Levy Restaurants
Chicago, IL, US
It All Began In Chicago. In 1978, brothers Larry and Mark Levy invested in D. B. Kaplan's Delicatessen in C...
Convention Center
McCormick Place
North America's largest convention center, on Chicago's lakefront
Chicago, IL, US
Welcome to McCormick Place
McCormick Place is North America's largest convention center, set on Chicago's lakefront about two miles south of the Loop. The campus is made up of four interconnected buildings — the North, South and West Buildings plus the Lakeside Center — linked by enclosed promenades and skybridges.
Together they offer roughly 2.6 million sq. ft. of exhibition space, including 1.2 million sq. ft. on a single level, more than 170 meeting rooms totalling about 600,000 sq. ft., ballrooms of up to roughly 100,000 sq. ft. and assembly seating for 18,000 people. Ceiling heights reach 50 ft. The campus also includes the 10,000-seat Wintrust Arena and the historic Arie Crown Theater.
Owned and managed by the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), McCormick Place hosts many of the largest trade shows and conventions in North America — among them the Chicago Auto Show and IMTS. It anchors the McCormick Square campus and is connected by skybridge to the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place and the Marriott Marquis Chicago.
City-wide profile
Chicago profile
Plan around Chicago
Convention-center proximity, hotel inventory, meeting space and access — the market facts behind Visit Chicago.
Top reasons to meet in Chicago
- McCormick Place — the largest convention center in North America: 2.67 million sq ft of exhibition space across four buildings
- Skyline Ballroom in the West Building — 100,000 sq ft, one of the largest ballrooms in the world
- 61 meeting rooms in the West Building alone; 170+ meeting rooms complex-wide
- Wintrust Arena — 10,387 seats, on the McCormick Place campus
- About 45,000 hotel rooms citywide, with 3,000+ in the McCormick Square cluster
Inventory & capacity
- Hotels near convention center
- 3 within 1 mile
- Total guest rooms
- 45,000
- Peak commutable room block
- 3,026
- HQ hotels with skywalk access
- 2
- Largest ballroom
- 100,000 sq ft
- Max contiguous exhibit space
- 2,670,000 sq ft
- Breakout room inventory
- 170
- Offsite venues (1,000+ guests)
- 40 within 2 miles
Access & district
- Airport proximity
- O'Hare International (ORD) ~17 mi / 30–45 min, CTA Blue Line direct to the Loop; Midway (MDW) ~10 mi / ~25 min, CTA Orange Line. Metra Electric stops underneath McCormick Place; the CTA Green Line (Cermak–McCormick Place) is two blocks west.
- Air lift access
- ORD is one of the busiest airports in the world with nonstop service to 200+ destinations worldwide and direct CTA Blue Line service to downtown; MDW adds a second CTA-connected airport inside the city limits. Amtrak and Metra converge at Union Station, and the South Shore Line reaches McCormick Place directly.
- District transit & walkability
- McCormick Place sits about one mile south of the Loop on the lakefront. Metra Electric stops underneath the complex; the CTA Green Line (Cermak–McCormick Place) is two blocks west, the Red Line (Cermak–Chinatown) a short walk further, and the McCormick Place Busway gives coaches a dedicated 2.5-mile route from downtown hotels to the halls. The Art Institute, Museum Campus, Grant Park and Navy Pier are linked by 'L', bus and the Lakefront Trail.
Operations & incentives
- Labor & vendor status
- Illinois is not a right-to-work state; Chicago union labor is standard for AV, electrical, stagehand, rigging, catering and security work across all four buildings and Wintrust Arena. Catering at McCormick Place is provided by an exclusive contractor — outside food and beverage is not permitted.
- Local taxes & fees
- Chicago hotel tax is about 17.4% combined (Illinois state, Cook County and City of Chicago levies, including the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority tax). Illinois sales tax applies to F&B and retail, and a separate Chicago restaurant tax applies to dining. Confirm the current combined rate with the venue before contracting.
- Planner incentives & subvention
- Visit Chicago (Choose Chicago) provides RFP distribution to member hotels, complimentary site inspections, citywide housing coordination, registration and attendance-marketing support, and on-site convention services. No published per-room rebate — support packages are negotiated per citywide booking.
- Destination Marketing Info
- Choose Chicago
- Gross Exhibit Space
- 2,600,000 sq. ft.
- Hotels Within One Mile of Convention Center
- 2
- Largest Convention Hotel
- Hyatt Regency Chicago
- Meeting Space
- 600,000 sq. ft.
- Number of Hotel Rooms Within One Mile of Convention Center
- 900
- Number of Meeting Rooms
- 173
- Number of Miles from Downtown
- 10
- Number of Permanent Seats
- 4,249
- Served by International Flights (y/n)
- Yes
- Top Reasons to Visit
- 1. Chicago is centrally located making it easily accessible from any spot on the planet. It’s so accessible that 46 million people live within a one-day drive. 2. Chicago offers world-class convention facilities, including McCormick Place, the largest and most flexible convention center in North America, and Navy Pier, Chicago’s most popular visitor attraction and premier meeting facility. 3. With its beautiful lakefront, incredible architecture and cosmopolitan culture, it’s no surprise that more people visit Chicago for business than any other destination. Dining, museums, shopping, theater – we’ve got it all!
- URL
- http://www.choosechicago.com/meeting-professionals/
- Ballroom
- 100,000 sq. ft. ft²
Photos
4
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