LeadingAge Illinois 2026
Event Date
July 14–15, 2026
Location
Schaumburg, IL
About This Show
AI-drafted summaryThe LeadingAge Illinois Annual Conference is the flagship gathering of Illinois' aging services field, bringing together providers, professionals, and partners from across the state's continuum of care. The 2026 event carries the theme "Changemakers," celebrating the leaders who are reimagining aging services with courage and purpose. It is presented by LeadingAge Illinois, and for 2026 it takes place July 14–15 at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center in Schaumburg, Illinois.
The conference draws attendees from across the aging services spectrum, including nursing and rehab, assisted and supportive living, independent living, life plan communities (CCRCs), senior housing, and home and community-based services. Provider staff and leaders, business partners, students, residents, and board and trustee members all attend, with dedicated registration categories for each.
Attendees gain access to a robust program of education sessions, a keynote general session, an exhibit hall of solution providers, and networking with peers and thought leaders. The conference is designed to deliver practical strategies attendees can apply immediately to strengthen operations and mission, making it a worthwhile investment for anyone advancing careers and communities in Illinois' eldercare sector.
Show Highlights
Key features of the 2026 conference, themed "Changemakers," include:
- General Session and Keynote Address featuring leading voices in the aging services field
- Education sessions across multiple tracks, with a session planner and continuing education credits available
- Exhibit hall showcasing products, services, and solutions for aging services providers
- Honoring Excellence Awards Dinner, recognizing outstanding contributions in the field
- Structured networking with peers, thought leaders, and business partners
Attendees can expect to celebrate the changemakers in their organizations, discover innovative solutions shaping the future of aging services, and gain real strategies to apply immediately to their operations and mission.
Registration
All registration is completed online; the mail-in registration form has been eliminated, and registrations cannot be accepted over the phone. Separate registration links are provided for provider members and business members, provider and business non-members, and student members. On-demand badge printing is available onsite and badges are not mailed.
To register, you will need a unique email address for each registrant and your food-function selections (Tuesday lunch, Tuesday night reception, and Wednesday lunch) plus any dietary restrictions. Session selection is done separately after registration via a link in your confirmation email.
Fee schedule (per person):
- Provider member: $499 early (before June 11) / $599 standard
- Provider non-member: $699 early / $799 standard
- Non-exhibiting vendor (member): $899 early / $999 standard
- Non-exhibiting vendor (non-member): $1,199 early / $1,299 standard
- Exhibiting vendor (member, additional): $499 early / $599 standard
- Exhibiting vendor (non-member, additional): $699 early / $799 standard
- Resident/Retiree: $399 (flat)
- Board and Trustee: Complimentary
Checks should be made payable to NIU and must be received by June 29. Registration questions go to NIU Outreach at 800.345.9472 or outreachregistration@niu.edu; other conference questions to LeadingAge Illinois at meetingservices@leadingageil.org or 630.325.6170.
History
The Annual Conference is presented by LeadingAge Illinois (formerly Life Services Network), a statewide association that has represented providers of aging services in Illinois for over 75 years. Its membership spans the full continuum of care, including nursing care, assisted and supportive living, senior housing, and home and community-based services, making it the largest eldercare association in Illinois.
LeadingAge Illinois is a state affiliate of the national LeadingAge organization and of Argentum. The annual conference—long known as the Annual Meeting & Expo—serves as the association's premier statewide educational and networking event for the field, held each year with a new guiding theme; the 2026 edition is themed "Changemakers."
Venue & Travel
Venue
Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center
1551 North Thoreau Drive
The Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center is part of a combined hotel-and-convention-center complex in suburban Schaumburg, northwest of Chicago. The property is set alongside tranquil wetlands and greenery, and connects directly from the parking center into the hotel lobby, dining and the convention center in every season. The attached Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel is a full-service property; it was built in 2006, renovated in 2014, has 15 floors and 500 rooms. Hotel amenities include a restaurant, fitness center, indoor pool, hot tub, complimentary Wi-Fi, business center, convenience store and room service. The convention center entrance is located on the east end of the complex.
Parking
Self-parking is free at the complex. To reach complimentary parking, enter the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center and proceed to the convention center entrance on the east end of the complex following posted signage. Valet parking is available at $20 for daytime and $24 overnight.
The complex opened a parking garage in 2026 adding over 900 additional parking spaces, and there is no fee to use the parking garage. The garage height limit is 7'6"; vehicles exceeding this must use alternative parking. Passenger drop-off is available at the entrance facing north, just east of the ballroom entrance. Accessible parking is located at the front of the hotel and near the convention center entrance.
Getting There
By air: The venue is located about 12 miles from O'Hare International Airport and 26 miles from downtown Chicago. From O'Hare, take I-90 (Northwest Tollway) east, exit on Route 53 North, take the first exit (Algonquin Road) and turn right/west, then turn left on Thoreau Drive or Meacham Road.
Free shuttle: An accessible, round-trip shuttle from the Arlington Park Metra Station to the expo is provided free of charge during show hours, with shuttles that can seat up to three wheelchairs each. The closest train station to the convention center is the Arlington Park station on the Metra Union Pacific Northwest line.
Local transit: The Village of Schaumburg provides free accessible Woodfield Trolley service from Woodfield Mall to the convention center, running every 20 minutes on Saturday and every 30 minutes on Friday and Sunday. Pace Suburban Bus, Schaumburg Dial-a-Ride (DART) and Pace ADA Paratransit also serve the area. Rideshare drop-off is available at the convention center entrance.
Nearby Hotels
The conference room block is at the host venue itself:
- Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel (1551 N. Thoreau Dr.) — the headquarters hotel, connected directly to the convention center. The LeadingAge Illinois group rate is $189 single or double, with the room block held until Sunday, June 21, 2026, or until it sells out. Reserve online through the conference passkey link or call 1-800-468-3571 / 847-303-4100 and mention 'LeadingAge Illinois Annual Meeting & Expo.'
Additional hotels are available in the surrounding Woodfield Mall / Schaumburg business district, a short drive away, offering a range of price points near the convention center.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is the 2026 LeadingAge Illinois Annual Conference?
The conference takes place July 14–15, 2026, at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, located at 1551 N. Thoreau Dr., Schaumburg, Illinois.
Who should attend the conference?
It is designed for professionals across Illinois' aging services field, including providers in nursing/rehab, assisted and supportive living, independent living, life plan communities, senior housing, and home and community-based services. Business partners, students, residents/retirees, and board and trustee members also attend, with dedicated registration categories for each.
How do I register and what does it cost?
All registration is online through category-specific links for members, non-members, and students. Provider member rates are $499 per person early (before June 11) and $599 standard, while provider non-members pay $699 early and $799 standard; residents/retirees pay $399 and board/trustee registration is complimentary. Checks payable to NIU must be received by June 29.
Where should I stay, and what is the hotel rate?
The host hotel is the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel, connected to the convention center. The LeadingAge Illinois group rate is $189 single or double, with the room block held until June 21, 2026, or until it sells out.
What is the closest airport and how do I get to the venue?
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is about 12–13 miles away, roughly a 25-minute drive. The venue offers complimentary on-site self-parking, and the hotel provides a complimentary shuttle within a three-mile radius, including the Arlington Park Metra station with rail service to downtown Chicago.
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