city and our vast network of contacts, Choose Chicago serves as the conduit between clients and Chicago partner organizations. A convention’s success is Chicago’s success!
Check out our interactive Chicago hotels map.
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CONTACT US
To connect with Choose Chicago’s Sales and Client Services teams, call 312-567-8500 or contact one of our helpful team members directly. For a wide range of useful information accessible 24/7, including dates that have the best availability and more, visit meetinchicago.com.
Dustin Arnheim
Senior Vice President, Sales & Services
Rose Horcher O’Connor
Vice President, Client Services
DIGITAL MARKETING RESOURCES & TOOLS
Promote your event with our comprehensive online marketing tools, including:
• Virtual McCormick Place tour
• Photos and videos
• Chicago press kit and logos
• Visitor guides and maps
• Request a custom microsite for your event
• Find restaurants, things to do, and venues with our digital concierge
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