The people banging their heads to "Enter Sandman" probably didn't know it at the time, but they were all part of an informal dry run for IMTS last month at Lollapalooza. I happened to be in Chicago just as the famed music festival was ending and had a chance to sit down with Choose Chicago President and CEO Lynn Osmond while I was there. Lynn was enthusiastic in her report on how well the city handled this year’s event. "It was fabulous," she gushed. "We had over a hundred thousand people per day for the last four days participating in this incredible event...and they filled all our hotel rooms—45,000 hotel rooms per night." If those numbers sound a little familiar, they should—that’s about how many people we'll be hosting and when we take Chicago in September. Nearly twice as many hotel rooms have already been booked.Lynn wasn’t alone in her praise for Chicago’s ability to handle such a large event—Lollapalooza itself endorsed the city just after its conclusion by agreeing to stay in Chicago for the next decade. For me, I can personally attest to the vibrancy of downtown Chicago. I played tourist over the last few weeks with my niece and nephew from the East Coast and we did it all — the architecture boat tour, all the big landmarks and dinner on the Mag Mile. The whole trip felt exciting, which is exactly how our IMTS visitors will feel, not only about what’s inside McCormick Place, but about how strong Chicago is today. So take it from me, my niece and nephew, Lynn and the thousands of revelers who enjoyed Lollapalooza this year — Chicago is definitely ready for IMTS. Are you? Register Now at IMTS.com/Register.
The people banging their heads to "Enter Sandman" probably didn't know it at the time, but they were all part of an informal dry run for IMTS last month at Lollapalooza.