Choose Chicago

Chicago has been voted Best Big City in the U.S. by Condé Nast Traveler readers for a record-breaking 7 years in a row! ???? Over 520,000 travelers from around the world cast their votes and once again crowned Chicago as the nation’s Best Big City. ? Share the news with #ChicagoBestBigCityx7 We'd like to give a special shoutout to our incredible partners in the tourism and hospitality industry. Thank you for being a welcoming beacon to our city to make visitors (and residents) feel at home in Chicago. ?? Read what keeps Chicago on top year after year: https://bit.ly/31gAJbh

We stand with Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Office of Tourism in affirming our commitment to LGBTQ+ tourism. Chicago and Illinois will always proudly celebrate our diverse communities and welcome all visitors. Interested in LGBTQ+ experiences in Chicago? Check out our landing page here: https://lnkd.in/gGGWfwfd

Our Chicago travel series "The 77: A City of Neighborhoods" has received six Regional Emmy nominations from the Chicago/Midwest Chapter | National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences! ?? ?? ?? Congratulations?to our production partners Skalawag Productions and to Robert Fojtik, Ann Tok, and the whole Neighborhood Strategy team on this recognition. And thank you to the City of Chicago and Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE) for supporting this project. Haven't watched the series yet? Stream all six episodes here: https://lnkd.in/gXryb8pC This work was only possible because of our local partners who have always made their communities cultural destinations.?With their help, we have endeavored to create?a platform for residents and leaders to tell the complicated stories of our neighborhoods.

Mark your?calendars for the second annual Choose Chicago Foundation Signature Fundraising Event on Wednesday, September 25!? ? The Foundation offers financial support, career exploration, and long-term training opportunities for ethnically and economically diverse communities within the hospitality and tourism industry.? ? We will once again host our annual fundraiser at The Godfrey Hotel Chicago's Rooftop Lounge in River North, with food, drinks, entertainment, and a brief speaking program. The support of our community is essential to the continued impact of the Choose Chicago Foundation — we hope to see many of you there! ? Event tickets available here: https://lnkd.in/gNsZ9aPD Learn more about the Choose Chicago Foundation here:?https://lnkd.in/gVun7qe3 And donate anytime here:?https://lnkd.in/g3mcA8Pu

Please join us in welcoming Sam Lasin to the Choose Chicago team! Sam is filling the critical role of Research Analyst working at the intersection of our IT and Research departments. Glad to have you on board, Sam!

Great kickoff to IMTS - International Manufacturing Technology Show at McCormick Place this morning!? ? IMTS is owned and managed by AMT - The Association For Manufacturing Technology and occurs bi-annually in Chicago, providing a platform for global industry leaders and innovators to showcase cutting-edge tools, machinery, and technology that drive advances in manufacturing.? ? With over 100,000 attendees expected representing 110 countries, it is the largest manufacturing technology show in the Western Hemisphere and the largest, most culturally diverse event of 2024 on our convention center campus.? ? If you're in town for the event or plan to attend at some point, be sure to join the community group here:?https://lnkd.in/gearuRUJ? ? Thank you to Douglas Woods, Peter Eelman, Michelle Edmonson, CEM and the entire team at AMT for continuing to bring this tremendously impactful event to our city!?

Standing room only at this morning's partner engagement event at the Chicago History Museum where we discussed all things IPW 2025! ? Thank you to all of our partners and team members who came out and made this event so successful. ? IPW is the largest in-bound international travel trade show in the United States, and its coming to Chicago next June! This is a major opportunity for our tourism and hospitality industry to show off everything our city offers international travelers. ? Special thanks to our CMO Lisa Nucci and Aimee Gabel from U.S. Travel Association for presenting, and to Joleen Haran from Big Bus Tours, Steve Brauer from the Chicago Cubs, and Aimee (Gerard) Willetts from the Field Museum for participating in a panel discussion with our VP of Global Development Naomi Hattori on how investing in IPW pays dividends in the long term. ? It's great to see our community coming together to take full advantage of this event and learn how to get involved with #IPW25.

Celebrate International Greeter Day with us this Saturday! ?? In recognition of the 9th annual International Greeter Day, we're organizing a series of free, volunteer-led tours of some of the city’s most vibrant and historic neighborhoods. This event honors the global Greeter program, which connects visitors and locals with volunteer “Greeters” for personalized, insider tours of cities across the world. Tours of Chinatown, Pilsen, Uptown, the Loop, and more will leave from Millennium Park Saturday morning. Visit the Chicago Greeter website to plan your trip today: https://lnkd.in/g6U56she International Greeter Association AISBL

A belated welcome to Tiffany Williams, Director of Sales for the Midwest Market, whose first official day was last week. We're so glad to have you on the team, Tiffany!

We ?? Chicago hotels! Thanks to all who attended to this afternoon's Chicago Hotel Symposium at Convene in Willis Tower. We heard from industry experts Claudia A. from STR and Cindy Decker from Tourism Economics along with Jason Bormann from the MPEA, our Senior Vice President of Sales and Client Services Dustin Arnheim, and Interim President and CEO Richard Gamble. There's always more work to do, but we're happy for the opportunity to gather and acknowledge our collective accomplishments.