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 are partnering with Art Institute of Chicago to sponsor Project Windows 2024, celebrating the current exhibit "Georgia O'Keeffe: My New Yorks." These visual display contests first launched in 2012 as a way for local retailers to leverage the Art Institute’s world-class exhibitions that routinely attract tourists from around the globe. Project Windows has developed into a city-wide celebration of art and creativity, allowing small businesses to create beautiful displays and tap into Chicago's cultural energy. Pictured here are just a handful of the many gorgeous participating storefronts. Check out more here: https://lnkd.in/gk9Yzs2T And vote for your favorites here: https://lnkd.in/gKABG8qY

Our CMO Lisa Nucci moderated a wide-ranging panel discussion at TechChicago this afternoon titled "Future Fusion: Marketing and Tech Synergies."    Panelists Mark Muren of United Airlines, Joy A. of Saucony, and Khari Streeter of Burrell Communications shared insights on AI's impact on marketing strategies, how to effectively leverage new technologies to enhance customer experiences, and how current trends will shape the future of the industry.   Thanks to P33 Chicago and World Business Chicago for presenting this fantastic annual event, and special shout out to Infobip for sponsoring this panel.

BIG NEWS: AnitaB.org has announced that they are choosing Chicago to host their 2025 Fall GHC!    Named for the organization's founder and trailblazing computer scientist (and Chicago native!), Dr. Anita Borg, AnitaB.org is the world's leading organization for women in technology.    GHC (Grace Hopper Celebration) is the organization's annual convention and now the world’s largest gathering of women technologists, attracting tens of thousands of attendees from across the globe.    We can't wait to welcome this remarkable group to McCormick Place next November!    Want to learn more about the Grace Hopper Celebration? GHC 24 is live now. Head to GHC.AnitaB.org to learn more.

We are excited to share that yet another leading travel industry conference has chosen Chicago for an upcoming annual meeting!    Today, GBTA | Global Business Travel Association announced that GBTA 2026 will be hosted at McCormick Place.    For over half a century, GBTA has been the premier global event for the business travel industry, convening planners, destinations, and other meeting and convention professionals.    We can't wait to welcome this esteemed group to Chicago! Special thank you to our partners at the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Illinois Office of Tourism for providing an incentive grant program that helped secure this win for our city.

We are proud to support young Chicagoans interested in careers in the local hospitality and tourism industry through the Choose Chicago Foundation. Today, in partnership with Chicago Scholars and CIBC, we held our first Student Tourism Day of the year. Approximately 30 students participated in a day of learning and career exploration with stops at some of Chicago's leading attractions. Thanks to our partners at 360 CHICAGO; Sable at Navy Pier Chicago, Curio Collection by Hilton; Navy Pier; Kilwins Chicago; Punch Bowl Social; and WNDR Museum for your support of this initiative! Special shout out to our Director of Equity, Diversity & Inclusion, Roz Stuttley, CMP, CDE, for organizing and leading these events!

Thanks to the Frugal Traveler (Elaine Glusac) for this great piece from the The New York Times on how to visit Chicago on a budget! From inexpensive meals to affordable lodgings and free cultural experiences, there is truly something for every visitor and at every price point. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gSniGaBM

We are thrilled to share that Chicago has been selected as the host city for the 2025 Destinations International Annual Convention! 🎉 Choose Chicago Interim President and CEO Richard Gamble made the announcement today alongside Destinations International President and CEO Don Welsh at the closing of this year’s convention in Tampa. One of the most important events in the travel trade industry, the Annual Convention will bring nearly 2,000 destination leaders from around the world to our vibrant city July 9-11, 2025. We look forward to welcoming our industry peers and demonstrating why Chicago has been named the Best Big City in the U.S. for seven consecutive years by readers of Condé Nast Traveller . Thanks to Wayne Baker Brooks for providing the Chicago-style tunes to close us out!

We are thrilled to announce that the 2025 Annual Convention will be held in Choose Chicago! Be sure to save the date for July 9-11, 2025. 🌇

🎶 Happy birthday to youuu! 🎵 Today marks 20 years since the opening of Millennium Park on July 16, 2004! We're pleased to join Mayor Brandon Johnson, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), Chicagoans, and visitors from all over the world in celebrating the #1 attraction in the Midwest. Richard Gamble, Interim President and CEO of Choose Chicago: “Over the last 20 years, Millennium Park has become an iconic symbol of Chicago and one of our most awe-inspiring attractions. As the city’s official destination marketing organization, we at Choose Chicago see firsthand the enduring appeal of Millennium Park and appreciate the park’s ongoing impact on our city’s status as a global destination. On behalf of the city’s entire tourism industry, we are proud to celebrate Millennium Park’s 20th birthday – here’s to many more!”