The goal...to refresh and destination and to listen to elevate the city's image as a premier visitor what customers want and need. The Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau sales team, along with numerous industry partners are nearing completion of an 11- city roadshow.
Armed with the theme “What's on your Mind?” the team set out to get back-to-basics with face-to-face sales and marketing. The goal...to refresh and elevate the city's image as a premier visitor destination, to listen to what customers want and need, and to directly address perceived myths.
In early December, the team kicked off its tour on the west coast visiting with meeting planners in Denver, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Seattle. Then onto a mid-country tour hitting Minneapolis, Detroit and Atlanta in late January. The team wrapped up with an east coast trip to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City in early February and will come full circle with one final presentation in Chicago in late February.
The multimedia lunch presentations provided an ideal setting for customers to learn about the Chicago that continues to reinvent itself - not only for business travelers, but leisure travelers as well.
Chicago's destination advantages, from its central location to accommodations, meetings and conventions to pre- Broadway theater, world-class dining to a park built in the middle of downtown were highlighted throughout the presentations. Highlights of the new McCormick Place West Building scheduled to open this fall and unique meeting space at Navy Pier were also presented.
An average of 75 meeting planners attended each event with D.C. and New York attracting the largest number of planners.
THANK YOU TO OUR PREMIER INDUSTRY SPONSORS WHO HELPED MAKE THIS INAUGURAL ROADSHOW SUCH A SUCCESS FOR CHICAGO:
American Airlines
Affinia Hotel
Ambassador East
Blue Plate
Chicago Marriott Downtown
Magnificent Mile
The Fairmont Chicago
The Field Museum
Freeman
GES Exposition Services
Hyatt Regency Chicago
Hyatt Regency McCormick Place
In the Loop Chicago
Intercontinental Chicago
The James
McCormick Place
metroConnections
Navy Pier
Omni Chicago
Palmer House/Hilton Chicago
The Peninsula Chicago
Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers
Swissotel Chicago
United Airlines