Exhibitor Kit

It's Time to Get Ready for the Annual Conference!

We look forward to seeing you on October 15/16 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, 5555 N. River Road, Hall G, Rosemont, Illinois. Thank you for joining us!

Here is information to help you plan your show. Be sure to read ALL the information below and share relevant information with your booth staff that will be on site. Even if you've exhibited at the ILA Annual Conference before, please read all the information below and use the exhibitor kit as your guide to successful exhibits.

Deadlines & Schedule

August 15

Update Exhibitor Profile. Exhibitor profiles are visible on the conference platform website.

September 2

Exhibitor descriptions must be finalized for the printed ILA Conference Program Book. Descriptions will be pulled from the conference platform, Pheedloop.

Exhibitor balances are due. Complete payments are required to be included in the printed ILA Conference Program Book.

Deadline to participate in Passport to Prizes.

September 29

Deadline to register booth staff. (See more information below for details on how to register your booth staff.)

Deadline to receive discounted rates for RES vendor orders. (See more information below for details on how to order furnishings.)

Tuesday, October 14

Installation Hours: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

Wednesday, October 15

Installation Hours: 8:00 am - 11:00 am
Exhibits Hours: Noon - 5:00 pm
Exhibits Opening Lunch: Noon - 1:30 pm (No Conflict)
Exhibits Afternoon Snack: 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm (No Conflict)
Passport to Prizes Announcement: 4:30 pm

Thursday, October 16

Exhibits Hours: 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Exhibits Coffee Break: 10:00 am - 11:00 am (No Conflict)
Exhibits Closing Lunch: Noon - 1:30 pm (No Conflict)
Passport to Prizes Announcement: 1:00 pm
Dismantling Hours: 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm

Note: Please remember that dismantling of the booths prior to the official closing of the Exhibit Hall is strictly prohibited.

Early dismantling of the booth prior to the official dismantling hours may results in penalties, such as losing priority booth selections as well as jeopardizing participation in future shows.

For the safety of attendees, exhibitors and staff and for conducting professional exhibits, we ask for your cooperation in adhering to these regulations.

Exhibitor Profile

ILA utilizes a platform called Pheedloop to list and showcase confirmed conference exhibitors. Through the Pheedloop Exhibitor Portal, exhibitors will have an opportunity to list their company's description and product categories, upload a logo and promotional fliers, add videos, and list contact, website, and social media. In addition, all the information that exhibitors upload to their Pheedloop listing will be available to attendees via the conference app.

The deadline to update exhibitor profiles is September 2. Exhibitors will still have access to their portal to add additional information but the description needs to be finalized in order to be included in the printed ILA Conference Program Book.

Booth Staff Registration

Exhibitors receive up to six (6) complimentary registrations for booth staff per exhibitor/organization.

Please complete the following form to register your booth staff by September 29, 2025. Please provide the required information for each one of your booth staff, including yourself if you will be attending the conference, and ILA staff will process the registrations and send an individual confirmation to each registered booth staff. If any changes are needed after this date, please email exhibits@ila.org.

If your booth staff are interested in attending any other ticketed events, keep in mind that those events are NOT included in the booth staff registration for Full Conference and require pre-registration and payment.

See information below on available events and indicate on the form if anyone will be registering for those events. We will register them and send both the primary contact and attendee an invoice.

Note: Exhibitors who are also ILA Awards Sponsors have been contacted separately to provide information on company representatives attending the awards lunch.

ILA Awards Lunch
Tuesday, October 14, Noon to 1:15 PM
$75 per registrant
Youth Services Forum Breakfast
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
$50 per registrant
IACRL Luncheon
Wednesday, October 15, 2025 from 12:15 PM to 1:30 PM
$60 per registrant

Hotels

Room blocks have been reserved for Monday, October 13 to Thursday, October 16, 2025. Reservations must be made by September 22, 2025. Rates and instructions are listed on the ILA Hotel Information website.

Rooms can go fast so we recommend reserving rooms as soon as possible as we often cannot add to the room blocks after they have been filled. While reservations must be made by the stated date, ILA cannot guarantee room blocks will still be available at the stated rates by this point.

Vendor Order Form

Here’s what is included with your booth package through the Donald E. Stephens Convention center:

(1) 6’ x 30” white skirted table
(2) side chairs
(1) wastebasket
(1) 7” x 44” ID sign

The floor surface in the booths will be concrete.

Order furnishings, carpet, electric, A/V, HERE: https://res.rosemont.com/

Deadline to receive Discounted Rates: September 29, 2025. Step-by-step online ordering instructions are available on page 9 of the RES Exhibitor Services Manual.

Material Handling, Shipping Instructions, and Freight Check-In Procedures

are available on pages 73-75 of the RES Exhibitor Services Manual.

Complete RES Exhibitor Services Manual

For additional information on Parking, Unload and Move in, Set up Hours and move in courtesy crew, please review the sections below.

Passport to Prizes

This exhibitor engagement activity is a fun way to attract and keep attendees on the exhibit floor. Each attendee will receive a “Passport” that includes a list of participating exhibitors. Attendees must stop by those booths to receive a stamp on their passport. Fully completed passports are entered into a prize drawing that is held at the end of both days of exhibits. Attendees must be present at the prize drawing to win.

Participation is limited to 15 exhibitors and is on a first-come, first served basis. The Passport to Prizes fee is $350.

$100 of each participation fee will go to the ILA Diversity Scholarship Fund. The fund (and your participation) fosters a profession that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusivity and is used to increase financial support by providing travel grants to allow library workers to attend conferences and other continuing education opportunities and expand networking opportunities targeted to members of underrepresented groups.

Email exhibits@ila.org before September 2 to sign up your company to participate. ILA staff will respond to your email with further instructions.

Promotional Resources

We're excited about your participation at the 2025 ILA Annual Conference & Exhibition! To see that your associates and clients are equally excited, we've assembled these promotional resources to help you promote your booth and activities.

Download the PNG or the JPG. There is also a version with a white border.

Check-In

NEW FOR 2025. The Exhibitor Check-In is NOT located with the ILA Help Desk.

When you arrive at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, please stop at Exhibitor Check-In (located just outside of the exhibit hall in Hall G) to check in and receive your exhibitor badge(s). The Check-In table will have a list with your booth numbers and there will be a sign on your assigned exhibit booth with your organization’s name on it.

Exhibitor badges are required to enter the exhibit hall.

Maps

Unload and Move In

If you have limited set-up materials and/or are using your own wheeled cart:

You are advised to simply park in the parking garage (see below) and bring your materials to the exhibits area. From the SB (Sky Bridge) level of the parking garage, take the convenient walkway from the garage to the Convention Center Hall G.

If you choose to unload and move-in by hand from the parking garage, you can do so during any of the installation hours: Tuesday, October 14 from 9:00 am - 5:00 pm or Wednesday, October 15 from 8:00 am - 11:00 am.

Please review the Labor Union Guidelines for acceptable set up tasks on page 70 of the RES Exhibitor Services Manual.

AS A COURTESY, ILA has arranged for a crew to be available to help unload vehicles and move materials to your booth area. The crew is ONLY available on Wednesday, October 15 from 8:00 am - 11:00 am at G Hall Ramp. This is a courtesy crew and you will not be charged for material handling during this time frame only.

Parking

Public parking (map) is available in the William St. Garage for $15. The parking garage is located at 9508 Williams St, Rosemont, IL. The pay stations are near the parking garage elevators and can be paid by cash or credit/debit card.

Parking and unloading is prohibited at the 9391 W. Bryn Mawr lot.

2025 Rules and Regulations

These rules and regulations are a bona fide part of the contract for exhibit space with the Illinois Library Association, hereinafter referred to as ILA, for the Conference and Exposition. ILA reserves the sole right to render all interpretations, amend, and enforce these regulations and to establish any and all further regulations not specifically covered below to assure the general success and well-being of the Exhibits. Each exhibitor, for himself, his employees, and his contractors, agrees to abide by these regulations and by any amendments or additions hereafter made by ILA. ILA reserves the right to decline, prohibit, deny access or remove any exhibit, which in its sole judgment is contrary to the character, objectives, and best interests of the conference or suitable for its attendee audience. This reservation includes, but is not limited to, any violation of any public policy or these rules and regulations and extends to persons, things, printed matter, products, and conduct. ILA reserves the right to refuse applications of concerns not meeting standards required or expected, as well as the right to curtail exhibits or parts of exhibits that reflect against the character of the meeting. ILA’s decision and interpretation shall be accepted as final in all cases.

View the complete Rules and Regulations for ILA Annual Conference.

ILA Statement of Appropriate Conduct

To provide all ILA event participants—members and other attendees, speakers, exhibitors, staff, and volunteers—the opportunity to benefit from these events, ILA is committed to providing a harassment-free environment for everyone, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, physical appearance, race, ethnicity, religion, or other individual or group identity. Our Statement of Appropriate Conduct, which you agreed to honor when registering for the conference, contains guidelines for participating in ILA conferences and events.

Renewal for ILAAC26

The ILA Exhibits Team will be in touch with the primary contact closer to the event to schedule renewal appointments.

During the ILA Annual Conference 2025, current exhibitors will have an opportunity to renew their booth on site for ILA Annual Conference 2026 in Peoria, IL with a 10% renewal discount. A $500 deposit is required to renew. Sponsors will have priority booth selection for 2026.

If you are an ILA Associate Member or join ILA, you can receive a 20% renewal discount.

ILA Associate Membership

is designed for companies and organizations that work closely with the library community. Membership dues are a flat $200 rate. If you’re interested in becoming an Associate Member, please contact us first before submitting an exhibitor application and we can provide a discount code for extraordinary savings, benefits, and customer service.

Cancellations

All cancellations of space must be received in writing. If space is reduced, the net reduction of space will be treated as a cancellation of that space. If ILA receives a written request for cancellation of space by September 1, 2025 the exhibitor will be liable for $500 per 100 square feet of space canceled. There are no refunds for cancellations after September 1, 2025. Failure to appear at the Exhibits does not release the exhibitor from responsibility for payment of the full cost of space rented. In the event of cancellation, space reverts back to ILA for use at its sole discretion. ILA’s ability to resell the space shall not affect the refund schedule.

Contact ILA

ILA Exhibits Team: exhibits@ila.org

We can’t wait to have you join us at the conference. You Belong Here

Events

Thank you for the wonderful support of our 2025 sponsors.

Would you like to increase your visibility to thousands of library professionals and show your support for their important work? Contact Kristin Pekoll, kpekoll@ila.org to join this notable group of sponsors.