White Sox Debut Special Tourism & Hospitality Nights
Posted on April 5th, 2012 by Amber Holst
In recognition of the professionals who work in Chicagoland’s hospitality community, the Chicago White Sox are offering specially-priced tickets. On these special days, the White Sox are offering industry professionals, their family and friends specially-priced tickets.
Tickets regularly priced at $40, $36, $34, $22 and $14 are available for $20, $18, $17, $11 and $7. To take advantage of this special offer please visit www.whitesox.com/tourism
The dates available are:
- May 22-24
- June 5-7
- July 3-5
- August 7-8
- September 11-13
Tags: Chicago Tourism, hospitality industry, ticket deals, White Sox
The End of an Era
Posted on April 6th, 2011 by Amber Holst
After an amazing 25-year run, the Oprah Winfrey Show will film its last show on May 25, 2011. In an article that was published on the Huffington Post earlier this week, writer Pam Grout encourages folks to schedule their trips to Chicago ASAP to see the reigning queen in action. An added bonus? Winfrey will be surprising 300 lucky audience members with a 10-day excursion to Australia.
While tickets to the show are free, they’re incredibly difficult to come by. Grout’s tip? Ask a Concierge! Harpo Studios has a special concierge hotline that select hotels use to score tickets. The full Huffington Post article is viewable here.
Oprah tickets aside, the impact of concierge on Chicago’s visitor market is undeniable. Almost five million referrals are made by Chicago’s 750-plus city and suburban concierges with over 1.3 million dining recommendations; 1.1 shopping suggestions; advice on 658,000 nightspots; and almost 1.2 million referrals to the Chicago area’s various cultural attractions being made each year.
Whether you’re looking for Oprah tickets, to dine at the latest hotspot or to discover Chicago’s hidden neighborhood gems, Chicago’s concierge have the inside scoop. Find out more about Chicago concierges’ “Favorite Things” at ConciergePreferred.com.
Tags: chicago concierge, Chicago Tourism, chicago travel, Concierge hotline, Harpo Studios, Huffington Post, Oprah Tickets
Trends Show Hotel Rates Rising
Posted on January 25th, 2011 by Eddie Meardon
In an article recently published by Crain’s Chicago Business, numbers from last year show that Chicago-area hotels are finally beginning to rise again after a continual drop in recent years. Occupancy rates for Chicago hotels rose from 56.3% in 2009 to 61.8% in 2010. The study was conducted by Smith Travel Research based out of Suburban Nashville.
This study gives hopes to local hotels as in 2009 prices were cut as occupancy rates dropped. At its peak, the hotel industry average was $132.19 for a room in 2008, just before the market took a turn for the worse. Last year’s average, $118.37 for a room, shows improvement; 4.5% to be exact. But this is nowhere the high watermark levels seen in recent history.
The price of a room relates back to higher occupancy rates because hotels are now having to sell off fewer and fewer rooms to discount booking sites such as hotwire.com ad priceline.com who are able to sell the rooms at a much cheaper price. Currently, it is estimated that these sites account for roughly 20% of hotel bookings in Chicago. In other terms, 1 in 5 hotel rooms booked last year were rented at a discounted rate. In 2008, this number was much lower, estimated to be roughly 8-12%.
So the higher occupancy rates is good news for hotels. By not having to discount the rooms, it increases the overall revenue per room which rose to $69.66 per room last year, and many analysts believe it will continue to rise. However, it will still be a few years before this number reaches what it was in 2007 when business was through the roof: $87.64 per room.
Tags: Chicago Hotels, Chicago Tourism, chicago travel, travel industry
NEW YORK CITY, CHICAGO AND AMERICAN AIRLINES PARTNER TO BOOST TRAVEL BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES
Posted on October 20th, 2010 by Amber Holst
New York City and American Airlines today joined Chicago tourism officials to announce their first-ever collaborative effort to bolster tourism and promote travel between New York City and Chicago in 2011. This city-to-city partnership comes as NYC & Company continues its national Live More Tour, designed to give travel incentives to visitors through exclusive flight deals and consumer offers in the two destinations. NYC & Company CEO George Fertitta; Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau Executive Vice President Mark Theis; Chicago Office of Tourism Director Dorothy Coyle and American Airlines Vice President of Passenger Sales–Central Division Thomas Aichele made the announcement at Millennium Park in Chicago.
“The visitor industry drives a key component of Chicago’s economy, bringing in more than $10 billion in spending each year and helping to sustain restaurants, hotels and local businesses. We would not be the vibrant city we are today without the visitor industry,” said Mark Theis, Executive Vice President and CEO of the Chicago Convention & Tourism Bureau. “This is an important effort to reinvigorate travel, and we are proud to join forces with a great American airline and another world-class American city. I encourage New Yorkers to shop our Magnificent Mile, experience Broadway in Chicago and indulge in a slice of authentic Chicago pizza. Thanks to this partnership, there’s no better time to book a flight.”
“Chicago and NYC are both outstanding year-round destinations, full of great events and activities that take place both indoors and out. We are very excited to be partnering with NYC & Company and American Airlines to encourage travel between our cities,” said Dorothy Coyle, Director of the Chicago Office of Tourism.
To promote travel between New York City and Chicago, American Airlines today unveiled a special limited-time reciprocal airfare deal of $89 each way. Reservations must be made and tickets must be purchased by October 22, 2010. Valid for round-trip travel to O’Hare airport and to the three primary New York City airports (JFK, LGA, EWR). The valid travel period will be January 5, 2011 to February 25, 2011 with embargoes from January 15-17 and February 18-21, 2011.
The Live More Tour—targeting travel between New York City and the metropolitan areas of Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles—comes on the heels of the Obama Administration’s appointment last month of NYC & Company’s CEO George Fertitta to the 11-member Corporation for Travel Promotion. The board is tasked with administering the successful launch of the Travel Promotion Act, which will put in place a new public-private matching-funds program featuring up to $100 million in private-sector contributions and, potentially, $200 million overall to promote the United States. The landmark legislation is expected to generate approximately $4 billion in new visitor spending and create 40,000 new jobs annually.
Last year New York City welcomed approximately 555,000 Chicagoans while approximately 872,000 New Yorkers visited the Chicago area. More than 4.4 million total passengers traveled between Chicago and New York City, with 37 percent flying on American Airlines. There are more than 50,500 flights per year between Chicago’s O’Hare and Midway airports and the three major airports that serve New York City; American Airlines represent 30 percent of flights to O’Hare.
In 2009, Chicago welcomed 39.6 million visitors representing $10.2 billion in spending and 125,000 jobs.
In the months ahead, the City of Chicago encourages visitors to take advantage of the many, world-class events taking place across the city including skating on the world’s highest ice rink at the John Hancock Center (January 1–March 31); Chicago Boat Show (January 12–16); Snow Days Festival (January 28–30); Chicago Winter Dance in Millennium Park (February 5–27); Chicago Auto Show (February 11–20); Chicago Restaurant Week (February 18–27) and museum free-admission days. These events, combined with the lowest rates of the year at hotels. make for a fun, affordable trip.
For more information on booking travel to New York City, visit nycgo.com. For more information on travel to Chicago, visit explorechicago.org and readysetchicago.com.
Tags: CCTB, Chicago Office of Tourism, Chicago Tourism, Industry News, live more tour, new york city tourism
McCormick Business on the Rise
Posted on August 15th, 2010 by Adam Marks
Well, it seems as though the gambles were correct. Amidst the controversial decisions regarding labor and contractors at McCormick Place, business is bouncing back.
This week, the Chicago Sun Times reported that six major trade shows have recommitted to McCormick Place, and three large new shows have signed on. Experts predict that more and more shows will be adding onto the McCormick docket.
What makes the difference? Cost to the exhibitors. In previous years, electricians and in-house contractors were required to assemble booths, hookup electricity, and more, all at high cost. With new policies allowing companies to provide their own technical staff, presenters are able to keep costs down.
Though it reduces the funds going into the technical support staff at McCormick Place, there are many benefits. With the new and returning clients to be announced in the next 60 days, estimates show that the contracts will carry about $700 million in direct spending to the city and state.
So whether or not you support the policy changes, at least there is a business boo as a result. Finally, some good economic news.
Tags: Chicago Tourism, Governor's Conference on Tourism, Illinois Tourism, McCormick Place
Tips for Air & Water Show Viewing
Posted on August 15th, 2010 by Adam Marks
If you’re in the hospitality industry, today is a big day. People from across the country have gathered for the amazing Chicago Air & Water Show. Yesterday was a huge hit, and plenty of fans gathered along the shore.
Despite the heat today, the crowd promises to be even bigger. So how can you help your clients or guests experience the show comfortably? Here are a few different options.
Frugal
The show is free, so the determined don’t need fancy passes to see the show in all its glory. Direct your guests to take the brown line to Sedgwick and meander towards the lake. Take up a spot on the North Avenue beach, and enjoy! Remind them to bring plenty of water and sunblock.
Splurge
To experience the show in a bit more comfort, encourage people to try one of the great cruises from Navy Pier to get a great view of the show. Tickets range from $45 to $65, and many include a meal or drinks. Learn more here.
High Roller
For those looking for the elite experience, they can do no better than the Signature Room at the John Hancock Observatory. For $100, they get the best possible view of the show with all the comfort of being at home. Tickets include a gourmet buffet and an open bar.
The Air & Water Show finishes today at 4 p.m. Enjoy!
Tags: AIr & Water Show, Chicago Tourism, Downtown Chicago, Illinois Tourism, Lake Michigan
Perhaps a Custom App for your Business?
Posted on July 31st, 2010 by Adam Marks
This post was originally seen on www.socialmediabeast.wordpress.com.
Talk about leveling the playing field! App Inventor is a new product from Google Labs that allows a novice, even a teenager, to create a simple app for an Android phone. This makes me think back to the day when Brightcove was the only free portal that allowed you to build and create a video console with compressed video. Pick your colors, select a template, add in some snazzy tabs, a logo and the uploading could begin. I built one of the first web video players, before there was a YouTube and before Vimeo, BlipTv or Viddler existed. Then, the floodgates opened.
App Inventor will lead the way in a similar manner. Just as filming video went from needed a broadcast crew, with shooters, producers, sound guys and grips to the Flip, building and creating apps, once the domain of API savvy techies, is now opening up to the masses. And as more business moved to the mobile space, the world of apps is sure to continue growing. While the iPhone4 is getting ripped in the press, and has it’s downside, it has also catapulted the App culture by providing a folder/organizational system for Apps that the 3GS didn’t have. The fact that we even need a system like this is telling. Apps are becoming the new “micro-sites”, with easy access on phones, e-commerce capabilities and even gaming.
It’s another blossoming form of social media and networking and likewise, it developing and maturing at warped speed. Get the RSS for our blog and we’ll keep you p to date. Better yet, follow us on Facebook and on Twitter @socialmediabeast. What do you think of all this app development? Will Android beat out the iPhone after this iPhone4 blunder?
Tags: Chicago Tourism, Illinois Tourism, Marketing
The Next Generation of Hospitality Insiders
Posted on July 31st, 2010 by Adam Marks
Last weekend, the Illinois Restaurant Association Educational Foundation awarded scholarship to 46 students to pursue careers in hospitality. Totalling over $64,000, this program seeks to attract interested and career-minded folk to ensure that they can achieve their goals in this exciting field.
Scholarship recipients will be attending the following schools: Art Institute of Atlanta; Baker College; College of DuPage; Culinary Institute of America; DePaul University; Dominican University; Elgin Community College, Illinois Art Institute; Johnson & Wales University; Joliet Junior College; Kendall College; Kirkwood Community College; Robert Morris University; Sullivan University; Washburne Culinary Institute; and Western Illinois University.
Since 1973, the IRAEF has provided over 1.5 million dollars in scholarships, and runs a mentorship program as well. If you want to learn more or get involved, visit their website for details. Taking care of the next generation is a responsibility we all share, and the IRAEF is doing fantastic work!
Tags: Chicago Tourism, Illinois Tourism, Industry Awards, Industry Events
Illinois Tax Holiday Announced!
Posted on July 30th, 2010 by Adam Marks
Great news for you AND your clients. Just announced is that Illinois will slash its sales tax by 5% between August 6 and August 15th. With great shopping options like Old Orchard, the Mag Mile, Woodfield, and so much more, the options are limitless.
Hotels and shops will be getting a great influx of clientele during the period, and you should definitely steer your guests to this great event! Whether people are coming to town for Lollapalooza, Market Days, or just summer in Chicago, everybody can benefit.
If you run a shop, post a sign, and make sure your clients know of this great discount. Everybody wins.
If you’ll excuse me, I’ve now got some shopping to plan.
Tags: Chicago Tax Discount, Chicago Tourism, Downtown Chicago, Marketing, Shopping
Transformers Filming
Posted on July 10th, 2010 by Adam Marks
Summer blockbusters are always exciting, and the filming of Michael Bay’s newest project is stirring things up downtown. Starting today, there will be all sorts of closures for the filming of Transformers 3.
Though filming will be ongoing through mid-August, it seems as though the majority of the traffic disruptions will be early on in the process. Today and tomorrow, shots are planned which will feature people jumping out of helicopters and landing in the park near the Aqua building in Lakeshore East. Needless to say, these areas will be closed to pedestrians as well as drivers when the jumpers actually take flight.
So what do you tell your clients? I’d go ahead and bookmark the CTA’s page on service disruption so you can deliver the most up-to-date news on closures, delays or reroutes.
As for road closures, they are listed as the following:
From 8 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday:
LaSalle Street will be closed between Jackson and Randolph streets.
Washington Street will be closed between Wells Street and Clark Street.
Randolph Street will be closed from Wacker Drive to Wells Street.
From 8 p.m. July 16 until 5 a.m. July 19:
Michigan Avenue will be closed from Wacker Drive to Ontario Street.
From 9 p.m. July 18 to 5 a.m. July 22:
Wacker Drive will be closed between Michigan Avenue and Wabash Street.
The filming will affect more than car and pedestrian traffic, however. Note that many of the river cruises and water taxis will be changing their dock locations if it interferes with the filming sites. For example, Shoreline will not be able to have its water taxis stop at the Michigan Avenue bridge during filming, but all other services will remain normal.
So keep your eyes peeled for Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, and John Malkovich, though they likely won’t be the ones jumping out of helicopters.
Tags: Chicago River, Chicago Tourism, Downtown Chicago, Film Industry, travel delays
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