Woodfield Unwraps Special Holiday Shopping Experience for Out-of-Towners

Released: 10/01/04

MEDIA CONTACT: Andy Perez or Bonni Pear
Miller-Pear Public Relations
(312) 649-0466; info@millerpear.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WOODFIELD MALL UNWRAPS SPECIAL HOLIDAY SHOPPING EXPERIENCE FOR OUT-OF-TOWNERS

Schaumburg, Ill. (October 1, 2004) -- Woodfield Mall in northwest suburban Chicago is like one of those magical gifts where one gigantic package unwrapped reveals a slightly smaller package inside, then a smaller, until the true prize lies nestled in a tiny ring box. With the first swipe of Woodfield's wrapping, visitors discover Illinois' top tourist destination with nearly 300 stores and restaurants, including dozens that can't be found anywhere else in the Midwest. Then there's one of the most lavish holiday displays anywhere, boasting the area's largest indoor tree and enough ribbon and garland to circle the Sears Tower three times. Finally, in the ring-box center, deeply-discounted holiday hotel packages and exclusive tourist-only savings treat out-of-towners not like some unexpected second cousin, but as truly honored guests.

Shopping Galore
Fully enclosed, Woodfield is Illinois' largest mall. Stores range from the unique -- fine art and jewelry dealers, cutting-edge clothiers for men, women, teens and children, and home furnishing emporiums -- to nationally-recognized department stores such as JCPenney, Lord & Taylor, Marshall Field's, Nordstrom and Sears. Notable newcomers since last holiday season include clothing retailers Urban Outfitters, hanna Andersson, Janeville and H&M, jeweler Movado, home and apparel specialist Anthropologie (open mid-September) and shoe dealer Clarks England.

"To find that special gift for everyone on your gift list, there is no better place to shop than Woodfield Mall," says Marc Strich, general manager of Woodfield. "Woodfield has the largest variety of stores and merchandise in the region. When you get hungry, stop for a fine meal at one of our many restaurants."

The 34 restaurants and food specialty shops of Woodfield will satisfy anyone's appetite with the best burgers and fries, salads, seafood, steaks and Asian fare. All restaurants offer sit-down service including Todai Seafood Buffet, a Japanese all-you-can-eat seafood house, The Cheesecake Factory, home to the largest menu in the mall and more than 30 cheesecake varieties daily, kid favorite Rainforest Cafe, hamburger champions John's Garage and Red Robin, the salad-lover paradise of Ruby Tuesday and make-your-own, Asian stir-fry Stir Crazy Cafe.

Unmatched Merriment
On Saturday, November 13 at 7:00 p.m., the man of the season makes his Woodfield debut in a free, public Santa's Arrival extravaganza featuring a much-anticipated performance by The Joffrey Ballet, showcasing selections from Robert Joffrey's The Nutcracker. Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey(R) Circus clowns will also be on hand to entertain the crowd with their hilarious hijinks. Starting that evening and running through December 24, Santa Claus will be available for photos during all mall hours at the base of Grand Court's towering tree. Digital photo packages are available for purchase, but private cameras and video recorders are allowed.

"Woodfield is the only shopping center where Santa's Arrival is heralded by world-class performances from artists like The Joffrey Ballet and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey," says Strich. "We hope visitors from across the Midwest will come to enjoy this eye-popping extravaganza and the official, annual unveiling of Woodfield's spectacular holiday decor."

The much-touted Illinois Collection holiday decor centers around the area's largest indoor tree, a magnificent 54-foot fir, weighing in at close to 6,000 pounds, and donning more than 12,000 ornaments and 6,750 feet of ribbon and garland. Twenty-foot-tall skyline replicas of the Sears Tower, Wrigley Field, the State Capitol, the John Hancock and Stone Container (the one with the diamond roof) buildings are juxtaposed against the tree. A wintry Chicago street scene unfolds at the base of the tree, where four moving trains and topiary reindeer are set in the snow. Through the brightly decorated storefront windows, boys and girls from 1 to 92 revel in an advance peek at Santa Claus.

Holiday Hotel Packages
Discounted hotel packages ranging from $80 to $119 per night offer an unsurpassed value, including a $10 to $50 Woodfield gift certificate (redeemable for shopping or dining anywhere within the center) for each night's stay. Woodfield Mall Official Hotels, the Schaumburg Marriott and the Hyatt Regency Woodfield, along with other Preferred Partner hotels offer door-to-door shuttle service to and from the mall, a discounted or complimentary breakfast and/or cocktail hour, a workout center and swimming pool, in-room cable and in some locations, kitchenettes. All partner hotels are within five minutes of the mall.

V.I.P. Visitor Treatment
The best place to start a Woodfield shopping excursion is at the Customer Service Center located in Grand Court, near the great tree. Here, out-of-towners who've traveled 50 miles or further can pick up their Passport to Savings, a booklet containing exclusive discounts of up to 20 percent at more than 100 participating stores and restaurants. (Through Woodfield's Treat Your Traveler program, local residents who bring out-of-town guests to the mall are also eligible for their own exclusive savings.) Other Service Center offerings include friendly staff to answer questions, mall maps, information on sales and store promotions, stroller and wheelchair rental, gift certificate sales and access to www.shopwoodfield.com -- a great resource for making the most of the Woodfield shopping experience, on-site or before ever leaving home.

The official web site of Woodfield, www.shopwoodfield.com features an online gift guide, information about new merchandise, current sales and holiday happenings, an interactive mall directory, ready-to-print savings coupons, and even a special page of news and programs of particular interest to out-of-town visitors. Web users can create a holiday wish list to be e-mailed to friends and family and sign up for a weekly Woodfield e-bulletin round-up of news about favorite stores, events and special offers.

At the Chicago Tribune Holiday Service Center shoppers can find the coat and package check, gift wrap services, package shipping, souvenir Woodfield holiday shopping bags and limited-edition replicas of the Radko-inspired ornaments that adorn the Woodfield tree, sales of which benefit Chicago Tribune Children's Charities. Holiday Valet Parking is available at five convenient mall entrances for a day-long fee of $6 (free for the physically challenged).

Located in Schaumburg, Ill., at Golf Road and Route 53, Woodfield Mall is easily accessible from key regional arteries I-290 and I-90, which forms a direct route to the mall from downtown Chicago. O'Hare International Airport is located eight miles east of the center. The mall, which is the largest in the Chicago area, welcomes more than 27 million visitors and hundreds of motorcoach groups annually. For more information on Woodfield's hotel packages, tourism offerings, holiday hours, seasonal programs and services, log on to www.shopwoodfield.com or call (847) 330-1537. For ideas of other area attractions, contact the Greater Woodfield Convention and Visitors Bureau at www.visitgw.com or (800) VISIT-GW.