Donald E. Stephens Convention Center

What a massive place. I love how the parking garage and a few surrounding hotels have a walkway connected to the convention center. The place is large inside and has many walkways so follow the signs. We went for a dinosaur fest for the kids and there was plenty of parking and not a huge crowd. This is also a great place for business conventions and meetups.

Today march 8, 2025 I attended the worlds of wheels at the Rosemont convention center. This show is spectacular. Talk about some beautiful automobiles, trucks, jeeps, new and older models. Probably one of the best car shows I’ve ever been to Captain Bob highly recommends the Rosemount convention center for worlds of wheels car show.

Great place for conventions. Always a good time. Well controlled and managed. Clean and parking isn't bad at all. RV show, Fan Expo, and more. Food court could be better, but we don't go for the food. The is a Starbucks just outside the main floor entry which is nice. Main entry is covered so Uber drop offs are nice. Park in the garage and walk across in the temp controlled sky bridge!

The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center is an amazing place for hosting conventions. I attended Midwest FurFest 2024 and there is an immense amount of space for walking and specific places. The connection to the Hyatt Regency hotel is kind of long, but serves as something useful instead of having to exit buildings and re-enter again. I'd go in 2025 again!

I came here for Fax Expo Chicago and it was a hot mess. The building was way over sold on Saturday and it was shoulder to shoulder in there. It’s a very nice convention center and doesn’t need to be over sold. It’s very big and roomy. When set up right. The celebrity line up was a dream but to many people to get all the autographs I wanted. Had no time to sample the food here. Only time to stand in line the whole time. Definitely want to go VIP to this place. Bathrooms were abundant and well placed. Other than the amount of people that come to this event it’s a nice place. O yeah and bring a lot of $$$

I will review from a two sided perspective : I have gone to events at this Rosemont Convention Center as an atendee and working for brands, but just recently got the full experience also as vendor with my booth at Anime Magic (very fun event, lots of great photos with cosplayers but this is not the place for those 😅). To those going to events there: There is PLENTY of parking and every time there is something happening both the city police and employees are plenty to keep the streets moving, direct everyone, etc. No matter which parking lot you park at, there is a skybridge connecting to the convention center halls. You WILL appreciate this in hot summer or cold winter ! The place is well taken care of inside and beautiful from outside, with many gardens. As a vendor I was blown away, having dealt with Mccormick in Chicago mostly, this was such a NICER experience ! They are both union based, but somehow feel completely different. Everyone was extremely nice and organized, and being able to just drive a ramp right to my booth to load and unload (so did trucks!) was the big differential. I spent HOURS before waiting for union workers at Mccormick to move just a few things to a booth so we could start setting up (you literally couldn't touch it since it was shipped there, and asking about eta usually makes it take longer). Resuming : If you are either wondering about attending an event there (there is also plenty of entertainment and food options around !) or someone thinking of participating as a vendor for an event but unsure if it's worth your investment, I would say I recommend going in either case. And I am sorry, in the same breath I can easily say : if you can, avoid Mccormick and chose to go to events here instead, you will thank me 😅🤗 BONUS : Look at that sunset photo just walking back to Parking lot on skybridge !!

A massive convention center which is well maintained. The parking garages are confusing and signs are misleading. Have attended 2 events here and have been admiring the place. The escalators are too steep have to be very careful and maintain balance while on it.

The Chicago Women/ food Expo was great. Great people and great food. I can't wait until next year.

Very nice and huge place! I really hope World of Wheels stays here. Much easier to navigate and really big. I love the drink stands, very good choices and very friendly.

It's a huge place. Easy to get lost. I have been here a couple times for different events and the place is looking a little dated. I also wonder what the capacity is, because one of the events I came here for was Anime Central or something and there were thousands and thousands of people here--of course it's a venue that could handle that many, but that event had so many and was so slow to get through that I wondered if they went over capacity. There's about 15 entrance doors here and only one of them has an auto open button for folks with mobility issues, strollers, or whatever. Weird.

The convention center is convenient to the chicago suburbs and definitely more navigateable than Mccormick Center. It does, however, feel rundown and the walk from a parking garage to the expo is quite a hike. Getting in and out of the garage also requires a lot of patience since lines and traffic for major events can be extraordinarily long.

We were here for a wedding expo, lots of local vendors - venues, chiropractors, realtors, bakeries, djs, photographers, dresses/tux, hair and make up, etc. This is a large venue - The event we went to was in hall F. It's a great space for lots of people - there are separate rooms/halls. There is also a bar area on the main floor. There isn't parking directly out front however there are a lot of lots and parking garages a few blocks away.

Basically a nice facility Easy to get to off of the tri-state tollway ( I-294 ) It was small details that made it less enjoyable Unless you park in the valet parking It's a good long walk to enter. There is a large parking garage across the street. And a smaller one behing the facility that had and enclosed walkway to the entrance. Restroom are adequate but not well marked to be seen across the main halls, consessions are expensive!!! The east parking I parked in, the pay station in the elevator lobby did not work at all and tje one at the exit gate had its credit card reader connection by AOL dialup internet So it took over 3 minutes per vehicle to pay it exit gate causing traffic to back up exiting and entering. But over all ok just could be a bit better

This place was very nice. Normally I go to the black woman Expo at McCormick place but for a little razzle dazzle. I tried the woman's expo here at this convention center. It's huge. Get into the parking garage to the main level of where they hold. The events was like going on the field trip to me. I definitely had to call my friend on a phone and help her guide me in so I wouldn't get lost. I'm terrible with directions but this place is massive. They had to have a couple thousand vendors at this place so I assumed that it holds very cuz various conventions throughout the year

It's been a while since I've last visited the Donald E Stephens Convention Center. We visited this facility in March 2023 for the Villain Arts Tattoo festival. We had an amazing time here and got a chance to see a lot of the artists at work in their booths. We arrived on a Saturday and there were at least 400+ tattoo artists that traveled in for this show, with a number of them being international. It was cool to see creations being made on the spot. This festival also provides the opportunity to check out each artist's style and if they weren't with a client, you can have the opportunity to speak with the artist directly and learn more about their background and purpose. If you are intent on working with a desired person, there's a possibility to book on the spot. The convention center is huge with over 800,000 sq ft of space. They have a parking garage but didn't realize the garage had a connecting skybridge that would've prevented us from freezing our tails. I believe we paid about $15 for parking. I doubt their parking allows for unlimited in and out privileges. The event however allowed us to enter and exit the facility as long as you had your hand stamped by one of the staff at the ticket entrance upon entry. The folks at the information desk and at parking were helpful with any questions we had regarding navigation and we felt safe the entire time we were there. You will have to pay for parking when you head towards the elevators on the ground floor. I believe it accepts both cash and card. We enjoyed our time at this convention center. It's accessible, close to the 90 expressway and public transport via plane, train or bus. If you plan to extend your stay, there's plenty of hotels, restaurants and entertainment in the area.

Attended GotSole Chicago. The place is house and it was a very long walk to the event from the parking garage. They probably need better directions on where to park versus where the event was. I had no idea which side to park on and probably chose wrong. It was nice that the hallways are all heated from the garage to the event. I am sure I will be here again for some other event.

The Chicago Travel & Adventure Show was at the Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont this weekend (1/14,15/2023) Parking was easy and only $15. I like that they provide an indoor heated crosswalk to get across safely and against the elements. There were over 100 exhibitors from all over the world including several from Africa and Asia, Europe, Cruise companies, tours, excursions, various Caribbean Islands, domestic city and state destinations. There were many good lecturers featured as well as several travel giveaways and discounts on future travel. We received a lot of good information to plan future vacations and made some valuable connections.

I come here for events. A lot of space for vendors, photo ops, and autograph booths. I took off a couple stars because I wished they would validate parking if you're coming to an event. For the recent Fan Expo Chicago, they could have handled the lines for Michael J Fox better and make it more efficient.

Traffic can vary when an event is here. I was at the Sports Collector's Convention and it was a mess on River Road in the morning. Garage parking ended up being OK though. For this convention they seemed to route us "through the back door". Worked out alright but ended up coming in on one side of the center which resulted in more walking that had entry points been a little more central. This was a busy convention. Walking space was a little tight, but the biggest issue I had was that it was pretty warm in the place. It was a hot day outside, but with a large convention, a facility should be better prepared to keep the tempertaure at a more comfortable level.

I came here for the Jurassic Quest experience in early Nov 2021. The kids really liked the venue - it was massive and spacious. The parking is located right next to the entertainment complex of Rosemont - (its kind of confusing in the parking lot - you could get lost there). However once in the sky bridges that connect the hotels and parking structure to the convention center - it was pretty good. Climate controlled - I just wish signage was a bit more prominent in the sky-walk bridge. The staff was really helpful and it was a good experience at the convention center. I like how you could drop off passengers in the round-about (I'd suggest this if you have people who can't walk well - as its a long walk).

Motorcycle shows do not disappoint! Although, I do not own a bike, I used to race on 79th and Stoney Island in Chicago. I'm just a wee bit older now and just a lil bit wiser. I enjoy walking through convention centers looking at, rubbing and sitting on the bikes. It's a good time! Please do get the VIP package which includes an earlier access time, a souvenier badge, a really nice t-shirt and a key chain.

I've been to the DES for many shows and many reasons for many years. Each time I've visited, I've had a pleasant time. Conventions held here are world class and amazing to see. DES does a great job of setting up vendors and making them accessible. I also feel they deal with lines and making entry as easy as possible. The only downside..I wouldn't recommend eating anything here. Prices are insane and the food options are basic and un-delicious. Also...parking is cheaper down the street at the Rosemont Transit Center parking lot. Enjoy the show!

EPIC FAIL!! 100,000 expected attendees and three tables to pick up neck lanyard credentials. No signs. No ushers. No stanchions to make lines an S curve.

We came here for the 2019 Washington Awards, which is basically an Engineering convention. The room given to us was huge and decorated accordingly. The parking was a little bit of an issue as it is located on the opposite side of the convention center. It is a 15$ flat rate parking and the garage itself consists of several floors and numerous spots, so finding parking was not an issue at all. The parking is connected to a Sky Deck Pedway that reaches into the convention center so you don't have to walk outside in the cold at all. The entire venue is clean and easy to navigate through. They even set up coat check for us right outside the ball room. I am not sure if catering was provided by the convention center itself or if it was outside catering, but either way, the food was delicious and service was extremely professional. If you are planning on hosting anything here, just keep in mind that there are going to be a lot of other events going around. There was a tattoo convention going on at the same time as our event and there were a lot of people just walking around and past our ball room that we had to close the door so as not to be disturbed during presentations. This was my first time at the convention center and I had a great time. TIP - If you don't want to pay for parking or go through that hassle, you can take the blue line and get off on Rosemont. There might be a shuttle in a parking lot next to the blue line station that takes you straight to the convention center, but I am not 100% sure of that. Either way it is about a 5-10min walk from the blue line.

Pretty nice convention center. I was here for the past three days for the Food Safety Summit. Signage is plentiful and there was plenty of room for all of the sessions at the summit, including the expo hall. This convention center is much smaller than McCormick Place, which I definitely enjoyed. There is also a skywalk connecting the convention center to area hotels, including the Hilton, where I stayed, which was much appreciated with the rainy weather this week. The only negative I can say about the convention center is that the bathrooms are a bit spread out. You will definitely find them, but especially in the expo hall, they only had one men's and one women's restroom area.

Great fun at Fan Expo Chicago 2022

This is a pretty big convention center. I came here for the Tattoo Convention this year and I was surprised by how big the place was and how many tattoo shops there were in Chicago. The place just looked like a huge warehouse and there were some annoying groups who played the LOUDEST RAP MUSIC on the history of the planet that the group even attempted to sing along to and make their own rap songs; this was extremely annoying and cringy, but as for the Convention Center itself, that isn't their fault. Parking was a little annoying because it is across the street from the convention center and it took us a while to realize where it was. Parking is $15 no matter how long you stay, and the garage has five floors I believe, but they get super packed depending on the event and the time you arrive, so watch for that. If you are parking, make sure to try and park in the actual convention center parking lot because the hotel nearby that is further than the convention center parking lot was trying to sell spots for $20... rip off. If you want to save money, the convention center is also pretty close to the Rosemont blueline stop, so you can always take the train and walk the rest of the way, as well. As for food and drinks, pricing is pretty ridiculous. I bought a beer, and she automatically charged me for a large one instead of a regular-sized one and it was $13... what? My friend was also charged for a large one and she got a pretzel, and with both together, it was $20. They do not have very many options for food or drinks, but they did have walking tacos! My advice? Eat before you come and don't waste your money on alcohol here.

I've been attending cons here several times. Modtly as attendees and a few times as an exhibitor. This time around we are here as exhibotors at Wizard World Chicago. It is set up conveniently to park across the street in a parking strucuture. However you might get confused where to turn in from River St. to get to the structure. Once there you can cross over using the enclosed catwalk that is temperature controlled. The heater was on this making it too hot. Luckily the walk isn't too long. If you have a large setup or large inventory to bring in I really appreciate we are allowed to drive onto conention, park by our booth and unload. That is so convenient. A mighty big plus in my book. There is an adquate concession in the main lobby. And, of course a Starbucks to help us all get through the day right. This center is all about convenience. I look forward to doing more shows here.

Horrific. Absolutely horrific. We were there for Jurassic quest. Absolutely no safety measures for Covid and the place was packed with mask less mouth breathers. No temperature checks, no mask enforcement. No social distancing. There were people walking in without even having a mask, let alone not wearing it. The event itself was OK, but we did not get to enjoy it because the whole experience was an anxiety inducing exercise in ignorance. Say what you will about some of the rules are enforced in Chicago, but they are at least put in place to try and keep people safe. There was just nothing here. The pandemic has made it so difficult to do things with my kids, and we were all very excited to be able to go and do something as a family, and excited to get the opportunity to attend a yelp elite event in almost 2 years, but thanks to the ignorance of a large amount of people I don't think will be doing anything again anytime soon.

Attended the JF&A (Jewelry, Fashion & Accessories) Show here in February. Super clean. Friendly staff. Great facility.

I am here every year for Acen (my daughter is a fan) and I have been here for other events as well. It kind of is what it is, big giant rooms. There's a Starbucks inside to keep you going, the food vendors as to be expected are expensive and unhealthy. Location is near everything, restaurants, Rosemont Park, Movies, Blue Line, Hotels. Not a big fan of the pedestrian tunnels but at least they are pedestrian friendly both to the Hyatt and the Hilton. Parking does not come cheap. If you have to hang here for a while for an event and need a place to park your hat, the Red bar in the hotel is conducive.

Everything will sound better if you are not surprised, at least I was, with the parking cost of $15. It's a event fee. There is not a hourly parking choice. That was my first time to visit a convention center. Signages for direction to event not so clear, but I founded my way. Other than that nice and clean venue.

I don't go to many conferences or trade shows so I don't have many other convention centers to compare this one too. But to me, the center felt disorganized, with a weird layout. It takes a long time to walk from the parking garage to the center. The blue line CTA stop is a bit far away as well. At the end of the day (5 pm), with everyone leaving at once, there was a long line to pay for parking at the ticket machines and a bottle-neck of people. Inside, the design feels very dated (ugly late 80s/early 90s design) and signage is poor. It's really easy to get lost. Food and beverage choices are minimal. Maybe I'm just not a convention center person.

My girlfriend and I came to Stephens Convention Center for the Travel & Adventure show to see Rick Steves speak. It's a very nice convention center and absolutely massive! We couldn't believe how much there was to see in our show but also blown away by how many other convention halls there were. Be prepared to walk if you park in the parking garage but besides that we had a great time here!

Rosemont , Illinois On 05 June 17 I had occasion to patronize the Donald Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont , Illinois. The occasion was a graduation ceremony of a new recruit class of Rosemont Auxilary Police Officers. I must say , this was a very classy and well orchestrated event. Present was the recruit class , several officers to be promoted and two auxiliary officers who entered retirement after approximately thirty years of service. First there was the presentation of the Flag by the Color Guard. Then there was the playing of the National Anthem as the officers stood at attention and held their salute until the completion of the Anthem. The civilians in attendance stood , with many holding their right hand over their heart. Next came the Priest who rendered the invocation. Shortly there after the Rosemont officials in attendance were introduced starting with the mayor , Bradley A. Stephens, followed by several other officials in attendance. Following that was a presentation of the Superintendent of Rosemont Police and his command officers. Subsequently each recruit was called up to the stage and presented with a certificate of graduation from the Rosemont Police Auxilary Training Facility. Each congratulated by the Mayor and the Superintendent with their photo taken for posterity. After each recruit was presented with their certificate the family and friends present rendered an applause. At the conclusion of the ceremony the Color Guard retrieved the Colors ( Old Glory ) and the Priest returned to offer a prayer for the new recruits , retirees , and those promoted to a higher rank. That concluded the ceremony. It was an honor to witness the ceremony and to see the retirees singled out for their service and greeted with warm applause. My hat is off to the Mayor of Rosemont and all the city officials in attendance for a job well done. The ceremony was performed with dignity and class. Congratulations to the new Rosemont Auxilary recruit class of 2017.

This is an awesome place to go to for a convention. The facilities are tidy and easy to navigate. Best of all, it's right in Rosemont, which is loaded with fun activities and eats.

Date: 8-February-2020 Time: Afternoon Total (before tip): $44.00 (4 tickets) Server: N/A Grade: A We came here for the Travel & Adventure Show. I really enjoy this Convention Center, it's easy to get to (right off of I-294), easy and convenient parking, easy to find a hall your show is at. The layout of the building is pretty easy to navigate, there are signs everywhere, so you can't miss where you need to go. The only thing I wish they had was free parking. Parking garage is $15. A solid A experience.

Had a great time at jewelry and fashion. Show . I preordered the tickets so we had to pay $5/ person at the show. The valet parking was kinda of expensive at $25/- . Had fun checking out the various vendors , made quite a dent in pocket but nothing makes the heart happy like some retail therapy!!

Came here for the NSCC (National Sports Collectors Convention) and it did not disappoint. Convention center is huge! Lots of bathrooms and even had a restaurant. Food was overpriced tho.

Came here for a conference. The space is nice. All conference spaces are starting to look alike to me. Nothing spectacular about this place. I didnt realize how close to the blue line this place is. So accesibility gets an A+. But the food they served was eh. That's what I knocked off the star for. Dont know if I should take the star from the organization holding the conference for picking put it's the cooks at the center. Maybe my expectations are too high...

We came here for the International Motorcycle Show. The walkway from the cold parking lots was much appreciated so we didn't have to schlep and babysit our big winter coats at the show. The staff are really nice, everything seemed organized and well laid out. The size of the space is quite large, but again there are visible signage pointing you to the right direction. They had coat check, at least for this show. The bathroom facilities were clean and abundant, the former being very important at large conventions such as this one. $15 special events parking.

Had a good time while here for the ILOE fur show. It's spacious and we lucked up on low prices parking

We visited for the Travel Adventure Show - an annual pilgrimage to see what's out there in the travel world. Coming to Rosemont is easy from almost anywhere in the Chicago area. There is ample parking (if for a moderately steep fee), public transit, O'Hare airport, and easy driving access from many expressways. If the weather is decent, you can park at the Rosemont CTA station and walk, saving a few bucks in parking. One challenge is that you have to walk a lot, not matter what. I haven't found good bike parking, though. The parking garage is across the street, and though it has a heated walkway, is still a long way from your events. Of course, you're going to walk at an event, anyway... ;-) The facility is vast, with many options for exhibitors and event attendees. Bathrooms are scattered around the facility. Not many water fountains, though! This would be great for a long day of walking or standing if you don't want to pay $4.00 for a fountain soda! This brings me to food prices - exceedingly high for horribly quality and lousy service. Some servers reach out a little, but most are just doing their job. For the prices they charge for what is equivalent to microwaved food, at least some cheer and attentiveness would help. I've never exhibited here, so can't speak to this end of the service, but as an attendee, the staff is very helpful and friendly. The facility is clean and well lit, if a bit basic in some of the rooms. Functional, to be sure. Know that if you attend an event at the Stephens Convention Center, you can focus on the event and not have to worry about too much else, beyond staying hydrated.

I came here for New Year's Eve for the Reaction NYE Music Festival. As a person who is a big fan of music, I was really impressed by how this venue is set up. I have been to a lot of indoor arenas for concerts and have had a lot of terrible experiences, but this Convention Center really had a great setup that made it have the feel of some outdoor venues. There was plenty of space, and at no point did I not have an area to go to to escape from the crowd. There were a few things that I did not love about this venue in particular. One of them was the cost of parking. Rosemont is a place where you have to pay for parking even at the hotels, which is a little silly considering that I had come to Rosemont for NYE to escape the city and did not expect to pay $75 (hotel and venue) for parking outside of downtown Chicago. That's a chunk of change when you're laying $130 for GA (and fees) for two day tickets. This is also a very wide venue, so be careful where you stand! Even if you are at the front, from certain angles you cannot view the artist and you may have to move back to even be able to see the show. This was my biggest pet peeve, because I missed a lot of the show I went to see. I will say though, once you do step back, the view is pretty cool. The bigger artists had light shows that took up the entire wide-angle view from all the way in the back, and it was amazing to see that perspective. In terms of indoor venues, the actual place itself and the crowd was not bad! I had a good experience, and have not said that for a lot of indoor EDM music events.

this wouldn't be the best convention center I experienced. The acoustics were not the greatest and it was difficult to hear the presenters however, it could've been the set up. The chairs were normal, nothing special. Not comfortable to sit in for 10 hours that's for sure... What I really had difficulty with was navigating to the convention center. I stayed at the Hyatt next-door and walking outside in the cold was not very fun. Only the front entrance was open from the street. By the second day I figured out that there was a tunnel that connected the Hyatt and the convention center to shelter from the cold. The only downfall, it wasn't insulated. It was just as cold as walking outside. They had heat ducts that didn't work which was nice to add insult to injury lol. I'm not too sure about the parking situation but you can Uber here fairly easily or catch a cab.

I attended the International Quilt convention here in June of 2013 and for the most part, I felt this center was very well organized and run. Positives: -There is a Starbucks right at the entrance, yay for caffeine! - If you are lucky enough to be dropped off and picked up by your husband, it is a breeze to get in and out. Well marked. - Lighting and ventilation were terrific. - There were scooters to rent for those patrons who could not walk through a big show. I am very thankful I don't need that but glad it was there for those who did. Negatives: -When we entered, if you were not with a bus tour they make you walk around in a circle and come back to the beginning basically and then walk in. - For such a huge facility, I found the restrooms to be far apart and inadequate. And if you washed your hands after using the restroom inside the hall, there was a goofy traffic flowing back on itself and squeezing by a small opening. Crazy! The show was just wonderful and I would come again but they could use some work on the entrance procedure and bathrooms for those of us who don't wear astronaut diapers to a quilt show. (Speaking of which, do you think that gal doing the fillibuster in TX used those? But I digress.) See you next year at the Quilt show!

Been here five years for the show. Big space and conveniently located near o'hare airport. Not sure what else to add. Its a big convention center and it works

This convention center is really easy to get to from the Blue Line Rosemont CTA station. I had done a google maps to figure out how to walk to the convention center from the Rosemont CTA stop. Google maps failed me!! All you really need to do is exit through the door (there is only one exit at this station), turn left, then turn another left. Continue walking for 10 minutes and you will be at the convention center entrance. DO NOT CROSS TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET. I made the mistake of following people walking in this direction who ended up crossing the street. I ended up having to cross back over because the convention center is on the same side of the street as the CTA station. The center itself is huge. If you end up coming here for any reason, make sure you are at the right place. When I came here for the Chicago Travel and Adventure Show, there was also an Outdoor Adventure convention. The place is very large with rooms upstairs and downstairs. Bring comfy walking shoes because you'll need it! In our showroom there were food options, although it was quite limited. But at least there is the option to buy food in case you don't want to bring anything.

First time coming here to the convention center and their annual World of Wheels show. Very convenient that there is a Starbucks inside and that the Rosemont Entertainment bus will take you here free of charge. Staff is nice but the place is outrageously expensive if you're trying to get food or drinks and on top of it there's barely anything to choose from. Decent size convention center nonetheless. Plenty of bathrooms throughout the building as well.

This place holds a lot of memories for me. I went to a Beatles Fest here with my first serious boyfriend (yeah, it was high school -- so what?). My prom was here. Another prom was here. I met my last boyfriend at a comic book convention. Etc. etc. Recently, I was here for the RV show with my husband (yes I geek out over them). Hmm... why do I keep ending up here with the different guys in my life!? Every time I've been here, the inside always seemed different because I've been in different parts. I like the versatility of this building. I like that more than one show can go on at the same time -- but read the signs to make sure you're going in the right place. I like that the center is quite large, but it isn't too hard to navigate. The walkover from the parking lot is pretty handy, too (although a bit crowded). The food sucks. Not only do they serve high-caloric cardboard crap, but they charge you way too much for it. Make sure you bring food or eat before you come here. Anything is better than the stuff they call 'food' here. The bathrooms are kind of dirty too, but hey -- thousands of people pass through almost daily. What else can you expect? Pack up some food, throw on comfortable shoes, grab a map, and have fun!

Decent little conference center. I'm totally kidding. The conference center is freakin' gigantic. Nothing little about it. It has skyways that connect the two nearby hotels as well as the parking garage, but be prepared for a lot of walking to get to your destination. The hotel is in great shape, though, with the bathrooms clean and well-cared-for. I think the hotel could use a new system for getting into their convention parking though. The road is insanely busy, and even with people directing traffic, expect delays attempting to get parked. The driveway to get into the parking area is also pretty hidden, so be on the lookout or it's easy to drive right by it. Parking is $13. While the convention center was gorgeous and well taken-care-of, the parking area was not. Two of the four parking-payment stations were out of order. This made a long line to pay for parking before leaving. On top of that, my parking ticket wasn't functional, so I had to wait in line multiple times and then still go through a line and pay on my way out. For the price that parking costs, I really would like a whole lot less of a hassle to deal with it. The point of parking right at the convention center is convenience, and my experience was less-than-convenient. If parking to go to events here wasn't literally the biggest pain in the butt I could imagine, I could rate this place more highly. Be prepared to deal with the parking issue (or find an alternative solution), though, and you'll probably enjoy the event you go to at the center.

Decent convention or show venue. I came here in the past for the Outdoors Show and this time for the International Motorcycle Show. Plenty of space for vendors. They really stick it to you with $13 for parking. Beers were $7 for Bud products. Rosemonts finest are always out in force to make sure you stay in line, much like at the Allstate Arena.

Came here for the quarterly gems and jewelry show. Discovered this year that they have a free shuttle bus from the parking lot ($15) to the convention center. That was a nice surprise! The show itself was a slight disappointment. To get in was am adventure itself as np one seemed to know how to handle anyone with will-call tickets. Once we got in there was an even amount of gems and completed jewelry. I was in search of gun metal findings but everyone was stuck on bright silver and gold. I will give the show 3 stars. The convention center did a good job unless of course the ticket people were actual convention center employees.

They charge you $15 to park what a rip off avoid coming here if you can. They got you captive for parking. After you spend good money on convention or any event they want gouge you for parking. Food court inside sucks typical junk food. Ok on to convention center is just okay nothing special an event space. Kudos to police for traffic control and pedestrian crossing.

The convention center is a short walk from the Rosemont station of the O'Hare Blue Line, and they have a shuttle operated by Pace that goes between the CTA station and the front entrance of the convention center (days/hours vary, so check first). This place isn't McCormick Place; it's an older facility, and it doesn't have a plethora of services like a mailing center. There are just a few place to eat connected to the convention center, depending on your group/convention. The Great Expoteria restaurant, not easily found unless you're willing to walk through a series of corridors, is pathetic. Watch out for prices of things. A nasty small slice of cheese pizza was $7. Sodas are $4 and are nonrefillable. Hours of operation vary as well, according to a couple of convention center workers.

It's really nice I almost got lost when I went to anime central..the outside is so beautiful... :)

I come here for the Chicago Tax Club annually. My biggest complaint is that there are not enough outlets to charge laptops or cell phones. Also it is way too cold. In the main dining room, the acoustics in the room is not idea for speakers. It echos and muddles the amplified speeches. Otherwise, I appreciate the attentive catering staff, the plentiful food, and free shuttle to the blue line.