to visitors from every corner of the globe.” Te combination of Chicago’s sophisti-
cated business infrastructure, convenience, and approachability distinguishes the city as an unparalleled setting for business meetings and conventions. Chicago offers access to influential thought leaders and speakers from nearly every industry. Meet- ing-goers can take off-site visits to leading- edge research facilities and entrepreneurial hotspots, all downtown or within close prox- imity. Te city also provides a built-in atten- dance base: More than four million people make up its highly skilled and diversified workforce, and of that working population, 2.4 million are within a 50-minute commute of downtown. More than 20 percent of the U.S. population is within a day’s drive. “Te business community here is very
involved in the life and fabric of the city,” said Rita Athas, president of World Business Chi- cago, Chicago’s not-for-profit economic devel- opment corporation. “It’s expected when you come into the city that you will be involved.” “Te benefits of hosting an event in Chi-
cago go well beyond the capacity and ame- nities of the nation’s largest convention cen- ter,” said David Causton, general manager of McCormick Place. “Our customers also have the benefit of tapping into a diverse urban infrastructure that spans many indus- tries, including health care, technology, and manufacturing. Coupled with a central loca- tion and a major media market, McCormick Place offers an impressive industry reach that extends to a regional, national, and international audience.”
Chicago Is Global For a metropolis that’s smack in the middle of the country, Chicago has a broad interna- tional reach and pull. Tat’s no coincidence, because the city has made a concerted effort to attract global business and travel- ers. In 2011, the city welcomed 1.2 million international visitors, and more than 1,500 foreign-based companies currently do busi- ness in Chicago. Meanwhile, Chicago-based companies maintain more than 4,500 loca- tions in more than 150 countries. Chicago is truly a world marketplace,
with global exports — led by medical and optical instruments, industrial machinery, and pharmaceutical products — totaling $37 billion in 2011. And imports, including
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electric machinery, industrial machinery, and mineral fuel, totaled $140 billion. Te city maintains its draw as a top global destination because it’s so easy for interna- tional visitors to get there. With two interna- tional airports and 2,900 daily nonstop or direct flights to more than 200 cities world- wide, overseas visitors can get to Chicago with minimal hassles and layovers. And once they arrive, the city helps make the experience as enjoyable as possible with a variety of international resources, includ- ing 79 consulates or consuls general, more than 40 international/ethnic chambers of commerce, and more than 90 foreign-based trade organizations. To cement Chicago’s reputation as the
premier destination for international visi- tors, Choose Chicago launched an aggres- sive global marketing campaign. Te city opened representation offices in several international cities as part of the mayor’s goal of ranking among the top five cities in the United States for volume of international visitors. “I am dedicated to dramatically increasing the number of visitors to Chicago,” Emanuel said, “and fostering economic development and job growth throughout the city as a result of these efforts.” Te mayor is far from alone in that cam-
paign. “Chicago’s continued expansion of international offices will bring the neces- sary forces to bear to reach Mayor Eman- uel’s ambitious goal of 50 million visitors by 2020,” Welsh said. “Te overwhelming positive response to our global effort clearly shows that a well-developed and flawlessly executed strategy drives increased visitor spending and the new tax revenues.”
Chicago Is Innovation When people think of Chicago, they oſten think of a solid city that gets the job done. Chicago built the first skyscraper — the Home Insurance Building, in 1884 — and reversed the flow of a river, aſter all. (Tat was the Chicago River, in 1900; a hun- dred years later, the American Society of Civil Engineers proclaimed the project a “Monument of the Millennium.”) What people might underestimate is the nimble, entrepreneurial mindset that fueled those achievements and drives today’s thriving startup scene. “Chicago has become one of the nation’s
Fortune 500 companies headquartered in the Chicago
metropolitan area include: • Abbott Laboratories • Allstate • Aon • Te Boeing Company • Exelon • Kraſt Foods • McDonald’s • Motorola • United Continental Holdings • Walgreens