During the pandemic, restrictions on capacity, social distancing and masking have varied by state, county and even city. Now, most states are fully reopen—as of press time in late February, U.S. COVID-19 cases were on the downswing—and that includes Illinois, after major MICE destination Chicago and the rest of the state lifted capacity limits back in June 2021.
“Despite the challenges of 2021, with the reopening, we actually hosted several sizable citywides,” said Dawn Young, vice president of hotel sales for Choose Chicago, the Windy City’s DMO. “Meetings and events in Q3 and Q4 for us in 2021 had an economic impact of $925 million.”
At the time of this writing, Chicago’s indoor mask mandate and proof of vaccination for restaurants, bars and gyms is expected to lift around the same time as the state’s on February 28. In a ranking from Becker’s Hospital Review of the states with fewest and most COVID-19 restrictions as of April 2021 (with No. 1 being fewest restrictions), Illinois landed at No. 34. As a comparison, California, often seen as having stricter restrictions throughout the pandemic compared to other states, ranked No. 45, with New York following at No. 46.
“We’ve really taken health and safety seriously since the onset as a state and as a city,” Young said. “And that is, I think, a positive to many groups.”
MPI Chicago Area Chapter President Jeanette Kilrea, who is also the associate director for travel and meetings for Grant Thornton, commends Chicago’s response to the pandemic and says the future is looking bright.
“Chicago has done a great job of adapting to the COVID situation,” she said. “You’ll see city streets blocked off so restaurants can have more opportunities for people to be outside, even with igloos in the winter. And every indication I’m hearing is that by spring, if our [COVID cases and hospitalizations] keep going down, some of the final mandates will lift. And they’re planning to bring back all of our big festivals this summer.”
With meetings previously on pause, planners might have missed some of the city’s newest updates and developments in the past two years. Now that Chicago for all intents and purposes is fully reopened, here’s what meeting professionals can look forward to.
New Hotels
One of Chicago’s splashier recent hotel openings can be found in the West Loop. Nobu Hotel Chicago debuted in the summer of 2020, offering 115 guest rooms and suites and, of course, a signature Nobu restaurant and bar on the ground floor. The property also boasts The Rooftop at Nobu—stellar city skyline views included—for “a more relaxed, cocktail-driven lounge experience.”
When it comes to meeting and event space, Nobu Hotel Chicago offers 3,398 square feet, with a ballroom on the 10th floor that can host up to 150 guests. Planners can also take advantage of private dining rooms separate from but still connected to the dining area.
Over on Michigan Avenue, Pendry Chicago officially opened its doors in May 2021. The new luxury hotel has taken over the city’s iconic 1920s-era Carbide & Carbon Building, which is considered an Art Deco landmark (and used to house Hard Rock Hotel Chicago).
The Pendry offers 364 newly redesigned guest rooms and suites, as well as the brand’s signature French brasserie and cafe, Venteux. More views can be enjoyed at Chateau Carbide, the hotel’s Cote D’Azur-inspired concept located on the roof, providing an indoor-outdoor al fresco dining option. The hotel also offers 13,000 square feet of event space for groups up to 500, including a grand ballroom and prefunction space.
A third and final notable recent hotel opening in Chicago: Sable at Navy Pier Chicago, Curio Collection by Hilton, which debuted in March 2021. The property is perched directly on the pier (the first hotel to do so) and ups the attraction’s hospitality factor. Each of its 223 guest rooms and suites have a nautical-themed design as a nod to the naval history of the pier. There’s also more than 4,000 square feet of event space, including six meeting rooms, for up to 150 attendees.
“That is really great to have that option right on the pier itself,” Young said.
In and Around McCormick Place
In the last two years, McCormick Place, Chicago’s venerable convention center (the largest in North America), has seen some new developments. In 2020, the campus welcomed THE TAP Powered by Xfinity, a new venue that’s available to both campus guests and for private events. It’s located on the concourse connecting the West Building, Wintrust Arena, Marriott Marquis and the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place.
The venue is described as “tech-forward” and “lounge-like” in ambiance, ideal for guests or attendees to work, dine and socialize. Details include a nine-screen media wall and an interactive light sculpture made up of 800 LED bulbs, whose patterns and colors guests can control from their devices if connected to the Wi-Fi.
[Related: How Chicago’s McCormick Place Diverts Almost 100% of its Food Waste]
There are also plenty of new (and newish) after-hours spots around McCormick Place for attendees to enjoy. New Italian restaurant Il Culaccino is just steps from Wintrust Arena, and Young said it offers a top-notch patio. European-Mediterranean eatery Apolonia also opened recently near the campus in the South Loop.
Outside of restaurants, McCormick Place attendees also aren’t far from the relatively new drag show-and-dinner venue Lips Chicago, which opened in 2019 and is the fifth outpost of this small chain (and also the first in the Midwest).
Young said craft beer connoisseurs would be remiss to not stop by Moody Tongue Brewing Company, which opened close to the McCormick campus on the south side. Food wise, the brewpub is led by Michelin-starred chef Jared Wentworth, who has paired fine dining with in-house brewed beers. In 2021, Moody Tongue won two Michelin stars of its own, making it only the second brewpub in America to win any Michelin stars at all.
Back in Action
Those hot spots around McCormick Place are sure to please attendees who visit the campus for conventions and conferences, which indeed are back in action. In late November 2021, the convention center hosted the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), which brought more than 20,000 attendees and exhibitors to Chicago.
RSNA worked closely with Choose Chicago, McCormick Place, local health authorities and the Chicago Police Department to ensure the event was conducted as safely as possible.
“We required all attendees to be masked and fully vaccinated—partnering with two vaccine verification companies to manage the process—and offered convenient onsite COVID-19 testing for return travel,” said Mark Watson, RSNA’s executive director, in a statement. “Our thorough preparations resulted in a safe and highly successful meeting.”
After a strenuous two years, Young is excited to welcome groups like RSNA back to Chicago.
“I think this has been a really tiring two years for everyone in our industry,” she said. “And, you know, Chicago has always boasted its Midwest hospitality, and I think this whole experience has further renewed our commitment to hospitality and our appreciation of the attendee, the visitor, the guest and of one another.”
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