2 0 1 5 a n n u a l r e p o r t

table of contentsletter from the Chair and Ceo 6

2015 revenues by sourCes 8

2015 expenses by department 9

eConomiC impaCt 10

visitation hiGhliGhts 12

reCord hotel performanCe 14

ChiCaGo firsts 16

sxsW 19

neW partnerships 20

marKetinG 22

meetinGs & Conventions 24

advoCaCy 26

2015 destination reCoGnition 27

international tourism 28

Cultural tourism 30

ChiCaGo sports Commission 33

6

dear partners

Desiree RogersC h a i r

Don Welshp r e s i d e n t & C e o

on behalf of mayor rahm emanuel and the Choose Chicago board of directors, it is our pleasure to share with you the highlights of Chicago’s record 2015 performance.

Chicago has earned a reputation as the destination for first-time and reimagined events, and as an epicenter of culture and innovation. With this reputation has come impressive visitor growth, which ultimately boosts spending, supports jobs and increases tax revenue. Chicago is now one of only three u.s. cities to welcome more than 50 million visitors annually. our forecast for 2015 visitation indicates 51.83 million visitors putting Choose Chicago well on track to achieve mayor emanuel’s goal of 55 million visitors by 2020. rest assured, we remain dedicated to advocating for policies that allow our visitor industry to thrive.

this past year was filled with first-time achievements and initiatives:

• Chicago’s hotel community outperformed not only the u.s., but eight of its primary competitive markets in terms of growth in supply, demand, and revenue.

• We launched Chicago Epic, Chicago’s first national tourism destination marketing campaign, marking

7

a new chapter in the way Chicago promotes the city to potential visitors outside of the midwest.

• Chicago was the first city to host the nfl draft following its 50-year run in new york City. the 2016 nfl draft returns to Chicago april 28-30.

• Following its 25-year history with New york City, the James beard foundation awards were held in Chicago. the awards return to Chicago in 2016 and 2017.

• Choose Chicago launched its new Corporate leadership Circle to elevate the engagement of Chicago’s corporate community. public and private support is critical for Chicago to remain competitive.

since 2010, Chicago has realized a 31.8% increase in total visitation; 50.4% increase in total tax revenue; 10.9% increase in jobs; and $12 billion in new and recommitted meetings and convention business at mcCormick

place. thanks to each and every one of you, we are proud to report these incredible results.

We are already seeing positive signs illustrating that our work to combat a challenging 2016 is paying off. a shift from only seasonal marketing campaigns to an “always on” campaign combined with aggressive strategies to secure short-term meetings and convention books are working.

We will continue to rely on your steady support and engagement, which helps to successfully advance priorities that matter to us all.

thank you for all that you do to strengthen our industry.

8

2015 revenues by sources

$38,520,05031.2%s tat e f u n d s

m p e a aG r e e m e n t

C i t y f u n d s

p r i vat e f u n d s28.2%

23.8%16.8%

2 0 1 5 G o a l s

1 Increase annual visitation to 55 million visitors by 2020

2 Book 2.4 million hotel room nights and 55 new groups annually in collaboration with MPEA and labor partners

3 Elevate Chicago to among the leading U.S. cities for inbound international travel by 2020

9

1

2

3

4

$37,894,673

3.0%1.3%

3.4%

C u lt u r a l to u r i s m

r e s e a r C h

s p o r t s C o m m i s s i o n

2015 expenses by department

2015 objectives

Capitalize on legislative reforms and incentive fund at McCormick Place

Increase overnight leisure visitation from regional markets

Increase awareness nationally to drive overnight visitation

Increase overnight visitation internationally

2.4% e x e C u t i v e o f f i C e

7.2% C o r p o r at e a l lo C at i o n s

10.3%ot h e r

21.0%s p e C i a l e v e n t s

27.2% C o n v e n t i o n s a l e s & s e r v i C e s

18.1%m a r K e t i n G & p u b l i C r e l at i o n s

6.1% to u r i s m s a l e s

10

economic impact

tourism is a key driver of Chicago’s economy. Choose Chicago’s strategies continue to strengthen our city’s economy, provide new well-paying jobs and steer Chicago’s visitor industry into record breaking results.

hospitality-related jobs have been

added since 2010

+13,500

2010

2010

2011

2011

2012

2012

2013

2013

2014

2014

2015 (foreCast)

2015 (foreCast)

jobs

direct tourism spending

128.3K

$12.0b

132.4K

$12.8b

133.5K

$13.3b

136.0K

$14.1b

137.9K

$14.8b

124.4K

$11.1b

11

2010

2010

2010

2011

2011

2011

2012

2012

2012

2013

2013

2013

2014

2014

2014

2015 (foreCast)

2015

2015

chicago hotel revenue

chicago hotel tax revenue

$725.9m

$1.6b

$74.7m

$805.7m

$1.8b

$101.0m

$836.1m

$1.9b

$106.0m

$885.3m

$2.0b

$113.1m

$926.5m

$2.2b

$124.1m

$616.2m

$1.5b

$67.7m

total tax revenue

12

visitation highlights

total visitation in 2014 eclipsed the 50 million mark with 50.17 million domestic and overseas visitors, an increase of 3.5% over 2013.

2015 visitation is forecast to deliver 51.83m visitors, a 3.3% increase over 2014

ChiCago is one of

only three Us Cities

to welCome more than 50 million

visitors

13

2010 2011

total 2015 (foreCast)

total international visitation (overseas

and Mexico) 2015 (foreCast)

2012

leisure 2015 (foreCast)

Mexico 2015 (foreCast)

in the u.s. by overseas visitors

2013 2014 2015 (foreCast)

business 2015 (foreCast)

total visitation

domestic visitation

international visitation

43.69m46.51m

48.48m50.17m

51.83m

50.38m

1.45m

38.74m

165K

11.65m

39.33m

+3.5%

-1.3%

+3.0%

+4.4%

10th most visited

city

+5.0%

14

record hotel performance

in 2015, Chicago’s hotel community outperformed* not only the u.s., but eight of its primary competitive markets in terms of growth in supply, demand, and revenue.

in the past five years, more than 1.5 million room nights have been added to Chicago - more than 529,000 room nights were added in 2015 alone, matching the previous single year increase in 2008.

*Geller index: ranked score of year-to-date growth

2015 occupancy rate

2015 total rooMs occupied

75.99%

10.64m

nEW RECoRD

nEW RECoRD

15

2015 leisure rooM niGhts

2015 Group-related rooM niGhts

r e C o r d n u m b e r o f n e W h o t e l s o p e n e d i n 2 0 1 5

in 2015, average daily rate (adr) increased for a sixth consecutive year, advancing 5.2% to $209.03, up from $198.75 in 2014, and only the second time in history to exceed $200.

revenue per available room (revpar) increased 5.6% to $158.84 in 2015, a sixth consecutive year of positive growth and an all-time record.

• The Leisure segment ADR advanced 6.8% to $208.14 in 2015, up from $194.92 in 2014.

• The Group segment ADR advanced 2.5% to $215.34 in 2015.

• The Contract segment ADR advanced 11.8% to $126.37 in 2015.

6.77m

3.66m

nEW RECoRD

10

16

chicago firsts

2 0 1 5 N F L D R A F T

securing high-profile events such as the nfl draft are central to achieving the goals set forth by mayor emanuel, including increasing annual visitation to 55 million visitors by 2020. after 50 years in new york City, the nfl brought the 2015 nfl draft to Chicago. held april 30 through may 2, the 2015 draft delivered significant impact to Chicago’s economy and was one of the most watched and talked about sports events of the year.

visitors to draft town

new teMporary jobs

in total econoMic iMpact

in total state & local taxes Generated

hotel rooM niGhts Generated

in city hotel tax revenue Generated

200K

846

$81.6m

$6.5m

36,576

$456K

17

j A m e s b e A R D F o u N D A T i o N A w A R D s

Culinary luminaries from around the nation gathered in Chicago for the James beard foundation awards on may 4 at the lyric opera. this was the first time in its 25-year history that the awards were held outside of new york City.

James beard eats Week, seven days of exclusive restaurant menus and dishes was launched in tandem with the awards. inspired by James beard’s american Classic recipes, nearly 100 of Choose Chicago dining partners honored the man known as the “dean of american Cookery.” this initiative raised $10,000 for the James beard foundation to award as a scholarship to an illinois hospitality student.

“the Chef Whisperer” – a short film presented by Choose Chicago, the illinois restaurant association, potenza productions, the second City and Kevin boehm of the boka restaurant Group - debuted during the awards program. Co-written and played by the second City’s John hartman, the Chef Whisperer mentors industry greats - most of whom are also James beard foundation award winners - throughout the film in humorous segments.

raised for illinois hospitality student

scholarship

choose chicaGo dininG partners

participated in jaMes beard

eats week

$10K

100

the james beard foundation

awards will return to chicago

in 2016 and 2017

18

america’s cup world series 2016

2016 ncaa men’s basKetball championship midwest regional

Chicago made maritime history when lake michigan was chosen as the first freshwater venue to host america’s Cup racing in the event’s 165-year history. Celebrating its centennial in 2016, navy pier and the natural layout of the Chicago lakefront promises to create a stadium-like environment as fans enjoy viewing high-performance catamarans racing by at 40+ mph. the “race village” on the pier’s east end will offer front-row views of the race course along with innovative displays, food, beverage and entertainment. this highly anticipated, internationally celebrated event includes six teams representing six countries that will compete on our lakefront June 10–12.

Chicago will host the 2016 nCaa division i men’s basketball midwest regional at the united Center on march 25 and 27. the event will feature teams playing in the sweet 16 and the elite eight. the big ten Conference will serve as the official host of the event in collaboration with the Chicago sports Commission and the united Center. Chicago has already experienced the positive impact of hosting nCaa basketball - the 2016 event will mark the fifth time the big ten has hosted the nCaa men’s basketball tournament at the united Center, including 1998, 2002, 2007 and 2011.

19

building on the success of Chicagomade, Choose Chicago, in partnership with dCase and World business Chicago presented a tradeshow booth that featured original artwork by Chicago artist sam Kirk. over the course of four days, 10 Chicago makers hosted happy hour style meet-and-greets at the booth providing a unique opportunity for attendees to interact with these nationally and internationally recognized makers in an intimate setting.

potential iMpressions

retweets

2.879m

230

sxsw

46

2K 1.5K 5.655K

tweets

attendees enGaGed

attendees for chicaGo Music

showcase

paGe views for chicaGo

Made.us

#chicagomade

20

new partnerships

Choose Chicago continues to build a strong and vital community of industry stakeholders. in 2015, 270 businesses and organizations joined Choose Chicago, increasing our base by 9.6% to its highest level at 1,478 partners. overall retention of partners reached an all-time high of 92%.

the partnership team added a number of strong enhancements to its existing programs and services in 2015, including:

Choose Chicago transitioned to expedia in october 2015 to power the booking engine on choosechicago.com. Choose Chicago will benefit from expedia’s global reach, marketing prowess and largest market share of Chicago hotel bookings to further grow awareness and visitation to Chicago and our hotel partners.

a new partnership was formed with the league of Chicago theatres to help increase awareness and recognition of the rich and diverse theatre scene throughout Chicago. over 20 local/neighborhood theatres became Choose Chicago partners this year. as a result, they will leverage the resources and marketing efforts to gain additional exposure to visitors and residents.

21

looKing ahead

T o u R A N D A T T R A c T i o N T i c k e T i N g

in partnership with expedia, Choose Chicago will introduce tour and attraction ticketing to choosechicago.com in 2016. Consumers will have the option to purchase tickets from the Choose Chicago site a and our partner organizations will continue to gain increased exposure and sales growth.

s e A s o N A L P A R T N e R P R o m o T i o N s

in 2016, Choose Chicago will engage key marketing partners to help develop and execute strategic consumer promotions designed to drive awareness and increase business during key need periods. these initiatives will complement and extend Choose Chicago’s marketing strategies. two such initiatives launched this year include expedia’s Chicago Winter sale hotel promotion and a statement credit consumer promotion for Chicago restaurant Week in partnership with american express.

paGe views

6.5m 19.4m

choosechicago.com

unique visits 15% GroWth over 2014

22

marKeting

c h i c A g o e P i c

Chicago epiC is the culmination of years of research and evolution that have helped Chicago’s visitor industry grow at an exponential pace, beginning with the formation of Choose Chicago in 2012. epiC is Chicago’s first comprehensive advertising campaign highlighting the city as a tourism destination outside of the midwest.

in collaboration with the illinois office of tourism and with the support of brand usa, the Chicago epiC advertising campaign launched in beijing, shanghai and Guangzhou for seven weeks during summer 2015.

We will continue to identify opportunities throughout 2016 that allow us to further this fantastic new brand.

23

regional marKeting

Choose Chicago’s seven-week winter campaign – Cures for Cabin fever – complete with new creative and new strategic direction delivered strong results. the total media investment of $680,970 generated a return of $298 for every media dollar invested. this is the highest roi since winter regional advertising launched in 2012.

the campaign ran in illinois (excluding Chicago), indiana, iowa, and michigan. dmas included: indianapolis, des moines, detroit and Grand rapids. the results were significant:

increMental trips

econoMic iMpact increMental lodGinG revenue

increMental tax Generated

tax roi

240,529 $203.1m $36.7m $6.03m $8.86

24

meetings & conventions

Choose Chicago’s strategic deployment in target market segments – medical/pharmaceutical, technology, manufacturing, food and beverage, automotive and trade - continues to gain momentum for both short and long-term opportunities.

Congratulations to our clients on their amazing conventions and meetings in 2015: professional Convention management association, international air Conditioning, heating refrigerating exposition, starwood americas Kickoff, promat, healthcare information and management systems society, C2e2, automechanika Chicago, microsoft ignite, national restaurant association, sweets & snacks expo, american society of Clincial oncology, Water environment federation’s annual technical exhibition and Conference, fabteCh, muslim american society, and american society of landscape architects.

2015 rooM niGht Goal2015 rooM niGht production

in new and recoMMitted business as the result

of labor reforMs at MccorMick place

new Groups booked

increase in convention attendance over 2014

2.4m2.5m

$3b

56

+100K

+6% over Goal

25

microsoft ignite made its debut in Chicago may 4-8, attracting over 22,000 innovators, ultimately exceeding expectations for this first-time conference.

(asCo) signed a letter of agreement and mcCormick place license agreements confirming their annual meeting in Chicago for 2021-2025.

bookinGs throuGh March 2017 representinG 127,000

hotel rooM niGhts

microsoft ignite

the american society of clinical oncology

534

United Meetings Earned Rewards Bonus Incentive to ChicagoAn exclusive benefit to Chicago’s Unbeatable Incentives

CHICAGO’S

Take advantage of Chicago’s unbeatable incentives for 2015, 2016 and Q1 2017. Book your short-term groups now at Chicago’s hotels, restaurants and McCormick Place today.

Learn more at choosechicago.com/unbeatableincentives

INCENTIVESUNBEATABLE

IN 2015, 2016 AND Q1 2017

26

advocacy

a budget stalemate in 2015 left Choose Chicago without critical hotel tax funding owed to the organization by the state of illinois. in response, Choose Chicago created an advocacy campaign designed to call attention to this important issue and ultimately restore state funding. its tactics included an advocacy action center, creating a grassroots petition, targeted advertising and a coordinated communication effort among our partners. more than 4,000 people were activated as a result of these efforts.

in late 2015, the illinois legislature passed and Governor rauner signed into law a bill that restored critical and statutorily mandated state funding to Choose Chicago. thank you to our board of directors and local industry partners for their tremendous support: the illinois restaurant association; the illinois hotel and lodging association; the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce; the Chicago federation of labor, and the illinois Council of Convention and visitor bureaus.

Choose Chicago was awarded the first ever “Grassroots travel Champion award” from the us travel association in recognition of its efforts to advance travel and tourism. the Choose Chicago team was acclaimed for utilizing numerous community outreach channels, including media, to create local awareness of travel issues that helped drive action at the federal level.

CHICAGO’S TOURISM INDUSTRY IS AT RISK.

Help restore Choose Chicago’s state funding.Please sign the petition at choosechicago.com/advocacy today!

FOR EVERY $1 INVESTED IN CHICAGO TOURISM, WE RETURN $25 IN LOCAL AND STATE TAX REVENUE.

Increasing the number of visitors to Chicago boosts spending, generates tax revenue and, most importantly, supports jobs.

Last year, Chicago welcomed more than 50 million visitors who contributed $14.1 billion to our local economy and supported 136,000 jobs.

7,400 GOOD-PAYING

JOBS

$750 MILLION IN SPENDING BY TOURISTSGONE

$29.4 MILLION IN TAX

REVENUEGONE

Without continued state funding, the loss will be significant in 2016.

P A I D F O R B Y

THE ILLINOIS COUNCIL OF CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAUS, THE ILLINOIS HOTEL & LODGING ASSOCIATION AND THE ILLINOIS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION

GONE

27

2015 destination recognition

Thank you to our partners who remain committed to Chicago’s visitor industry. It was a great year!

chicaGo naMed #2 destination in the u.s. 2015 TRAvElERS’ ChoICE AWARDS

#1 u.s. hotelThE lAnghAM ChICAgo

#1 pizza city

one of the Greatest public places in the u.sMIllEnnIUM PARk

top 13 best suMMer vacation destinations in the world

#2 fall Getaway in the world

“the sky’s the liMit” Condé nast traveller oCtober 2015

“i love chicaGo” national GeoGraphiC traveller January /february 2016

“a little winter break in chicaGo” elle men January 2016

“sky lines chicaGo, an architectural beacon” nuvo oCtober 2015

“in chicaGo, the west loop leaves its Gritty past behind” the neW yorK times July 22, 2015

“the search for aMerica’s best food cities: chicaGo” the WashinGton post June 9, 2015

#1 hotel in the u.s.WAlDoRf ASToRIA ChICAgo2015 ReadeR’s ChoiCe awaRds

28

international tourism

as a result of the budget impasse in 2015, Choose Chicago was forced to temporarily close its offices in Canada and mexico. our goal is to reopen these important offices prior to the end of 2016. in the meantime, Choose Chicago will continue following up on its initiatives and strategies in Canada, including:

Choose Chicago partnered with itravel2000, a leading Canadian online travel company, to encourage travel to Chicago during the fall season. Chicago witnessed a 7% increase in Canadian bookings and a 7.3% increase in passengers during the booking incentive.

Choose Chicago returned to vancouver for a sales mission and to further explore opportunities as it is a gateway from China. during the four-day visit, Choose Chicago and industry partners engaged with travel agents, product buyers and media.

air Canada announced a new city pairing route between vancouver and Chicago to launch in early June 2016.

total international visitation (overseas

and Mexico) 2015 (foreCast)

itravel2000 bookinG incentive

vancouver sales Mission

air canada

1.45m

29

chenGdu Marks chicaGo’s fourth office in china

Choose Chicago led a delegation to beijing for the signing of a memorandum of understanding (mou) between Choose Chicago and the ministry of Culture of the people’s republic of China. delegation attendees included representatives from the City of Chicago, the art institute, the Chicago symphony orchestra, Joyce foundation and the Chicago architecture biennial.

in addition, Choose Chicago and mayor emanuel announced the opening of Chicago’s fourth China office – Chengdu, the largest city of the sichuan province. the Chengdu office builds on Chicago’s continued investment in the Chinese market, which now represents Chicago’s leading inbound overseas market.

159K

4th

inbound overseas visitors froM china

(2015 forecast)

30

cultural tourism

Continuing our city’s Cultural tourism strategy, Choose Chicago’s initiatives are successfully increasing awareness and driving visitation to our neighborhoods and attractions throughout the year. our efforts to drive business during the first quarter continue to deliver significant results.

tickets sold to 575 perforMances of 116 shows

participatinG restaurants 10% inCrease over 2014

diners served 21% inCrease over 2014

in direct spendinG at chicaGo area restaurants 16% inCrease over 2014

paGe views on eatitup chicaGo.coM

increase in ticket sales froM 2014

of patrons caMe froM beyond 50 Miles of chicaGo

unique visitors to chicaGo theatre week.coM 60% inCrease over 2014

in diGital reach

333 9.5K+

$24.2m 16%

161K

528K+ +21%

2.5m

2m

chicago theatre weeKchicago restaurant weeK

in addition to citywide Chinese new year celebrations, more than 300 Chinese tourists from beijing, Guangzhou and shanghai purchased a customized tour package which included a welcome dinner hosted by Choose Chicago. visitors who travelled to enjoy the city’s cultural sights and neighborhoods stayed an average of one to two nights.

chicago greeter program

chinese new year

chicaGo Greeters in 2015

9% inCrease over 2014

speak a second lanGuaGe

2% inCrease over 2014

Guests hosted

international Guests

2% inCrease over 2014

attractions on tripadvisor

#1 siGhtseeinG tour

205 32% 10.1K 55% top 10

31

“we’re coming bacK to chicago for the draft in 2016. they’ve earned it.

the success we had last year set a new bar for the draft, it set a new opportunity

for fans to interact with the nfl. it had a tremendous impact on this community.”

—roger Goodell, nfl Commissioner

32

33

chicago sports commission

the Chicago sports Commission (CsC) recruits and supports high-profile, major sporting events that drive economic impact, create jobs and generate positive media exposure for Chicago. it is our mission to make Chicago the premier u.s. destination for hosting sporting events.

it was an exciting year as Chicago welcomed the 2015 nfl draft. the event was so successful, nfl Commissioner, roger Goodell announced the draft would return to Chicago in april 2016.

in addition to the upcoming 2016 nfl draft, 2016 nCaa® division i men’s basketball Championship - midwest regional and the 2016 louis vuitton america’s Cup World series, CsC has secured the return of the World Champion new Zealand all blacks, who will take on the irish national team at soldier field in november 2016. future events also include:

Mcdonald’s all aMerican

GaMemarCh 2016

nike tournaMent

of chaMpionsJuly 2016

ncaa frozen four

april 2017

ncaa GyMnastics

april 2018

34

corporate leadership circle

strategic marKeting partners

in 2015, Choose Chicago launched its new Corporate leadership Circle to elevate the engagement of Chicago’s corporate community. thank you to our inaugural Corporate leadership Circle partners who support our initiatives:

thank you to our distinguished strategic marketing partners who represent the premier level of commitment to Chicago and Choose Chicago’s goals:

35

followersaccount on instaGraM

in u.s. and newest of all the top four city accounts

#4100Ktop liKed

4th largest

@choosechicagoChoose Chicago continues to elevate its social media platforms and influence. We are pleased to report that our instragram performed incredibly well in 2015. @choosechicago received the most likes of any city dmo in 2015.

36

absolute production services

aon plc

bank of america

Chicago bears

Chicago fire soccer Club

Chicago match race Center

Chicago sport & social Club

Chicagoland speedway

fitness formula Clubs

freeman

Go Ground & Go airport express

imG Worldwide, inc.

intersport

latham & Watkins llp

lettuce entertain you parties & special events

mcdonald’s all american Games

millerCoors

prime electrical & exhibition services

red bull north america

tsmGi

the privatebank

bannerville usa

bob.tv

bucksbaum retail properties llC

bKl architecture llC

fleet feet sports Chicago

mchugh Construction

mayer brown llp

uiC pavillon

William blair & Company llC

mvp

all-star

hall of fame

37

holly agraPresident & CEOChicago’s first lady Cruises

michelle t. booneCommissionerdepartment of Cultural affairs & special events (dCase)

michael cassidyVice President, Operationsstarwood hotels & resorts

john t. coliPresidentteamsters Joint Council 25

john collettiManaging PartnerGibsons restaurant Group

ginger s. evansCommissionerChicago department of aviation

laurence s. gellerChairmanGeller investment Co.

jacK m. greenbergChairmanthe Western union Companyand innerWorkings

maria guerra-lapaceKCommissionerChicago department of business affairs & Consumer protection

mary pat heftmanExecutive Vice PresidentConvention & strategic alliancesnational restaurant association

jaKe henryDirectormcKinsey & Company

matthew j. hynesManaging DirectorGCm Grosvenor

dr. Kwang – wu KimPresident & CEOColumbia College Chicago

marKo iglendzaFounder & CEOterminal Getaway spa

tom loughlinArea Vice Presidenthilton Worldwide

jerry micKelsonChairman & Co-FounderJam productions

theresa e. mintlePresident & CEOChicagoland Chamber of Commerce

lynn j. osmondPresident & CEOChicago architecture foundation

jorge ramirezPresidentChicago federation of labor

maria razumich-zecRegional Vice Presidentthe peninsula hotelsGeneral managerthe peninsula Chicago

sandra reynoldsPartnerintralink Global

tom ricKettsChairmanincapital llC and the Chicago Cubs

manuel sanchezPartnersanchez daniels & hoffman llp

harriet seitlerExecutive Vice President /Chief Marketing OfficeroWn | harpo studios

alpana singhRestaurateur & Master Sommelierthe boarding house and seven lions

melody spann-cooperChairman, Presidentmidway broadcasting Corporation | Wvon

carlos tortoleroFounder & Presidentnational museum of mexican art

ronald l. vlasicRegional Vice President of HotelsKimpton hotels & restaurants

marK g. watsonExecutive Directorradiological society of north america (rsna)

Kevin willerPartnerChicago ventures

bernarda wongPresident & CEOChinese american service league

memberswalter burnett jr.Alderman, 27th WardCity of Chicago

don finnBusiness Manager, Financial SecretaryibeW local 134

billy glunzRegional Director of Government Affairsamerican airlines

lori healeyCEOmetropolitan pier & exposition authority

amy j. hughesManaging Director, Market Executiveillinois & michigan u.s. trust

barbara laKenDirector, Specialty Salesunited airlines

Kevin p. mclaughlinBusiness Representativeunited brotherhood of Carpenters, Carpenters union local 10

jim schultzDirectorillinois department of Commerce & economic opportunity

john tomasiewiczDirector, Market Developmentamerican express travel related services

thomas villanovaPresidentthe Chicago and Cook County building and Construction trades Council

desiree rogersChair, CEOJohnson publishing Company

don welshPresident & CEO Choose Chicago

gillian darlowCEOpolk bros. foundation

lou raizinTreasurer, president broadway in Chicago

patricK donellySecretary, General Managerhyatt regency Chicago

ex-officio

officers

38

39

thanK you don welsh for your years of guidance and leadership

we wish you well on your next journey

stay connected with us:ChooSEChICAgo.CoM

choosechicAgo +choosechicAgo

@choosechicAgo

@ccPARTNeRchoosechicAgo

@choosechicAgo