The 23rd annual Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago (HTSC), an industry conference hosted by Ateema Media & Marketing and featuring a tradeshow, educational sessions and networking opportunities, returned to Navy Pier’s Aon Grand Ballroom April 30.
The one-day event was presented by Illinois Office of Tourism and drew a crowd of more than 1,300 meeting and event planners, concierges, hotel salespeople, social media influencers, business representatives and industry professionals from across the Midwest.
This year’s HTSC kicked off with educational sessions discussing industry trends, insights and marketing tips. One panel discussion presented by Choose Chicago addressed “The State of Hospitality, Events and Tourism in Chicago” and featured Choose Chicago Interim CEO Rich Gamble, Illinois Office of Tourism’s Deputy Director Daniel Thomas, Navy Pier CEO Marilynn Gardner and Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association President and CEO Michael Jacobson.
The event showcased 120 exhibitors from across Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods, including Big Bus Tours, FlyOver Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Navy Pier, Starbucks Reserve Roastery Chicago and The Second City. More than 40 booths on the tradeshow floor gave attendees a taste of Chicago’s food and beverage scene and featured a NASCAR activation.
The Summit’s net promoter score based on post-event surveys from both exhibitors and attendees was "excellent." After attending HTSC, 8% of planners said they booked business with a vendor or venue they met at the Summit and 81% of planners said they hadn't booked business yet but planned to book with venues or vendors they connected with at HTSC.
Read on for some behind-the-scenes intel on HTSC from Ateema Media & Marketing’s CEO Tim O’Malley, who has produced the event for the past 23 years, as well as a Q&A with Choose Chicago’s Gamble.
[Related: Chicago Is Making a Comeback. How the City Is Set Up for Meetings and Events Success]
Behind the Scenes of Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago
When O’Malley founded Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago in 2002, he started with just 20 exhibitors. At the time, Ateema Media & Marketing was heavily focused on tourism, but over the past two decades both the company and HTSC have broadened their scopes and grown.
“Now, it’s open to basically any type of business that touches tourism and the experience that someone coming to visit Chicago for events might have,” O’Malley said. “We have lots of restaurants, lots of event venues, event service providers, catering companies, show services. We have CVBs from around the state, which are great for helping planners find unique venues that are away from maybe where their headquarters are downtown.
“There are resources for entertainment, theaters, lots of interesting venues and attractions that also do group events, opportunities for nightlife, transportation companies,” he continued. “There are all the things that you would expect in a big city and more.”
The conveniency of being able to experience so many of Chicago’s group offerings in one place, as well as the business opportunities HTSC presents for exhibitors, has helped the Summit’s popularity increase over time. The 2018 Summit saw about 1,700 attendees, and while HTSC hasn’t yet returned to pre-pandemic levels, O’Malley said “it’s coming back strong.”
“We were the first tradeshow in Chicago after Covid,” he said. “2024 is three years back, and the Summit has been growing year-after-year. We’ve doubled—maybe tripled—the amount of education that we have. Based upon insight from past surveys, we’ve really focused on increasing their value while keeping them brief, so they’re all 25-minute sessions. And we’re now also doing a happy hour for the last hour-and-a-half of the show with entertainment and bars to allow more time for casual connections.
“We are really trying to make it easy for meeting and event planners to come [to HTSC] and find a bunch of resources,” O’Malley added. “Hopefully, they see a business they’re interested in, talk to one of the principals, find out what their offerings are and start a relationship versus having to blindly search the internet to find solutions for all the different needs they have as meeting planners.”
[Related: Chicago’s Meetings and Events Industry Thrives With Local Partnerships]
A Q&A With Choose Chicago Interim CEO Rich Gamble
Overall, what was this year's Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago like for Choose Chicago?
This year's Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago was an exceptional event for Choose Chicago. It provided a platform for us to engage with industry leaders, share insights and showcase the vibrancy of our city's hospitality and tourism sector. The summit underscored our commitment to driving innovation, fostering collaboration and promoting Chicago as a premier destination for both leisure and business travelers.
What successes did Choose Chicago see a result of exhibiting at HTSC?
Our presence at the summit was an opportunity to strengthen existing relationships within the local tourism, hospitality and attractions sectors. Events like HTSC are critical contributors to the continued growth and success of Chicago's hospitality and tourism landscape.
Choose Chicago’s panel discussion, “The State of Hospitality, Events and Tourism in Chicago,” was a highlight of this year’s HTSC. As one of the panelists, can you share some of the biggest takeaways from that session?
During the panel discussion, Daniel Thomas (Illinois Office of Tourism), Marilyn Gardner (Navy Pier) and I addressed key topics such as the current state of the hotel industry, emerging attraction trends and strategies to attract international visitors. We also highlighted the significant impact of major events like the upcoming Democratic National Convention and NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend on the local hospitality sector. Overall, the discussion emphasized the resilience and adaptability of Chicago's tourism ecosystem in the face of evolving challenges and opportunities.
What are some of the biggest events Chicago is hosting this year and how are they projected to positively impact the city and its hospitality and tourism sector?
Chicago is set to host several major events this year, including the Democratic National Convention and the NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend, among others. These events are expected to generate significant economic impact, drive hotel occupancy and showcase Chicago's capabilities as a premier event destination to broad audiences. Moreover, they provide opportunities for local businesses to capitalize on increased visitor traffic and foster lasting partnerships within the hospitality and tourism sector.
How is Choose Chicago's search going for a new president and CEO following Lynn Osmond stepping down earlier this year?
The Choose Chicago Board of Directors is actively engaged in the search for a permanent president and CEO. While the search process is ongoing, the Choose Chicago team remains focused on advancing our mission and serving the needs of our stakeholders and partners.
Any other big announcements or exciting news to share from Choose Chicago?
We will be releasing our official 2023 visitation figures at our Annual Meeting on Wednesday, June 5, which show that we continue to be on a positive trajectory for regional, national and international leisure and business travelers. We remain dedicated to providing exceptional support and resources to meeting planners and ensuring their success in hosting events of every size and profile in Chicago.
