Meet the Chicago Southland Team

Meet the Chicago Southland Team

Our team at the Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau wants to learn more about your event needs. Whether you’re looking for a meeting space, a location for a sports tournament or need group tour accommodations, our staff is ready to help you plan a successful event. 

Meet our team and learn what they think makes Chicago Southland the perfect destination for your next groups or meeting.

Our Director of Sales, Mary Patchin, CDME, leads the way for all association, corporate, government and nonprofit meeting needs in the Chicago Southland.

Why do you love the Chicago Southland?

I love the Chicago Southland Region because it has a close-knit hospitality community that values partnerships and relationships!

What do you wish meeting planners knew about the Chicago Southland?

I wish meeting and event planners realized our true distance (and accessibility) to Chicago. We are only 30 minutes from the heart of the city.

Joel Koester, Chicago Southland’s sports market manager, handles any inquiries and bookings related to sports teams and tournaments visiting the area.

What do you wish visitors and planners knew about the Chicago Southland?

One thing I wish visitors knew more about are the recreational opportunities the [Chicago] Southland has to offer. Some examples include the Cal-Sag Trail and Old Plank Trail systems, Big Marsh Bike Park, regional sporting events, Climb On, an indoor rock climbing gym and Irons Oaks Environmental Learning Center.

I encourage sports fans to watch a Chicago Fire [soccer team] game while in our area. SeatGeek Stadium was built specifically for major league soccer, and the stadium and the fans are amazing! 

Kristy Stevens, CTIS handles our SMERF Market, concentrating on social, military, education, religious and fraternal groups—including reunions and weddings.

Why do you love the Chicago Southland?

I love the Chicago Southland because of the many outdoor activities it offers.  On a dark night in July, you will find me and a couple hundred of my closest friends meeting back at the park, after biking the 15-mile Lansing Loop! It’s great exercise and camaraderie, but I do it for the doughnuts handed out at the end of the ride! 

What do you love most about your job?

I love working at the Visit Chicago Southland because of the many wonderful friendships I have made in my 16 years on the job. I have met so many meeting planners and suppliers at the trade shows that I attend, and it is truly great to see them year after year. Many have become like family and I am blessed to know them.

As our Tour and Travel Market Manager, Tobie Fitzpatrick manages and plans for group tours visiting the Chicago Southland area.

What do you love about the Chicago Southland?

I love the Chicago Southland because it is an extension of the big city excitement and a place you might want to call home. There is an amazing thrill in Chicago Southland's ethnic blends of restaurants, arts, cultures and entertainment.

What do you wish planners knew about the Chicago Southland?

The Chicago Southland is committed to making your tour group's journey a successful adventure that will have your group amazed and waiting for the next escapade.    

Our team is ready to assist you with coordinating site inspections, presenting to your decision makers and ready to help you with planning off-site events and team-building activities.

Let’s work together to introduce your group to the Chicago Southland, and let us show you everything our area has to offer your group. Contact us today for a current list of booking incentives.

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