hospitality and tourism summit chicago 2023

Insights from the 23rd Annual Hospitality and Tourism Summit Chicago

Tim O'Malley welcomes attendees to 2024 Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago

The 23rd annual Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago (HTSC), an industry conference hosted by Ateema Media & Marketing and featuring a tradeshow, educational sessions and networking opportunities, returned to Navy Pier’s Aon Grand Ballroom April 30.  

The one-day event was presented by Illinois Office of Tourism and drew a crowd of more than 1,300 meeting and event planners, concierges, hotel salespeople, social media influencers, business representatives and industry professionals from across the Midwest.

This year’s HTSC kicked off with educational sessions discussing industry trends, insights and marketing tips. One panel discussion presented by Choose Chicago addressed “The State of Hospitality, Events and Tourism in Chicago” and featured Choose Chicago Interim CEO Rich Gamble, Illinois Office of Tourism’s Deputy Director Daniel Thomas, Navy Pier CEO Marilynn Gardner and Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association President and CEO Michael Jacobson.

The event showcased 120 exhibitors from across Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods, including Big Bus Tours, FlyOver Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Navy Pier, Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago and The Second City. More than 40 booths on the tradeshow floor gave attendees a taste of Chicago’s food and beverage scene and featured a NASCAR activation.  

The Summit’s net promoter score based on post-event surveys from both exhibitors and attendees was "excellent." After attending HTSC, 8% of planners said they booked business with a vendor or venue they met at the Summit and 81% of planners said they hadn't booked business yet but planned to book with venues or vendors they connected with at HTSC.

Read on for some behind-the-scenes intel on HTSC from Ateema Media & Marketing’s CEO Tim O’Malley, who has produced the event for the past 23 years, as well as a Q&A with Choose Chicago’s Gamble.

[Related: Chicago Is Making a Comeback. How the City Is Set Up for Meetings and Events Success ]

Behind the Scenes of Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago

When O’Malley founded Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago in 2002, he started with just 20 exhibitors. At the time, Ateema Media & Marketing was heavily focused on tourism, but over the past two decades both the company and HTSC have broadened their scopes and grown.  

“Now, it’s open to basically any type of business that touches tourism and the experience that someone coming to visit Chicago for events might have,” O’Malley said. “We have lots of restaurants, lots of event venues, event service providers, catering companies, show services. We have CVBs from around the state, which are great for helping planners find unique venues that are away from maybe where their headquarters are downtown.

“There are resources for entertainment, theaters, lots of interesting venues and attractions that also do group events, opportunities for nightlife, transportation companies,” he continued. “There are all the things that you would expect in a big city and more.”

The conveniency of being able to experience so many of Chicago’s group offerings in one place, as well as the business opportunities HTSC presents for exhibitors, has helped the Summit’s popularity increase over time. The 2018 Summit saw about 1,700 attendees, and while HTSC hasn’t yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, O’Malley said “it’s coming back strong.”

“We were the first tradeshow in Chicago after Covid,” he said. “2024 is three years back, and the Summit has been growing year-after-year. We’ve doubled—maybe tripled—the amount of education that we have. Based upon insight from past surveys, we’ve really focused on increasing their value while keeping them brief, so they’re all 25-minute sessions. And we’re now also doing a happy hour for the last hour-and-a-half of the show with entertainment and bars to allow more time for casual connections.

“We are really trying to make it easy for meeting and event planners to come [to HTSC] and find a bunch of resources,” O’Malley added. “Hopefully, they see a business they’re interested in, talk to one of the principals, find out what their offerings are and start a relationship versus having to blindly search the internet to find solutions for all the different needs they have as meeting planners.”

[Related: Chicago’s Meetings and Events Industry Thrives With Local Partnerships ]

A Q&A With Choose Chicago Interim CEO Rich Gamble

Overall, what was this year's Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago like for Choose Chicago?

This year's Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago was an exceptional event for Choose Chicago. It provided a platform for us to engage with industry leaders, share insights and showcase the vibrancy of our city's hospitality and tourism sector. The summit underscored our commitment to driving innovation, fostering collaboration and promoting Chicago as a premier destination for both leisure and business travelers.

What successes did Choose Chicago see a result of exhibiting at HTSC?

Our presence at the summit was an opportunity to strengthen existing relationships within the local tourism, hospitality and attractions sectors. Events like HTSC are critical contributors to the continued growth and success of Chicago's hospitality and tourism landscape.

Choose Chicago’s panel discussion, “The State of Hospitality, Events and Tourism in Chicago,” was a highlight of this year’s HTSC. As one of the panelists, can you share some of the biggest takeaways from that session?

During the panel discussion, Daniel Thomas (Illinois Office of Tourism), Marilyn Gardner (Navy Pier) and I addressed key topics such as the current state of the hotel industry, emerging attraction trends and strategies to attract international visitors. We also highlighted the significant impact of major events like the upcoming Democratic National Convention and NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend on the local hospitality sector. Overall, the discussion emphasized the resilience and adaptability of Chicago's tourism ecosystem in the face of evolving challenges and opportunities.

What are some of the biggest events Chicago is hosting this year and how are they projected to positively impact the city and its hospitality and tourism sector?

Chicago is set to host several major events this year, including the Democratic National Convention and the NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend, among others. These events are expected to generate significant economic impact, drive hotel occupancy and showcase Chicago's capabilities as a premier event destination to broad audiences. Moreover, they provide opportunities for local businesses to capitalize on increased visitor traffic and foster lasting partnerships within the hospitality and tourism sector.

How is Choose Chicago's search going for a new president and CEO following Lynn Osmond stepping down earlier this year?

The Choose Chicago Board of Directors is actively engaged in the search for a permanent president and CEO. While the search process is ongoing, the Choose Chicago team remains focused on advancing our mission and serving the needs of our stakeholders and partners.

Any other big announcements or exciting news to share from Choose Chicago?

We will be releasing our official 2023 visitation figures at our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, June 5, which show that we continue to be on a positive trajectory for regional, national and international leisure and business travelers. We remain dedicated to providing exceptional support and resources to meeting planners and ensuring their success in hosting events of every size and profile in Chicago.

Connect 

Choose Chicago  

Read more meetings and events news in Illinois. 

Taylor Smith joined Stamats in May 2022 as a content developer, destinations and features for Meetings Today. Smith has experience covering everything from travel to breaking news and graduated from Ball State University with a bachelor’s degree in news and magazine journalism. Previously, she’s written for St. Louis Magazine and worked as an editorial assistant and apprentice for Aubree Nichols, who has been published in premier publications such as  The New York Times ,  ELLE  and  The Los Angeles Times .

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How we prepared ourselves to attend!

As we announced last month, we’ll be attending this year’s Hospitality & Tourism Summit, which takes place at the Navy Pier on Tuesday, May 2 nd .

Since our last update, we’ve been busy planning and preparing for the event.

With less than a week to go, it’s time to take stock of what we’re expecting to achieve by attending the summit and how we’re preparing for it.

Why we're attending the summit

Through our years of hosting events for multiple brands and businesses in Chicago, we’ve gleaned the importance of building strong partnerships with meeting and event planners - it’s a win-win.

That's why we're attending our city’s premier trade show and conference for the hospitality and events sector - the Hospitality & Tourism Summit .

Broadly speaking, we’re looking to connect with top meeting and event planners - and others in allied sectors - to showcase how we can provide a team building experience that can be a learning asset for participants , especially through a SWOT analysis of their performance. 

In addition, we complement our basic offering with a smooth booking service and prompt information exchange , which would add significant value by taking most of the logistical hassles out of both the company AND our meeting/event planning partner’s hands .

The goals we have set for ourselves

Connecting with 1,000+ meeting and event planners .

Gaining revolving business by connecting with local event planners.

Building relationships with planners by providing proposals to review for their clients , ranging from small and local businesses to large corporations.

Cross-marketing opportunities with concierge staffs.

Showcasing our experiences & team and discussing merits with meeting planners, concierge staffs, and others in the industry in real time.

Getting into the fun spirit of the event by providing a fun and immersive 30-minute escape room experience to the guests.

Speakers, exhibitors and attendees we’re looking forward to meeting

As of now, we can only repeat what we mentioned above - that over a thousand meeting planners will be in attendance, and we’re hoping to discuss potential partnerships with most of them.  

This is a tourism and hospitality industry conference featuring a trade show , educational sessions , and other events - as you can guess, it’ll be teeming with networking opportunities . 

We expect that concierges , hotel salespeople , social media influencers , business representatives & other industry professionals will be here.

However, we can’t name names as we don’t have the actual guest list yet. We will update this post as soon as the conference releases the final list.

Key opportunities we’re looking to capitalize on

We’ve been hosting team events in Chicago for a while now, albeit at a slower pace.

However, beginning 2022-2023, we have decided to step up our efforts at getting corporate and other team building event bookings.

As part of that shift, we’re looking to build a revolving corporate catalog of companies and event planners. 

We will be pushing our weekday morning time slots as team building events. 

That’s why his year, we thought it would be a good idea to invest in a conference that would provide a broader and larger scale networking base for us. 

The Hospitality & Tourism Summit fits the bill perfectly.

Preparing for the summit

From creating mini-games and other activities for both casual visitors and those looking to connect, to getting our booth ready - we worked on multiple fronts to amplify our presence and catch as many eyes as possible!

Creating experiences for our visitors

We wanted to have a wholesome mix of fun activities for guests quick-walking past, and games for participants that want to get a taste of our team and other events. 

Here’s what we decided…

Interactive puzzles: Small interactive escape puzzles will sit on our table that guests can check out and compete with one another on.

This is mostly aimed at guests who want to get a feel of the kinds of experiences that we offer.

A spin-to-win wheel: Guests will be able to sign up with their contact info before they spin it to win a variety of prizes, gift cards, and team escape games!

Best suited for guests that are just walking through and looking for quick and fun activities.

The Final Exam: We will run a 30-minute version of our signature team-building game The Final Exam . Playable by 2 players, there will be 8 games in total throughout the day.

A great way for meeting planners to get a feel of our top team building offering.

Spin To Win prizes

Fox in a Box Mugs

Fox in a Box Game Patches

Fox in a Box Pens

Other prizes

Fox in a Box T-Shirts.

$10-$15 Amazon gift cards.

$10-$15 Starbucks cards. 

$25 vouchers off a “ family and friends” game (not applicable for corporate bookings).

$25-50 off a standard corp team with 35 players or more! Check our team events page for details.

$50 off a refreshment package booking of 35 players or more! Check our team events page for details.

The Final Exam Participation Prizes

Winner circle stickers

Final Exam diplomas

Our booth design and layout

Fox in a Box Banner 

Folding table(s) & skirts

Orange Table Cloth

 #1 Escape Room sign

QR code sticker to attach to Banner

A TV showing a video collage of all of our corporate group photos

Brochures to hand out 

“Finn”, our stuffed animal Mascot!

Training staff to represent our company and showcase our offerings

While taking on temp staff to represent us at the event was an option, we didn’t go for it as:

We wanted our presence to have a personal touch.

We’ve been dealing with a rush of bookings, and taking on the responsibility of training the temps to represent us would’ve spread us out too thin.

So, it’ll be Vince (our owner), Miranda (our relationship coordinator), and Adam and Mak (2 of our veteran game masters) at the summit!  

Looking forward to the event!

We look forward to showcasing our experiences and building relationships, which we can leverage to forge new business connections that benefit both us and our partners.  

Thank you for reading, and we hope to see you there!

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CHICAGO HOSPITALITY SUMMIT

December 5, 2023 @ 8:00 am - 11:30 am.

LEADERS ACROSS CHICAGO SHARE HOW THEY’RE SHAPING THE CITY’S GROWING RESTAURANT AND HOTEL LANDSCAPE

What You’ll Learn:

• What key trends, projects, and developments are leaders planning for across the hospitality space? What makes Chicago unique?
• What new initiatives or upcoming projects are driving change in the midwest market?
• What types of hospitality amenities and characteristics are drawing the most interest from investors and builders in the city? What are the particular niches, updates or opportunities that guests, or even investors, find appealing?
• How are high interest rates and other economic headwinds affecting hospitality development and expansion operations?
• How have hospitality investment and development been changed by Illinois’ and Chicago’s growing national profile? How can the city evolve to meet the changing needs of businesses and the community?
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Nevada jobless rate rises, boosted by hotel-casino closure

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Nevada rose 0.2 percentage points to 5.4 percent, according to a Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation report.

Nevada’s unemployment rate ticked up slightly in July, with changes largely coming from the hospitality sector, state economists said Thursday.

The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in Nevada rose 0.2 percentage points to 5.4 percent, according to a Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation report. The state saw a total decrease of 1,500 nonfarm jobs.

The drop could be attributed to changes in leisure and hospitality markets. The accommodation and food services industries lost 4,000 jobs over the month, according to the report. Officials said the drop is most likely attributed to the closure of the Mirage hotel-casino in July.

“Nevada’s labor market softened in July, as unemployment increased again and employment declined slightly over the month,” DETR’s chief economist David Schmidt said in a news release. “This decline was concentrated in the leisure &hospitality sector, which fell by 5,000 jobs from June to July, while most other industries grew, leading to an overall decline of 1,500 jobs over the month. It is possible that this estimate was affected by the closure of the Mirage, which closed on July 17, impacting the casino-hotel, food services, and casino support industries.”

The Las Vegas metropolitan area saw a decrease of about 300 jobs between June and July. Compared with July 2023, the metro area has added about 38,100 jobs to the labor force, or 3.4 percent. Reno and Carson City metros saw similarly small decreases in their total labor force: a loss of 300 or 0.1 percent and 200 or 0.6 percent, respectively.

Nationally, policymakers are watching job growth and unemployment to gauge the country’s economic future. Year-over-year inflation has slowed, along with hiring, suggesting the possibility for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September .

Contact McKenna Ross at [email protected] . Follow @mckenna_ross_ on X.

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The 20th Annual Hospitality & Tourism Summit is Coming to Navy Pier This June 8th

May, 11 2021   •   Blog

We’re excited to announce that the Hospitality & Tourism Summit is returning for its 20th year with its signature trade show on June 8th at the Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier. This will be the first in-person business oriented event at Navy Pier since they closed to the public in 2020. This year also includes 7 virtual educational sessions that will be available as early as May 25th.

That’s right you can start your educational sessions early this year since they will be available virtually with live Q&A sessions happening at the Trade Show on June 8. This year you can be prepared with your questions, know the speakers, and know who you want to connect with before you even set foot on the Trade Show floor.

Of course, the Hospitality & Tourism Summit is happy to be back to business and helping the industry reconnect after the last challenging year. The trade show has traditionally been the best place to connect, learn, and sell. This year won’t be any different!

Well, maybe slightly. Keeping their guests and exhibitor’s safety tops of mind, this year’s Trade Show will be in the 18,150 square foot Aon Grand Ballroom at Navy Pier and include two large adjacent rooms as well to give exhibitors plenty of space between booth and guests room to comfortably walk around. Given Navy Pier’s GBAC star rating and Safe Expo’s oversight of the event operations for safety, they are prepped to welcome guests back safely.

“As we collectively look to restore the hospitality and tourism industry following the devastating impact of the pandemic, the Hospitality & Tourism Summit will serve as a key event in beginning the economic recovery process here in Chicago,” said Navy Pier President and CEO Marilynn Gardner.

The event draws the “who’s who” in the industry each year and boasts 75+ exhibitors including venues, restaurants, night spots, hotels, event services, attractions, tours, shops and more. In addition, this year will include a live Entertainment Showcase, virtual educational sessions, and the chance to safely network with 1000+ industry professionals.

With five virtual educational sessions hosted by top names in Chicago’s events and tourism industry, this event is built to help you be successful, post COVID. Guests can take advantage of sessions ranging from “How To Keep Our Guests & Employees Safe” to “10+ Ways To Elevate Your Guest’s Experience” to learn how to move their businesses or careers forward. These sessions will be filmed in AV Chicago’s new state of the art hybrid event production studio in Chicago. Virtual educational sessions will be shown during the weeks leading up to the trade show and will start on May 25th

In addition, the Entertainment Showcase is generating buzz this year. After more than a year without the luxury of live entertainment, the Hospitality & Tourism Summit will be dazzling guests with performances from musicians, magicians, comedians and more throughout the course of the event.

Designed to cultivate relationships between concierges, meeting and event planners, and businesses that cater to Chicago’s groups, events and visitors, the Hospitality & Tourism Summit provides an inside look at the best Chicago has to offer.

For more information about the Hospitality & Tourism Summit, its signature trade show at Navy Pier on June 8th, or the virtual educational sessions, check out this video or learn more on their website .

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Hospitality and Tourism Summit Chicago 2022 at Navy Pier

Apr 20, 2022 | News

A few members from our team were invited to experience the Hospitality and Tourism Summit Chicago 2022 at Navy Pier held this past Tuesday. Attendees included our Events Director , Jessica Brown, HR and Account Specialist, Marissa VanGarderen, and the Senior Planner from one of our Turnkey Hospitality brands, Michelle Durpetti Events , Nicole Lee. They spent the day talking with other industry professionals about the rebuilding of tourism, meetings and events in Chicago. This was a great event designed to cultivate relationships between meeting and event planners, concierges, and businesses that cater to Chicago’s groups, events and visitors!

“The event draws the ‘who’s who’ in the industry each year and boasts 80+ exhibitors including venues, restaurants, nightspots, hotels, event services, attractions, tours, shops and more.” After the breakout sessions, our team was welcomed to listen to a panel of professionals who gave insight on previous trends and what we can expect in the coming years. The panel included:

Jim Meyer- Choose Chicago , Interim CEO Marilyn Gardner- Navy Pier , President and CEO Larita Clark- MPEA , CEO Michael Jacobson- Illinois Hotel and Lodging Association , President and CEO Sam Toia- Illinois Restaurant Association , President and CEO

“People are traveling and booking in-person events again.” said Tim O’Malley, CEO of Ateema Media & Marketing . “It has been an unprecedented couple of years for our industry and we’re proud to team up with our partners to take this important next step in the rebuilding process. Our industry needs to work together to let people know that Chicago has reopened, and we’re back to providing world class experiences for our guests,” O’Malley continued. “This year’s Summit will play a more important role than ever before in terms of connecting industry buyers and sellers given the effects of the pandemic on the networks in our industry.”

After the panel, they enjoyed the entertainment showcase featuring local bands, artists, drag queens, magicians, DJs, and comedians! To conclude their long day of learning and networking, they enjoyed a beautiful ride aboard The Odyssey Lake Michigan and incredible views of our city!

Our team is very much looking forward to what’s to come for the hospitality industry and for tourism numbers to increase in Chicago for 2022!

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Join Ateema June 8 at the Hospitality & Tourism Summit, The One Event to Bring Us Together Again.

• June 8, 2021
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Politics | The DNC will bring increased police to the CTA,…

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Politics | The DNC will bring increased police to the CTA, Metra — but no plans for previous stringent measures, for now

Along with extra officers on the CTA and at downtown Metra stations, there could be service disruptions on the Metra Electric line that runs near McCormick Place, one of the convention sites. But the CTA has no plans to boost the number of private, unarmed security guards it uses to patrol the system. And Metra expects to forgo the passenger screenings and prohibitions on bringing certain items aboard that the agency adopted in 2012, when a NATO summit brought global dignitaries and diplomats to the convention center.

Transit security plans have taken shape in recent weeks as the city prepares for the arrival of the presidential race to Chicago, which promises to bring not only a national spotlight, but also protests and safety concerns. Federal and local officials have unveiled security perimeters around the United Center and McCormick Place, the two primary convention sites, that will limit movement through the areas , and police are planning on help from extra law enforcement officers from other agencies.

Already paramount for planners and observers, security efforts have come into sharper focus after an assassination attempt on ex-President Donald Trump last month. And at the CTA, convention security needs are compounded by concerns in recent years about crime, both real and perceived.

Ald. Walter Burnett, whose 27th Ward includes the United Center, said increased security, including on transit, is crucial. With visitors arriving from across the country and the uncertainty of how protests might play out, officers can relieve some apprehension, he said.

“We just want to make sure that people have a good look about our city,” he said. “This is not just about the Democratic convention. It’s about selling the city, it’s about tourism, it’s about future money coming to the city. So we want everyone to feel safe.”

Twelve years ago, when global dignitaries and politicians descended on Chicago for the NATO summit, Metra commuters braced for disruptions.

Police screened passengers and searched bags at downtown Metra stations. Stations on some lines that run under the convention center were closed, and some trains were canceled. Large items, food and liquid were expected to be prohibited. Metra boosted personnel at stations ahead of the summit and hired private security, and bomb-sniffing dogs patrolled trains, according to Tribune reporting at the time.

This time around, the outlook for public transit is shaping up to be different.

At the CTA, where multiple train lines run blocks from the two convention sites and buses will have to be rerouted to bypass the security perimeters, police plan to increase their presence on buses, trains, platforms and around stations, Chicago police spokesman Tom Ahern said. They plan to focus on the central business district and trains running to and from the city’s two airports, which are expected to be used by arriving and departing visitors.

Ahern declined to specify by how much the presence would increase over typical CTA patrols, saying police don’t provide exact numbers of deployments. But he said officers would work 12-hour days and days off during the convention would be canceled.

Convention activities will likely require a significant amount of police manpower. But Superintendent Larry Snelling has pledged not to drain resources from patrol districts, and Ahern said that extended to the CTA, which would remain adequately staffed with Chicago officers.

The CTA also pays unarmed, private security guards and K-9 units to patrol the system. The agency typically uses more than 400 guards, who patrol 24-hours a day, and has more than 33,000 security cameras across the system.

The usual 400 guards will continue to patrol the CTA during the convention, the agency said. The CTA would not provide details of where the guards would patrol, saying it does not comment on their deployment.

Adding to the convention-specific security concerns for the CTA will likely be a desire to promote safety, and the appearance of safety, with the country’s eyes on Chicago during the event. At the end of 2023, the Tribune found the rate of violent crime on trains was dropping but remained above prepandemic levels. Nonviolent crimes, like pickpocketing, reached levels lower than any since 2015.

Instances of crime dropped through the first half of this year, the CTA said. According to the agency’s figures, transit crime overall was down 2% through June compared with the same time in 2023.

Metra, too, is eyeing an increased law enforcement presence at downtown stations. On the Electric line, which runs under McCormick Place, service could be disrupted for planned movements of people protected by the Secret Service, the agency said. Such disruptions can happen any time dignitaries under Secret Service protection cross routes with the railroad, the agency said.

But unlike 2012, no station closures are planned. No passenger screenings or limits on items to be brought aboard are anticipated.

Metra said the Secret Service is ultimately in charge of such security planning.

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Why Exhibit

What Is The Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago?

The Hospitality & Tourism Summit is an industry conference featuring a trade show, educational sessions and networking opportunities where 1,250+ top meeting and event planners, concierges, suppliers & industry professionals connect before the busy summer season!

Why Should Your Business Exhibit?

Fill your sales pipeline with quality prospects, energize your team, beat your competition to the punch, grow your network and your business, new: meet travel influencers and media, make 10x your investment within 12 months, learn industry trends and insights, meet hundreds of concierges, meeting and event planners, social media influencers, and industry professionals.

Of exhibitors said they grew their business as a result of their involvement

Of exhibitors rated the overall value of the Summit as “great” or better. 50% rated it as “outstanding.”

Average number of connections made by exhibitors.

Past Exhibitors & Attendees

A sampling of previous exhibitors.

"You get to see the right people in a well-curated environment. We come back each year because we've had a great experience, operationally it's a really well-run show, and it's a lot of fun."

-Art Institute of Chicago Marketing Professional

"The Summit is a really amazing opportunity to network with businesses, concierges, and really everyone in the hospitality industry."

-Loews Chicago Hotel Concierge

"The event is a great opportunity for me to network with local Chicago vendors, and people I've seen at past networking events I can meet in person."

-Bucom International Meeting Planner 

Get Your Booth Today! 

Sponsorship opportunities, exhibitor booth options, branding options.