The social program highlighting our Eclectic international culture, arts and cuisine, combined with the breath taking natural beauty and extensive pre- and post-congress tours will underscore the role of Chicago as one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations.
Gala Welcome Reception & Fireworks
Navy Pier
Wednesday, September 1 ● 19:30
It will be a night of nights in Chicago as guests arrive at the Famous Navy Pier for a Taste of Chicago. The room is highlighted with some of Chicago’s Famous Landmarks including the Hancock Building, Sears Tower and the Famous Picasso Statue. Jazz music fills the air as guests taste buds are tantalized with taste of Chicago’s finest cuisine. The evening has just begun as guests arrive throughout the evening – 
Endourology’s own will take to the stage and provide the opening act for tonight’s entertainment. Turning it up a notch when Morry Sochat and the The Special 20s take to the stage which is sure to have everyone on their feet and dancing.
The night is not over as guests will be drawn to the end of the Pier as the night sky lights up. Front row seats are in order as guests will be treated to spectacular light show in the sky – a perfect end to a perfect evening.
Blues Night - (Ticketed Event)
House of Blues
Thursday, September 2 ● 19:00 – 21:00
Delegates will board coaches which will transport them to this evening’s event. The World Renowned House of Blues. House of Blues Chicago has been host to some of the world’s most renowned musicians. In keeping with tradition, the House of Blues Chicago displays the "Crazy Quilt" and keeps a metal box of mud from the Delta Mississippi underneath its stage. 
As guests arrive and enter the House of Blues they will be greeted vibrant colors and a room steeped in history. It’s all about the Blues Rob Stone and The C Notes take to the stage as this band navigates their way effortlessly through one lean arrangement after another to a ferocious driving slide guitar. Tonight is a night they won’t soon forget. Experience Chicago Blues at it finest.
Farewell Reception
Sheraton Hotel & Towers
Friday, September 3 ● 18:00 – 19:30
Set on the lower level of the Sheraton Hotel and Towers using the Chicago River and the city skyscrapers as a backdrop we play off the lake and waterways this evening that Chicago is known for. 
Small but quaint centre pieces, background music fills the air, passed drinks and Hor d Oeuvres’ provides the perfect setting for guests to say good bye to old and new friends alike.
Things to See and Do When in Chicago
Theatre
The curtain is up on Chicago’s vital theater scene! Talented local companies and top- notch traveling troupes are on stage in great classic theaters, smaller venues, and even storefronts – and they’re generating rave reviews.
Landmark Loop theaters in the city’s bustling Downtown Theater District – including the grand Cadillac Palace Theatre, Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theatre, Bank of America Theatre and Auditorium Theatre– host mega-hit musicals, plays, and dance productions straight from
Broadway as part of Broadway in Chicago, as well as world premiere productions. Another treasure in the Loop theater district is the Goodman Theatre. The Goodman – whose productions, artists, and programs earned a Special Tony Award for Outstanding Regional Theatre - consistently produces unsurpassed classic and contemporary works.
For a listing of what is playing in Chicago's, click here.
Museums
Ready to stretch your mind? Chicago’s amazing museums are the perfect places to satisfy your curiosity and spark your imagination.
Science rules at the three great institutions that make up Chicago’s lakefront Museum Campus. Centered within The Field Museum’s 20 million biological and anthropological specimens is Sue, the largest and most complete T. rex ever found. Explore the universe at Adler Planetarium and Astronomy Museum, the world’s only museum with two full-size planetarium theaters. Or head to the Shedd Aquarium and get up close with 22,000 aquatic species.
The Museum of Science and Industry - the largest science museum in the Western Hemisphere - offers over 800 captivating interactive exhibits including the U-505 submarine, a working coal mine, a Boeing 727 airplane, and much, much more.
Among Chicago’s world-class institutions showcasing art is the Art Institute of Chicago, whose permanent collection of paintings, drawings, photography and textiles includes the largest compilation of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist works outside the Louvre.
Find outstanding and thought-provoking visual art created since 1945 at The Museum of Contemporary Art.
Curious about the environment we live in and creatures that live among us? Visit The Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum in Lincoln Park to learn about urban nature.
Photography is in focus at The Museum of Contemporary Photography, the Midwest’s sole museum committed exclusively to this medium, and changing Chicago-focused installations at City Gallery at the Historic Water Tower.In this city that celebrates its diversity, such institutions as Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies, DuSable Museum of African American History, and The Oriental Institute, hold a special place of honor. Finally, if your group includes kids, Chicago Children’s Museum is a must-see.
For a listing of Chicago's best museums, click here.
Dining
The secret is out: As Saveur Magazine reports, “the Windy City is America’s new culinary star.” And with good reason. Chicago’s ever-evolving culinary scene reaches tantalizing new heights every day!
In fact, Chicago is such a food lovers’ paradise that diners face just one dilemma: How to choose from so many delicious options?
One way to narrow your dining choices is by type of food. Eager for an ethnic meal? Along with the many restaurants serving outstanding Italian, Latin, and Asian foods, countless others offer excellent French, Greek, Indian, Mediterranean, Polish, German, or Ethiopian menus. Want seafood or soul food or barbecue? Find it downtown or in the city’s 77 neighborhoods.
Chicago’s contemporary dining scene is stunning. While the world takes notice, innovative chefs - many emphasizing foods from America’s Heartland – are fusing flavor and excitement in delectable ways.
Chicagoans are famous for taking two classics very seriously: pizza and hot dogs. Sample these two favorites during your visit so you can officially join in the debate.
Or let restaurant atmosphere help you decide where to eat. Match your mood to one of the city’s elegant dining spots, charming cafes, intimate bistros, convivial eateries, pizza palaces, or another of the endless alternatives.
Location will never limit your food choices. Great options for satisfying your hunger are always nearby.
For a listing of Chicago's best dining, click here.
Page last updated: May 21, 2010