Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced Chicago is on track to reach the goal of 55 million visitors annually at the end of this year – three years early. Chicago has been setting tourism records every year since 2012. Last year, more than 54 million people from all over the world visited the city. To build on that progress, one of the world’s leading food science organizations is making an unprecedented ten-year commitment to hold its annual global meetings in Chicago. Two years ago, Mayor Emanuel set a goal of 55 million visitors annually by 2020. To reach that goal Chicago will need to see approximately 2.3 percent growth. Through the end of the second quarter 2017, visitation is up 3.2 percent. If current trends continue, the 55 million-visitor goal will be eclipsed by the end of next month. Chicago’s visitation success is driven, in part, by the organizations from all over the world that choose to meet here. The Institute of Food Technologists, with members representing more than 95 countries from virtually every discipline related to food science, will begin its ten consecutive years of Chicago meetings in 2020.