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2021 Convention
We are happy to announce we will have a face-to-face Convention in 2021. Put the location and dates in your calendar now:
Make your Hotel Reservations NOW. The deadline was September 12. You may be able to reserve a room by calling 1-800-EMBASSY and referencing the Illinois Communication & Theatre Association or Code CMH, but there are no guarantees. You may also try to register online using this direct link: https://www.hilton.com/en/book/reservation/deeplink/?&ctyhocn=PIAESES&groupCode=CESCMH&arrival=20210923&departure=20210925&cid=OM,WW,HILTONLINK,en,DirectLink&fromId=HILTONLINKDIRECTLocation: Embassy Suites by Hilton in East Peoria
Dates: Thursday, September 23 - Saturday, September 25, 2021
Breakfast Included: Made-to-order omlets, waffles, pancakes, bacon, sausage, eggs, potatoes, oatmeal, cereal, fruit, Danish/muffins, breakfast breads, coffee, water, juice--buffet style.
Convention Registration is OPEN now. Click here!
The Planning Committee has assembled some great sessions for the 2021 Convention; you don't want to miss them. Click here to see the complete preliminary program.
Although the sessions will be the focus of the convention, we are especially excited about the opportunity to see everyone face-to-face again. The online convention last year was terrific, but we really missed the chance to get together and chat.
NEW INFORMATION (9/7/2021): A preliminary version of the complete 2021 Convention Program is now available. Click here!
NEW INFORMATION (8/6/2021): With the rise of the Delta variant of COVID-19, the Planning Committee is concerned about the pandemic situation and will be watching the situation closely. The entire convention will pivot to totally online, if necessary. In the meantime, some members may be hesitant to attend--or may lack school support to attend. Therefore, the Planning Committee is preparing online or hybrid attendance options for our face-to-face convention. However, in order to meet our contract minimums with the hotel, whether you attend in-person, online, or in a hybrid combination, the convention fee will be the same.
Here are some Convention Highlights:
SPOTLIGHT PANEL: Picking up the Pieces after COVID-19. (Friday, 10:45 - 12:10) Instead of a keynote address, a panel of experts will explore the impact of COVID-19 on students and their families, educators and the school mental health workforce, as well as the school mental health system. Join us at 10:45 on Friday for this Spotlight Panel.
Emerging Leaders Cohort: (Saturday 1:00 - 4:00 pm) Join other ICTA members in exploring your leadership potential! Lauren Morgan, College of DuPage, will lead this interactive workshop to help participant understand how to "lead from where you are" and develop a foundation for achieving your personal and professional goals. No previous leadership experience necessary. A box lunch will be provided for participants! Indicate your desire to participate when you register.
Getting Together: After more than a year of Zooming, which hasn't completely disappeared, we are glad to offer several opportunities to meet and interact with each other in person. (The hotel bar will be a good place too, and the hotel will try to expand the hours for us.):
- Past Presidents' Reception (Thursday, 8:30 - 10:00 pm) -- Join our past presidents as we kick off the 2021 ICTA Convention festivities with this fun social event. We can't wait to see everyone face-to-face again. Snacks will be available.
- New Member Reception (Friday, before dinner) -- After a day of learning and engaging, let's welcome new members to ICTA. This event allows new members to meet and talk with seasoned members while sharing a few hors d'oeuvres.
- President's Reception (Friday, after dinner) -- Put on you smarty pants and join us for an evening of team trivia, desserts, and beverages! Prizes will be given to the top trivia teams!
Convention Tracks: We have four tracks this year. Follow your favorite track, or jump from one to another as you like.
- Forensics Track -- Great for high school and college faculty who coach speech teams.
- Post-Pandemic-monium Track -- Perfect if you're thinking about what the new normal is going to be.
- Communication Contexts Track -- These sessions will explore journalism, theater, and film.
- Diversity and Advocacy Track -- Two session on diversity and two on advocacy are planned.
Back to the Beginning: (Saturday 12:00 - 12:45 pm) A chance to reflect on the events of the conference--concluding with the winners of raffles and silent auctions.
To register for the Convention, click on this link: Register Now. Please note that the prices this year are the same as the prices we had in 2019, except that we added a Friday-only option, which some people requested. When you follow the link, you can submit your registration and payment at the same time, or you can submit your registration without paying--in which case you will be invoiced so that you can request your school to submit payment for you.
If you have any questions, please contact First Vice President and Program Planner Janine Stroemer (jstroemer@hf233.org) or Executive Director Ed Schwarz (eschwarz@prairiestate.edu).