Art Chicago 2008

Exhibit Space
Art Chicago™ will offer exhibitors flexibility in gallery design in our 12th-floor exhibition space.  The luxurious 200,000-square-feet setting features wide aisles, special exhibit areas, a lecture hall, gourmet café service, an exhibitor lounge, a VIP club, a press room and other necessities, all on one floor.  The ambiance of Art Chicago will extend to the first-floor lobby of The Mart, which will showcase large-scale contemporary sculptures and two-dimensional works.

Exhibitor Services
Merchandise Mart Properties, Inc. has earned a reputation for its outstanding exhibitor services operation, heralded by exhibitors and third-party show managers as the most user-friendly in the United States. Every aspect of our management is focused on cost containment and customer service. We hire employees for the long haul, and they reward us with loyalty and extra effort. For many of our customers and clients, the line between union and non-union labor is indistinguishable. Our relationship with organized labor is not simply a tactical effort to avoid confrontation, but rather is a strategic effort to enhance the experience of our customers.

Customer Experience
For most visitors, their first impressions upon arrival at Art Chicago will consist of friendly greetings by our liveried doormen as they enter The Mart’s grand South Lobby on River Drive.  Guests will check coats and bags and purchase tickets, if necessary, on the first floor, while advance-ticket holders are invited to proceed directly to Art Chicago by dedicated express elevators.