2025 State Conference
The annual APA-IL State Conference is not just an event – it's a 3-day extravaganza showcasing the absolute best in Illinois urban planning. Attendees can expect exciting educational sessions, one-of-a-kind mobile workshops, and unforgettable social soirées. We are excited to be back at the Old Post Office in Chicago!
2025 APA-IL State Conference
October 8-10, 2025
Old Post Office, 433 W Van Buren St., Chicago, IL 60607
#APAIL25
Questions? Email Paula Freeze , APA-IL Executive Director.
Enjoy the latest 2025 State Conference news!
01/05/2025Hotel Block Now Available for the 2025 APA-IL State Conference #APAIL25Book your hotel room today and stay close to the conference. Read More |
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2025 Program Highlights
More exciting details to come! Check back often as we will be adding more information to the program in spring 2025.
The Call for Sessions is Closed
Thank you for the almost 100 sessions that were submitted! We will be reviewing and then informing everyone whether or not they were selected in March. Questions? You can always email Executive Director, Paula Freeze.
Keynote Speaker: Margaret Chandra Kerrison
Scheduled for October 10, 2024
Born in Indonesia and raised in Singapore, Margaret’s career spans over seventeen years of creating narratives and writing for television, film, digital media, games, brand storytelling, location-based entertainment, narrative placemaking, and immersive experiences. She is a Creative Lead and Writer for multiple award-winning projects around the world, including Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, National Geographic Museum of Exploration, and the NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. As a consultant, she has created experiences for some of the most beloved brands in the world. She is the author of Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds (2022), Reimagined Worlds: Narrative Placemaking for People, Play, and Purpose (2024), and The Art of Immersive Storytelling: Strategies from the Gaming World (2025). In 2023, she was awarded the prestigious Paul Helmle Fellowship by the Department of Architecture at California Polytechnic State University, Pomona, where she taught for a semester. She is currently a Senior Creative Director at TAIT, creating moments that move people with other technology-enabled storytellers. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and son and is always looking for her next
adventure and invitation to play.
Born in Indonesia and raised in Singapore, Margaret's experience in the realm of immersive experiences will enlighten, inspire, and empower planners to get out and tell the planning story.
Margaret will not only provide attendees with a wonderful keynote that ties our worlds together. She will also have a fireside chat, and a 1.5-hour workshop. That's right - you can bring your project or problem to the workshop and apply Margaret's STORY Method to your work.
FAQ
- Students - Please check with your university before registering. UIC and UIUC are offering assistance.
- Volunteer - Volunteering at the conference is a great option for students, interns, retirees, or those in transition that would like to attend. Volunteer a ½ day and receive complimentary registration for that same day. Contact webmaster@ilapa.org if you're interested.
- APA-IL is working once again with CGi to manage this year's conference. If you have any questions about the conference or your conference registration, please email contact@cgiresults.com or call 501-954-9244.
| 2025 Early Registration |
2025 Standard Registration |
2025 Extended Registration |
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| Till 8/31 @ 11:59 PM | 8/31-9/27 @ 11:59 PM | 9/27 - end of conference | ||
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APA-IL Member: $400 Student: $200 Plan Commissioner: $200 |
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APA-IL Member: $450 Student: $225 Plan Commissioner: $225 |
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APA-IL Member: $550 Student: $250 Plan Commissioner: $250 |
Registration Types
- Member: An American Planning Association (APA) or American Planning Association - Illinois Chapter (APA-IL) member. This includes APA-IL's Chapter Only membership.
- Non-member: An attendee that is not a current paid member of the American Planning Association or American Planning Association - Illinois Chapter.
The APA-IL offers Chapter-Only Memberships for just $50. Click here to purchase a Chapter-Only Membership and save on conference registration!
- Plan Commissioner: Any appointed or elected officials, commissioners, board members, or officials interested in learning about a wide range of planning and development topics fundamental to their roles. Plan Commissioner Training is a day-long training and will take place on Thursday, September 26th.
- Student: Any currently enrolled student at any university. Students will be asked to use their university email and identify their college / university when registering. Check with your university to see if they have funding available to support your attendance before registering.
- AICP Exam Prep ONLY: Please register for the FREE AICP Exam Prep workshop through the conference registration. Conference registration is not required for attendance.
Become a sponsor and have a positive impact on Illinois' communities.
Sponsorship dollars play a critical role in helping the chapter produce this unique and exciting educational opportunity for hundreds of state-wide planners.
The State Conference provides a tremendous opportunity for your organization to engage with local and state government decision-makers, for-profit and non-profit organizations, and other planning professionals from across Illinois and beyond.
2025-26 Sponsor Opportunities Coming Soon!
Contact Shelly Greenwood at CGi for questions or to talk about opportunities for your organization!
2024-25 Sponsors
Tier 1 Sponsor
Tier 2 Sponsor
Tier 3 Sponsor
University Sponsor
In-Kind Sponsor
Supporter
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Venue Information
The APA-IL is excited to invite Illinois planners and allied professionals for three days of learning in downtown Chicago. Attendees will explore the Post Office, Chicago and beyond.
The Old Post Office
433 W Van Buren Street
Chicago, IL 60607
Accommodations
A room block will be held at the Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown.
Single and double occupancy room rates are $179/night plus fees & tax.
Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown
506 West Harrison Street
Chicago, Illinois 60607
By clicking the link above the room block discount code will be honored. Rates are offered 10/7/05-10/9/25 and three days before and three days afterward. The room block closes 9/16/2025. Reservation requests received after the cut-off date will be based on hotel availability at the contracted group rate.
The Holiday Inn & Suites Chicago-Downtown is the official hotel for the APA-IL State Conference and will not reach out to you via email or telephone. While other hotel resellers may contact you offering housing, they are not endorsed by or affiliated with APA-IL, CGi, IHG Hotel, or Holiday Inn.
Parking
Recommended option
While we recommend taking public transportation to the State Conference, we know driving is inevitable for some. Parking is not included in conference registration or hotel reservations.
Closest and least expensive parking option is the parking lot at 519 S Clinton St., Chicago IL. We suggest purchasing parking through Spot Hero for the best rate.
Other parking options
If you are coming to this year's state conference via car, we suggest searching SpotHero for the best rates around the Old Post Office.
Click here for directions to the Old Post Office Parking Garage (courtesy of the Old Post Office) as well as rates and directions from the parking garage to the conference venue.
Click the Google Map below to start planning your trip to APAIL24!
Looking for information from our past conferences? Please visit our Past/Future Conferences webpage.
