A CITY SECOND TO NONE

You won’t even have to venture away from ProMat 2013 to experience
one of those superlatives. With more than 2. 2 million square feet of
exhibit space, McCormick Place is the world’s largest convention center.
Indeed, Chicago is a place where business is done big. It’s home not
only to three of the tallest buildings in the world but also to the world’s
largest commercial building: Merchandise Mart. Built by the same archi-
tect who designed the original McCormick Place, Merchandise Mart is so
large that until recently it had its own ZIP code.
The city plays an especially prominent role in the world of logistics and
supply chain management. Founded at a site strategically located
between the watersheds of the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes, the
city quickly blossomed as a center for moving goods—by canal, by rail,
and later, by truck. The Illinois/Michigan Canal opened in 1848 and along
with the railroads, helped the city become prominent in the cattle, hog,
lumber, and wheat industries. Chicago is also the birthplace of the first
refrigerated rail car, the first steel railroad, and the first elevated railroad,
known as the ‘L.’ In addition, “Historic Route 66” begins here in Grant Park
by the Art Institute of Chicago.
To celebrate Chicago’s place in the history of U.S. commerce, be sure
to check out the following sites while in town: the Willis Tower (formerly
the Sears Tower), the Western Hemisphere’s tallest building; the stretch
of department stores, specialty shops, and boutiques on Michigan
Avenue known as the “Magnificent Mile”; the Museum of Science and
Industry; and the Art Deco-era Chicago Board of Trade Building, home of
the world’s busiest futures trade.
When it comes to leisure time activities, Chicago also goes big.
Chicago gained worldwide recognition as a tourist destination in 1893,
when the World Columbian Exposition drew 27 million visitors. Notably,
the first Ferris wheel made its debut there. Today, Navy Pier is home to a
15-story Ferris wheel, modeled after the original.
Chicago is also first-class in many areas of culture and arts. The vener-
able Art Institute of Chicago houses one of the best Impressionist and
Post-Impressionist collections in the world. Nearby Buckingham
Fountain in Grant Park is the world’s largest illuminated fountain. Along
Lake Michigan (relatively close to McCormick), Chicago’s Museum
Campus is home to the Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum, the
Shedd Aquarium/Oceanarium, and the Field Museum of Natural History.

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