CONVENTION CENTER SPOTLIGHT
EAT Start your Chicago morning with a great breakfast at Wildberry Pancakes & Café, located at 130 E. Randolph Street, offering a wide variety of sweet and savory classic American crepes and omelets. Or enjoy some homemade corned beef hash. In the evening, indulge in a fabulous dinner at Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone, located at 60 N. E. Grand Avenue. This restaurant serves everything from filet mignon to fried chicken; pick your favorite and enjoy a delicious meal.
SLEEP After a busy Chicago day, slip into the comfort of the immaculate, comfortable rooms of Palmer House-A Hilton Hotel, located at 17 E. Monroe. This recently renovated hotel offers an exceptionally professional staff to meet all your needs. Once you’re settled in, you can walk to the union stations. For something more affordable, the Miami Inn & Suites is located at 9041 S. Cicero Avenue. This is a great Chicago choice with great reviews, and they offer flat screen TVs and dependable Wi-Fi. Plus, its located right next to a pharmacy and a WhiteCastle Burgers, just in case you need some kind of a pick-me-up.
McCormick Place
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cCormick Place is the largest convention center in North America and consists of four interconnected buildings near the shore of Lake Michigan, approximately 2.5 miles from downtown Chicago, Ill. For event attendees, the center provides three lots consisting of 5,800 parking spaces. I’m sure a lot of you reading this remember the fire that destroyed the exposition hall on January 26, 1967, and took the life of a security guard. Many lessons were learnt and many precautions were taken to avoid anything similar occurring in the future. But this convention center came back
76 July/August 2017 Exhibit City News
By Kathy Anaya
bigger and better than ever and is now made up of 2.6 million sq. feet of exhibition space and offers 11 different exhibit halls. So whether you are planning a tradeshow, convention, corporate meeting or special function, McCormick Place is the ideal spot for your event. The center also has one of the biggest ballrooms in the world for gala events. Attendees and visitors, make sure you go to the McCormick Bird Sanctuary and enjoy a mix of short prairie grasses and flowers such as yellow cornflower and black-eyed susans, plus a host of other beautiful plants. With more than 500 shrubs planted, you can just sit and enjoy the pond and bur oaks.
PLAY Chicago has all the offerings you’d expect, from world class museums, shopping districts and nightlife to attending a game at Wrigley field. If you’re looking for just a half day of excitement and want to see some amazing sea life, go to Shedd Aquarium, where you can participate in animal encounters and feeding experiences and go on a behind-the-scenes tour. Walk in Grant Park and get a breathtaking view of the Buckingham Fountain that sits on 319 acres. The one place definitely not to miss is the Navy Pier, which has an amusement park and an 18-hole miniature golf course. If the kids are in tow, visit the Chicago Children’s museum, with exhibits from treehouses to firetrucks. Young or old, there is always something to do in Windy City.