Chicago’s suburbs are like an extended family to its north, west and south, surrounding the “Windy City” with a warm embrace. From the North Shore to Chicago Southland, planners will find inviting alternatives to meeting in the big city, complete with plenty of meetings-friendly hotels and attractions, plus a lower price point and lovely natural surroundings.
Northern Suburbs
The beauty of Chicago’s North Shore, its proximity to downtown Chicago and its accessible lakefront are among the area’s draws for planners, says Gina Speckman, executive director of Chicago’s North Shore CVB.
Top attractions in the region, which includes communities such as Evanston, Glencoe, Wilmette and Skokie, are Wilmette’s Baha’i House of Worship and Glencoe’s Chicago Botanic Garden. Joining this impressive portfolio in April is the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.
“This will be a major attraction with space new to our area and the entire metropolitan region,” Speckman says.
While in Skokie, planners can count on group-friendly hotels such as the Doubletree Hotel & Conference Center and the Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore.
Situated on Lake Michigan and home to Northwestern University, Evanston’s standby meetings hotels include the Hotel Orrington and the Best Western University Plaza.
One increasingly popular activity for groups convening in Evanston, according to Speckman, is a four-hour culinary tour with stops at the Spice House to gather seasoning blends that honor the culinary heritage of Chicago’s neighborhoods, including Bronzeville Rib Rub, and at Now We’re Cookin’, a kitchen where participants use the seasonings during a customized cooking class.
Nearby in an area marketed by Chicago’s North Suburbs CVB (also known as Prospect Heights CVB) are meetings-friendly properties such as the Wingate by Wyndham Northbrook/Prospect Heights; the Hilton Northbrook, Radisson Northbrook and Renaissance Chicago North Shore in Northbrook; and the Westin Chicago North Shore and Best Western Palwaukee Inn & Conference Center in Wheeling.
According to Lou Ann Hayes, sales and membership manager at Chicago’s North Suburbs CVB, most of the area’s hotels are located on Restaurant Row, a “delicious 22-mile stretch of fine dining spanning from Niles to Libertyville, with more than 100 restaurants offering everything from Japanese to seafood.”
As an added bonus, the area sports many recreational options for groups, including team-building outings at Chicago Indoor Racing and factory tours at Long Grove Confectionery Co., both located in Buffalo Grove, or a round of golf at Glenview-based The Glen Club, which also hosts meetings and social gatherings.
Slightly farther north is Lake County, which according to Maureen Riedy, president of the Lake County CVB, offers close proximity to O’Hare International Airport and downtown Chicago, and many beautiful, natural settings for meetings and retreats, including thousands of acres of forest preserves, 75 lakes and two state parks.
Lake County is also home to hundreds of restaurants, great shopping and the Midwest’s largest theme park, Six Flags Great America & Hurricane Harbor, Riedy says.
In addition to the new Gurnee-based KeyLime Cove Resort & Waterpark, Lake County offers a variety of hotels with meeting facilities, including the Lincolnshire Marriott Resort, Midlane Golf Resort, Hyatt Deerfield and Crowne Plaza Chicago-North Shore. The University Center of Lake County in Grayslake, Riedy adds, has state-of-the-art conference facilities available for groups, and the Lake County Fairgrounds recently moved to its new location in Grayslake and offers space for expos, trade shows and meetings.
Free time activities in Lake County are plentiful and include performances at Waukegan’s beautifully restored Genesee Theatre, which also hosts private events (for more theater options, see sidebar, page 14); the Ravinia outdoor music festival during the summer months; wine tasting at Glunz or Valentino vineyards in Long Grove; and charter fishing on Lake Michigan, with boats leaving from Waukegan Harbor.
Northwestern Suburbs
Chicago’s northwestern suburban region, home of O’Hare International Airport, is an area of dynamic communities that is a top choice for business travel in Chicagoland, according to Fran Bolson, president of the Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau.
The recently opened Hilton Garden Inn Schaumburg and the Meadows Club join the area’s group-friendly portfolio, covering cities such as Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates and Arlington Heights and including the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center, Sears Centre, Hyatt Regency Woodfield, Sheraton Chicago Northwest, Chicago Marriott Schaumburg and Hyatt Place Hoffman Estates.
“The area also offers a wide and varied selection of cultural and entertainment options for groups,” Bolson says, citing Laugh Out Loud comedy club, Prairie Center for the Arts, Legoland Discovery Center and Arlington Park Racetrack.
Woodfield shopping and entertainment center and the adjacent Streets of Woodfield are also top attractions.
In nearby Rosemont, planners can take advantage of several large group venues, including the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, which recently completed an entryway improvement project; Rosemont Conference Center; Allstate Arena; and Rosemont Theatre.
Two newer properties in Rosemont are the aloft Chicago O’Hare hotel, Rosemont’s first all-green property, and the InterContinental Chicago O’Hare Hotel, with a $1 million collection of fine art on display for enjoyment and to purchase. Airport-area hotels by Doubletree, Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, Sheraton, Westin and Wyndham are also available.
Farther west and just 30 minutes from O’Hare, the Northern Fox River Valley’s Elgin area is rich with meetings hotels, including the Courtyard Chicago Elgin/West Dundee, and diverse dining and entertainment options, such as the group-friendly Emmett’s Tavern & Brewing Co., and Brunswick Zone XL, a fun center with bowling, billiards and video games.
According to Pete Garlock, director of sales at the Elgin Area CVB, the region is brimming with unique venues for groups, including the Fox River Room at the Grand Victoria Casino, the Hemmens Cultural Center, The Anvil Club and Naper Settlement, which accommodates meetings, receptions and picnics throughout its historic buildings and 13 acres of landscaped grounds.
Western Suburbs
Oak Park, Aurora, DuPage, St. Charles and Lisle are among the prominent communities that make up the suburban area to the west of Chicago.
Oak Park is situated just outside the Windy City and features the greatest number of Frank Lloyd Wright-designed buildings in the world, including Unity Temple and the architect’s home and studio.
“What sets us apart is all the cultural and American history available to travelers, along with unique meeting facilities,” says Scott Devermann, sales and marketing manager at the Oak Park Area CVB, citing the Ernest Hemingway Museum, Brookfield Zoo and Oak Park Conservatory among the popular options for group outings and events.
Meetings hotels in the area include the Four Points by Sheraton Chicago O’Hare, which recently completed a $5 million renovation, and the Best Western Chicago Hillside.
Named one of the best small cities to live in by Money magazine, Aurora is “the crossroads of big-city action and country charm,” according to the Aurora Area CVB. Its meetings properties include the Aurora Fox Valley Inn, Comfort Inn Aurora and Holiday Inn Aurora.
North of Aurora in the Fox River Valley is St. Charles, which according to Amy Egolf, executive director at the St. Charles CVB, is a quintessential Midwestern riverfront community that offers a “perfect portfolio” of meeting and event venues.
Prominent in that portfolio are the Pheasant Run Resort & Spa, the DuPage Expo Center, the Advanced Center for Training and its adjoining Hilton Garden Inn, the IACC-approved Q Center and the historic Hotel Baker.
Additionally, new developments include the Kane County Fairgrounds, an expo facility that opened in July, and the Hampton Inn & Suites, which debuted in December. Scheduled for completion by 2012 is the multimillion-dollar First Street Development Project, which will bring 100,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space to nearly eight acres along the downtown riverfront.
Among the popular group free time options in St. Charles are golfing at Pheasant Run Resort & Spa, canoeing and kayaking on the Fox River and visiting the Fine Line Creative Arts Center, where classes in pottery and weaving are offered.
East of St. Charles, the DuPage CVB markets a number of meetings hotels throughout DuPage County, including the newly opened Hotel Arista, a boutique and LEED-certified property in Naperville; the freshly renovated Crowne Plaza Hotel Glen Ellyn/Lombard, the Lindner Conference Center and the Westin Lombard Yorktown Center, all in Lombard; Oak Brook’s Doubletree, Marriott, Renaissance and Wyndham Drake hotels; Oak Brook Hills Marriott Resort; Doubletree Guest Suites & Conference Center/Downers Grove; Eaglewood Resort & Spa and Westin Chicago Northwest, both in Itasca; and Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale.
Lisa Landers, director of sales at the DuPage CVB, says the area also attracts meetings because it boasts more than 50 golf courses, several high-end sister restaurants to those found in Chicago and a wide variety of attractions, including Cantigny Park, where groups can hike or golf, and Lynfred Winery.
Lisle, located in DuPage County, has revitalized its downtown area and is home to the Morton Arboretum. Planners can count on the following four full-service hotels for group functions, according to Diane Homolka, business manager at the Lisle CVB: Hickory Ridge Marriott Conference Hotel, Hilton Lisle/Naperville, Hyatt Lisle and Wyndham Lisle-Chicago Hotel & Executive Meeting Center.
“Lisle hotels are central to all types of shopping and dining opportunities,” she says, citing Aurora’s Chicago Premium Outlets, and a cuisine scene featuring everything from quaint neighborhood eateries to a range of national restaurant chains.
On the border of DuPage and Cook counties is the community of Burr Ridge, where the Chicago Marriott Southwest and the Oaks Hotel & Conference Center are well suited for meetings, while the Burr Ridge Village Center offers upscale shopping and dining.
Chicago Southland
Chicago Southland, encompassing dozens of communities, is another happening area complete with a plethora of golf courses, professional theater companies and museums. The home of Midway International Airport, according to Mary Patchin, director of sales at the Chicago Southland CVB, is Chicagoland’s most affordable region.
One noteworthy development in the area is an expansion scheduled for completion by June 2010 at the Holiday Inn Select Chicago-Tinley Park Convention Center, including the addition of 68 guest rooms and 24,000 square feet of exhibit space.
The Village of Tinley Park, named after Samuel Tinley Sr., the community’s first railroad station agent, features other properties, including a Hilton Garden Inn with meeting space.
Among the many other meetings hotels in the region are Hilton Oak Lawn; Orland Park’s Georgios Comfort Inn & Conference Center; Doubletree Hotel Chicago-Alsip; Holiday Inn Matteson Hotel and Conference Center; a new Holiday Inn Express with meeting space in Lansing; and Chicago Marriott Midway, one of seven properties at Midway Hotel Center.
A standby for groups in Olympia Fields, Patchin adds, is Irons Oaks, a corporate team-building facility with several outdoor challenges, including a ropes course and a climbing tower.
Meanwhile, attractions in the region include more than 30 golf courses, performing arts venues, Balmoral Park Race Track harness-racing facility and Toyota Park, home to Major League Soccer’s Chicago Fire and also available for group events.
The Illinois and Michigan National Heritage Corridor covers a wide and diverse area, according to Mary Beth DeGrush, vice president at the Heritage Corridor CVB.
“From historical buildings to beautiful parks such as Starved Rock State Park, casinos [Harrah’s and Empress], minor-league baseball and world-class golf courses, the opportunities for small meetings are endless,” she says.
In addition to NASCAR racing at the Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet and adrenaline-boosting thrills at Skydive Chicago in Ottawa, DeGrush says LaSalle’s new Lock 16 Visitor Center features meeting space and a replica canal boat available for one-hour rides.
Primary group options include the Starved Rock Lodge & Conference Center and Grizzly Jack’s Grand Bear Lodge & Indoor Waterpark, both situated in Starved Rock State Park.
For More Info
Aurora Area CVB 630.897.5581 www.enjoyaurora.com
Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau 312.567.8500 www.choosechicago.com
Chicago Southland CVB 708.895.8200 www.cscvb.com
Chicago’s North Shore CVB 847.763.0011 www.visitchicagonorthshore.com
Chicago’s North Suburbs CVB 847.577.3666 www.chicagonorthsuburbs.com
DuPage CVB 630.575.8070 www.discoverdupage.com
Elgin Area CVB 847.695.7540 www.enjoyelgin.com
Heritage Corridor CVB 815.727.2323 www.heritagecorridorcvb.com
Lake County CVB 847.662.2700 www.lakecounty.org
Lisle CVB 630.769.1000 www.stayinlisle.com
Oak Park Area CVB 708.524.7800 www.visitoakpark.com
Rosemont Convention & Tourism Bureau 847.823.2100 www.rosemont.com
St. Charles CVB 630.377.6161 www.visitstcharles.com
Village of Tinley Park 708.444.5000 www.tinleypark.org
Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau 847.490.1010 www.chicagonorthwest.com
