And, speaking of music, we must mention that Chicago is the world capital of the Blues, baby!

Clearly, the Windy City is second to none in terms of being a big city destination for businesses, associations or families interested in visiting the most vibrant, diverse and exciting urban center in the Midwest.

Founded more than 170 years ago, Chicago is called my many the quintessential American city. Unlike the much older Eastern cities that grew over decades and were influenced by European designs, Chicago sprung up bold and brash on the Illinois prairie. Following the Great Chicago Fire of 1971, visionary men and women – architects, retailers, industrialists and some infamous rogues and rascals -- flocked to Chicago to help rebuild.

Their efforts led to a truly dynamic city that has evolved into an international center for transportation, finance, manufacturing and culture. Chicago is known as a place where big ideas evolve into memorable, lasting icons of modern society. As legendary urban planner/architect Daniel Burnham said more than a century ago: "Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood."

Chicago took those words to heart and has never looked back. City architects pioneered designs and construction techniques still used today. In fact, the first modern skyscraper was built in Chicago. It's gone, but Dearborn Street downtown is like a living museum showcasing architecture from the turn of the century to today. Farther south of downtown in the Hyde Park neighborhood, the land developed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition features the mile-long landscaped Midway Plaisance, the prototype for the exposition midway. When other cities scarred their waterfronts with industry, Chicago preserved its lakefront for recreational use with parks, beaches, bike paths and museums; now, the Chicago River has emerged as a place frequented by tour boats and kayakers.

In this decade, the $450 million Millennium Park is a modern example of the city's can-do spirit. Built over commuter rail lines, Millennium Park is 24-plus acres of monumental sculptures, dramatic architecture and mature landscaping right in Chicago's front yard. Installations like Cloud Gate, known by locals as "The Bean," have become must-see attractions for visitors.

But Chicago is more than just the lakefront and the Loop, Navy Pier and the Sears Tower. Chicago is a city of great neighborhoods like Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Wicker Park and Bucktown to the north, Chinatown, Plisen and Bronzeville to the south and the West Loop – where meat packing companies co-exist with bistros and loft condominiums. A visit to Chicago should include a foray into the neighborhoods for shopping, dining and exploring, hopefully via one of the noisy but reliable el trains.

When to visit Chicago? Each season offers something special. Winters can be cold, but the lights along Michigan Avenue seem to take some of the chill away. Spring heralds in warmth and visitors can watch sail boats as they pass by the moveable bridges downtown. Summer signals a time for festivals like the Taste of Chicago, outdoor music at the Chicago Blues Fest and Cubs and White Sox baseball. Fall ushers in cool and crisp days, and leaves on trees in Grant Park turn gold.

Here, in the heart of America, Chicago is a first-class destination and unlike anywhere else.

If you are planning a meeting, convention, conference, reunion, group travel and tour in Chicago, please visit www.Hereschicago.com , Chicago's online resource guide for groups. Event Planners and Meeting Planners utilize Hereschicago.com as the only resource directory for Chicago event planning education and supplier solutions. Search www.Hereschicago.com  for venues, meeting services, A/V, Chicago Limousines for business and meeting shuttles, bus companies for transfers, convention shuttles, Chicago restaurants with private event space, unique private rooms for corporate events, board meetings, client events and outings, and more.