| TOP 100 EVENTS 07.07.09 3:39 PM |
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Chicago's Top Trade Shows & Conventions 2009
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 | The Chicago Auto Show
Photo: Courtesy of the Chicago Auto Show |
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1. The Chicago Auto Show
Each year, the Chicago Auto Show—the nation’s largest—occupies roughly 1.3 million square feet of exhibit space in McCormick Place. The 2009 event took place from February 13 to 22. On February 12, the First Look for Charity gala kicked off the show, offering a sneak peek of the vehicles to a crowd of 9,000.
2. National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show
The world’s largest gathering of restaurant, food-service, and lodging professionals, this event typically boasts 1,800 exhibitors and 70,000 attendees. The 2009 show hit McCormick Place from May 16 to 19 and offered sessions such as “How to Stand Out in a Tough Economy.”
3. Radiological Society of North America Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting
Billed as the world’s largest international medical meeting, the Radiological Society’s annual gathering will take over McCormick Place this year from November 29 to December 4. In 2008, the event drew 59,181 guests; similar attendance is expected in 2009.
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Chicago's Top 100 Events, Chicago Auto Show, National Restaurant Association Convention, Radiological Society of North America, International Home Show, Chicago Boat RV & Outdoors Show, Graph Expo |
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| NEWS 04.09.09 1:16 PM |
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Carmakers of All Sizes Reaffirm Commitment to Auto Shows
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 | The 2009 New York International Auto Show
Photo: Roger Dong for BizBash |
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FROM NEW YORK
The spectacle of pyrotechnic-fueled product launches and million-dollar concept cars might look a bit out of place while consumer spending is down and the U.S. auto industry's fate remains unclear. So at this year's New York International Auto Show, press presentations and show floor displays are—for the most part—predictably subdued. Opening to the public this Saturday at the Javits Center, the gathering marks an end to the four-month auto show season, and as automakers look back on their first collective marketing push of the recession, most remain committed to maintaining a presence at the shows.
It’s easy to forget that most car companies haven’t actually been making headlines. While Detroit's big three get attention for flagging sales and Japanese giants such as Toyota usurp the American market, countless smaller brands like Suzuki have flown under the radar. “The people who come to auto shows aren’t usually brand loyalists,” said Suzuki vice president of marketing Gene Brown. “They’ll consider trying something new, so we take the shows as an opportunity to offer an experience and introduce the brand as a whole. Arguably, the more established brands really don’t need to use the auto shows for that.”
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New York International Auto Show, North American International Auto Show, Chicago Auto Show, Los Angeles Auto Show, General Motors, Bentley, Suzuki |
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| EVENT REPORT 02.16.09 11:24 AM |
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Chicago Auto Show's Opening-Night Gala Features Slippers, Sushi, and Off-Road Driving
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 | The Chicago Auto Show
Photo: BizBash |
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"There's music on, but if not for that, you could hear that HVAC hum," said a representative for Jeep at the Chicago Auto Show's First Look for Charity gala. The event, held at McCormick Place on Thursday night, benefited 18 local charities and gave some 9,000 guests a sneak peek at the show on the night before it opened to the public.
The Jeep rep, who was taking guests for a spin around an off-road course, was explaining to one concerned attendee why the indoor driving would not be detrimental to gala-goers' lungs—in addition to the venue's powerful HVAC, the rep said, the carbon dioxide situation was kept under control by the Chicago Fire Department, who sent firefighters to McCormick Place to patrol the show floor.
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Chicago Auto Show, Toyota, Lexus, Jeep, Dodge |
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| NEWS 12.01.08 4:12 PM |
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After Pulling Out, Nissan Finds a Fiscally Responsible Way to Exhibit at Chicago Auto Show
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Despite last Monday's announcement that Nissan North America Inc. had withdrawn from the upcoming Chicago Auto Show, on Friday Crain's Chicago Business reported that the automaker will keep its presence at the event after all by staffing it with local dealers.
The withdrawal had been intended as a cost-saving measure for Nissan, which has seen a recent decline in U.S. sales and already exhibited its latest models at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week. But on Thursday, the company issued a statement to report that "after a careful review ... with our North Central Region management and our Chicago dealers, we have found a way to maintain a presence at the Chicago show through our dealers, while still demonstrating the fiscal responsibility required by these challenging times."
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Nissan, Chicago Auto Show, Los Angeles Auto Show, Detroit Auto Show |
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| NEWS 11.25.08 12:11 PM |
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Nissan Withdraws From Chicago Auto Show
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Nissan North America Inc. has pulled out of the 2009 Chicago Auto Show, The Chicago Tribune reported on Monday. The event (No. 1 on our Top Tradeshows & Conventions list) will take place at McCormick Place in February and typically draws a crowd of "a million car aficionados," according to the report.
Earlier this month, Nissan showcased its new products at the Los Angeles Auto Show. But company spokesman Alan Buddendeck told The Tribune that this year's "extraordinary market conditions" called for the automaker to "take a fresh look at its marketing strategy and tactics" and scale back on spending by skipping the Chicago show.
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Chicago's Top 100 Events, Chicago Auto Show, Chicago Automobile Trade Association, Los Angeles Auto Show, Detroit Auto Show, Nissan, Ferrari, Rolls-Royce |
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| TOP 100 EVENTS 07.07.08 10:00 AM |
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Chicago's Top Benefits 2008
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 | Brookfield Zoo's annual Whirl Ball
Photo: Eric Craig |
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1. Chicago Gateway Green’s Green Tie Ball
This rollicking annual outdoor event usually draws nearly 3,000 of the city’s young residents. Celebrity attendees, casino gaming tents, live music, and food from more than 65 Chicago restaurants are slated to be featured at the 2008 Green Tie Ball on September 13. Held at private event space Chicago Scenic Studios, the ball will be produced this year by Denise McGowan and Michelle Durpetti of McGowan Durpetti & Associates. The “Greenivale” theme will feature bands re-creating the sounds of Carnival in Rio. The 2007 ball raised $500,000.
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Chicago's Top 100 Events, After School Matters, American Cancer Society, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Chicago Auto Show, Museum of Science and Industry, Lincoln Park Zoo, Field Museum, Brookfield Zoo, Shedd Aquarium, Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum, Butterfly Ball, Adler Planetarium, Chicago Automobile Trade Association, Heartland Alliance, Medical Research Institute Council of Children's Memorial, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Chicago Zoological Society, Alzheimer's Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Parkways Foundation, Ronald McDonald House Charities, Breast Cancer Network of Strength, Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago Botanic Garden, Boys & Girls Clubs, Children's Place Association, Lupus Foundation |
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| TOP 100 EVENTS 07.07.08 10:00 AM |
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Chicago's Top Trade Shows & Conventions 2008
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 | Celebrity chef Cat Cora at the International Home & Housewares Show
Photo: Courtesy of the International Housewares Association |
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1. Chicago Auto Show
The Chicago Automobile Trade Association has been producing the nation’s largest auto show since 1935, and with more than one million visitors, it gets bigger each year. With close to 1,000 different makes and models, the 2008 event, which ran February 8 to 17, had something for everyone, such as domestic cars and imports from manufacturers from BMW to Mitsubishi. There was also a group of antique and collector cars, as well as experimental and concept cars. The 2009 show will be held February 13 to 22 at McCormick Place.
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RELATED TOPICS
Chicago's Top 100 Events, Chicago Auto Show, Chicago Automobile Trade Association, National Marine Manufacturers Association, Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute, National Restaurant Association Convention, American Society of Clinical Oncology, National Association of Convenience Stores, International Housewares Association, Radiological Society of North America, National Kitchen & Bath Association |
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