Naperville, Illinois at a Glance
Location: Western suburbs of Chicago
Access: Chicago O’Hare International Airport; Chicago Midway Airport
Major Meeting Spaces: Marriott Naperville; Embassy Suites Naperville; Hotel Arista; Hotel Indigo Riverwalk; Northern Illinois University Conference Center
Hotel Rooms: 2,400
Off-Site Venues: TopGolf; WhirlyBall; The Matrix Club Meeting Center; Ramsay’s Kitchen by Gordon Ramsay; Morton’s Steakhouse; Pavilion at Meson Sabika
Contact Info:
Naperville Convention and Visitors Bureau
630-305-7701
visitnaperville.com
Among Chicago’s many suburbs, Naperville stands out as an ideal destination for meetings.
The fast-growing residential suburb is about 30 minutes west of Chicago and is known for its Riverwalk, created in 1981 for the city’s 150th anniversary. The Riverwalk’s almost two miles of walkable brick paths wind over bridges and past fountains, outdoor sculptures and artwork, recreational facilities, retail shops, restaurants and meeting and event spaces, including the Hotel Indigo, with its meeting space for up to 250 guests. It’s just one of many meeting spaces in Naperville.
“We have 18 hotels, four of which are the big ones that have larger meeting space, as well as the state-of-the-art Matrix Club Meeting Center,” said Carlos Madinya, director of sales for the Naperville Convention and Visitors Bureau.
In addition to its many meeting spaces, it appears Naperville will soon be the site of a new restaurant by Gordon Ramsey. Ramsey’s Kitchen is rumored to open this spring, Madinya said. It joins a varied lineup of restaurants in Naperville, everything from homemade Filipino food to the New York Times’ acclaimed restaurant, Hugo’s Frog Bar, serving fresh seafood, steaks and everything in between. Naperville also surprises in terms of after-meeting activities, from teambuilding at TopGolf and historic trolley tours to a 12-acre outdoor museum focused on the history of Naperville.
NIU Naperville Conference Center
At the high-tech Northern Illinois University Naperville Campus Conference Center, planners find sun-lit meeting rooms, a 3,800-square-foot ballroom, 180-seat auditoriums and computer labs. Massive projector screens and theater seating outfit the auditoriums, which are also handicap-accessible. Full-service catering encompasses break service, hot luncheon buffets, sandwich trays, box lunches and breakfasts. Tech support and A/V are complimentary.
The Matrix Club Meeting Center
The Matrix Club Meeting Center is a 15,860-square-foot venue with flexible banquet space, executive suites, state-of-the-art kitchens and stages. The impressive lobby area features high-end furnishings and modern decor. Attendees can sit back and relax in The Matrix Room, an international music lounge with a global menu and world-class bar.
Hotels
The Hotel Arista, a contemporary AAA Four Diamond luxury hotel and spa with 144 rooms, touts its “sophisticated setting” for meetings, managing to be sleek and airy but retain coziness through comfortable nooks and an attentive staff. The hotel has 10,000 square feet of meeting space. In the heart of Naperville, the 168-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago Naperville is close to the Naperville Riverwalk and other attractions as well as public transit for trips to downtown Chicago. Naperville’s largest hotel, the 424-room Chicago Marriott Naperville, can host groups up to 900 in its 24,500 square feet of meeting space.
After Hours
There are plenty of options for fun things to do after business sessions. At WhirlyBall, a combination of bumper cars, lacrosse, hockey and basketball, players rush around a court in bumper cars trying to score points by throwing a ball into a net with a lacrosse shaft without getting smacked. Coworkers will love the competition at TopGolf, which offers golf games for all levels of player. Beverages and snacks are part of the game there. And, at iFly Indoor Skydiving videos help cement the memories of a simulated jump from a plane in a vertical wind tunnel.
