Chicago and Illinois Break Records

Visitors are flocking to Chicago and elsewhere in Illinois, and tradeshows are a key reason why. In 2006, McCormick Place hosted 63 tradeshows and meetings with 1.2 million attendees and more than 12 million net square feet of exhibit space. That's just part of a larger number of total visitors to the state of Illinois, which recently announced that record numbers of visitors brought record amounts of revenue into the state last year.

The total amount of exhibit space at tradeshows held in Chicago increased 37 percent over 2005, according to Tim Roby, president and CEO of the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau. He said that translates into an additional $336.7 million in direct expenditures for the city, as nearly every major tradeshow since May 2005 has increased in either attendance or exhibit sales, and sometimes both.

In terms of hotel occupancy, 2006 was Chicago's best year since 2000: 39 citywide events and 8.2 million room nights occupied.

The city is a giant part of the state's overall visitor picture. It attracted more than 44 million total visitors last year, an all-time record and a nearly 10-percent increase over 2005. The number of leisure visitors (9 million) was up 13.5 percent, and hotel room nights in that sector were up nearly 16 percent.

All this helped the state set a tourism record in 2006 with 91 million visitors, a 6.5-percent increase over 2005. Visitors generated nearly $27 billion in economic impact, according to data from D.K. Shifflet & Associates.

"The city of Chicago and the state of Illinois have made great strides in promoting Chicago as a global destination, and it's working," Roby said. "Our tradeshow customers are enjoying growth in attendance and exhibitor sales aided by the CCTB's customized marketing and attendance-building programs."

The Natl. Restaurant Assn. recently hosted a record-breaking 2,100 exhibitors, attracted more than 74,000 attendees and contributed more than $114 million to Chicago's economy, he added.