Slow comeback of Chicago conventions felt sharply as rival cities’ performance quickens – Crain’s*

Chicago's convention industry is up and running again but falling behind other cities in the race to revive trade shows, corporate meetings and other business gatherings. A new report from meetings analytics firm Knowland says that 21 of the 25 largest U.S. convention and trade show markets are on track to return to 2019 levels of events and attendance by 2024—including several that will achieve the mark this or next year—but that Chicago is in a small group of laggards that won't fully recover until at least 2025.