For further information: Anne Hornyak, Chicago Plus - 312/795-1700

CAST A DIFFERENT KIND OF BALLOT SHOWING YOUR CIVIC PRIDE

New Chicago-area travel site allows you to post tips, win a getaway package, and get the inside scoop on restaurants, attractions, shopping, hotels and more

(Chicago, IL) November 17, 2008 - Now that the November elections are over, don't despair! Here's another way to show your patriotism and civic pride.

Chicago-area residents can now post tips about local restaurants, attractions, shopping, hotels and more at newly launched www.GoSeeChicago.com - a social networking travel site. The site allows locals and visitors alike to share their Chicagoland experiences, recommend places they enjoy, and connect with like-minded residents and travelers.

"We know that Chicagoans are very proud of where we call 'home'. GoSeeChicago is a great way for them to help visitors have a good time in the area," says Anne Hornyak, Executive Director of Chicago Plus - a State of Illinois Regional Tourism Development Office. "Residents will also benefit by gaining an inside scoop on other things they haven't tried yet from other residents and travelers."

By waving the Chicagoland flag, you'll not only help your wallet, but your region.

Now through Jan. 31, 2009, each tip you post enters you into a random prize drawing of a much-needed getaway from all the poll-watching and speculation on the President-Elect's next move. The Aurora-area getaway package will feature an overnight stay at the Comfort Suites Aurora, a $60 gift card to Walter Payton's Roundhouse, and a VIP Coupon Book to Chicago Premium Outlets.

And don't worry - voting early and often is actually legal here! The more tips you post, the better your chances of winning. Also, a new contest starts over every two months, with a new prize from a different region offered. Visit GoSeeChicago.com for complete details.

You'll also be supporting a huge economic engine for the Chicagoland area and the second largest industry in Illinois - tourism. Domestic visitors to Chicago and five nearby counties spent $22.6 billion in 2007, added nearly $2 billion to the tax coffers of our state and local governments, and supported 238,000 local tourism-related jobs.

Although Chicago Plus provided financial and staff support to get the website rolling, GoSeeChicago's content is driven by users like you - local residents and regular visitors who want to share their experiences, observations and tips.

After a soft launch, the site already has about 300 consumer tips. You'll find everything from an old-school restaurant that delivers hamburgers to kids on a train, an all-weather golf driving range (it's even discounted one day a week), where international visitors are shopping (and when they start their holiday sales), and who's got a great spicy Asian noodle dish to take away the winter chill.

GoSeeChicago was developed by GoSeeTell Network, Inc., which has developed similar sites for the city of Portland, as well as Arizona and Oregon.

"What makes our system unique is that we can provide customized recommendations for those who tell us a little about their likes and dislikes," says Martin Stoll, CEO of GoSeeTell Network. "You can definitely still scroll through the entire database of tips, but we can also say 'Here are some people who share your interests and lifestyle, and this is what they had to say."

In an effort to keep recommendations genuine, the site maintains a proprietary index dubbed "trustiness" that defines users' credibility. This rating - which is posted next to all users' tips and reviews - examines how the user interacts with the site, how helpful others find the user's tips, and how many places they've rated.

For more information or to sign up, visit www.GoSeeChicago.com.

About Chicago Plus
Chicago Plus - one of the State of Illinois' Regional Tourism Development Offices - is a non-profit organization that promotes tourism and leisure activities in the greater Chicagoland area. It represents the following regions: Aurora Area, Chicago Downtown, Chicago Southland, Chicago's North Shore, Chicago's North Suburbs, DuPage, Elgin Area, Geneva, Heritage Corridor, Lake County, Lisle, Oak Park Area, Rosemont, St. Charles, and Woodfield Chicago Northwest. For more information: www.VisitChicagoland.com.

About GoSeeTell Network, Inc.
GoSeeTell Network builds customized social networks that allows destination marketing organizations to offer user-generated content as part of their online presence. The GoSeeTell team has more than 30 years of experience in the fields of travel, travel journalism and website development. For more information: www.goseetell.com.

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