30th Annual IOOB Conference

Location

The conference will be held at IIT's Downtown Campus, in the heart of Chicago's financial district. The modern, ten-story atrium building will provide state-of-the-art computer and telecommunications facilities, as well as student activities areas, cafeteria, library, and bookstore.

IIT's Downtown Campus at 565 West Adams Street at South Jefferson Street is easily accessible and is located one block west of Union Station and three blocks south of Ogilvie Transportation Center. More detailed directions may be found here.

Conveniently, the conference site is a short walk to the Sears Tower, Daley Plaza, Civic Opera House, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Symphony Center, the Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago Board of Trade, and Grant Park.

For a virtual tour of IIT's Downtown Campus and surrounding area please visit: http://www.kentlaw.edu/virtualtour/

Directions/Transportation

Chicago has two major airports, both of which have cab, airport express shuttles, and public transportation options to downtown.

Public Transportation

Midway Airport: Take the CTA Orange Line to Quincy/Wells. Walk 0.4 miles West to 565 W. Adams St.

O'Hare Airport: Take the CTA Blue Line Southbound to Clinton. Walk 0.3 miles North to 565 W. Adams St.

Public transportation routes and arrival times may be found on the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) website.

What to do in Chicago

From classic sights, to museums, to shopping, here's a quick list of things to enjoy!

Enjoying the City

Grant Park/Millennium Park - Rent a pair of skates and take a few laps around the rink in Millennium Park. Before you get too worn out, be sure to take a stroll through the park, making sure to take a look at the 3-story, 110-ton steel sculpture known as "The Bean" and 'face' the high-tech Crown Fountain, where you'll be greeted by Chicagoans' faces!
N. Michigan Ave. & E. Washington St. to Madison St.

Hancock Observatory - One of the best ways to look at the city is from the top of the Hancock! You can skip the entrance fee by heading to the bar in the Signature Lounge, and having a cocktail while sitting and enjoying the view.
www.hancock-observatory.com
875 N. Michigan Ave.
(312) 751-3681

Museums

Note: The Museum Campus offers amazing views of the city's skylines, just be sure to wear an extra layer to fight the lake-front wind!

Field Museum - stop in to say hi to our friend, Sue, the T-Rex. Located in the museum campus, the Field Museum's ongoing exhibits are well-known around the world.
www.fieldmuseum.org
1400 S. Lake Shore Dr.

Adler Planetarium - Stars in Chicago? You betcha! The only way to actually see all of the stars (typically blocked out by city lights) is at the Adler!
www.adlerplanetarium.org
1300 S. Lake Shore Dr.

Shedd Aquarium - Baby belugas and sharks galore! Head to the Shedd for some underwater fun... all while staying dry and warm.
www.sheddaquarium.org
1200 S. Lake Shore Dr.

The Art Institute of Chicago - to visit the lions! Or of course, to see one of America's top art museums, which boasts an impressive Impressionist and American collection (don't worry, there is a substantial amount of Old Master pieces too!)
www.artic.edu
111 S. Michigan Ave.
(312) 443-3600

Comedy Clubs

How can Chicagoans face 9 months of winter? By sitting inside and laughing as hard as they can!

Second City Comedy Club (pre-ordering tickets recommended!) - known for its cutting edge satiric revues, it's the hallmark of Chicago comedy.
www.secondcity.com
1616 N. Wells St.
(312) 664-4032

NeoFuturarium - Sketch/Improv Comedy - roll a die to determine your ticket price and continue to control the show in this audience-suggestion based sketch comedy act.
www.neofuturists.org/
5153 N. Ashland Ave.
(773) 878-4557

I/O Chicago - Improv Olympics Comedy
ioimprov.com
3541 N. Clark St.
(773) 880-0199

Shopping

The Unavoidable.

State Street - a short walk from the conference east to State Street, continue going north to visit some shops. Stop in at Macy's to reminisce about the late (and great) Marshall Field's. Along the way, drop by Garrett's Popcorn for a Chicago treat!

Magnificent Mile - Famous Michigan Avenue Shopping, be sure to stop in at Ghiradelli for some hot chocolate! (take the CTA red line to the Chicago stop and walk east to Michigan Avenue)

Belmont - Boutique and unique shopping. (take the CTA red line to the Belmont stop)