• August 24, 2021 - Last day to book hotels rooms and still receive the WPF conference rate
• August 16, 2021 - Last day to receive FULL refund of Conference Registration fees

Sheraton Grand Chicago
301 E North Water Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4534

The Sheraton Grand Chicago has blocked a limited number of rooms for WPF at a conference rate of $249.00 per night (plus taxes & fees). No rooms are available at a government rate.

Click the button below to make your reservation no later than August 24, 2021.

Any cancellations or reservation changes must be made directly with the hotel. There is a 72 hour cancellation policy in place for all reservations. Failure to cancel a reservation 72 hours prior to arrival will result in a one night non-refundable guest room charge plus applicable taxes posted to the attendee's credit card on file.

Parking for Day Guests: TBA

Full refunds for the conference activities will be available through August 16, 2021. NO REFUNDS will be given to anyone who cancels after that date OR who fails to show up. If you are registered for in-person and cannot attend, we encourage you to send a substitute or switch to virtual. There is no extra charge for sending a substitute in place of an individual who cannot attend.

To cancel your registration or to switch to/from in-person and virtual, please email Refund Requests

Sheraton Grand Chicago
301 E North Water Street
Chicago, IL 60611-4534

2021 Founders' Award Recipients

Join us for an evening of cocktails and hors d'oeurves, and a short award program at Sheraton Grand Chicago on Thursday, September 23rd from 4:30 pm – 7:00 pm.

There is separate pricing for this event so you don’t need to register for the conference to attend. Everyone is welcome to participate in this fun networking event.

Join us for a two hour Cruise on the Chicago River on Friday, September 24th! This event includes the following:

• Lunch, Cocktails & Appetizers
• DJ Entertainment

Details:

• Boarding at Noon
• Cruise from 12:30-2:30 pm
• Transportation will be provided to and from the Sheraton Grand
• Departing From: 455 N Cityfront Plaza Drive, Chicago

If you can't make the trip to Chicago, you can still participate in our 25th Anniversary Conference by registering under the Virtual Option. Virtual registrants will be provided with links to easily access speeches and presentations at the conference and will be encouraged to interact and engage with in-person participants during the conference via real-time chat. Additionally, virtual attendees will not be left out of the festivities! To facilitate networking and one-on-one break-out opportunities, virtual programming will include a festive event(s) and participants will receive specialty items (cocktails) in advance of the conference. Official event gift bags will be shipped to the billing address provided while supplies last (first 500 to register so don't wait to sign up). If you register for the Virtual Option, you may switch to In-Person if you let us know prior to August 16th. Full refunds for virtual conference activities will be available through August 16, 2021. NO REFUNDS will be given to anyone who cancels after that date OR who fails to login. If you are registered and cannot attend, we encourage you to consider a substitute. There is no extra charge for sending a substitute in place of an individual who cannot attend.

• 25th Annual Conference & Founders’ Awards/Reception: Business casual
• Post Conference River Cruise: Casual (TBD, hat, sunglasses…and plenty of sunscreen)

• For Conference or hotel questions: [email protected]
• For Sponsorship questions: [email protected]

- Things to Do: 1. Walk out of the hotel and across the Chicago River to enjoy Chicago’s Riverwalk with local food and drink vendors and boat rentals to explore the Chicago River more. 2. Museums: (Be sure to buy tickets in advance!) 3. Art Institute: Located in downtown Chicago, the Art Institute is one of the world’s great art museums, housing a collection that spans centuries and the globe. 4. Museum of Contemporary Art: Located one block east of the historic Water Tower, the MCA champions the provocative side of contemporary art and culture. 5. Sports: The Chicago Cubs will be in town hosting the St. Louis Cardinals. You don’t want to miss a visit to the iconic Wrigley Field! Make sure to visit Chicago-favorite Big Star for tacos across the street. - Where to Eat and Drink: 1. Rooftop Bars: 2. LondonHouse – This three-level rooftop bar atop the LondonHouse hotel pair cocktails with sweeping views of Chicago 3. Cindy’s – Prefer drinks with a lake view? Cindy’s is your spot atop the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel. 4. The Purple Pig – An iconic gastropub on the Magnificent Mile with a focus on pork. 5. Three Dots and a Dash – A can’t miss spot for Tiki drinks. Drinkers beware of the skull-and-crossbone cocktails! 6. Dining along Randolph St – This street in the West Loop has become the heart of amazing dining in Chicago, including Stephanie Izard’s growing list of incredible restaurants Girl and the Goat, Little Goat Diner, Duck Duck Goat, and her latest Peruvian-inspired rooftop Cabra. Be sure not to miss THE burger from Au Cheval.

We are so excited to celebrate our 25th Anniversary. Thanks to the generous support of our sponsors, part of the celebration includes the ever-popular Conference Swag Bag with a special 25th Anniversary Gift. Please note, the swag bags will be available for the first 500 conference registrants only (whether virtual and in-person), so please don't wait to sign up!