I had the opportunity to experience Marriott’s Convention & Resort Network’s Summer in the City event July 10-12 in Chicago, and it’s easy to see why they’ve managed to take what used to be connecting at Cubs game and turn it into a nationwide meetings industry networking tour.

The 2024 Democratic National Convention (DNC), held August 19-22 in Chicago, was a  masterclass in stagecraft and event production. Here is what meeting and event planners can take away from the massive, multichannel political convention.

Chicago’s largest hotel and the largest Hyatt in the world, Hyatt Regency Chicago, completed a $150 million renovation, renovations to Courtyard by Marriott Detroit Downtown transformed both the interior and exterior of the hotel and the AAA Four-Diamond Grand Geneva Resort & Spa, a Marcus Hotels & Resorts destination located in Lake Geneva, completed a full renovation of its meeting and event spaces in May.

Following a $90 million restoration that took almost a decade’s-worth of careful planning, the historic Hotel Cleveland, Autograph Collection has completed its monumental renovation in downtown Cleveland and celebrated its grand reopening earlier this month. 

Chicago’s largest hotel and the largest Hyatt in the world, Hyatt Regency Chicago, completed a $150 million renovation in time for the hotel’s 50th anniversary this year. 

The 23rd annual Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago (HTSC), hosted by Ateema Media & Marketing, returned to Navy Pier’s Aon Grand Ballroom April 30 and drew more than 1,300 industry professionals from across the Midwest to the Windy City. 

The winds are changing in the Windy City. From record-breaking attendance to new developments bolstering the city’s attractiveness, there are many reasons for meeting planners to take a second look at Chicago. 

From luxury casinos to historic renovations and trendy new brands: the Midwest hospitality scene is booming! Discover exciting hotel developments in Illinois, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

From Bloomington-Normal down to Springfield, these stops along Route 66 offer sites and attractions “route-d” in Illinois history. 

Grand Traverse Resort and Spa announced a $10 million renovation of its original six-story hotel, and Illinois makes major changes to its hotel scene.