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December 2007 :: Volume 38 | |
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Chicago by the Numbers Read More |
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The Year in Review The year winds down with a new chapter turned in World Business Chicago's existence. After starting the office nearly eight years ago, Paul O'Connor stepped down as executive director. Although he will be missed, the office is in sound hands under the leadership of new executive director, Rita Athas. Read More |
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The Chicago-Israel Business Initiative World Business Chicago was a proud participant in the Chicago-Israel Business Initiative mission to Israel, October 28 to November 1, for the second year in a row. The Chicago-Israel Business Initiative (CIBI), a project of the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce Chicago (AICC), is an ongoing effort, leveraging cooperation between the Chamber, the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Israel Trade and Investment Center, and the business and academic sectors. Read More |
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Millennium Park to Host 'Paintings Below Zero' A colossal, site-specific installation of boldly-colored, abstract paintings in ice by Canadian artist Gordon Halloran will be the centerpiece of a new winter celebration in Millennium Park, Museum of Modern Ice, February 1-29, 2008. The installation, which marks the US debut of Halloran's innovative work, Paintings Below Zero, will incorporate a brilliantly colored ice wall -- 95 feet long and nearly 12 feet tall -- into Millennium Park's dramatic art and architecture. Read More |
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The Chicago-Israel Business Initiative World Business Chicago was a proud participant in the Chicago-Israel Business Initiative mission to Israel, October 28 to November 1, for the second year in a row The Chicago-Israel Business Initiative (CIBI), a project of the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce Chicago (AICC), is an ongoing effort, leveraging cooperation between the Chamber, the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Israel Trade and Investment Center, and the business and academic sectors. The effort encourages Israel-based businesses, looking to expand internationally, to locate their North American headquarters in the immediate Chicago area and strengthen business ties. This was the third annual CIBI-branded mission. Participants included representatives of the business, governmental, and academic communities, with the common interest in Israel's business prospects. America-Israel business is quantitatively the largest part of America-Israel relations. Since 2000, Israel has been the largest American trading partner in the Middle East, larger than American trade with Saudi Arabia, including US oil imports. Today, there are more Israeli companies listed on American securities exchanges than any country after the US and Canada, according to the Association of America-Israel Chambers of Commerce. Given Israeli prominence in science and technology, the schedule had a technology and life science sector emphasis. Visits to the illustrious Weizmann Institute of Science near Tel Aviv, and Ben-Gurion University in Be'er Sheva were included the first two days. The first day's proceedings were capped by a State of Illinois-sponsored reception for local businesspeople and officials. The international Gateway Israel event brought in many Israeli companies; the Illinois/CIBI booth was the only American entity among all Gateway exhibitors and was quite busy with visitor traffic. Israeli media stopped by to videotape comments by the delegation participants. Following the Gateway event, local companies and delegation participants gave presentations at a reception in Petach-Tikva (home to many technology companies, and Sister City of Chicago since 1994) outside Tel Aviv. This reinforced ties already boosted by Mayor Daley's visit in 2006, as well as previous State and CIBI/Chamber visits. Some visitors also attended WATEC, the International Water Technologies and Environmental Control conference, in Tel Aviv. At the dinner preceding the annual Prime Minister's Conference (with Aon and Motorola among several sponsors), participants heard an address by Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni. During the Conference, the delegation met with Gavriel Meimon, Director General of the State of Israel Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, and reinforced the relationship that has been built on successive visits. That evening the delegation attended a reception hosted by Motorola at US Ambassador Richard Jones's residence. The mission received coverage in local broadcast media. Participants made a considerable number of contacts with Israeli companies in, and in addition to, the target economic sectors, and this business attraction mission provided an important boost to getting the word out about Chicago and Illinois. -- Tom Bartkoski Director of International Business Development World Business Chicago PAGE UP  |
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Millennium Park to Host 'Paintings Below Zero'
A colossal, site-specific installation of boldly-colored, abstract paintings in ice by Canadian artist Gordon Halloran will be the centerpiece of a new winter celebration in Millennium Park, Museum of Modern Ice, February 1-29, 2008. The installation, which marks the US debut of Halloran's innovative work, Paintings Below Zero, will incorporate a brilliantly colored ice wall -- 95 feet long and nearly 12 feet tall -- into Millennium Park's dramatic art and architecture. By combining color and light with the ever-changing nature of ice, Halloran will create an engaging visual spectacle in Millennium Park, one of Chicago's most popular public spaces. Composed of multiple panels of vividly colored vertical ice sheets, the monumental ice wall will be enormous in scale, yet intricate in detail created by pigments interacting with the crystal structure of the ice. Inspired by a glacial wall in its final stages of movement toward the ocean, the installation will evolve over time with natural and planned changes, encouraging visitors to return frequently to observe the activity. "Chicago is well-known for offering rich cultural resources and Gordon Halloran's groundbreaking work supports our long-standing commitment to bringing world-class art to this city," said Mayor Richard M. Daley. "Chicago is proud to be the first city in the United States to present Paintings Below Zero, which is a must-see exhibition for both residents and visitors this winter." Free weekend family activities will be offered in or near a heated tent adjacent to the ice wall. Interactive programs such as ice games, hands-on art projects, and dancing will encourage the public to celebrate the vibrant winter season. The Chicago Cultural Center across from Millennium Park will become the Hot Spot for residents and visitors to warm up and enjoy weekend cooking demonstrations, knitting and crafting activities, music concerts, film screenings, and cabaret performances. To complete the ice theme, the Cafe at the Cultural Center will offer a special menu of ice-inspired snacks and hot drinks. Museum of Modern Ice is presented by Canadian National, North America's Railroad (CN), the Chicago Office of Tourism, the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Bureau of Tourism. The celebration is also supported by American Express, Hard Rock Hotel Chicago, Lifeway Foods, and the Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau. "CN is pleased to be a presenting sponsor of Paintings Below Zero during the Museum of Modern Ice celebration and to support Canadian artist Gordon Halloran's work, which has been internationally acclaimed," said E. Hunter Harrison, President and Chief Executive Officer, CN. "Our partnership with the City of Chicago is particularly gratifying because Chicago is a critical center in our North American rail operations and home to approximately 1600 employees." For more information about Museum of Modern Ice, visit http://www.millenniumpark.org/. PAGE UP |
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Chicago by the Numbers
Footnotes The new Chicago MSA (metropolitan statistical area) consists of a fourteen-county, tri-state region: Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Grundy, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties in Illinois; Jasper, Lake, Newton, and Porter counties in Indiana; and Kenosha County in Wisconsin. The Producer Price Index figures for 2007 are preliminary only. The office absorption and availability rate are 2007 third quarter numbers for the downtown Chicago market. Data is from CB Richard Ellis. Net Absorption is the change in available space in square feet. Availability rate is space that is currently vacant or in the process of being marketed. Consumer confidence, automobile and truck sales are U.S. numbers. The Chicago Midwest Manufacturing Index is a monthly estimate of manufacturing output in the 7th Federal Reserve district (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin). It is a composite index of sixteen manufacturing industries that use electrical power and hours worked data to measure monthly changes in regional activity. The employment, housing, and net absorption numbers are listed in thousands. PAGE UP |
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