Convene - February 2016

square feet of meeting space. Rosemont’s on-site catering team is capable of serving groups of up to 3,000 guests, and all of the meeting space comes with dimmer lights, separate sound systems, and high-speed fiber-optic Internet access.

The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center is nearing completion of a facility-wide renovation, which includes revamped bathrooms, a fresh coat of paint on all ceilings and walls, and new lighting. Already completed are $2.5 million worth of improvements to the center’s 300-car parking garage, which is connected to the convention center via a covered and cli-mate-controlled pedestrian bridge. Rosemont also expects to reopen its athletic dome in early 2016. Located next to the Ballpark at Rosemont, the air-suspended, 140,000-square-foot dome sustained damage during a storm last August.

When it comes to the dining and enter-
tainment surrounding the convention center,
Rosemont is always growing. Gene & Georget-
ti Rosemont opened in 2015 as the 75-year-
old Chicago steakhouse’s second location.
The restaurant offers private space at The
Estate by Gene & Georgetti, a 5,000-square-
foot event venue. Within walking distance of
the steakhouse is the 158-room Hampton Inn
& Suites by Hilton Rosemont Chicago O’Hare,
which opened in October 2015. The Pearl, a
new mixed-use development, is expected to
open in 2017 with a 150-room hotel and four
restaurants, including Buddy V’s Ristorante,
an Italian restaurant and bake shop from
Buddy Valastro, star of TLC’s “Cake Boss.”
The 200,000-square-foot MB Financial
Park at Rosemont, also within easy walking
distance of the convention center, offers
plenty of dining and entertainment for post-
meeting gatherings. Thirteen total venues
range from live comedy at Zanies Comedy
Club to indoor skydiving at iFLY. Opened in
2014, The Big Ten Experience is an interactive
digital museum with 13 exhibits chronicling
the popular football conference. All eight res-
taurants at MB Financial Park offer private
space for groups. The park is also within just
a 20-minute drive from Chicago’s Loop and
within walking distance of the Chicago Tran-
sit Authority Blue Line’s Rosemont station.

One of Rosemont’s most popular stops for visitors, The Fashion Outlets of Chicago has more than 130 stores, ranging from Barneys New York Warehouse to BOSE, and more are opening. A 28,000-square-foot Nordstrom Rack will open in the fall of 2016. The outlets have partnered with The Arts Initiative to install interactive works of art within its public spaces, and visitors can take advantage of the outlets’ shuttle service to and from Chicago O’Hare International Airport. At the outlets’ Bags Airline Check-In service, a TSA-certified concierge will print out boarding passes and check luggage for guests on site.

For more information: Rosemont Convention & Tourism Bureau — (847) 692-2220; Rosemont.com

CONVENTION CENTER SPECS Meeting space

• 50 rooms, totaling 92,000 square feet

Exhibit space

• 840,000 square feet, with capacity for 3,566 booths

Additional venues

• 13 entertainment venues and restaurants within MB Financial Park at Rosemont, the 18,500-seat Allstate Arena, the 4,300-seat Rosemont Theatre, and the 2,000-seat Stadium at the Ballpark at Rosemont