The City of Schaumburg is a former farming community that transformed into a thriving economic center in the mid-1950s with the construction of Interstate 90 and the launch of passenger service at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Today, most of the buzz is clustered near Woodfield Mall, one of the country’s largest indoor shopping centers, which opened in 1971.
Meeting planners can find a wealth of opportunity in this newer community (Chicago was incorporated in 1837, while Schaumburg wasn’t incorporated until 1956, more than a century later), especially in the areas of modern hotels, exceptional dining, outdoor recreation, specialty museums, and designer and outlet shopping.
“The really neat thing about Schaumburg is it provides a blend of suburban comfort with big-city amenities,” says Pamela Hailey, director of sales for Meet Chicago Northwest, a destination marketing organization that represents Schaumburg and seven other nearby cities. “We are also an ideal location outside the city of Chicago and super accessible to Chicago O’Hare International Airport.”
Schaumburg is a northwest suburb of Chicago conveniently situated for attendees arriving by air or roadway. The city is 12 miles from Chicago O’Hare International Airport and 26 miles from downtown Chicago, and it is bisected by interstates 290 and 90. And there also is plenty of free parking for cars and buses throughout Schaumburg.
“We have tons of repeat business, and we are happy to have it,” Hailey says of the city’s steady schedule of events. “But we always want new groups to experience us as well.”
Center Stage
At the heart of Schaumburg’s meeting and events trade is the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, a one-stop shop with 500 luxury guest rooms and suites and 160,000 square feet of event space. Everything is under one roof, so weather—hot, cold, or rainy—is never an issue.
“We are definitely a year-round destination,” Hailey says. “Even though we have snow—and sometimes we have a lot of it—it doesn’t scare off our Midwestern meeting planners. We have a lot of indoor and outdoor venues that can accommodate weather fluctuation.”
The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel is the city’s largest property and exudes a vibe of contemporary elegance, lavished with indoor trees, sculptural details, conversation nooks, and a massive open fireplace. Attendees can get their workouts in at the on-site fitness center and saltwater swimming pool before, after, or in between meetings.
The convention center’s function spaces can be configured to host gatherings of 12 to 6,000 attendees, depending on the event. That flexibility is advantageous “for events that are growing in nature and need more space, or for events that are downsizing and need less space,” says Keith Kehl, director of sales and marketing at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel. The convention center was extensively renovated last year, with guest rooms being completed later this year.
Pleasant Dreams
Elsewhere in Schaumburg, some 30 branded hotels, such as the Courtyard Chicago Schaumburg/Woodfield Mall and the Hilton Garden Inn Schaumburg, entice meeting planners for their groups. All are in proximity to area attractions and restaurants, so your attendees won’t be required to spend additional time traveling from one venue to the next.
Another option is the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg, Chicago, a luxe 470-room hotel with a contemporary ambience. Noteworthy amenities include a spacious lobby appointed with workstations, a fitness center, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
Eaglewood Resort & Spa in neighboring Itasca is a woodsy enclave that combines business, recreation, and privacy in one scenic location. The 295-room resort’s prairie-style architecture nests seamlessly into 106 acres of land to create a nature-inspired atmosphere. The on-site Leisure and Recreation Center is home to the Spa at Eaglewood, which presents a robust menu of facials, massages, and body treatments, plus a tranquility lounge for peaceful relaxation before and after spa appointments. The center also has an indoor swimming pool and a hot tub, fitness suite, and bowling lanes.
At the sprawling Golf Club at Eaglewood, the par-72, 18-hole, PGA-certified championship golf course winds through lakes, contoured bunkers, and century-old oak trees. The pro staff can assist planners in customizing golf outings, as well as private and group lessons.
The award-winning Lynfred Winery in nearby Roselle has four luxurious bed-and-breakfast suites, each designed to represent a different wine region in the world, in a beautiful and intimate setting. Planners can book private tastings and tours, and catered dining is available for up to 60 people.
Dine & Play
More than 700 restaurants offer American, regional, and global cuisines in both casual and elevated settings throughout the Schaumburg area. Check out Chicagoland’s iconic eats, especially Lou Malnati’s and Giordano’s deep-dish pizza, Portillo’s hot dogs and plant-based garden dogs, and Garrett Popcorn (try the sweet and savory Chicago Mix, a blend of caramel and cheese flavors). Weber kettle grills and Sweet Baby Ray barbecue sauce were both invented in Chicago, and the brands have restaurants in the area. Entertainment venues like Topgolf, Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, Enterrium, and Chicago Improv comedy club also have dining and imbibing menus.
“There are so many different types of food, not just chains but also independent places, where you have the opportunity to experience some authentic cuisine in the area,” Hailey says. “Schaumburg is a compact area, so it’s not like you have to drive 12 miles to get somewhere.” A typical dining schedule for multiday gatherings could be a banquet at the host hotel one night, small group dine-arounds on the second night, and a “free” third night, so attendees can explore their individual tastes, she adds.
After long days of meetings, education, and decision-making, groups will find diverse excursions and attractions close at hand. One of the most popular outings is rooting for professional baseball’s Schaumburg Boomers, four-time Frontier League champions. The Boomers play during the summer at Wintrust Field, where recent renovations have drawn groups with its indoor and outdoor luxury suites, a left-field party deck, and reserved picnic seating space.
The Boomers’ name honors the endangered greater prairie chicken—the species’ mating dance is called “booming.” The team mascot is a larger-than-life costumed avian character named Coop.
The Game Show Experience and Game Show Gurus deliver the fun and excitement of classic television quiz shows, complete with lights, sound, props, and a host at your hotel or its own high-tech 30-seat studio. Quiz and trivia questions and other content can be customized to the clients goals and culture, so the games become a team-building or training event.
Murrel Karsh, president and co-founder at WCF Events in Chicago, says Schaumburg’s easy access from any direction makes the village a popular meeting spot for his clients. Recent events in the WCF Events portfolio include team-building exercises at Eaglewood Resort & Spa and casino nights at Maggiano’s Little Italy. A favorite outdoor playground for company picnics is Busse Woods, a 3,500-acre nature preserve with 13 trail miles, boat rental options, and a resident elk herd. Scavenger hunts and problem-solving challenges are also popular activities at the preserve.
“A trend we are seeing is adding a charitable component to a picnic or team-building program,” Karsh says. “They can build bicycles, assemble personal hygiene kits, or pack backpacks with school supplies for those in need.”
The Cultural Beat
On 20 acres of meadow, forest, and natural prairie sits The Chicago Athenaeum International Sculpture Park, an outdoor gallery of monumental, mostly abstract works by acclaimed international and American artists. The 16 sculptures stand along a paved trail that meanders through the Schaumburg Municipal Complex. The sprawling park is open daily from sunrise to sunset and serves as a relaxing strolling option.
The Schweikher House is the home and studio of midcentury-modern architect Paul Schweikher. The elongated single-story home, completed in 1938 and considered progressive for its time, is composed of wood, brick, and glass, integrating the structure with the surrounding natural landscape. Its distinctive interior appointments include a massive brick fireplace, furniture built-ins, a Japanese soaking tub, and redwood shower. An area landmark, the Schweikher House is the only Schaumburg listing on the National Register of Historic Places. The Schweikher House offers group tours upon request.
Two more specialty museums to consider are the Trickster Cultural Center, an arts center focusing on contemporary Native American culture, and the Wood Library–Museum of Anesthesiology, an interactive museum and rare book collection dedicated to the history and advances of putting people under.
boomersbaseball.com
chi-athenaeum.org
chicagonorthwest.com
eaglewoodresort.com
enterrium.info
gameshowexperience.tv
gameshowgurus.com
garrettpopcorn.com
giordanos.com
hilton.com
improv.com/chicago
loumalnatis.com
lynfredwinery.com
marriott.com
medievaltimes.com
schweikherhouse.org
topgolf.com
tricksterculturalcenter.org
visitschaumburgvillage.com
windycityfieldhouse.com
woodlibrarymuseum.org
