About Chicago
With its bold architectural icons, lakefront setting, and gangster history, Chicago is one of the United States’ most storied cities. It’s a financial and technology hub and home to engaging museums, live music institutions, and gorgeous parklands.
If you’re looking to host a meeting in Chicago, there’s no shortage of inspiring spaces from which you can select. Whether it’s a classic Greystone home, a minimalist loft, or an independent library, Chicago’s meeting rooms are far from ordinary.
These have unique spaces, are easily accessible, have breakout rooms for business, and plenty of hotels around for guests who need to stay overnight. Additionally, some conference rooms at a high-class event venue usually have a perfect backdrop that will impress business vendors, guests, attendees, and clients.
The city also offers all the rental services and event planners you could wish for to help you execute your meeting smoothly. At the end of the workday, your colleagues can explore the city’s eclectic neighborhoods and cultural attractions or experience the electric atmosphere of a Chicago Cubs game.
Meeting Options in Chicago
Gone are the days of holding meetings in blank office spaces with tea and biscuits when you can rent an inspiring event space with all the bells and whistles. Well equipped meeting rooms in the windy city are conveniently located near downtown Chicago, River North, Midway International Airport, or O’Hare International Airport.
When looking for a meeting space or room in Chicago, it’s important to consider the facilities and the options they provide for bringing in the equipment, decor, and catering you need.
- Caterers
Do you need a caterer for your meeting or conference? Chicago has caterers and cuisine to suit all tastes. Whether you’re after platters, a buffet, or an a la carte menu for the board meeting, conference room, or business meeting, the Windy City’s abundance of restaurants and eateries will get the job done.
- Photographer
Photographing your meeting or company team can help build your brand through social media platforms or websites. From candid, collaborative shots to head profiles, consider taking the opportunity to showcase your business during your meeting in Chicago.
- Equipment rental
Whether you need tables and chairs, sound and audio equipment, or state-of-the-art projection gear, you can find everything you need for your meeting in Chicago.
- Decor
Want to spruce up your meeting rooms with artwork or plants? Event companies in Chicago can help secure everything you need to make your venue exactly as you envision it. Whether you’re planning social events like a large bat mitzvah, intimate affairs, or meeting rooms in Chicago IL, having the perfect place at a good location with stunning decor will make the event memorable.
- Transportation
Chicago boasts the United States’ second-largest public transportation system, the CTA, which operates an extensive train and bus network. In addition, the city has an abundance of taxis and ride-share services that can get your team to their meeting on time.
Meeting Companies in Chicago
When it comes to organizing a meeting in Chicago, you can plan everything yourself or hire one of the city’s experienced event management companies. They’ll do all the hard work of securing locations, vendors, and equipment, ensuring your meeting runs smoothly and is completely stress-free.
- Absolute Production Services
Serving both small businesses and large enterprises, Absolute Production Services has helped clients plan dream events for business meetings and meeting room rentals for over two decades. They work tirelessly to find solutions based on your budget and preferred meeting space in Chicago, offering everything from initial concept to day-of execution services. The best part is they respect the site and company and stick to the vision that their clients want.
- Fierce Productions
Fierce Productions plans meetings with a theatrical edge and creative events the guests in your meeting room have never experienced. Their coordination services start three months before the event, and they can also offer virtual planning services for team building and corporate events.
- Chicago Event Management
Established in 1996, Chicago Event Management is comprised of professionals dedicated to connecting communities and creating unforgettable experiences. They’ve become a leading player in Chicago’s event production industry, with a particular focus on endurance sports. For the next meeting in one of the many Chicago meeting rooms, you can consider them for setting up the room wi fi, ensuring the amenities are in place, the presentation is perfect, your networking groups have a spacious site, and taking the event in the right direction.
Pros and Cons of Meeting Spaces in Chicago
While the advantages of hosting a meeting in Chicago IL outweigh the disadvantages for most, there are still a few aspects to consider.
Advantages
- Diverse choice of meeting venues
Chicago’s diverse meeting venues mean you’ll have many options when finding a space to suit your needs. There are art-filled penthouses overlooking the city and historic speakeasies, all with the space requirements and facilities you need.
- Affordability
Chicago's property prices are relatively affordable, meaning its meeting rooms and venues generally cost less than some of the United States’ other major cities. However, the rent of your chosen locations may increase per hour depending on the amenities available and the booking for the next meeting.
- Equipment rentals
If your conference rooms or meeting rooms in Chicago don’t have the necessary equipment, you can easily find rentals in the city. Chicago's equipment rental companies can assist, whether it’s a projector, sound and audio gear, or just tables and chairs.
- Transportation options
Getting to and from your meeting rooms in Chicago is easy, thanks to the city’s efficient public transportation system of buses and trains. If you prefer a private option, there’s an abundance of taxis and ride-share services in the city, although you will have to compete with Chicago’s notorious traffic.
- Cultural and sporting attractions
One of the benefits of hosting a meeting or event in Chicago is its cultural and sporting attractions, which offer your guests plenty of entertainment once the workday is over. You can get lost in the city’s art galleries and interactive museums, see its famous baseball teams in action, or escape to its waterfront parks.
Disadvantages
- Bad traffic
While Chicago’s public transportation network is efficient, its traffic is notorious, which doesn’t make it ideal for those who want to drive themselves to and from meetings. While Chicago offers public transport, traffic near the Field Museum and Downtown Chicago is frustrating. Getting between meeting rooms is a task and should be planned.
- Challenging parking
Chicago’s parking is also notorious, particularly in the downtown area, where it is almost impossible to find a space. Some places in Chicago IL, with a tough parking situation, are Logan Square, near Lake Michigan, the Magnificent Mile, West Loop, and Downtown Chicago.
- Crime
Chicago’s reputation for crime is long-established, and, unfortunately, there is still a relatively high crime rate in the city today.
- Unfavorable weather
Nicknamed the “Windy City,” Chicago IL isn’t known for its favorable weather, making hosting meetings outdoors challenging. You may have to compete with relentless winds in the spring, cold temperatures in the winter, and hot and humid conditions in the summer.
- High taxes
If you’re coming from elsewhere in the United States, you might be surprised to learn that taxes are charged on groceries and restaurant bills in Chicago.
Famous Locations in Chicago
- Millennium Park
Centered around the 110-ton Cloud Gate sculpture, this sprawling park is fringed by some of the city’s most famous landmarks. You can catch a show at the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, escape to the beautiful Lurie Garden, or walk across the strikingly designed BP Pedestrian Bridge.
- The Navy Pier
The Navy Pier is one of the most popular entertainment destinations in Chicago IL. It encompasses amusement-style attractions, waterfront restaurants, and 50 acres of gardens. You can watch classics being performed at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, get hands-on at the Chicago Children’s Museum, or watch an immersive film at the 3D Imax Theater.
- Willis Tower
Once the tallest office building in the world, the Willis Tower is a 110-story skyscraper that dominates Chicago’s city skyline. On its 103rd floor, it features an observation space called the SkyDeck, complete with a spine-tingling glass-floored box known as “The Ledge.”