With 2.2 million square feet of exhibit space, McCormick Place is North America’s premier convention and trade show facility…not to mention the nation’s largest and most adaptable convention center. McCormick Place can easily handle the largest trade shows and conventions, but also has the flexibility to host small and mid-sized events as well.
In addition, the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) - owner and operator of the McCormick Place complex and Navy Pier - is continually improving the buildings’ services and amenities to better serve convention and trade show organizers and their attendees.
New Improvements
Most recently, the MPEA completed a complete overhaul of McCormick Place’s technology infrastructure, adding permanent Internet2 capabilities. It is the only convention facility in the country with this permanent advanced technology.
Internet2 allows for instantaneous transfer of multiple, large files consisting of hundreds of megabytes of data. Convention and trade show attendees can now plug into a cutting-edge Internet network anywhere in McCormick Place that can include a number of customized virtual area networks (VLANs).
In addition to McCormick Place’s new technology infrastructure, the building now has expanded food service options. Three new restaurants recently opened in the building, including the new Maui Wowi Smoothies, a second Starbuck’s Coffee outlet, and the newly re-located Miller Inn. McCormick Place is also home to McDonald’s, Connie’s Pizza, and Ryba’s Fudge Shop.
Furthermore, transportation from McCormick Place to downtown is now faster and easier with the dedicated busway connecting McCormick Place to downtown. By allowing charter buses for convention and trade shows to bypass local traffic, this two-lane, 2.5-mile roadway decreases travel times and subsequently, busing costs, for transporting attendees between their hotels and the convention center.Another example of citywide commitment to convention and trade shows are the landmark labor reforms passed in 1998 for McCormick Place and Navy Pier. The reforms - which have now been extended through 2005 - include the creation of a unified labor pool for Carpenters and Decorators, the enaction of a more competitive overtime pay, and the opportunity for small exhibitors to handle booth assembly and decorating on their own.
Buildings in the McCormick Place Campus
The McCormick Place campus is comprised of five buildings: the South Building, the North Building, Lakeside Center at McCormick Place, Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, and Hyatt Regency McCormick Place Conference Center. The North Building, South Building, and Lakeside Center are linked by the glass-enclosed Grand Concourse, a 100-foot high, 900-foot long pedestrian walkway.
The South Building – which opened in 1996 - consists of 840,000 square feet of exhibition space and 170,000 square feet of meeting space. The Grand Concourse contains a business center, a gift shop, and a tourism booth with visitor information. Other amenities include three gift shops, ten restaurants, a relaxation station, a shoe shine parlor, and public lockers.
The North Building offers 705,500 square feet of flexible exhibit space, as well as 29 meeting rooms. Each level can be used on its own for mid-sized events or with adjoining halls for larger shows. The North Building was completed in 1986.
The third exhibition building in the complex is Lakeside Center at McCormick Place. It was retrofitted in March of 1998 in what was the original McCormick Place structure and had recently been known as the East Building. Lakeside Center offers the largest ballroom in the city (45,000 square feet), 34 renovated meeting rooms, six new meeting rooms, and a 300,000 square foot exhibition floor (which can be easily divided into two 150,000 square foot halls).
In addition, the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place Conference Center opened in August of 2001 to accommodate a growing demand for additional meeting room space at McCormick Place. The two story conference center is connected to the South Building and the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place via an enclosed skybridge. It offers up to 28 meeting rooms, in addition to a lecture hall, banquet kitchen, office services and coffee shop.
The Hyatt Regency McCormick Place hotel opened in 1998. The convention hotel offers 800 guest rooms and is connected to the McCormick Place complex via the enclosed Grand Concourse.
Together, the hotel and conference center offer 36 meeting rooms and over 41,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 12,000 square foot ballroom.
New West Building in the Works
The MPEA is moving forward with plans for the new McCormick Place West Building. The $850 West Building will give the convention center the opportunity to host a broader variety of meetings, due to the high ratio of meeting space to exhibit space and flexible nature of the setup.
The new building will provide approximately 470,000 square feet of additional exhibit space and about 250,000 square feet of meeting space, including a 100,000-square-foot ballroom, which would be the largest in the city.