Chicago Travel Show

The Chicago Travel Show (actually in Rosemont, IL) was truly outstanding. It was so well organized, and the booths were arranged in a logical order to make it easier for attendees to find them. For instance, Asia Pacific destinations and tour companies were in row 1700 -- thus one didn't have to wander all over the floor to find trips to China. Smart thinking on the part of the organizers! I hope the rest of their shows are set up that way.

There were four stages with various presentations and top-rate speakers, the "main stage" being the Travel Theater with seating for over 1,000 (I know because I counted the rows and then the chairs in each row!). Among the speakers on this stage were Rick Steves, Pauline Frommer, Samantha Brown and Patricia Schultz. Other stages included Global Beats (music and dance from around the world), Taste of Travel (food, fod, food), and Destination Theater (numerous places to visit around the world).

Also on hand was a Sea World exhibit (no dolphins or penguins; there was a cute turtle, though) and a Mechanical Bull where the operators made sure that the young kids and the older kid had a good time, but always fell off "when it was their time." A fun time was indeed had by all.

Besides talking with numerous tour operators, my favorite "show" was my shoe shine from Dwight. This man truly loves his job, which is entertainment. Yes, you walk away with shinier shoes, but that's not the only reason to climb into his chair.

To see where the next travel shows are, just go to http://adventureexpo.com/ and see where your travels can take you.