06/04/2025 – About the Topic
Chicago XR Summit returns this June at the Illinois Institute of Technology’s University Technology Park (3440 S Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60616) for a dynamic, trade show-style expo dedicated to showcasing the power of virtual and augmented reality solutions. Organized by The Next Evolution & VRAR Chicago in collaboration with IIT’s Associate Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Director of the Esports and Digital Arts Center, this free event is poised to demonstrate how immersive technology can drive significant return on investment for Chicago’s leading industries.
The Summit builds on VRAR Chicago’s legacy of innovative events, including the inaugural Chicago XR Summit in 2018 – where 25 companies captivated a sell-out audience of 350 guests – and last year’s post-pandemic Hands on VR AR Demonstration Day, which featured 15 exhibitors engaging 160 attendees in hands-on immersive technology experiences. This year, we are directing increased efforts to enable Chicago-area businesses to discover scalable, cost-effective immersive technology solutions that can unlock revenue opportunities at the scale of tens to hundreds of millions of dollars – across industries including manufacturing, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, transportation, logistics, hospitality, advertising, education, and skilled labor.
What’s the Format
A Hands-On Experience Without the Stage
Suspending our traditional presentation format, the Chicago XR Summit invites business leaders and industry innovators to explore a rich landscape of interactive exhibitor booths. Attendees will have a unique opportunity to experience first-hand the latest VR and AR equipment, software, and services – technology demonstrations that have previously been accessible only at big-ticket events like the Augmented World Expo (AWE) in California. This wide variety of spatial computing experiences for business has never been made available like this – for free – anywhere else.
A Powerful Network of Partners
This year’s event is bolstered by partnerships with some of Chicago’s foremost economic development and innovation organizations, including Chicago Innovation, P33, 2112, 1871, Discovery Partners Institute, TeamWorking by TechNexus, MxD, and Frontier Mission Network. The XR industry’s own AWE and XR Women are also proud to partner with the summit, underscoring the event’s importance as a gateway to the future of immersive technology in business.
Empowering Chicago’s Business Leaders
“Chicago is the city that works, and our city’s big industries are primed to lead the nation in B2B immersive technology use cases,” said Matthew Wren, Founder of VRAR Chicago. “The Chicago XR Summit is more than an expo; it’s a catalyst for transformative investments that offer unmatched cost savings and innovative revenue streams. We invite business leaders to experience firsthand the potential of VR and AR solutions that can revolutionize the way they operate.”
Join Us
Business leaders, industry professionals, and innovative exhibitors are encouraged to attend this one-of-a-kind event to learn how immersive technologies can generate measurable ROI and position Chicago as the epicenter of the United States’ next-generation digital economy. For more information, visit https://ChicagoXRSummit.org or connect with @VRARChicago on social media.
Attending The Next Evolution
Attending in-Person
IIT | University Technology Park
3440 S Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60616
Public Transportation
CTA Red Line (Howard-95th/Dan Ryan) to Sox-35th station
CTA Green Line (Ashland-63rd or 63rd-Cottage Grove) to 35th-Bronzeville-IIT station
CTA bus lines with stops on Mies Campus (#29-State, #35-35th, #24-Wentworth, #4-Cottage Grove)
Parking Information | iit.edu/about/campus-information
Attending Virtually
FRAME | Framevr.io/the-next-evolution-awe-nite-chicago
We are not sure at this time what or if there will be a virtual component of this event.
thank you to our sponsors
thank you to our supporting partners
