Subject: Choose Chicago Visitor Industry Report - October 2014
From: "Don Welsh" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 14:59:12 -0600

Don's News September 2 To view this email as a web page, click 
http://view.exacttarget.com/?j=fe5d1774736204757315&m=fe6515707260037d7513&ls=fdc0157374620574721675766d&l=fe6415787464027c7310&s=fe1d13707d650d797c1d73&jb=ffcf14&ju= 
here. 

 
October 2014Issue 43

Dear Chicago Visitor Industry Champion,

I would like to begin this month&rsquo;s report by thanking all of you for your continued commitment to and support of the mission and goals of Choose Chicago. 

We are extremely pleased to welcome back our friends from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). More than 7,500 surgeons who represent nearly 50 countries from around the globe will be in Chicago for the conference which runs Friday through Tuesday. This conference, which was last held in Chicago in 2008 will contribute more than $17.5 million in estimated direct expenditures to Chicago. On behalf of our entire industry, we wish ASPS the very best for a successful event!

Since our last update, I am pleased to report several accomplishments that will positively affect our industry.

First, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize and congratulate Commissioner Rosie Andolino along with the Aviation and Choose Chicago teams for their incredible efforts leading up to and during the 20th World Routes Development Forum. Chicago welcomed a record-breaking number of registered delegates in the Forum's 20-year history! This was only the second time the Routes Forum has been held in the United States. More than 3,000 airline, airport and tourism decision makers converged on the city to participate in this Forum, where airlines and airports come together to negotiate new air service and decide where to fly in the future. More than 80 percent of delegates traveled from
 countries overseas. The Chicago Department of Aviation reports that a nonstop, daily wide body service can bring $200 million in annual economic activity to the Chicago region.

The 30th edition of IMTS 2014 was the fourth largest in IMTS history and the largest six-day show ever with 114,147 registrants - an increase of 14% since the 2012 show. Equally as impressive is the fact that IMTS 2014 welcomed one of the largest international delegations with more than 15,000 international visitors. The estimated direct expenditures as a result of IMTS is nearly $233 million. Although IMTS takes place in Chicago every two years, it is committed to supporting students and educators who have an interest in manufacturing and engineering. IMTS and GIE media presented Chicago&rsquo;s Austin Polytechnical Academy (APA), a college and career prep high school with a focus on
 manufacturing and engineering located on the West Side, with a $20,000 check to help advance the school&rsquo;s mission of preparing students for manufacturing and engineering careers.  The money was raised by the Miles for Manufacturing 5K Run/Walk, sponsored by IMTS and GIE Media, which took place on Wednesday, Sept. 10. Despite cold, rainy conditions, more than 200 people supported the 5K run/walk!

After nearly four months of intense focus and discussions, it was announced during the October 2 Thursday Night Football pre-game broadcast that the NFL had selected Chicago to host the 2015 NFL Draft (April 30 - May 2) which will be held at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University. Mayor Emanuel, George McCaskey, Ted Phillips and the entire Chicago Bears organization were instrumental with their leadership and exceptional engagement with Choose Chicago and the Chicago Sports Commission throughout the entire process. For those of you not familiar with the Draft, is has been held in New York City for 50 years. Last year, the Draft drew a television audience of more than 50 million
 viewers. There is no doubt the national visibility of this event will support the goal of reaching 55 million visitors by 2020!

This weekend brings the 37th Bank of America Chicago Marathon. This highly anticipated annual event continues to give people a reason to visit our city. A global event of this scale further supports the goals of Choose Chicago as set forth by Mayor Emanuel. In 2013, the Marathon attracted 40,900 race participants, 17% of whom were international. The 2013 race resulted in more than $101.8 million in spending at hotels, restaurants and entertainment. Nearly 45,000 runners will follow a course that winds through 29 neighborhoods during a spectacular time of year. Best of luck to our friends at Bank of America, the Chicago Marathon and all participants for a successful event! 

Support PCMA Convening Leaders 2015 - We are less than 100 days from welcoming the meetings and convention industry&rsquo;s premier education and networking event, Convening Leaders. From January 11 - 15, 2015, Chicago will host the PCMA Convening Leaders conference for the first time since 1994. More than 4,000 key influencers, including 2,000 meeting planners who each plan an average of 34 meetings per year will visit our magnificent city. Your consideration in supporting this highly impactful event is greatly appreciated. Sponsorship benefits are available at all levels, please 
http://www.choosechicago.com/includes/content/docs/MEDIA/PCMASponsorship_ChooseChicago.pdf 
click here  for more information or contact Nina Winston, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships at 
mailto:[email-masked] 
[email-masked] . More details about how you can get involved are available at 
http://www.choosechicago.com/pcmacl/ 
http://www.choosechicago.com/pcmacl/ . 

Chicago Sales Production - In the month of August 2014, Choose Chicago booked the following for future years: 

	- 186,412 room nights
	- 218,102 attendees 
	- More than $347 million in estimated direct expenditures
New Bookings- Choose Chicago secured the following significant bookings in the month of August: 

RAM RACING 2014 Hot Chocolate Series, November 2014
Estimated Direct Expenditures = $20.5 million

Younique Products 2015 Conference, August 2015  
Estimated Direct Expenditures = $17.7 million

CRF 2020 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics Conference, October 2020
Estimated Direct Expenditures = $32.2 million

International Home + Housewares Show 2020, March 2020
Estimated Direct Expenditures = $120.2 million

As many of you may know, Brad Kent, Senior Vice President, Sales and Services has accepted the position of Senior Vice President, Sales and Services with the Dallas CVB. Brad&rsquo;s last day with Choose Chicago was yesterday.  During the nearly two years that Brad was with us, he successfully restructured the Sales team and currently has four solid leaders overseeing an incredibly talented team which is operating at peak performance and generating record sales production. Along with Rose Horcher and our Client Services team, I can assure you that we won&rsquo;t miss a beat during this transition. We thank Brad for his passion and positive impact over the last two years and wish him well in
 his new role.

Record Summer Hotel Performance - As we shared in our last update, Chicago surpassed the one million mark for occupied hotel rooms in July. I am pleased to share that Chicago again surpassed one million occupied rooms in August.  Our hotel community set multiple tourism records for the summer 2014 travel season (May - August). For the first time, Chicago saw records across all key performance indicators - demand, occupancy, supply, average daily rate, revenue per available room and overall revenue. Overall room demand for the summer season reached another record with 3.98 million rooms sold, a 4.4 percent increase over same period in 2013.

Based on preliminary data, September is poised for another record room demand performance extending demand records to a sixth consecutive month.

New Quarterly Event Calendar - As we continue to invest indelivering the greatest valueto all of our partners, we are pleased to share the NEW &ldquo;Quarterly Event Calendar.&rdquo; This password-protected planning tool is now available via the Partner Extranet. Upon logging in, click on Reports and from there navigate to the &ldquo;Leads&rdquo; section where you will find the&ldquo;Quarterly Event Calendar&rdquo; that features meetings/conventions, Choose Chicago initiatives and important industry events booked for that following quarter.

Beyond the Loop - In 2013, Choose Chicago launched its Cultural Tourism and Neighborhoods initiative to further expand upon Chicago&rsquo;s Cultural Plan which is to attract repeat and extended visits to our city&rsquo;s greatest asset - our unique network of neighborhoods. I am so pleased to share that our first web series entitled 
http://www.choosechicago.com/beyondtheloop/ 
Beyond the Loop, a significant component of this initiative, has been nominated for five Regional Emmy Awards for Chicago/Midwest. This unique perspective into our diverse neighborhood gems was produced by Choose Chicago&rsquo;s wildly talented, Brian Schodorf with a considerable amount of support from Melissa Cherry, Vice President, Cultural Tourism & Neighborhoods and Mike Samm, public relations manager and was narrated by our good friends Holly Laurent and Edgar Blackmon, formerly of Second City. We hope to have good news to share following the November 1 awards ceremony.

125 years! - Congratulations to our friends at the Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University as they celebrate a milestone 125th Anniversary Season with FREE special events. They certainly do have a lot to celebrate as they were instrumental in helping to secure the 2015 NFL Draft! Celebrate Halloween at the Auditorium with &ldquo;Chicago&rdquo;, A Movie Sing-A-Long and Costume Party, part of the &ldquo;Made in Chicago&rdquo; Movie Series Friday, October 31. Join the Auditorium for Family Fun Day Featuring Performances, Crafts, Tours and More on Sunday, November 9. For more information visit auditoriumtheatre.org/125.  

25 years! - Our good friends John Colletti, Steve Lombardo and their team at Gibsons Bar and Steakhouse are continuing the celebration of their 25th Anniversary with the release of a video that provides a look into the secrets behind Gibsons&rsquo; quarter-century reign as one of Chicago&rsquo;s most iconic steakhouses. They have been and continue to be an incredible partner and we wish them the best for 25 more great years! You may view the video 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocYUbinDAYI&feature=youtu.be 
here . Enjoy and please share with your friends so that they too can enjoy what we are so fortunate to call Chicago&rsquo;s own!

Congratulations...

to the team at The Langham, Chicago for being recognized as a 2014 Fodor&rsquo;s 100 Hotel Awards winner! This distinction designates The Langham, Chicago as an outstanding hotel as selected by Fodor&rsquo;s editors and travel experts, recognizing high style, excellent service and a remarkable experience for guests.

to Grant Achatz, Nick Kokonas and their team at Alinea for their most recent honor by TripAdvisor&rsquo;s 2014 Traveler&rsquo;s Choice Awards as the #1 restaurant in the U.S. and #5 in the world! We are thrilled to see that their achievements continue to be recognized and experienced by travelers from around the globe!

to Phil Stefani upon being honored as the &ldquo;Industry Leader&rdquo; at the 2014 Chicago Chefs Hall of Fame Awards next week! In recognition and appreciation of Phil&rsquo;s contributions to Chicago&rsquo;s visitor industry over the last 34 years, Mayor Emanuel has proclaimed Monday, October 13th to be &ldquo;Phil Stefani Day.&rdquo; Congratulations Phil! 

Chicago in the News

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/destinations/wondering-where-to-go-in-chicago-5-must-see-spots/article20468456/ 
Five Must See Spots in Chicago  (The Globe and Mail, Canada - September 8, 2014)

http://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-09-12/15-best-new-restaurants-in-the-midwest 
15 Best New Restaurants in the Midwest  (Conde Nast Traveler, National - September 12, 2014)

http://www.jsonline.com/features/travel/chicagos-andersonville-neighborhood-has-swedish-flavor-b99343207z1-274107301.html 
Chicago&rsquo;s Andersonville has Swedish Flavor  (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Regional - September 2014)

http://travel.uk.msn.com/travel-advice/a-guide-to-chicago#image=1 
A Guide to Chicago  (MSN Travel, UK - September 23, 2014)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/05/travel/in-chicago-a-tasting-tour-of-barrel-aged-beer.html?_r=0 
In Chicago, A Tasting Tour of Barrel-Aged Beer  (New York Times, National - September 30, 2014)

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/30/travel/a-100-weekend-in-chicago.html 
A $100 Weekend in Chicago  (New York Times, National - September 30, 2014)

http://classic.aawsat.com/details.asp?section=54&issueno=13086&article=788461&state=true/details.asp 
Lionel Richie Enchants the Audience at a Concert in Chicago   (Asharq Al-Awsat, Pan-Arab Daily Newspaper - September 2014)

http://www.choosechicago.com/includes/content/docs/media/India-Today-Travel-Plus.jpg 
Eye on the Sky: Emirates Now To Chicago  (India Today, India - September 2014)

http://www.indystar.com/story/life/2014/10/02/reasons-visit-chicago-fall/16556681/ 
5 Reasons To Visit Chicago This Fall  (Indy Star, Regional - October 3, 2014)

http://www.choosechicago.com/includes/content/docs/media/Star-Magazine---Nikita-Lee.pdf 
Chicago: The Windy City is Might Pretty!  (Star Magazine, UK - October 2014)  

Best regards,

Don Welsh 

President and CEO

To access the reports, log into the Partner Extranet at 
http://www.choosechicago.com/partners/login 
choosechicago.com/partners/login .
TOURISM MATTERS FOR CHICAGO
133,000 Jobs$13.3 Billion in Direct Spending$836 Million in Tax Revenue

SIGNIFICANT SALES BOOKINGS IN AUGUST 2014
GROUP DATE
ESTIMATED
ATTENDANCE
ROOM-NIGHTS ESTIMATED
EXPENDITURE
United States Environmental Protection Agency/2015 National Brownfields Training ConferenceAUG  20153,0004,998$5,682,000.00 
Younique Products/Younique Products 2015 ConferenceAUG  201510,00013,000$17,700,000.00 
Academy of Management/Academy of Management 2018 Annual MeetingAUG  201810,00022,182$20,340,000.00 
International Housewares Association/International Home + Housewares Show 2020MAR  202060,29340,157$120,163,949.00 
Cardiovascular Research Foundation/CRF 2020 Transcatheter Cardiovascular Therapeutics ConferenceOCT  202012,00032,860$32,196,000.00 
Academy of Management/Academy of Management 2024 Annual MeetingAUG  202410,00022,182$22,360,000.00 

SALES TEAM ROOM-NIGHT PRODUCTION BY VENUE AS OF AUGUST 31, 2014
 YEAR201420152016201720182019202020212022TOTALS
McCormick Place1,161,7991,149,104982,8211,017,8961,012,405706,082738,364300,212139,5627,208,245
In-House749,347571,543296,017157,080174,930105,79130,86047,9365,3122,138,816
TOTALS1,911,1461,720,6471,278,8381,174,9761,187,335811,873769,224348,148144,8749,347,061

REPRESENTATION AT INDUSTRY EVENTS 
EVENT NAMELOCATIONMONTH
ASAE Summit Awards Dinner 2014DCOCT
Germany 2014 Sales MissionDusseldorf, Hamburg and FrankfurtOCT
IMEX America 2014Las VegasOCT
Partner Education/Networking Event Oct 2014ChicagoOCT
October 2014 Partner EventChicagoOCT
M&I Forum Fall 2014SpainOCT
Tradeshow Executive's Gold 100 Awards & Summit 2014Dana Point, CAOCT
ASAE Five Star Weekend 2014PhoenixOCT
Amex INTER[action] 2014AtlantaOCT

MAJOR GROUPS MEETING IN OCTOBER 2014
GROUPDATESESTIMATED ATTENDANCEESTIMATED EXPENDITURE
Worldwide ERC 2014 Global Workforce Symposium10/8-10/20141800$2.1 million
American Society of Plastic Surgeons10/10-14/20147500$17.5 million
Bank of America Chicago Marathon10/10-12/201445000$65.2 million
American Academy of Ophthalmology10/18-21/201426000$44.9 million
Club Industry Show 201410/22-24/20144000$5.7 million
American College of Emergency Physicians10/27-30/201410,000$17.3 million

HOTEL PERFORMANCE - AUGUST 2014
UNITED STATESDEMANDADRRevPAROCCUPANCY
This Year110,274,800$118.49 $84.90 71.6%
Last Year105,246,344$112.42 $77.61 69.0%
Percent Change4.8%5.4%9.4%3.8%
2014 YTD787,917,006$115.25 $76.03 66.0%
2014 YTD Percent Change4.3%4.4%8.0%3.4%
CHICAGO, IL (METRO)DEMANDADRRevPAROCCUPANCY
This Year2,727,933$134.92 $108.16 80.2%
Last Year2,583,270$130.58 $100.25 76.8%
Percent Change5.6%3.3%7.9%4.4%
2014 YTD18,470,384$129.80 $90.15 69.5%
2014 YTD Percent Change3.6%2.0%4.2%2.2%
CHICAGO CENTRAL 

BUSINESS DISTRICTDEMANDADRRevPAROCCUPANCY
This Year1,013,072$197.39 $173.88 88.1%
Last Year976,190$189.74 $163.84 86.4%
Percent Change3.8%4.0%6.1%2.0%
2014 YTD6,686,004$190.25 $141.35 74.3%
2014 YTD Percent Change2.7%0.6%-0.7%-1.8%
NORTH MICHIGAN AVE DISTRICT*DEMANDADRRevPAROCCUPANCY
This Year169,137$226.10 $199.31 88.1%
Last Year167,961$220.42$192.9187.5%
Percent Change0.7%2.6%3.3%0.7%
2014 YTD1,124,164$218.31 $163.12 74.7%
2014 YTD Percent Change-2.7%-1.3%-3.9%-2.7%

*For additional Mag Mile Districts (Streeterville, River North, and Gold Coast), 
http://www.choosechicago.com/articles/view/monthly-occupancy-and-adr-statistics/72/ 
click here .

Source: STR
Occupancy: Rooms sold divided by rooms available multiplied by 100. Expressed as a percentage of rooms occupied.
Average Daily Rate (ADR): Room revenue divided by rooms sold.
Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR): Room revenue divided by rooms available.
CHICAGO AND COMPETITIVE CITY PERFORMANCE SUMMARY

YTD 
AUGUST 2014 VS. AUGUST 2013
CHICAGO CBDDEMANDSUPPLYOCCUPANCYADR RevPAR
20146,686,0048,999,11974.3$190.25$141.35
20136,507,1548,648,50775.2$189.09$142.27
Percent Change2.7%4.1%-1.3%0.6%-7.0%
NEW YORKDEMANDSUPPLYOCCUPANCYADR RevPAR
201419,072,82622,205,65485.9$260.57$223.8
201317,969,76121,046,57185.4$253.90$216.8
Percent Change6.1%5.5%0.6%2.6%3.2%
NEW ORLEANSDEMANDSUPPLYOCCUPANCYADR RevPAR
20144,312,6675,958,58972.4$170.18$123.17
20134,169,2425,942,74370.2$166.24$116.63
Percent Change3.4%0.3%3.2%2.4%5.6%
SAN FRANCISCODEMANDSUPPLYOCCUPANCYADR RevPAR
20146,959,0148,166,75785.2$225.18$191.88
20136,851,2838,155,21184.0$202.34$169.99
Percent Change1.6%0.1%1.4%11.3%12.9%

PR RESULTS
YEAR MONTH AD VALUE
2014JANUARY-AUGUST$812.5 million

choosechicago.com RESULTS THROUGH AUGUST 2014
TIMEFRAME VISITS
PAGEVIEWS
PAGES/VISIT AVG. TIME ON SITE
August 1-31479,0491,488,5603.1100:03:21
2014 YTD4,046,17013,978,4163.4500:04:07

   
 Choose Chicago

301 East Cermak Road | Chicago, IL, 60616

We respect your right to privacy - 
http://email.exacttarget.com/Company/Policies/PrivacyPolicy.html?linkid=View+Privacy+Policy 
view our policy 

http://view.exacttarget.com/ftaf.aspx?j=fe5d1774736204757315&m=fe6515707260037d7513&ls=fdc0157374620574721675766d&jb=ffcf14 
Forward to a Friend  | 
http://cl.exct.net/subscription_center.aspx?s=fe1d13707d650d797c1d73&j=fe5d1774736204757315&mid=fe6515707260037d7513&l=fe6415787464027c7310&jb=ffcf14&ju= 
Manage Subscriptions  | 
http://cl.exct.net/profile_center.aspx?s=fe1d13707d650d797c1d73&mid=fe6515707260037d7513&j=fe5d1774736204757315&l=fe6415787464027c7310&jb=ffcf14&ju= 
Update Profile  | 
http://cl.exct.net/unsub_center.aspx?s=fe1d13707d650d797c1d73&j=fe5d1774736204757315&mid=fe6515707260037d7513&lid=fe6415787464027c7310&jb=ffcf14&ju= 
One-Click Unsubscribe