Schaumburg conference brings in big names ... secretly

An annual CareerBuilder.com conference, which in the past has drawn former U.S. presidents and other high-profile speakers, begins today with characteristic secrecy at the Schaumburg Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center.

Last year, former President George W. Bush spoke at the conference, with the fact becoming publicly known only after he'd already left.

The annual meeting of the Chicago-based online employment company has hosted former presidents Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, General Colin Powell and former General Electric CEO Jack Welch with very little fanfare.

But despite its veil of mystery, the conference has historically brought between 1,000 and 1,500 visitors to town each January — spilling over into other hotels and bringing lots of business to area restaurants, Schaumburg Mayor Al Larson said.

“It's a big crowd,” he said. “It's a great way to kick off the new year.”

CareerBuilder spokeswoman Jenny Grasz explained last year that the conference's famous speakers were part of an ongoing series within the company to offer different perspectives on leadership and influence.

Requests for information about this year's conference were not returned Monday.

Schaumburg Renaissance General Manager Lisa Timbo was not available for comment Monday, but last year explained that this particular conference comes with a no-publicity clause in its contract.

The calendar of events on the hotel and convention center's website makes no mention of the CareerBuilder conference.

Schaumburg Police Chief Brian Howerton said Schaumburg officers had some on-site duties during Bush's visit last year, along with Illinois State Police and the Secret Service.

The speakers for this year's event remain undisclosed, but Schaumburg police Sgt. John Nebl said there has been no similar request for additional police services this time.

As a member of the on-site detail last year, Howerton had the opportunity to shake Bush's hand during the former president's brief visit.

While Howerton said he couldn't speak for the reasons behind keeping the visit so low-profile, it was undoubtedly something that had been deliberately decided.

This year's conference runs through Thursday.