Registration ends May 19

so be sure to register now to guarantee your spot at the 2009 Innovation Summit.   

Chamber members, IIT Alumni and friends can take advantage of our discount rate.  Register early and guarantee your spot at the conference.  Enter the code CHAMBER to receive the discount.

The event promises unparalleled networking and education from sustainability and design leaders from around the world.  Register now to have an opportunity to connect with others at the conference or even before and after via our private network boards.

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The 2009 Innovation Summit represents a unique collaboration among the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Institute of Design which have come together to present the 2009 Innovation Summit: “design + innovation = sustainability”. 

The Summit promises to be a one-of-a-kind event bringing together thought leaders and practitioners drawn from multiple disciplines to explore the power and the promise of innovation and design viewed through the lens of sustainability.

Learn More

The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce's InnovateNow initiative in partnership with InnoCentive has chosen the winners of a global open-innovation challenge aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions released by automobiles by increasing local transit ridership to 1 billion rides a year. To launch this global competition, the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce worked with InnoCentive, a nationally renowned open innovation network. This network is becoming an increasingly common platform for companies and organizations to tap the public to solve their business challenges, enabling them to connect with creative thinkers from around the world. The challenge generated more than 125 proposals from locations as far away as Kenya, Australia and Japan. 

Learn more about the full details of the Challenge

Some of these ideas proposed by the Solvers included transformational green initiatives, updated approaches to marketing, and new fare structures. The Chicagoland Chamber now plans to compile all proposals and present them to regional transportation officials at the RTA, CTA, Metra and Pace.

Each winner will receive mention at the upcoming 2009 Innovation Summit presented by the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce Foundation's InnovateNow and the Illinois Institute of Technology Institute of Design.

Learn More About the 2009 Innovation Summit 

Chicago Tribune Exclusive

On March 30 the Chicago Tribune ran an exclusive story detailing the Challenge and announcing the winners. Tribune transportation reporter Jon Hilkevitch covered the story which was featured on the front page of that day's edition of the Chicago Tribune.

View Article

Chicago Climate Action Plan

The Chamber launched the InnoCentive Challenge to support efforts underway within the region’s mass transit agencies and the City of Chicago’s "Chicago Climate Action Plan." Released by the city in 2008, the plan indicates that reducing automobiles on the road and minimizing the number of miles driven will have a demonstrable positive effect on the City’s greenhouse gas emissions.

Challenge Winner

The winner of the challenge, Aaron Renn will be receiving $5,000 from the Chamber and InnoCentive for his in-depth, comprehensive proposal.  In the winning entry, Renn detailed recommendations to better utilize existing capacity and add new capacity. Among the recommendations were (1) more efficiently utilizing the existing infrastructure, especially adding new off-peak rides and shifting rides from peak to shoulder periods; (2) adding a new bus rapid transit component to the CTA system; and (3) increasing mainline capacity on rail and bus. The submission also offered methods to entice new riders including (1) a more rider-centric view that focuses on maximizing the attractiveness of transit versus the alternatives in terms of cost, end to end journey time, and quality of experience; and (2) maximizing demand for trips by increasing employment in the Loop and changing policies with regards to land use.

2009 Innovation Summit Scheduled for May 21, 2009

Registration is now open for the 2009 Innovation Summit

The 2009 Innovation Summit will be held on Thursday, May 21, 2009, at the Spertus Institute in downtown Chicago.

The Summit will bring together influential innovation experts, business executives, academics and government leaders to discuss innovation and accelerate Chicagoland's development as a globally recognized center for innovation. The Summit is a full day of innovation education, tools, case studies, demonstrations, and networking. Now in its third year, the summit will continue to focus on creating and sustaining an innovation culture and establishing recognition of the region for leading the innovation imperative on a global scale.

The summit represents a new collaboration between Illinois Institute of Technology Institute of Design and InnovateNow. With the Summit our goals are to:

1. Demonstrate firsthand how successful companies are using innovation and design to effectively grow business.
2. Explore the tension that exists between the world of innovation, represented by a fast, global, technology-driven future vs. the world of sustainability, marked by slow, local, low-impact lifestyles.
3. Demonstrate how lessons and strategies from the design world can inform and reframe the inherent conflict between innovation and sustainability and provide solutions for businesses, governments and individuals.
4. Connect people using state-of-the art technology and platforms to maximize the opportunities to create meaningful linkages.

The participants will be CEOs and senior executives from major Chicagoland and national companies; academic leaders; innovation experts; and leading innovative companies.

Space is limited to 400 attendees. Please make sure to secure your attendance by registering. Register before April 20 to take advantage of the early registration price. Discounted friends-and-family pricing is also available for Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce members, Institute of Design alumni, past summit attendees and others.

Register Now!