Northwest convention bureau changing its name

The Woodfield Chicago Northwest Convention Bureau will embark on the second name change in its 30-year history this fall, beginning with the big reveal at a reception next Wednesday.

What began as the Greater Woodfield Convention and Visitors Bureau changed to its current name in 2007.

But President Dave Parulo said another change was felt necessary this year, for more than one reason.

“We really wanted an easier name,” Parulo said. “I think folks will realize the new name represents our region well.”

But more than how smoothly the new name trips off the tongue, it also had to work with the online buying habits of potential customers — being keyword-sensitive.

As most professional meeting organizers go to online exchanges to get information about possible destinations, the bureau wanted to make sure it would be easy to find that way, Parulo explained.

That desire is not unique to the Schaumburg-based bureau. For similar reasons, visitors bureaus across the nation are moving from organizational names to brand names that speak more strongly to their customers, Parulo said.

Not only the name will change. The logo will be strikingly different from what was used before.

“The logo has very sophisticated and bold colors,” Parulo said. “It visually represents our name.”

The logo also ties into the bureau’s geographical location, including its proximity to O’Hare International Airport, Parulo said.

The intent of the name change is not to cause confusion, however, and the bureau’s website will remain at chicagonorthwest.com.

All will be revealed at the reception from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Sept. 25 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive in Schaumburg.

The reveal itself is planned to be about 5:30 p.m.