Lake Michigan sometimes sends gusts of cold air through the “Windy City,” but Chicago’s well-known nickname was not inspired by its weather.
During the 19th century, Chicago’s politicians earned themselves a reputation for being boastful and “full of hot air.” Many considered them long-winded and profit-centric when it came to promoting Chicago, thus earning the city its once-derogatory epithet in the 1870s.
It wasn’t until the city played host to the 1893 World’s Fair, though, that its “Windy City” nickname really began to stick, when many New York City journalists at the time popularized the term by using it to describe Chicago’s aggressive self-promotion.
More than 130 years later, Chicago is known around the world as the Windy City, but today that nickname has a whole new meaning, and evidence shows Chicago has a lot to brag about.
Last fall, Condé Nast Traveler readers voted Chicago the “Best Big City in the U.S.” for a record ninth consecutive year, and Federal Aviation Administration data released in January shows O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is the busiest airfield in the U.S., overtaking Atlanta in 2025 for the first time since 2019.
“This is more than a statistic, it’s a statement about Chicago’s momentum,” said Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson in a press release. “From the runways of O’Hare to the neighborhoods across our city, Chicago is building, growing and leading. We are open for business, open to the world and once again setting the pace for the nation.”
Here’s a look at what’s new for groups in Chicago, and how the Windy City is working toward offering an even better meetings experience in the “Best Big City in the U.S.”
[Related: Inspired Venues and Experiences for Meetings in Chicago]
ORDNext: An Expanded Airport Experience
America’s busiest airport is getting its biggest upgrade yet with the multibillion-dollar, multiyear infrastructure program known as O’Hare 21. The project, designed to modernize and expand ORD as a 21st-century global hub, includes the largest terminal expansion in the history of the airport, a phase known as ORDNext.
Construction is already underway on the $1.3 billion New Concourse D, the first of two new satellite concourses planned as part of the ORDNext program, which will initially be an extension of Concourse C and ultimately bring 19 new gates designed for narrow-body aircraft, 18 of which can be adapted into nine larger gates that can accommodate wide-body planes. Construction of Concourse D is scheduled for completion in late 2028.
Plans for the New Concourse E, the second satellite concourse in the ORDNext program, include 24 new gates primarily serving domestic flights.
Wow-Worthy Venues Prepare to Open
The highly anticipated opening of The Obama Presidential Center is slated for this summer. Sitting on 19.3 acres in Chicago’s historic Jackson Park, the center’s campus is designed to be “a global hub for inspiration, action and community,” according to its website, and will feature a museum, auditorium, branch of the Chicago Public Library and multiple event venues:
- The Museum Building features six event spaces that can host up to 500 reception-style or 220 seated, with entire building buyouts and private tours of the Museum Exhibit Galleries available.
- The Forum Building in the heart of the center offers views of John Lewis Plaza and seven event spaces for up to 600 for a reception or 120 seated.
- Home Court is a 45,000-square-foot, glass-and-metal building with a basketball court and multipurpose rooms, offering three event spaces for 999 reception-style or 700 seated.
- Outdoor venues include the 2,000-plus capacity, 58,000-square-foot Great Lawn. The Eleanor Roosevelt Fruit and Vegetable Garden (60 people) and Garden Classroom (30 people) are available for daytime or evening events.
- Campus rental options are available for groups over 1,000.
A second wow-worthy venue set to open this spring is The Hand & The Eye, a $50 million, 35,000-square-foot immersive magic and nightlife destination set inside the historic McCormick Mansion steps from Michigan Avenue’s Magnificent Mile.
Designed by Chicago native David Rockwell and his award-winning architecture and design firm Rockwell Group, The Hand & The Eye features multiple intimate performance spaces, hidden passageways, lounges, bars and dining experiences in Chicago’s River North neighborhood.
[Related: Behind the Scenes at Marriott’s Convention & Resort Network’s Summer in the City Chicago Event]
Restaurant Round-Up
There’s never a lack of good food in Chicago, and now there’s even more to try.
A new steakhouse destination in the Gold Coast neighborhood, The Alston is led by acclaimed chef Jenner Tomaska and draws inspiration from French nouvelle cuisine, offering a refined-yet-lavish dining experience centered on elevated steakhouse classics, precise technique and polished presentation.
The Alston offers private event options and venues that include La Cave for 10 guests; The Gilded Room for up to 24; The Member’s Lounge for 200; and the fully enclosed and heated Terrace for up to 200.
Offering a fresh, feel-good take on classic Italian-American cuisine, Dimmi Dimmi Corner Italian is a new restaurant in Lincoln Park helmed by Executive Chef Matt Eckfeld. Its menu features homemade pasta, seasonal vegetables and thoughtfully crafted Italian classics, and the restaurant also offers options for private events.
Call Your Mother, the cult-favorite Washington, D.C. bagel shop, is opening its first Midwest location in Wicker Park this spring, bringing Montreal/New York-style bagels, deli-inspired sandwiches and retro branding to the trendy Chicago neighborhood.
[Related: 6 Group-Friendly Restaurants to Try in Chicago’s Suburbs]
Latest & Greatest: New and Renovated Hotels in Chicago
Chicago’s hotel scene includes everything from boutique lifestyle properties to the largest Hyatt hotel in the world, guaranteeing that groups of varying sizes and needs will be able to find the right fit for their meeting or event in the Windy City. Following are some key hotel developments meeting planners should know about as they source in the heart of the Midwest.
- Bally’s Chicago: Development continues on Bally’s Chicago, a large-scale integrated resort and entertainment destination set along the Chicago River. Opening late this year, the project is planned to include a casino, 500-plus-room hotel, dedicated meeting and flexible event space designed to accommodate conferences, corporate meetings and other group gatherings, as well as nightlife venues, performance and entertainment spaces, and public riverfront amenities.
- Hyatt Regency Chicago: The largest Hyatt hotel in the world, Hyatt Regency Chicago completed a $150 million renovation in spring 2024 that modernized all 2,032 guest rooms and two landmark ballrooms—Regency Ballroom and Crystal Ballroom—in celebration of the property’s 50th anniversary. Further updates to the property’s 24,000-square-foot Grand Ballroom, surrounding prefunction space and additional meeting rooms are expected to conclude early this year.
- Sports Illustrated Hotel Chicago: Slated to open in 2027 in the Loop, this immersive, sports-inspired property will take over an existing hotel and feature approximately 250 units. The project aims to blend hospitality with experiential programming through themed guest rooms, interactive public spaces, meeting space, F&B concepts and brand-driven activations.
- L7 Chicago by Lotte: Opened in 2024, this new property in the Loop is rooted in the traditions of Korean hospitality and offers 169 guest rooms, 22 suites and three private meeting spaces including a 2,700-square-foot ballroom with space for 300 guests; the 960-square-foot Athens Room for 80; and the 487-square-foot Seoul Boardroom for 20.
