Conference & Expo Presenter Application

CAI Illinois is now accepting presentation proposals for the 2026 Conference and Expo!

The CAI Illinois Manager Education & Development Committee and Homeowner Leader Education Committees are seeking speakers to present progressive and innovative sessions at the Conference & Expo February 20, 2026, in Rosemont, Illinois.

The Education Committees offer a broad range of programming hosted by industry professionals to help keep participants up-to-date. Attendees gain insight and knowledge to help them take their careers and communities to the next level, while gaining valuable credits toward earning and maintaining industry certifications and designations. If you have new information, a new way to solving challenges, unique approaches or forward thinking, the Committees would like to hear from you! Based on attendee feedback, the Committees encourage presenters to think outside of the box, engage the audience, and use real world examples during their presentations.

What You Need to Know

• Your presentation may be selected as a virtual pre- or post-conference session or in-person at the event itself.
• Presentations should be based on 45 min or 60 min sessions
• Presenters will likely be paired up to give attendees a diverse educational experience
• Presentations should be engaging and may include audience participation
• Presentations that are clearly intended to be a sales pitch for products and services will not be considered
• All presentations will be required to record and submit an Ed Talk for the CAI-IL YouTube channel OR an article for the CAI-IL magazine. Presenters may decide which is best for their topic. Both may be submitted, but at least one must be completed by December 31, 2025.
• All presenters will be graded according to the new Speaker Rating System, which includes ability to meet deadlines, communicate with CAI liaisons, and subjective feedback given by attendees of your session.

How Presentation Submissions Work

1. Call for Presentations goes out to our CAI Illinois Chapter Members
2. Manager Education & Development Committee and Homeowner Leader Education Committee will review all submissions and topic requests from previous educational sessions held throughout 2025.
3. The committees will pick their topics based on needs and wants of Community Association Managers and Homeowner Leaders and the schedule for the Conference and Expo.
4. There are 6-10 presentation spaces currently available.
5. Speaker applications must be received by the Committee by August 1, 2025.
6. The committee will reach out to accepted presentations by August 14, 2025.
7. Those presentations that are not accepted for Conference & Expo will be provided with a list of other presenting opportunities by August 14, 2025.

Timeline for Submissions & Approval

August 1st Submission Deadline
August 14th Presentations will be confirmed
August 14th Non-accepted presentations will be notified of other presenting opportunities
September 15th Title, class description, & bio due from presenter
October 31st Finalized presentations due to Committee for review
November 14th Committee review notes returned to presenter for finalizing