Broadway in Chicago’s Motown the Musical had the crowd dancing and songstress Janelle Monae headlined for over an hour putting on a lively concert complete with an all white stage and costumes.
During the day meetings and networking happened at McCormick Place while at night parties were thrown in venues all over the city leading up to the finale on April 9.
The Museum of Science and Industry closed out the trade show with themed cuisine on each floor mixed in with the exhibits from Mexican to Indian styled offerings from local restaurants. Entertainment was provided by singer Jennifer Hudson who mentioned Chicago is her hometown before belting into a track called “Pocketbook.”
Kit Kat Lounge & Supper Club had their talented drag queens performing songs by Lorde and Beyonce including a few lap dances for the attendees to close out the Wednesday night’s festivities.
IPW is a marketplace for travel in the United States with more than 1,000 international and domestic buyers from more than 70 countries included.
Visit www.ipw.com for next year’s location along with information on how to attend.
Photos and text by Jerry Nunn