by Shane Henson — May 25, 2012—Sikich LLP, a Midwestern provider of accounting, advisory and technology business consulting services, has been chosen to perform an information technology (IT) assessment for the entire McCormick Place conference center on Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive.
McCormick Place, located on Chicago’s lakefront just minutes from downtown, is recognized as the largest exhibition and meeting facility in North America and is comprised of four state-of-the-art buildings: the North, South and West Buildings, the Lakeside Center, and the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place hotel. Combined, McCormick Place offers 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space, 173 meeting rooms, the 4,249-seat Arie Crown Theater, and one of the largest ballrooms in the world.
With close to three million visitors each year, McCormick Place relies heavily on information technology to support exhibitor services and administration. The Sikich Technology team was brought in because of its demonstrated expertise in IT and telecom solution services to assess the facility’s IT and telecom infrastructure.
Per the contract, the Sikich team will review the IT infrastructure, telecom systems, business applications, Wi-Fi and IT staff in order to propose and recommend an IT strategic plan to McCormick Place | SMG.
“Given the demanding nature of the data and technology needs placed on the hospitality industry, and especially convention centers, this IT assessment will help McCormick Place | SMG make smart decisions based on technologies with the best return on investment and overall longevity, ” said Michael Suglich, CPA and partner at Sikich. “This move will also help reduce risks associated with technology-based business interruptions by developing a short-term and long-term strategic plan for IT that will support the entire McCormick Place facility.”
