Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority

The Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) is a municipal corporation created by the Illinois General Assembly. Its Board of Directors is appointed by the Governor of Illinois and the Mayor of Chicago. The Chairman is selected by the MPEA Board. The MPEA's mission is to attract trade shows, conventions, meetings, expositions and public events to the City of Chicago, and in the process, strengthen the economy of the area.

The MPEA owns two world-class facilities. Located along Chicago’s lakefront, McCormick Place, the largest convention center in North America offers 2.6 million square feet of exhibition space, 173 meeting rooms, the 4,249-seat Arie Crown Theater and one of the largest ballrooms in the world. Historic Navy Pier is also the top-visited tourist and leisure destination in the Midwest. Navy Pier features 50 acres of park areas, gardens, restaurants, retail shops, cruise and charter boat docking, amusement park rides, a ferris wheel, museums and a convention and meetings facility.

The Authority owns the 1,262-room Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, a Four Diamond, AAA-rated hotel, located on the McCormick Place campus providing on-site convenience for all McCormick Place visitors.

Every day, we work to enhance the experience of each visitor with the goal of ensuring that Chicago retain its leadership position in the convention and tourism industry. We welcome you to visit the acclaimed McCormick Place in the near future.