OAKBROOK HOTELS, INC. APPOINTS NEW GENERAL MANAGER OF DUPAGE EXPO

ST. CHARLES, Ill. – Oakbrook Hotels, Inc., a national owner and operator of hotels, resorts and meeting facilities, has announced the appointment of George Sparks as general manager of the new DuPage Expo located in St. Charles, Illinois.

Sparks has worked with Oakbrook Hotels since 1992, most recently for Pheasant Run Resort, the company’s flagship property, as a sales manager specializing in the collectors, trade shows and hobbies market segment. Working with meeting planners in this specific segment has provided him with an exceptional background for managing all aspects of the new state-of-the-art exposition center.

With more than 25,000 square feet of space and acres of professionally maintained grounds, DuPage Expo is the perfect venue for trade and auto shows, product launches, large meetings and special events. The facility offers column-free, carpeted exposition space, ample free parking, a professional lobby registration area, two drive-in overhead doors for easy loading, high-speed Internet access, an on-site café and 24-hour vending area.

“George brings an incomparable background in both trade show sales and operations to this position,” said David McArdle, president and chairman of Oakbrook Companies, the parent company of Oakbrook Hotels, Inc. “His expertise will enable us to fully realize the potential of this spectacular new facility.”

Sparks stated that he looks forward to utilizing his specialized skills to manage the new expo center.

"As the newest expo center in the Chicagoland area, DuPage Expo is perfectly equipped to host all type of exhibitions and tradeshows,” he said. “My background and enthusiasm in planning and executing first class shows and events makes this the right fit."

Located on the Pheasant Run Resort campus just outside Chicago, DuPage Expo offers both outstanding exposition center space and easy access to additional meeting and resort facilities. For more information, call 866-239-EXPO (3976) or visit www.dupageexpo.com.

Oakbrook Hotels’ Pheasant Run Resort is the Midwest's largest entertainment resort with 473 luxurious guest rooms, more than 100,000 square feet of meeting space, 36 holes of championship golf, a full-service Mario Tricoci Spa, two renowned theaters and a Zanies Comedy Club. Other properties owned by Oakbrook Hotels, Inc. include the Sheraton Cleveland Airport Hotel with 288 rooms and more than 20,000 square feet of meeting space, the Hilton Garden Inn-St. Charles and Holiday Inn Express-St. Charles, with 120 rooms and 122 rooms respectively and the Advanced Center for Training, a 25,000 square foot state-of-the-art I.A.C.C. - certified training center.

Oakbrook Hotels, Inc. has developed and operated hotels and resorts in the Bahamas, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Oakbrook Companies also is the parent of Oakbrook Properties, a national real estate developer with extensive experience in large mixed use property. Oakbrook Properties is currently developing Coconut Point in Estero; one of Southwest Florida’s largest mixed use projects. For further information, call (630) 584-6580 or visit www.oakbrookco.com.