We’ll be at the 2023 summit!
Curious about the Hospitality & Tourism Summit in Chicago?
Wondering what’s in it for participants?
Want to know more about the various levels of participation, such as exhibitors, attendees, and sponsors?
Then this is the blog post that you’re looking for!
Allow us - Fox in a Box Escape Room in Chicago - to unpack the essentials of Chicago’s premier summit on the hospitality, tourism, and events sectors!
Sneak peek of the post
We will begin by taking a look at what the summit is all about.
Next, we'll check out the various ways you can take part - by attending, by setting up a booth, by signing up as a thought leader and heading a panel discussion, and so on.
That done, we'll check out what the program has to offer various attendees like businesses, meeting planners & event managers, influencers, and hospitality professionals.
And to wrap things up, we'll see this year’s lineup.
Overview of the summit
Previously known as the Concierge Preferred Trade Show, the Hospitality & Tourism Summit is Chicago's highest-profile hospitality and events industry conference and trade show.
It goes back over 2 decades.
Every year, the summit sees hundreds of meeting planners, event managers, concierges, hotel salespeople, social media influencers, and other industry professionals converge on the Navy Pier for an entire day of panel discussions, group sessions, an “entertainment showcase” and a trade show.
With booths from various stakeholders ranging from bars and restaurants to transportation providers and local attractions…
And speakers covering topics like industry trends and insights, team building, current and future approaches to hospitality and events, and so on…
The Hospitality & Tourism Summit has built itself into a must-attend event for anyone involved in the hospitality and tourism industry in Chicago.
Oh, and did we mention they follow all that up with a cool after-party which usually includes a hosted bar, hors d'oeuvres, and live entertainment?
Fox in a Box Chicago Adds: We’ll be there at this year’s summit - more on this later!
Sponsorships, exhibitors, and attendees
Currently, the Summit offers three levels of participation:
Sponsorships, which allow businesses to associate themselves with the Summit. Various sponsorships are available, like…
Title sponsorships (“Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago brought to you by [your company name]”),
Thought leadership which means you can be an official speaker and represent your brand on stage, live,
And others like bag sponsorship, recharging station sponsorships and so on.
Exhibitors, (you guessed it) who can set up booths at the event. They do have various kinds of booth options ranging from a basic booth to a dominant booth (with differing levels of visibility).
Attendees who can attend the panel discussions, check out the various booths (which will include many from restaurants and eateries), and meet others in the industry.
Who should attend the summit?
The Chicago Hospitality and Tourism Summit offers something for everyone - event managers, meeting planners, hotel and hospitality professionals, social media influencers, and Chicago's bevy of businesses, especially small and local businesses.
From industry insights to networking opportunities, all while enjoying food and drinks from some of Chicago's best restaurants and catching a break - they have you covered.
Meeting & event planners
You'll find new and exciting venues and vendors to partner with so your business can stand out from competitors.
Educational breakout sessions will provide valuable knowledge and insights to help you improve your planning and presentation skills.
As with any industry event, there will be opportunities aplenty to network and connect with other industry professionals and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and insights.
And you get to do all that while catching a break and having lots of fun, with food and drink from some of Chicago’s best restaurants and multiple entertainment options at the Entertainment Showcase.
Fox in a Box Chicago Adds: Just in case you’ve been looking to add an escape room to your portfolio of venues and events, watch for a booth titled “Fox in a Box Escape Room”!
Businesses
First of all, as you've rightly guessed, it's a great way to gain quality leads and boost your brand visibility.
You get to meet hundreds of concierges, meeting and event planners, social media influencers, and industry professionals while attending the educational breakout sessions - this is sure to give you valuable insights and stay ahead of the competition.
All that in a fun setting.
Social media influencers
The Summit is a great way for influencers to connect with the tourism and events industry.
You can discover new businesses and engage with partners and followers while enjoying food and drink samples from some of Chicago's top venues.
The talks and discussions will help you stay current with industry trends, while the entertainment showcase and other events are a great opportunity to network with hotel teams, concierges, tour guides, and other influencers.
Hotel professionals
Hear what some of the who's who in the Chicago hospitality industry have to say, connect with hundreds of professionals in the hospitality, event management, tourism and allied industries, gain insight into current and future trends and gain the skills and connections required to get an edge in the business.
The Chicago Hospitality And Tourism Summit 2023
Note: This section will be updated with new information as it becomes available.
This year, the summit takes place on Tuesday, May 2nd, in the Aon Grand Ballroom at the Navy Pier (as usual).
It begins in the late morning with the breakout sessions, which will be followed by the trade show and entertainment showcase that’ll carry on all afternoon - and after that, the after-party begins at 6 in the evening.
Make sure you’re there by 10 AM so you can register and sign up for all the programs and discussions you want to attend.
The educational breakout sessions
10 entertainment ideas to take your event to the next level - more information to follow…
Beyond the loop: Bringing visitors and meeting to Chicago’s neighborhoods, which will brainstorm various ways of taking guests and events to our city’s neighborhoods and communities.
The State of Hospitality, Events & Tourism in Chicago, at which a panel of speakers led by Choose Chicago President & CEO Lynn Osmond will discuss the state of the industry and what to expect in 2023 and beyond.
Our (Fox in a Box Escape Room’s) booth
Yep!
We’ve booked a booth for ourselves at this year’s Summit, and we look forward to taking part in the various events and meeting up with you!
As a team building event manager in Chicago, we look forward to connecting with meeting & event planners and others in the sector!
Will we see you there?
We hope so!
It’ll be an invaluable opportunity to meet up, strike up partnerships and gain the insight and skills needed to stay ahead in the game.
For further information on the event and how to sign up, please visit their official website.
BLOGS
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