The Midwest region of the United States is home to some of the most impressive and versatile event spaces in the country. Whether you’re planning a large corporate conference, a small business meeting, or a full-scale trade show, the Midwest has something to offer for everyone. In this post, we’ll be highlighting the top ten Midwest conference and convention centers that will be sure to impress your attendees and make your event a success. From state-of-the-art facilities with stunning architecture to versatile and modular spaces, these centers have it all. So, without further ado, let’s dive in and explore the best conference and convention centers the Midwest has to offer!

The Full List

McCormick Place

With more than 2.6 million square feet of space, McCormick Place is one of the largest conference venues not only in the Midwest, but in North America. The venue is located 3 miles away from Chicago’s Magnificent Mile, and can be easily accessed from the downtown area and from O’Hare and Midway airports. 

McCormick offers conferencing and convention space in four buildings, which are interconnected for the convenience of visitors. The venue can accommodate assembly-style seating for 18,000 people, and additionally offers a 10,000-seat arena, three theaters with a capacity of 300 seats each, and a large theater that sits more than 4,000 attendees.

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As tech companies offer higher pay for developers, ten cities stand out in the U.S. as the highest paying for IT jobs. San Jose, San Francisco and New York offer the highest salaries. Those who are searching for the highest paying IT jobs obviously need to head west. Statistics from the recruiting company CyberCoders points out that the average salaries in San Jose and San Francisco average $14,000 more than in third ranked New York City.

The top 10 list does contain cities scattered throughout the U.S. where lucrative jobs can be found. Major cities like Boston, Washington D.C., Dallas and Chicago are included on the list. The greatest increase in salaries has come in mobile development positions. However, IT salaries have gone up across the board in the last year. Individuals who acquire multiplatform skills and are able to design and code within the constantly changing world of mobile applications become the highest paid workers.

The cities that rank highest in pay for IT jobs in high-range, mid-range and low-range salaries are:
1. San Jose, CA
2. San Francisco, CA
3. New York, NY
4. Washington, D.C.
5. Boston, MA
6. Los Angeles, CA
7. Brooklyn, NY
8. Philadelphia, PA
9. Chicago, IL
10. Dallas, TX

The Roche Group is pushing back the frontiers of healthcare in 150 countries, employing about 80,000 workers. It has become one of the largest research-based healthcare groups. Genentech, a subsidiary, has led the biotech industry for over 30 years. They use human genetic information to develop specialized medicines for life-threatening diseases. The headquarters for Roche pharmaceutical operations are located in the U.S. Their philosophy is that the employees are their most important asset and they are dedicated to maintaining a great work place along with providing the best salaries for IT workers. Their CRM Techs provide expert technical information for Genentech’s Commercial Operations. They are responsible for maintaining project work, enhancements, and problem solutions. They work with onsite contractors and a Poland-based development team. These workers must be familiar with a variety of databases, with a strong technical foundation that includes advanced structured programming. Salary compensation for these positions is among the highest in the field.

CompuTech, located in Clarkstown, NY offers Desktop Support Tech positions with a world renowned computer manufacturing company. These are contract positions requiring backgrounds 5 years’ experience in both HP hardware and software, Windows XP and Windows 7 maintenance. Salaries are commensurate with experience and skill levels.

Similar positions may be found in any of the cities listed above. Depending on the applicant’s skills and training, and where he wants to work, high-paying IT jobs are available throughout the country.

Elite Staffing
Elite Staffing has been connecting employers to new employees since 1991. Its mission is to provide an extensive screening, interview, and networking service to both employers and job-seekers. Elite Staffing is one of the many employment companies in Chicago that deal with a wide range of industries. They don’t simply find employees for a certain type of industry, and this makes them very popular.

AppleOne
AppleOne is unique among the various employment agencies in the Chicago, Illinois area. Instead of simply connecting job-seekers to employers, AppleOne provides a large number of employment resources as well. They offer resume services, a job-hunting guide, and a newsletter as part of those resources. Due to this focus, AppleOne is focused on helping their job-seekers find long-term, career-oriented employment.

BPS Staffing

BPS Staffing bills itself as a ‘full service’ staffing company. Their focus is both long and short-term employment, and they have a number of resources to help you reach your employment goals. For job-seekers, BPS Staffing has one of the best track-records in Downtown Chicago for employment. For employers, BPS Staffing conducts a very extensive screening process to ensure only the best applicants make their way through.

Banner Personnel
Banner Personnel is the premier employment agency in Chicago that specializes in ‘office-based’ work. Their entire service is set up to help link employers in the administrative, academic, and insurance industries with qualified individuals. They accomplish this by conducting an intensive screening process that ensures only the most qualified, motivated workers make their way through the process. Banner Personnel is a member of the National Association of Personnel Services and the Illinois Search and Staffing Association.

A-Pro Temps
A-Pro Temps is one of the most independent staffing agencies in the city. They are a privately owned business that specializes in every aspect of the employment process. They are especially popular as a direct-hire agency, and they have a great track-record of positive employment results. Their screening process is a little more lax than other agencies. Though A-Pro Temps is located in downtown Chicago, it serves the surrounding suburban community as well.

The Esquire Staffing Group
The Esquire Staffing Group has been connecting employers and job-seekers for over half a century. They are a family owned business that connects employers to full-time staff, temporary staff, and even event staff. The screening process at Esquire Staffing Group is among the strictest in Chicago. This means that applicants need to be prepared to take the application process very seriously.

First Associates, LTD
First Associates is a very popular staffing company in Chicago. It boasts the most easy-to-use website of the various employment agencies on this list. Through the web portal, employees can do everything from job-hunt to access useful employee resources. First Associates is highly regarded in the banking, financial, legal, and accounting industries. Despite this, they also help many people find work in other industries.

A Personnel Commitment
A Personnel Commitment is one of a few successful ’boutique’ personnel firms in Chicago. They have a very good track-record in executive recruitment and mid-level staffing. Employers looking to fill an executive position will find that the screening process here is much more personalized than at other staffing agencies. Instead of relying on an institutionalized screening process, A Personnel Commitment looks at the unique qualities of each applicant.

The Larko Group
The Larko Group is a trusted supplier of workforce solutions to over 200 employers in the Chicago area. The Group has been working closely with employers to meet their needs for decades. They have developed a reputation for giving each of their employment partners a personalized experience that focuses on each clients unique needs. The Largo Group even sends an employment specialist to the office of each client to get a better understanding of what the client needs.

The Chicago Hire Company
The Chicago Hire Company spends a lot of time working with employers to figure out exactly what they’re looking for in an employee. The focus here is on building long-term relationships with their clients. As a result, they are noted for having a great deal of success in matching employers with a qualified workforce.