Meeting planners hosting events in Illinois don’t have to brave the traffic and crowds of Chicago to find first-class lodging and meeting facilities. These five small towns have plenty to offer groups in the way of attractions, dining, lodging and event space.
East Moline
East Moline is next door to Moline on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. The city is in the midst of a major riverfront revitalization project on land that housed the former Case International Harvester plant. Called the Bend Event Center, it includes a 134-room Hyatt Place Hotel and a 99-room Hyatt House Hotel, both overlooking the Mississippi River; Riverside Park outdoor amphitheater; an upscale restaurant called the Columbine; and 4,400 square feet of meeting space with floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking Murphy Park and the Bend.
Bend XPO, which is part of the Bend campus, offers 100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event spaces. The main exhibition hall has 62,000 square feet of space. The site also features The X, a meeting room with nearly 4,000 square feet of space and up to six additional breakout rooms.
The Bend is just a couple of miles from John Deere Harvester Works, one of the largest combine factories in the world. It features a renovated visitor center and gift shop where meeting attendees can learn more about the history of the company.
The city has a vibrant downtown area with a nice park and a stage for concerts and events. Eventually, the Bend will be connected to downtown via walking trails along the river or water taxi.
The Rust Belt is another former manufacturing plant that was turned into a mixed-use facility. It includes a music and event venue for up to 4,000. The Quad Cities area has 73 hotels, more than half of those with meeting space. For attendees who want to get out on the water, there are two riverboats that serve the area, Celebration Belle and Riverboat Twilight.
Downers Grove
Downers Grove is a small village about 25 miles west of Chicago that is easily accessible by car or train, as well as from O’Hare and Midway airports. Its historic downtown, full of mom-and-pop shops and locally owned restaurants, hosts close to 40 special events every year, including a large Oktoberfest.
Visitors can grab dinner, walk around downtown or catch a movie or show at the Tivoli Theatre, a historic movie theater. Downstairs from the theatre is Tivoli Bowling Center, a 12-lane, wooden bowling alley. The village is known for its great shopping. It is five minutes away from Yorktown Center mall and 10 minutes from Oakbrook Center mall. The Morton Arboretum is a botanical garden with trees from around the world, and visitors to the area are never too far away from a golf course.
The DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel and Conference Center Chicago-Downers Grove is the largest meeting venue in the area, with 247 guest rooms and 12,454 square feet of event space. The Grand Ballroom can accommodate 380 for a banquet and 600 for a reception. The atrium can host 200 for a banquet and 300 for a reception.
In total, Downers Grove has nine hotels with 1,165 guest rooms. Several of them have meeting spaces. The village has several mid-sized meeting venues, including Alter Brewing Co., which can host special events for up to 175 guests in its barrel-aging room. Groups that host events there can book tours and tastings.
Rosemont
Rosemont is a town of 4,300 people. Because of its location next to O’Hare International Airport and its accessibility to interstates 90 and 294 the area is ideally situated for hosting conferences and events. The two-square-mile town has 17 hotels with 6,000 hotel rooms.
The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center has 840,000 square feet of flexible exhibition space, including a 250,000-square-foot continuous space that can hold 1,225 tradeshow booths. A multiple-hall layout can fit 3,566 booths. The DoubleTree Hotel O’Hare-Rosemont across from the convention center is two blocks from the Rosemont Entertainment District and Fashion Outlets of Chicago. It has 369 guest rooms and 13,519 square feet of event space.
The Hilton Rosemont Chicago O’Hare has 300 guest rooms and 23,847 square feet of meeting space, including a grand ballroom that can host 500 for a banquet or 825 for a reception. The village owns the Allstate Arena, which can accommodate 18,000, and Rosemont Theatre, which has 4,300 seats. The Grand Lobby can accommodate about 1,700 seated guests, and the multilevel VIP room can host groups up to 150.
Rosemont also owns a 6,000-seat amateur baseball field. Groups hosting events in the village can attend a ball game or visit the Rosemont Entertainment District, which has seven restaurants and live bands every Thursday. An outlet mall is within walking distance of the convention center, as is the Dome, an indoor sports venue and one of the largest freestanding buildings in Illinois. It has two baseball/softball diamonds and supporting facilities.
Quincy
Founded in 1822, Quincy sits on the Mississippi River about two hours north of St. Louis and 90 minutes west of Springfield. The town is known for its historic architecture, and visiting groups can take advantage of SeeQuincy’s Private Home Tours, which take groups of six or more to see two to four of the 14 historic homes available in the East End Historic District.
The city has worked to improve its waterfront, adding kayak tours and hiking and biking trails along the Mississippi River. Bob Bangert Wetland is an interpretive wetland project on 26 acres that offers prairie restoration, an observation deck, an educational trailer and environmental programs. The wetland is just north of Quincy’s main riverfront where visitors can spot ducks and other waterfowl.
At 30,000 square feet, including the 500-seat Quincy Community Theatre, the Oakley Lindsay Center is the largest meeting venue in Quincy. The Atrium Hotel on Third and the Microtel Inn and Suites are both near the convention center, and the Holiday Inn Quincy is a full-service hotel with 4,500 square feet of meeting space. The Armory Event Center, housed in a historic Fifth Infantry Armory building, has 10,000 square feet of open space to host events for up to 600 guests. It is near the Dr. Richard Eells House, which houses the Quincy Underground Railroad Museum.
Schaumburg
The Village of Schaumburg is built around Woodfield Mall, which is the largest shopping center in Illinois. It offers a blend of suburban comforts and big city amenities that make it a great location for meetings and events.
One of its top attractions is Medieval Times, which offers dinner and a medieval joust, a memorable experience for meeting attendees. TopGolf has meeting rooms and event spaces combined with entertainment. The facility is open year-round. For those who love traditional golf, the village has eight 18-hole golf courses.
There are 63 hotels in the area, but only about 10 of them have ballrooms suitable for meetings. The 500-room Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel is connected to the Schaumburg Convention Center, with its 160,107 square feet of event space. The facility has 30 meeting rooms and features one of the largest ballrooms in Illinois at nearly 28,000 square feet.
The Hyatt Regency Schaumburg near the mall has over 30,000 square feet of meeting space. It is currently being renovated and is expected to have everything completed by the spring. The Marriott Schaumburg has 25,000 square feet of event space and 400 guest rooms.
Unique venues include the Al Larson Prairie Center for the Arts, which features a 442-seat theater, a 95-seat lecture hall, two adjacent meeting rooms and an art gallery. The facility is in a wooded setting with an outdoor sculpture walk. Trickster Cultural Center is a Native American and community arts center that features Native American art and multicultural exhibits. It also offers space rental. For fun, attendees can visit Chicago Improv comedy club or Legoland Discovery Center.
