Ateema Media & Marketing announced the speaker lineup for the 25th anniversary of The Summit, the company’s annual event for connecting and educating professionals in the hospitality, tourism, and events industries. The Summit will take place on Tuesday, April 28 across three West Loop venues – City Hall & Recess (838 W. Kinzie St.) and Morgan Manufacturing (401 N. Morgan St.).
The day starts with “Education & Eggs” networking at 9:30 a.m., sponsored by Yolk, and continues from 10:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m. with six breakout sessions across two tracks, as well as a keynote panel discussion featuring industry-leading professionals. An intimate roundtable luncheon led by experts will begin at 12:20 p.m., before The Summit’s tradeshow, featuring 110 booths and The Summit Awards presentations, begins at 2:30 p.m.
Attendees may choose between the Planner or Tourism tracks for the first segment, and the Keynote speech “State of The Hospitality, Tourism, and Events Industries,” will close the program for all. The morning will culminate with a keynote which will be moderated by Kristin Reynolds, president and CEO of Choose Chicago, and include a panel of top leaders shaping Chicago’s visitor economy including Catie Sheehan of the Illinois Office of Tourism, John Jaworski of RSNA, and Michael Strautmanis of the Obama Foundation. The conversation will touch on what’s driving demand across tourism, meetings, and major events, and how 2026 may differ from prior years. Speakers will highlight their candid insight on the “next wave of city-defining moments” and how Illinois and Chicago approach tourism.
Planner Track
The Planner track kicks off with Zach Zenner, former NFL running back turned nutrition specialist presenting “Lead with Energy: Nutrition, Recovery & Resilience for High-Stakes Event Teams.” From his position as owner and founder of ZION Performance, Zenner shares how event professionals can maintain reliability under pressure. Next up is the panel “How Events Are Creating Unforgettable Experiences by Leveraging Multicultural Resources.” Presenter Roz Stuttley, VP of Inclusive Tourism and Community Engagement at Choose Chicago, is joined by panelists Lori Adlesick of Choose Chicago, Cyndi Roppolo of Kehoe Designs, and Glenn Charles, Jr. of Show Strategy, Inc. The conversation is designed to equip planners for success in today’s evolving event landscape. The Planner track concludes with “AI, Engagement, and the New Economics of Events: What B2B Can Learn from Sports and B2C Experiences,” from speakers Joel Steel, CEO and Co-Founder of Komo Technologies, and Sanjay Boddhu, Applied AIML Professor at the University of Chicago. This discussion will focus on AI-driven engagement can help planners to make sure their events stand out in a crowded market.
Additional panelists will be announced at a future date.
Tourism Track
The Tourism track begins with “Hotel Partnerships – Win-Wins for the Hotel, the Guest, and Your Business” from presenters Phillipe Gills, Chef Concierge at The Langham Chicago, and Jasmine Mendez, Director of Sales and Marketing at Nobu Hotel Chicago. This session will break down how restaurants, attractions, tours and other businesses can create and maintain mutually beneficial relationships with Chicago hotels. The next presentation from Alex Jakubiak, Vice President of Carol Fox & Associates “Meet the Media: How to Get Your Venue Featured in Local & National Press,” explores how PR teams can ensure their stories are easy for reporters to say “yes” to instead of getting lost in a pile of pitches. Media in attendance include Lisa Fielding of WBBM-AM and Thomas Barnas of CBS. Finally, the track wraps up with “Route 66, the World Cup, and Global Uncertainty: What It All Means for Your Business,” from Cory Jobe, president and CEO of Great Rivers & Routes Tourism Board. The talk discusses how Chicago-area businesses can respond to how travel is changing and what visitors are looking for, including how to package experiences that stand out.
Additional panelists will be announced at a future date.
“For our 25th anniversary, we are excited to offer a wide range of presentations from speakers who significantly enrich Chicago’s hospitality, events and tourism scene,” said Tim O’Malley, CEO of Ateema Media & Marketing. “From the vast insights and invaluable expertise of these professionals, we hope that all attendees will walk away inspired and excited, with a renewed sense of how to make their business thrive in this ever-evolving industry.”
You can learn more about the educational offerings and The Summit 2026 agenda here.
There are varying ticket levels, based on individuals’ field in the industry, including the opportunity for the general public to attend. To learn more about The Summit or purchase tickets, visit thesummitchicago.com.
About The Summit
The Summit Chicago is the premier annual event for professionals in the hospitality, tourism, and events industries. With a high-energy trade show, targeted educational sessions, interactive roundtable networking, and The Summit Awards, it brings together more than 1,200 industry leaders—including event planners, social media influencers, concierges, media, hotel teams, and leading industry-focused businesses. Attendees come to connect, learn, sell, and grow—and leave with new leads, stronger partnerships, actionable insights, and real momentum.
About Ateema Media & Marketing
Founded in 2001, Ateema Media & Marketing partners with hospitality businesses that want to grow. The company specializes in reaching the audiences that matter most — visitors, groups, locals, concierges, and planners — helping businesses get found, chosen, and visited.
Working across Chicago’s hospitality ecosystem, Ateema supports restaurants, attractions, event venues, event service providers, retailers, and hotels with integrated marketing programs designed to drive real results.
Ateema’s approach combines targeted digital campaigns that attract demand, high-impact networking events that connect businesses with the people who influence decisions, and hotel visitor tools that help travelers discover and choose where to eat, shop, and explore at the moment it matters most. Products include The Summit, ChicagoDoes Interactive Video Maps, Chicago Hotel Meetup, ChicagoDoes social channels, and Ateema Digital.