State and village officials gathered recently at the Tinley Park Convention Center—located in Chicago’s Southland region about 25 minutes from downtown Chicago—to celebrate the completion of a major facility expansion that doubled its size and added new amenities.

“This expansion creates an enormous leap for the convention center’s competitive edge in the regional marketplace,” said Tinley Park Mayor Edward Zabrocki. “With the anticipated creation of new jobs and its effect on the local hospitality and convention services sector, the new facility is expected to bring to our area an annual economic impact of US$265 million.”

The expanded Tinley Park Convention Center features 70,000 square feet of event space, 18 breakout rooms, a 12,000-square-foot ballroom, full food service offerings and an attached 202-room hotel.

“The expanded Tinley Park Convention Center meets the needs of the majority of meeting, event and convention planners, and its close proximity to restaurants, services, downtown Chicago, O’Hare and Midway airports and the interstate system make Tinley Park an ideal location for Midwestern meetings, events, trade shows and conferences,” said Jim Garrett, president and CEO of the Chicago Southland CVB.