Travel business up, says Woodfield convention bureau

Hotel occupancy in the Northwest suburbs is up 14 percent over the past 12 months, Dave Parulo, president of the Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau, said in an interview Thursday.

Parulo spoke after the annual meeting of the bureau where Laurie Stone, founding president of the Schaumburg Business Association, was elected chairman. Stone is also chairman of the board of WINGS (Women in Need Growing Stronger) and a member of the board of Harper College.

“Group inquiries are rising,” said Parulo. “It's very encouraging. Business travel is starting to come back, with meetings happening again. People are finding nothing beats the ability to be face to face.”

Most tourism visitors to the region come from five neighboring states, so the increase in gas prices made the tourism industry nervous, he said. The recent drop in prices is encouraging, he added.

“We are hearing from our hotels that there's a good July coming up,” said Parulo.

The bureau represents eight communities with 62 hotels, 9,500 guest rooms, more than 500 restaurants and 25 major attractions.

Among those honored at the meeting at Metropolis in Arlington Heights was Lee Jagow, who is in the hotel industry and served as immediate past chairman during difficult economic times, said Parulo.

Jagow led the group when it reorganized to promote all the hotels, restaurants and attractions in the Northwest suburban area, rather than working only for paid members, said Parulo.

“Now we truly are doing marketing for the region,” said Parulo, “not members only. It made more sense to the mission we're trying to accomplish, bring business to the region.”

This brought more trust and confidence from community members, said Jagow. Challenges while he was in office included the economy and the fact that the state has been late with its payments.

“We were literally in survival mode month to month,” he said.

The bureau represents Arlington Heights, Elk Grove Village, Itasca, Rolling Meadows, Roselle, Schaumburg, Streamwood and Wood Dale.