Tourism & Hospitality Forward

• Our purpose
• Join us
• Partnering with the City of Chicago
• Our partners
• Our pledge
• Socially responsible tourism & hospitality
• Get involved
• Promoting Chicago - a framework for when the timing is right
• Events

Our purpose

Our fight against the spread of COVID-19 has been both measured and holistic. Chicago’s reopening will need to be equally as holistic and measured. Working to support the City’s overall recovery efforts, Choose Chicago is aligning businesses, organizations and institutions within Chicago’s tourism and hospitality industry to help accelerate the economic recovery from the effects of COVID-19.

Our strategy is called Tourism and Hospitality Forward. In both name and approach, its aim is to engage partners, businesses and institutions across the city to ensure recovery is equitable across Chicago’s neighborhoods.

We look forward to working with our partners to open the city safely when the time is right. Learn more about our plan and socially responsible tourism in the Chicago Sun-Times.

2020 Tourism and Hospitality Forward Anthem Video

Join us

Interested in joining the Tourism and Hospitality Forward pledge? We are confident that our collective efforts are the key to positioning and preparing Chicago to reopen its doors to residents and visitors. Visit our survey to sign you and your company up to join this effort.

Sign up today!

If you have any questions, please direct them to TourismAndHospitalityForward@choosechicago.com.

Partnering with the City of Chicago

Tourism and Hospitality Forward collaborates with and supports Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s longer-term Reopening and Recovery Task Force that is focused on broader economic recovery planning to reinvigorate Chicago’s economy post-pandemic.

Our partnership and collaboration with the City is an integral component to our strategy as we collectively navigate the reopening process and new normal for industries across Chicago. As we continue planning and executing on our Tourism and Hospitality Forward strategy, we are focused on upholding the Mayor’s economic development commitments to drive inclusive, transformative growth by leveraging the inherent qualities and strength of Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Our partners

The work we are doing would not be possible without our valued partners. We’d like to thank and recognize the following partners who have signed the pledge for their continued collaboration and participation.

Our pledge

Our Tourism and Hospitality Forward strategy is embodied by four commitments that we hope will catalyze an industry-focused, citywide economic recovery effort that organizations can bolt onto and benefit from. By taking the Tourism and Hospitality Forward pledge, your company is dedicating itself to the following commitments:

1. SOCIALLY RESPONSIBLE PLANNING: We will put the safety of our patrons and employees first by adhering to public health guidance and direction and become leaders in socially responsible tourism and hospitality.
2. DEDICATED AND STRATEGIC ENGAGEMENT: We will recognize the importance of taking a strategic and collaborative approach by dedicating the time to work together and develop the phased plans we need to thrive in this challenging environment.
3. AUTHENTIC AND INCLUSIVE EXCELLENCE: We will work together to spur the traffic of Chicago visitors and guests by enhancing our efforts to create unique and novel ways to leverage all of the city’s dynamic neighborhoods and authentic assets.
4. UNPARALLELED CHICAGO ADVOCACY: We will act as engaged advocates for all that Chicago has to offer by cross-promoting one another’s offerings and collaborating on shared offers to create a mutually beneficial environment for the industry.

Socially responsible tourism & hospitality

Included in our core pledge commitments, we stress the importance of taking greater steps to incorporate socially responsible planning into our reopening strategies and positioning ourselves as leaders in socially responsible tourism as we look to the future.

Tourism and Hospitality Forward is actively identifying ways that we can continue to be a resource to our partners as they adjust their individual reopening plans. We will be providing guidance on reopening guidelines, suggested changes in business practices and are kicking off a webinar series that will speak to ways partners are maintaining socially responsible practices while managing their reopening process.

Get involved

Looking for guidance and ways that you can adjust your current business practices to ensure that you are socially responsible in your reopening plans? Visit our survey to sign you and your company up to join this effort and receive information on our upcoming webinar series.

Sign up today!

If you have any questions, please direct them to TourismAndHospitalityForward@choosechicago.com.

Promoting Chicago –
a framework for when the timing is right

When the time comes to begin promoting Chicago’s robust offerings and reopening tourism and hospitality businesses and attractions, we want to be ready. We know our partners are working diligently to do what they can to prepare for reopening, and we have been doing the same.

We have a framework for promoting Chicago in place that addresses the realities and unknowns of today. We have kept in mind, while developing this framework, that we must be flexible, responsible and nimble. Highlighted below are the four key sections of our marketing framework that will help us promote the phased reopening of our industry.

1. Carefully calibrate our ability to promote Chicago’s reopening
   Goal: Drive local engagement
2. Launch seasonal initiatives
   Goal: Drive leisure travelers
3. Reinforce Chicago will continue to be the best place to do business
   Goal: Drive meetings and events
4. Leverage all Chicago has to offer
   Goal: Flexible marketing campaign that allows us to be opportunistic

Events

We are excited to share that we will be providing our partners with exclusive webinars and event opportunities on a variety of topics as we navigate reopening and recovery.

Tourism & Hospitality Forward: Major Convention Outlook

September 14, 2020 at 2:00 p.m. Central Time
Join David Whitaker, President & CEO, of Choose Chicago as we explore how to move forward from the COVID-19 pandemic. This panel discussion will feature Glenn Eden, Board Chair of Choose Chicago, David Causton, General Manager of McCormick Place, and Mark Anderson, Choose Chicago COO who will discuss challenges and opportunities to resume hosting major conventions, meetings, and events.
Register now
Presenting:

David Whitaker
Choose Chicago
President & CEO

Glenn Eden
Choose Chicago
Board Chair

Marc Anderson
Choose Chicago
Chief Operating Officer

David Causton
McCormick Place
General Manager & Regional Vice President

Previous webinar recordings