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ATEEMA MEDIA & MARKETING’S HOSPITALITY & TOURISM SUMMIT CHICAGO RETURNS APRIL 15 2025

Acasia Gibson

Jan 21, 2025

Ateema Media & Marketing's Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago returns April 15 with a new name, location, roundtable lunch discussions, and inaugural awards program.

Ahead of IPW Taking Chicago's Stage in June, The Summit Will Feature Over 120 Exhibitors, Tremendous Networking and Business Building Opportunities and Informative Educational Presentations from Leading Tourism and Marketing Professionals


The Summit Tickets On Sale Beginning Feb. 4



CHICAGO – Today, Ateema Media & Marketing announced the return of The Summit, formerly known as the Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago, Illinois Office of Tourism, presenting partner, on Tuesday, April 15, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. This year, The Summit found a new home in Chicago’s vibrant West Loop neighborhood, with events taking place at RECESS, City Hall and Morgan Manufacturing, in partnership with Atomic Hospitality. The annual event will welcome more than 1,400 industry professionals from Chicago and across the Midwest. The programming will commence with educational sessions at 9:30 a.m., featuring expert panelists and speakers that will provide pioneering industry trends and insights within two content tracks: tourism and meetings and events. Featuring exhibitors from Chicago’s top attractions, restaurants, event service companies, venues, vendors, and industry associations, the annual trade show will be held at Morgan Manufacturing from 2-6 p.m., following the educational sessions at RECESS and City Hall.


A new feature of The Summit is the Bites, Brainstorms and Business Building Roundtable Luncheon, a networking lunch for over 200 attendees to learn, connect, and build business. The program features two 40-minute sessions and a delicious boxed lunch, providing participants the opportunity to engage with a range of topics and audiences, from influencer engagement to marketing and building vendor relationships. Attendees will choose their preferred table topics during online registration, ensuring the discussions are tailored to their interests and goals.


The inaugural Summit Awards will celebrate excellence throughout Chicago’s hospitality, tourism, and events industries. Industry professionals and the public are invited to nominate their favorite hotels, restaurants, attractions, concierges and more across 12 categories for the award program. The nomination period runs from Feb. 4 through Feb. 28. Five finalists will be selected and public voting opens March 8. Winners will be announced at The Summit throughout the trade show.


“After over two decades producing this landmark industry event, we’re thrilled to elevate The Summit with exciting new features such as the Bites, Brainstorms and Business Building Roundtable Luncheon and The Summit Awards, which celebrate excellence across Chicago’s hospitality, tourism and events industries,” said Tim O’Malley, CEO of Ateema Media & Marketing. “This year, we’re bringing The Summit to the heart of Chicago’s vibrant West Loop, with programming at incredible venues including RECESS, City Hall and Morgan Manufacturing. We’re also debuting Education & Eggs, the new name for our education sessions, featuring focused tracks for tourism and meeting & events professionals and a free breakfast from Yolk, a beloved Chicago original. As we gear up for Chicago to host IPW 2025, we’re proud to partner with the Illinois Office of Tourism to provide a platform where leaders can connect, learn, sell, and grow.”


The Summit attracts over 1,400 top professionals, including meeting and event planners, concierges, hotel salespeople, destination management companies, press, social media influencers, business representatives and industry professionals to network while experiencing some of Chicago’s top attractions, cultural institutions, hotels and dining, as well as neighborhood organizations and regional destinations. Exhibitors showcase from across Chicago’s 77 vibrant neighborhoods, including Big Bus Tours, FlyOver Chicago, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Somos Hospitality and The Second City. A full list of exhibitors can be found at https://www.thesummitchicago.com/current-sponsors-exhibitors.


The full lineup will be announced in March, but attendees can expect to enjoy food and drink samples from local restaurants and nightspots, interact with new and established venues and attractions, and learn from industry leaders about the tourism and hospitality sectors. Additional educational sessions will include cutting-edge topics like “Attracting the World: Global Marketing, IPW, and Its Impact on Your Business,” “Making Connections: Building Social Influencer Partnerships That Deliver Results,” and various meeting and event planner and event industry content driven by the International Live Events Association (ILEA), Meeting Professionals International (MPI), and the National Association for Catering and Events (NACE). There are varying ticket levels, with ticket prices starting at $20. To learn more about The Summit or purchase tickets, visit thesummitchicago.com.



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About The Summit

The Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago is the premier event for the hospitality, tourism and events industries. It features a tradeshow, educational sessions and new additions, including the Bites, Brainstorm and Business Building Roundtable Networking Luncheon and The Summit Awards. Over 1,400 professionals—event planners, social media influencers, concierges, media, hotel teams, and suppliers—attend to connect, learn, sell and grow before the bustling tourist season. The Summit is a launchpad for growth. It provides the tools, connections, leads and knowledge to elevate business and bolster careers.


About Ateema Media & Marketing

Founded in 2001, Ateema Media & Marketing helps small- and mid-sized hospitality businesses thrive through local, tourism, and event marketing. Based in Chicago, Ateema bridges the gap between buyers and sellers in the tourism, meetings, and events industries. The company offers a range of products and services to help clients connect with key audiences—such as meeting and event planners, visitors, concierges, social media influencers, and groups—to attract and grow business. Ateema’s portfolio includes a highly successful digital advertising platform, a visitor content marketing program, and a popular weekly newsletter showcasing things to do in Chicago. The company also produces Concierge Preferred Magazine, the only visitor publication found in hotels, as well as The Hospitality & Tourism Summit Chicago, Chicago Does videos on Instagram and TikTok, and Chicago Does Neighborhood Hotel Maps. For more information, visit Ateema.com.

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