Monday August 14, 2023

Did You Attend The Great Lakes Transportation Show?

Tell Us How We Did!

We want to hear from YOU! Be sure to complete the brief survey. It takes less than 5 minutes.

Click here for survey

Let Us Showcase Your Business To The ILLBA Community! 

We’re excited to announce that over the next few weeks we will begin featuring Member and Vendor profiles in our weekly ILLBA Roundup newsletters. This is your opportunity to get your company in front of the entire ILLBA membership community, and highlight any and all aspects of your business and service that you want people to know about. Stay tuned for additional outreach detailing how you can participate in a quick phone interview with someone from our team that will then be compiled into your personalized member spotlight.

We look forward to connecting and learning more about you and your business!

Reminder: Ground Transportation Annual Tax Filing Due Tuesday August 15th

1. Start at  Chicago.gov/ChicagoBusinessDirect
2. If you are already an established Chicago Business Direct user, with valid User Id and Password, click the “Sign in” button. 
3. If you are using Chicago Business Direct for the first time, you must first register and establish a personal user profile, which consists of a User Id and Password. The blue “register today” is a link that will route you to the page and through process. You only need to register once.
4. Once you log in, you may view all the Business Accounts to which you are linked, in your “MY BUSINESS ACCOUNTS” page. If you are not linked to your Business Account, please send an email to: ChicagoBusinessDirect@cityofchicago.org for assistance.  

City of Chicago Events and Traffic Restrictions



Wrigley Field Transportation Restrictions Map 2023 - click here

Soldier Field Transportation Restrictions Map 2023 - click here

McCormick Place Events Calendar

Stay up to date on traffic and road closures by downloading and using the Chicago OEMC App: Chicago.gov/OEMC

News You Can Use

Domestic Carriers Cut Airfare Prices In Bid To Inspire More US-Based Vacations

If there’s been one theme among American travelers this summer it has been this: Goodbye America, hello Europe.

Americans have been heading to Europe and beyond in droves this summer and airfare prices are reflecting that reality. 

According to data from Hopper that was shared with TravelPulse last week, international airfare is currently about $962 roundtrip, which is up 10 percent from last year and 26 percent from the pre-pandemic prices of 2019.

Domestic airfare meanwhile is becoming quite the bargain. The average ticket within the United States is about $249 roundtrip, which is a drop of 11 percent from last year and a 12 percent decrease from 2019.

Read more

An Opportunity Unlike Any Other For Operators

For the first time, one of the NLA's most valuable programs is coming to the Fall Show!

The NLA Scholarship Program, organized and funded by the NLA, is designed to enable new operators to attend the CD/NLA Show at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando, FL in from October 22-25, 2023. These scholarships provide an unsurpassed business development opportunity for operators who have recently launched their companies and have never attended a CD/NLA event before.

The 2023 Scholarship Program application period will open on Thursday, August 24. 

Click here to learn more about the scholarship!

Questions about the scholarship experience? Reach out to board members Paula DeBiasi and James Jordan, former scholarship winners!

You now have an extra week to apply! The 2023 Source Grant application window has been extended one week to Friday, August 25. 

Applications are now open for The 2023 Source Grant, which provides $40 million in grants to small businesses to help stabilize operations, foster recovery and resiliency, and advance equity in a post-pandemic economy.

All businesses located in Cook County with fewer than 20 full-time employees that were in business prior to 2020 are eligible to apply. This opportunity is available for businesses in all sectors.

Read press release for details

 “Keep Your Sales Pipeline Full By Prospecting Continuously. Always Have More People To See Than You Have Time To See Them.”

– Brian Tracy