CONTENTS 10 REASONS TO MEET EXPLORE CHOOSE CHICAGO IS HERE TO HELP WHAT’S NEW CONVENTION FACILITIES FESTIVALS & EVENTS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORTS FEATURED PARTNERS ACCESSIBLE CHICAGO RESOURCES EXPLORE CHICAGO’S DIVERSE BUSINESSES TEAM BUILDING IDEAS DINING IN CHICAGO’S NEIGHBORHOODS ICONIC CHICAGO EVENT VENUES MEET SUSTAINABLY Make sustainability a priority when planning your next meeting or event. These Chicago hotels, venues, and caterers are low waste and high style. By Kate McDermott MEET SUSTAINABLY HOTELS At Green Seal Silver-certified Fairmont Chicago Millennium Park , rooms are stocked with vegan and cruelty-free amenities and offer in-room recycling. An electronic newspaper app keeps guests informed without paper waste. Behind the scenes, high-efficiency water pumps and laundry minimize energy and water use. And complimentary bicycles let guests tour the city the green way. A 1928 bank building found new life as LEED Gold-certified Virgin Hotels Chicago . Smart thermostats and occupancy sensors conserve energy in empty rooms. Choose to Green Your Stay when booking and commit $1 per night to carbon credits from the Katingan Mentaya Project. Reserve Cerise Rooftop on the 26th floor for cocktails on the wraparound deck with spectacular city views. Virgin Hotels Chicago Winner of the prestigious Governor’s Sustainability Award, Hilton Chicago turned a 1927 property into a state-of-the-art green hotel. Hotel-wide recycling, food composting, and low-water fixtures reduce waste. A rooftop container garden grows fresh veggies and herbs for on-site restaurants, with supplemental produce sourced from local farmers. flowers, perennials, native prairie flowers, a small orchard, 20,000 honeybees, butterflies, and worms, the garden yields 8,000+ pounds of seasonal, farm-fresh produce every year. This bounty is used in McCormick Place food and beverage operations and is shared with their neighbors. Smaller groups can enjoy a private dinner at Big Delicious Planet Urban Farm . A profusion of colorful produce springs from 77 raised garden beds, from purple carrots to a rainbow of tomatoes. Enjoy a seasonal, farm-to-table menu from their 4-Star Certified Green Restaurant. Schedule a beekeeping or floral arranging workshop for creative team building. Get inspired at Greenhouse Loft . Designed with reclaimed materials, this urban space mixes old and new. Walls of energy-efficient windows let natural light stream in while regulating temperatures. Located inside the LEED VENUES The largest convention center in North America may also be the greenest. McCormick Place holds all the top sustainability certifications, thanks to its comprehensive waste diversion and water conservation practices. Additionally, the Midwest’s largest rooftop garden sits atop the McCormick Place West Building and embodies its commitment to sustainable operations. Home to nearly 100 different varieties of vegetables, fruits, herbs, edible LEFT TO RIGHT: VIRGIN HOTELS CHICAGO; HADASSAH B. PHOTOGRAPHY
Chicago Meeting Professionals Guide 2024: Page 52
