World Routes to Turn 20 in Chicago!

AsiaNet 54565

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 9 /PRN=KYODO JBN/ --

- Las Vegas Officially Hands Over to Chicago for the 2014 Event

As a successful World Routes event in Las Vegas draws to a close Las Vegas

Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) and Las Vegas McCarran International

Airport have officially handed the event over to the City of Chicago Department

of Aviation and Choose Chicago, the city's tourism organisation for the 2014

event.

Speaking at the 19th World Route Development Forum in Las Vegas today Rosemarie

S. Andolino, Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) said:  

"On behalf of Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, we are thrilled that Chicago was

selected to serve as the host city for the 20th World Route Development Forum

in September 2014.  The Forum will provide us with the unique and significant

opportunity to showcase Chicago's O'Hare and Midway International Airports to

airline executives in charge of planning service to new destinations."

"Tourism is a vital, essential part of Chicago's economic strategy," added Don

Welsh, Choose Chicago President and CEO.  "Hosting the World Routes 2014

conference is an important component of our aggressive strategy underway to

achieve Mayor Emanuel's goals for increased visitation from across the globe.  

Working together with the Chicago Department of Aviation, we intend to deliver

a successful conference and memorable experience for attendees in Chicago next

year."

"We are delighted to be bringing the 20th World Routes to Chicago next year,

the North American Market is strategically important to UBM, not only due to

its beautiful city and state-of-the-art meeting facilities but also due to its

excellent central location within the region. This will enable World Routes

2014 to have an increased attendance from North America and will ensure

attendance from all other worldwide markets because of the global flight

accessibility that Chicago's airports offer. "Adrian Newton, Group Director,

Transport and Technology, UBM Live.

2014 will see World Routes return to the US for the second year in a row after

this year's event which was the first time any Routes event had taken place in

the country.  The 20th anniversary event will be held at McCormick Place, the

largest convention facility in the Western Hemisphere.  With the most diverse

economy in the United States, and home to several of the aviation industry's

leading companies, Chicago makes the perfect home for the 20th World Route

Development Forum.

Chicago is one of the most popular visitor destinations in the world. Its

unique combination of bustling cityscape alongside beautiful parkland and

stunning lakeside vistas saw over 46 million visitors in 2012.

Ranked seventh in the world in the 2012 Global Cities Index, Chicago has the

fourth largest GDP in the world amongst metropolitan areas, ahead of both

London and Paris.  Chicago is also a major domestic and international transport

hub and home of United Airlines and Boeing, as well as two internationally

renowned airports.  Chicago's main airport, O'Hare International, is the second

busiest airport in the world for traffic movement and the fifth busiest in the

world for passenger traffic, and Midway is the busiest airport in Southwest

Airlines' system - meaning Routes delegates can enjoy next year's conference in

a city that is rightly regarded as a true aviation landmark.

Notes to Editors

About Routes

- Routes organises world-renowned airline and airport networking events through

its regional and global Route Development Forums. Each year, there is one

global event and one regional event in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and

CIS respectively. http://www.routesonline.com

- Routes was founded in 1995 as part of the Manchester UK-based ASM Ltd., a

consultancy specialising in the field of route development for airports.

http://www.asm-global.com

- Routes and ASM were acquired by UBM Aviation Worldwide Ltd in August 2010.  

From 1st August 2012 Routes, ASM and the Airport Cities Conference and

Exhibition become part of the UBM Live division of UBM plc.

- UBM Live connects people and creates opportunities for companies across five

continents to develop new business, meet customers, launch new products,

promote their brands and expand their markets.  Through premiere brands such as

MD&M, CPhI, IFSEC, TFM&A, Cruise Shipping Miami, the Concrete Show, the Routes

portfolio of events, Airport Cities and many others, UBM Live exhibitions,

conferences, awards programs, publications, websites and training and

certification programs are an integral part of the marketing plans of companies

across more than 20 industry sectors. http://www.ubmlive.com

Follow us on twitter: @Routesonline, @TheHUBRoutes, @VictoriaRoutes, @NLPROU,

@airlineroute

About UBM Plc

- UBM plc is a global events-led marketing services and communications

company.  We help businesses do business, bringing the world's buyers and

sellers together at events and online, as well as producing and distributing

news and specialist content.  Our 5,500 staff in more than 30 countries are

organised into expert teams which serve commercial and professional

communities, helping them to do business and their markets to work effectively

and efficiently.

- For more information, go to http://www.UBM.com; follow us on Twitter at

@UBM_plc to get the latest UBM corporate news; follow @UBMNews for news from

all UBM's businesses; follow @UBM for a flavour of UBM from selected members of

UBM's Twitterati.

SOURCE: UBM Live Routes Ltd