McCormick Place

What McCormick Place does

McCormick Place is the largest convention center in North America, located along Chicago's lakefront and operated as a government-owned facility under the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA), a municipal corporation created by the Illinois General Assembly. The 2.6 million square foot campus comprises four interconnected buildings (North, South, West, and Lakeside Center) plus Wintrust Arena (10,000 seats) and the Arie Crown Theater (4,188 seats), offering 1.2 million square feet of single-level exhibit space, 170+ meeting rooms, six ballrooms, assembly seating for 18,000, and 5,800+ parking spaces. The venue serves trade show organizers (IMTS, FABTECH, ProMat, PACK EXPO), corporate and association meeting planners (ASCO, CATA Chicago Auto Show, Grace Hopper Celebration), sports and entertainment promoters (DePaul, Chicago Sky), and government event organizers (NATO Summit 2012, 2024 DNC).

The underlying technology stack is operationally focused: an in-house McCormick Place Technology Services (MPTS) division delivers wired and wireless internet, telecommunications, and cable TV across the campus; a Scanalytics Inc. smart building platform provides data and analytics; and a pilot of OSCAR Sort AI-guided waste sorting machines is deployed in West Building concourses. Additional differentiated features include 120,000 square feet of bird-safe window film at Lakeside Center (reducing bird collisions by 95%+), a 2.5-acre rooftop garden (largest in the Midwest), 50-foot ceiling heights, and an embedded art collection of 100+ works.

Revenue is generated through facility rental and event space bookings (212+ business events annually), technology and utility services (Advance vs. Standard rate tiers with labor charges), parking operations (three lots at $14–$32/day), food and beverage through OVG Hospitality under a management contract, and sponsorship and naming rights (e.g., Wintrust Arena). Pricing is not publicly disclosed; the go-to-market is a direct enterprise sales motion via the in-house Sales & Marketing team responding to RFPs and conducting campus tours. Geographic focus is the Midwest U.S., with the campus drawing approximately 3 million out-of-town visitors annually and generating an estimated $9.4 billion in economic impact to Illinois per MPEA's 2017 study.

Name

McCormick Place

Legal name

Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority

Website

https://mccormickplace.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

McCormick Place is North America's largest convention center, a 2.6 million square foot government-owned facility in Chicago serving trade show organizers, corporate and association meeting planners, sports promoters, and government clients with exhibition, meeting, and event space.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Convention Center and Event Venue Services

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Convention Campus & District Operators (Integrated Venue Districts) (THAHAAAL), Conference Centers & Dedicated Meeting Venues (THAHAAAB), Convention Center–Adjacent/Connected Hotels (THAGALAD)

Keywords

• Convention center services
• Event venue rental
• Exhibition space leasing
• Trade show hosting
• Meeting room rentals

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Facility Rental and Event Space Booking: McCormick Place generates primary revenue by renting its exhibition halls, meeting rooms, ballrooms, and event spaces to trade show organizers, corporations, associations, and event planners. Revenue is driven by the scale and frequency of events hosted (212+ business events and trade shows annually).
2. Technology and Utility Services: McCormick Place Technology Services charges for internet connectivity (dedicated access at multiple speed tiers), telecommunications (single/multi-line service, POTS, ISDN, T1), and cable TV access. These services are ordered by exhibitors in advance at discounted Advance Rates or Standard Rates, and include labor charges for installation and dismantle. Cancellation fees apply.
3. Parking Operations: The campus operates three parking facilities: Lot A (2,100 spaces, $21 for up to 16 hours, $32 for 16-24 hours), Lot B (1,800-space surface lot, $14 flat fee), and Lot C (1,900-space underground garage, $21 flat fee). Overnight parking is available in Lot A only.
4. Food and Beverage Services: OVG Hospitality manages all on-campus food and beverage services, including restaurants (Third Star at Hyatt, Woven+Bound at Marriott Marquis), food courts, catered events, and the McCormick Place Everyday Ale brewed with rooftop garden hops. Revenue flows to the food service operator under a management contract.
5. Sponsorship and Naming Rights: Corporate partnerships and sponsorship provide brand visibility through naming rights (e.g., Wintrust Arena naming rights agreement with Wintrust Financial Corporation) and on-campus branding placements. The campus partners page advertises sponsorship and partnership opportunities to elevate brand presence.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

McCormick Place is North America's largest convention center, offering 2.6 million square feet of exhibition space across four buildings (North, South, West, Lakeside Center) plus 170 meeting rooms, 6 ballrooms, and assembly seating for 18,000 people. The campus also includes Wintrust Arena (10,000 seats) and Arie Crown Theater (4,188 seats), with full in-house technology, food and beverage, and parking services for trade shows, conventions, corporate events, and consumer events.

Product overview

McCormick Place is a large multi-building convention complex offering event hosting services. The core product is the convention center facility itself, consisting of four buildings (North, South, West, and Lakeside Center) plus two satellite venues (Wintrust Arena and Arie Crown Theater). The facility offers approximately 2.6 million square feet of exhibition space and 173 meeting rooms. Ancillary services include technology services (internet, telecommunications, cable TV, wireless), food and beverage catering through OVG Hospitality, mobility equipment rentals, and specialized facilities like the Bird Sanctuary and Art Collection. Event organizers can access planning tools, online ordering systems, and a 360° virtual tour.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• McCormick Place Convention Center North America's largest convention center with 2.6 million square feet of exhibition space across four buildings (North, South, West, and Lakeside Center), hosting conventions, trade shows, corporate events, and exhibitions.
• Lakeside Center Building featuring Hall D and E with 580,000 square feet of exhibit space, 40 meeting rooms (141,000 sq ft), Lakeside Ballroom (44,754 sq ft), outdoor terrace, and the 4,188-seat Arie Crown Theater.
• North Building Building with Hall B and C providing 705,500 square feet of exhibit space, 29 meeting rooms, and the Grand Concourse Lobby featuring 35,836 square feet for registration.
• South Building Building with Hall A providing 840,000 square feet of exhibit space (expandable to 1.2 million sq ft with North Building), 43 meeting rooms (156,000 sq ft), and Grand and Vista Ballrooms.
• West Building Building with Hall F (470,000 sq ft exhibit space, accommodating up to 2,401 10x10 booths), 61 meeting rooms (250,000 sq ft), Skyline Ballroom (100,000 sq ft, Chicago's largest), and rooftop garden.
• Wintrust Arena 10,000-seat event center serving as general session hall for conventions, concert and special event venue, and home court for DePaul University basketball teams and Chicago Sky (WNBA).
• Arie Crown Theater 4,188-seat theater described as Chicago's largest first-class legitimate theater, located within the Lakeside Center building.
• Internet Services Full line of internet connectivity solutions providing continuous dedicated access to the internet at various speeds, delivered by McCormick Place Technology Services (MPTS).
• Telecommunications Services Single and multi-line telephone service, including outside vendor service (POTS, ISDN, and T1) through SBC, with fiber optic connectivity and in-booth voice and data wiring.
• Cable TV Service Cable access provided by Comcast, available in South and West Buildings.
• Wireless Internet Complimentary Wi-Fi services available throughout the convention center campus.
• Food & Beverage Services On-site food and beverage services managed by OVG Hospitality, including catered events, food courts, restaurants (Third Star at Hyatt, Woven+Bound at Marriott Marquis), and McCormick Place Everyday Ale brewed with rooftop garden hops.
• Meeting Room Rentals 170 meeting rooms offering 600,000 square feet of meeting space available for corporate meetings, receptions, and private events.
• Parking Facilities Three parking facilities: Lot A (2,100 spaces, $21/$32), Lot B (1,800+ surface lot, $14 flat), and Lot C (1,900 underground garage, $21 flat), totaling 5,800+ parking spaces.
• Venue Naming Rights and Sponsorship Corporate partnerships and sponsorship for brand visibility through naming rights agreements (e.g., Wintrust Arena naming rights with Wintrust Financial Corporation) and on-campus branding placements.
• Mobility Equipment Rentals On-site rentals of mobility scooters, wheelchairs, PowerChairs, and oxygen equipment through partner Scootaround Inc.

Quantifiable outcome

• Bird-window collisions reduced by more than 95% at Lakeside Center following summer 2024 installation of bird-safe window film on approximately 120,000 square feet of glass.
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/McCormick_Place
• YouTubeyoutube.com/mccormickplace
• Facebookfacebook.com/mccormickplace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mccormick-place
• Instagraminstagram.com/mccormickplace

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McCormick Place