The countdown to the final decision concerning which city (Madrid, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro or Chicago) will host the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games comes to a head October 2 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Then we’ll find out if Chicago will make the big move from “Candidate City” to “Host City.” Working toward the outcome is the “Chicago Hospitality Backs the Bid Task Force,” a grassroots effort comprised of leading names in the hospitality and visitor industries here in the city and nationwide.

Who is the “hospitality industry”? They are the people charged with making sure Chicagoans and visitors maintain an even keel day and night. It’s the waiter at the restaurant; the tour operator; the hotelier, or concierge; event planners; limo drivers; the linen companies who serve the hotels their starched sheets and aprons to the restaurants. It’s the whole force of workers at Navy Pier, McCormick Place, Millennium Park, Lincoln Park Zoo and more.

Most would agree Chicago is one of the more hospitable cities in the world and there is a force of people out there representing it as such every day. Now that community is stepping up to support the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. You can do so right now by signing up at www.2016petition.com or come out to support Chicago’s bid for Olympic glory at the Back the Bid Rally, being held at the Hyatt Regency Chicago on Thursday, Sept. 3, at 4 p.m.

Concierge Preferred has partnered with Chicago 2016 to showcase the strong support for the Games within Chicago’s hospitality industry, its partners and supporters. It’s time for the hospitality industry to make a final push for the Games by making sure every member of every team in the city puts their name on the dotted line in support of Chicago’s bid.