In celebration of Meetings Industry Day, we encourage you to advocate for our Meetings Industry. Follow this link to the Meetings Mean Business coalition website and share facts about our economic impact with your friends, family and legislators.

Did you know the meetings industry is bigger than the auto industry?

Did you know the meeting industry contributed $46 billion in GDP and $104 billion of federal, state and local taxes per year before the pandemic?

Well, you do now. And, we need you to tell your network of friends and family and your legislators, too. Our industry is hurting. Now is the time for us to come together and tell the world what the meetings industry means to the US economy. Please take advantage of the Meetings Means Business Toolkit and share how devastating this last year has been on our community. Share these talking points and infographics on social media and write letters to your representatives. And, consider attending the Global Meetings Industry Day Virtual from our friends at MPI or attend an in-person event with MPI Wisconsin or MPI Minnesota or MPI St. Louis.

The IAEE Midwest Chapter is working to craft the programming that will be offered for the remainder of the year. Please provide feedback on topics and format by taking this brief survey. Your opinion matters!

How did you learn about your IAEE membership, and what do you hope to gain by being an active member? Skyler: While researching scholarship opportunities this past Spring, I discovered the 2020 Helen Brett Scholarship and decided to give it a chance and apply. After hearing the news that I was selected as a scholarship recipient a few months later, I was given the opportunity to attend the IAEE's Expo! Expo! Conference the following December. After attending that virtual event, I am now involved with the IAEE Midwest Chapter Young Professionals Committee, and I am excited for what the future holds!

How did you decide on your current major and what are your goals after graduation? Skyler: I had been volunteering at my childhood summer camp, Camp Linden, for my last two years of high school. I absolutely loved facilitating activities and running weekend events.  Read more and see her video interview

The IAEE Midwestern Chapter is planning to celebrate Exhibitions Day in-person! Save the date for our June Education Program on June 2nd at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel in Schaumburg for our first in-person event since February 2020. We can't wait to see you! 

On Wednesday, February 24th, just a year shy of our industry shutting down due to COVID-19, the chapter hosted our February Education Program virtually. This program focused on what we're all working to understand: what does the road to recovery for our industry look like? What are cities, venues, vendors and show planners doing to prepare for in-person events again? We composed a panel of three industry associations to discuss what they're preparing for with the comeback of in-person events and what essential steps they're taking in order to ensure safety, efficiency and success. 

In the first of the three panel discussions, we heard from Michael Jacobson, President & CEO, with the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association. IHLA represents 1,500 hotels throughout the state of Illinois, from 'big box' convention hotels to small, leisure boutique hotels and their main objective at this time is to advocate and lobby at the state and municipal level for the ease of restrictions around meetings and events in the current reopening plans. Michael elaborated on the challenges hotels have faced with the lack of both leisure and business travel, discussed what safety protocols he's expecting to stay in place and expressed his hopes that when events can return, that they follow the health and safety guidelines to avoid any mishaps that could have us revert back to tighter restrictions. 

Next we heard from a few members of the Exhibitor Service Contractors Association.  While so much focus has been on Attendee experience, we need to remember to take a look at how we pull that experience together safely with our service contractors and labor groups. Bob Ryley, Senior VP at GES and President Elect of ESCA, Pete Carroll, General Manager at GES Central Division and Kevin McLaughlin, National Business Representative of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters & Joiners of America took some time to discuss what ESCA is doing to prepare for when live events do come back including the health & safety guidance they put together surrounding COVID-19.  We heard how the Unions have taken extra measures to keep their members engaged and informed to ensure when we’re ready to resume in-person events, members are eager and ready to return.

In our final panel discussion, we spoke with Don Welsh, President & CEO with Destinations International.  Destinations International, with over 600 members across 14 countries, supports the efforts of the CVB while focusing in on B2B, providing the tools and resources to be successful in their destinations.  Since the start of the pandemic, Destinations International has been working closely with other industry associations, conveying a unified message to push the reopening of cities and convention centers safely.  He spoke of how states like Florida and Texas, who’ve balanced their reopening with health & safety protocols, are already ‘reaping’ the benefits.  Don also touched on social unrest activism and how that may affect destinations in the future.   In addition to safety and health guidelines, we can expect organizations to look at equity, diversity and inclusion within hotels and venues in a city when deciding on where to host their event.

IAEE MWC would like to thank our panelist for a wonderful discussion, as well as all who attended the program.  We’re looking forward to seeing you in June for an in-person program!  

While our industry has been deeply affected by the by the global COVID-19 pandemic, our sponsors have been instrumental in conquering these challenges faced by our industry. This year, all sponsorships are "a al carte" creating opportunities to meet everyone's needs. Being a partner with IAEEMWC allows you to get in front of over 700 meeting planners and 1,400 industry professionals. Contact Julie Ichiba for sponsorship options. 

Mark your calendars for our IAEE MWC 2021 Golf Outing!

Wednesday, September 1st at Seven Bridges in Woodridge

NEW! 8:30 am Shotgun Start!

Please consider making a financial donation to our chapter charity, Sarah's Circle. Sarah's Circle is a non-profit organization with a mission of serving women who are homeless or in need of a safe space. Make a donation today! Located in Chicago's Uptown Community, Sarah's Circle has provided support for thousands of women since 1979. 

Today, Sarah's Circle has a Daytime Support Center open to any woman in need, a 50-bed interim housing (shelter) program for women who are currently homeless, and permanent supportive housing for women who have a disabling condition and have been chronically homeless. Across programs, Sarah's Circle staff use best practices and provide case management and supportive counseling to help women achieve their goals. Donate NOW!