FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CHOOSE CHICAGO TAKES CENTER STAGE AT IPW 2024 IN LOS ANGELES
The delegation of tourism, hospitality, and civic leaders paved the way for IPW 2025 in Chicago
Media contacts:
Stephen Crano, scrano@choosechicago.com, (312) 567-8505
Michelle Gonzelez, mgonzalez@choosechicago.com, (312) 259-5708
Los Angeles, CA (May 8, 2024) — Choose Chicago, the official destination marketing organization for Chicago, IL, closed out successful business meetings and promotion of the city of Chicago at IPW 2024, the largest inbound travel trade show in the United States, held in Los Angeles May 3 – 7. Leading a delegation of the city’s hospitality, tourism, and civic leaders, Choose Chicago laid the groundwork for next year’s IPW, which will be hosted in Chicago June 14 – 18, 2025. Exhibiting partners present at IPW 2024 included major attractions such as 360 CHICAGO, Chicago Architecture Center, Chicago Cubs, Field Museum, and many others, ensuring that Chicago’s unique offerings were front and center throughout the event.
“IPW provides an unmatched platform to showcase Chicago’s rich tapestry of cultural, culinary, and architectural offerings to a global audience,” said Rich Gamble, Interim President and CEO at Choose Chicago. “Our active engagement here sets a strong precedent for what we will deliver when we host IPW next year.”
“The engagement of our civic and hospitality industry partners at IPW 2025 shows the importance and impact of tourism to the economy of our city and state,” said Choose Chicago Board Chair Glenn Eden. “I personally cannot wait to bring the world to Chicago next June.”
The city’s presence at IPW included a vibrant trade show booth in a prominent position on the convention show floor and numerous brand activations that drew significant attention during peak attendance times. Choose Chicago held a future host city press conference on the theme “Welcome to Our House” in recognition of the 40th anniversary of the birth of house music in Chicago. The press conference included a speaking program featuring Chicago Deputy Mayor Kenya Merritt, Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton, Rich Gamble, and Glenn Eden. Over 400 international media representatives attended the press conference. On the final day of the conference, the “Route to
Chicago” handover luncheon (a nod to the centennial anniversary of Route 66) positioned Chicago and Illinois as leading destinations in front of over 5,500 national and international travel professionals.
The Chicago delegation included the following leaders from the local tourism, hospitality, and civic communities:
- Glenn Eden, Chair – Choose Chicago Board of Directors
- Lori Healey, Senior Vice President, OPC Implementation – Obama Foundation
- Michael Jacobson, President and CEO – Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association
- Seth Kagy, General Manager – Navy Pier
- Jim Kenyon, Executive Vice President – Intersport
- Jan Kostner, Senior Vice President, Membership and Corporate Relations – Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
- Patrick Maciello, Manager of Events – Obama Presidential Center
- Deputy Mayor Kenya Merritt – City of Chicago
- Gemma Mulvihill, Executive Director of Sales – Broadway in Chicago
- Matt Petersen, Sports & Entertainment Consultant – Petey Sponsorship Consulting
- Charles Smith, Vice Chair – World Business Chicago
- Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton – State of Illinois
- Daniel Thomas, Deputy Director – Illinois Office of Tourism
- Lisa Timbo, Area General Manager – Marriott International
- Scott Weiner, Principal & Co-founder – The Fifty/50 Group
Deputy Mayor Merritt shared, “The energy and engagement we’ve seen at IPW 2024 reinforces Chicago’s status as a world-class city for both leisure and business travelers. I am so excited to bring this momentum back home and continue to elevate our city’s profile on the global stage.”
“The relationships forged at IPW are invaluable,” said Daniel Thomas, Deputy Director of the Illinois Office of Tourism. “Past IPWs have generated billions of dollars in additional economic impact through increased international visitation to past host cities, and we anticipate a significant boost in global travelers choosing Chicago in the years following our hosting next year.”
Key statistics from IPW 2024:
- 5,700 delegates participated, marking a 20% increase from the previous year’s IPW in San Antonio.
- 2,000 international buyers and over 600 media representatives from 70 countries attended.
- The Choose Chicago team engaged in over 250 appointments with travel industry professionals and conducted more than 50 interviews and appointments with international media.
Strong representation at key travel industry shows like IPW is critical to driving future visitation. Past IPWs have driven more than $5.5 billion in additional economic impact to previous host cities’ markets through increased international visitation.
Key tourism metrics are trending positively. Visitor spending in Chicago generated an estimated $1.8 billion in state and local taxes in 2023. Hotel revenue in 2023 was approximately $2.5 billion, 102% of immediate pre-pandemic levels and an all-time high; and Chicago hotels set a new Q1 revenue record this year at $346 million, generating a record $60 million+ in hotel taxes for Illinois and Chicago. The presence of multiple major shows and events is expected to extend this positive trend through May and into the summer.
Visit Choose Chicago’s website for more information on IPW 2025 in Chicago.
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About Choose Chicago
Choose Chicago is the official sales and marketing organization responsible for promoting Chicago as a global visitor and meetings destination, leveraging the city’s unmatched assets to ensure the economic vitality of the city, its residents and our partner business community. Follow @choosechicago on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and X/Twitter and tag #ChicaGOandKNOW. For more information, visit choosechicago.com.
