Chicago Ideas Week Returns October 8 -14, 2012

CHICAGO, April 3, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Brad Keywell and Eric Lefkofsky, co-founders of Lightbank and Groupon, along with Mayor Rahm Emanuel, announce the return of Chicago Ideas Week (CIW), a seven-day global platform for ideas and innovation designed to create meaningful connections and catalyze new ideas into action, to be held October 8 –14, 2012.  

For one week each October, CIW brings together some of the world's most outstanding speakers to present their ideas and inspire innovation on an array of topics ranging from entrepreneurship to fashion, to the environment, sports and military. Innovators, thinkers, doers and engaged citizens from across Chicago, the greater Midwest, and the world are invited to attend.

"We are excited to launch our second annual Chicago Ideas Week, which will be even bigger and bolder this year," said Keywell. "Our focus is turning ideas into action, which we achieve by bringing globally provocative speakers to our great city, and igniting the imagination, conversation, and connectivity of our diverse and highly engaged attendees."

In 2011, CIW brought over 160 speakers from across the globe, including President Bill Clinton, Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, CNN's Dr. Sanjay Gupta, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and many others. In its second year, CIW will double the size of its program featuring more than 200 speakers and over 100 events at locations across the city. Events will be held at cultural institutions in Chicago, such as The Oriental Theatre, Goodman Theatre, and the Museum of Contemporary Art.  Confirmed speakers include Steve Case, co-founder of AOL, Rick Stengel, Managing Editor, TIME Magazine, Deb Roy, co-founder and CEO, Bluefin Labs, Inc., Lilly Ledbetter, advocate and author of Grace & Grit and Felicity Aston, the first woman in the world to ski across Antarctica alone, and many more.

CIW 2012 will include:

• 30 CIW Talks: Ninety-minute programs that will feature prominent local and national leaders on a broad range of themes.
• 4 CIW Mega Talks: Evening programs that will feature globally recognized speakers, discussing timely topics.
• Edison Talks:  Edison Talks is an invitation-only, daylong gathering featuring provocative presentations, performances, and interactive installations that are defined by invention.
• 100 CIW Labs: Exclusive, behind-the-scenes experiences that will give attendees a unique glimpse into the inner workings of businesses and institutions that are otherwise unavailable to the public.

"Chicago is proud to host Ideas Week and we look forward to welcoming leaders from around the globe to experience all that our great city has to offer," said Mayor Emanuel. "This city is a hub of creativity and innovation with some of the world's leading companies based here and this event allows us to not only showcase that – but to inspire new initiatives and ventures and to establish a community of people who have the power to achieve great things."

Chicago Ideas Week is generously supported by several integral partners, which will help bring CIW to life. These organizations include TIME magazine, Starcom MediaVest Group, Leo Burnett Worldwide, MSLGROUP, the McCormick Foundation, the Joyce Foundation, Tribune Media Group, Crain's Chicago Business, NBC 5 Chicago, WBEZ91.5, Harrington College of Design, and CBRE. More supporters will be announced soon.

A detailed schedule and additional speakers will be announced shortly, and tickets will go on sale in August. For more information, please visit www.chicagoideas.com.

About Chicago Ideas Week

Chicago Ideas Week is a premier annual gathering of global thought leaders created to drive ideas into actionable results. It is the platform for ideas, created for innovators, thinkers, doers and interested citizens from across Chicago, the greater Midwest, and the world. CIW's goal is to stimulate new initiatives and ventures, create new connections and collaborations, and establish a community of people who have the desire to achieve great things. For more information, please visit www.chicagoideas.com.

Media Contacts:

Jessica Malkin
Executive Director, Chicago Ideas Week
312-662-7708
[email protected]

Emily Kellam
MSL Chicago
312 -861-5262
[email protected]

SOURCE Chicago Ideas Week