Radiology event commits to Chicago

Choose Chicago and the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) have announced that the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) will host their annual meeting in Chicago annually until 2032. The 2023 RSNA Annual Meeting welcomed over 40,000 registrants, nearly 40% of which were international visitors, and had an economic impact of more than $115m. Chicago mayor Brandon Johnson says: “The hundreds of thousands of conventiongoers that will visit Chicago over the coming decade for this annual event will experience the unmatched accessibility, outstanding hospitality, and vibrant neighbourhoods that we are known for throughout the world.” “We’re pleased to extend our long-standing decision to choose Chicago as the venue for our Annual Meeting, the world’s leading radiology forum,” said Mark G. Watson, executive director of RSNA. Speaking at PCMA Convening Leaders 2024 in San Diego, Choose Chicago senior vice president of sales and services Dustin Arnheim adds: “This is the kind of event that elevates Chicago as a destination for a global audience.” In 2023, Choose Chicago booked over 2,100 future meetings and events, representing 2.45m hotel room nights. Total room nights booked were 24% higher than goal and 43% more than 2022 levels. Meetings and events taking place in 2024 are expected to fill 1.2m hotel room nights, which will be a record for Chicago. Under the terms of the extended contract, the RSNA Annual Meeting will alternate between the week before and after Thanksgiving. The 2024 Annual Meeting will take place 1-5 December and will shift to the week before Thanksgiving in odd years beginning in 2027.