The Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference is one of the longest-running events in the world of travel rewards. I will be on panels and presenting a few talks at the 2024 edition from October 25-27, so I wanted to invite you if you want to meet me to talk about travel — or if you want to just spend a cool weekend learning and networking with many travelers who share your passion.
I was a speaker there last year (just before I spoke at the Travel Summit in Toronto) and am glad to return to this event, which is always a fun one. It was the very first points event I participated in back in 2017, and I met so many cool travelers.
(If you want to meet up to talk about travel somewhere else, I love running into Flytrippers followers and I’ll also be at my 3 other annual fall destinations at the When We Were Young Festival in Vegas the week before, in New Orleans for Halloween night this year, and at Miami Art Week at the usual dates in December!)
Here are the details of the Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference 2024.
What is the Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference?
For 14 years, the Chicago Seminars has been arguably the main conference about travel rewards.
It’s often called “the original miles and points conference” and prides itself on being by the points community and for the community. It has great, knowledgeable speakers and also great attendees with whom to make friends. It’s a really down-to-earth event, and the crowd is not at all formal or uptight.
It’s a not-for-profit event with all proceeds going to charity. Event staff and speakers — like myself — are all volunteers, although we do get (partial) reimbursement for travel expenses only.
Confusingly, as of last year, there are now 2 different travel rewards conferences, both called Chicago Seminars, and both claiming the event’s past history. This is due to an unfortunate conflict between organizers that sadly could not be resolved. The Chicago Seminars I’m speaking at is the one that is in October at the hotel it has been at for many years. The other one just took place in September at a different hotel.
When is the Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference 2024?
The 2024 event takes place from Friday October 25 at 6 PM to Sunday October 27 at 5 PM. It’s a whole weekend of points and miles fun.
There’s also an online-only “Variety Show”, with interviews with many of the event speakers and other bloggers, which takes place earlier on Friday during the day for those arriving before the evening.
Where is the Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference 2024?
In Chicago. Okay, you probably had figured that part out.
It’s actually in the Chicago suburbs, at the Holiday Inn Elk Grove, an IHG Hotel. It’s very close to Chicago–O’Hare (ORD) airport, and the hotel has a free shuttle.
You can book a room for US$129 as part of the conference if you wish to stay at that hotel (you’ll get the instructions once you buy the ticket).
Or, if you need Marriott nights for elite status like me, you can join me at the Sheraton Suites Chicago Elk Grove, about a $10 Uber away (and we’ll carpool, haha)! If you’re loyal to other chains, the closest Hyatt is the Hyatt Place Chicago/Itasca and the closest Hilton is either the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago Wood Dale – Elk Grove or the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago – Arlington Heights. Any of the airport hotels can do, too.
How do I buy tickets to the Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference 2024?
You can buy a ticket for US$165 on Eventbrite. The event fee is non-refundable but is transferable to someone else for US$50 before October 18.
The ticket includes all sessions, coffee/snack breaks, 1 free drink at the Saturday Happy Hour, and both lunches.
Breakfast is included for those who book the room block. Dinners are not included, but many attendees end up staying at Shelby Campbell’s Tavern and Grill, the hotel’s restaurant. If not, dinners are usually a great way to make new friends and branch out into smaller, more intimate groups, as the area has great restaurants for deep-dish pizza or Polish pierogi.
Who is the Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference for?
Anyone who wants to take their travel rewards knowledge to the next level.
The conferences themselves are amazing, but the most important part is the networking and getting to know other travelers who also love getting free travel.
What is it like to attend the Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference?
It’s a very approachable event, not formal at all; it’s really like being among a big group of friends.
The sessions and talks really do cover almost everything you’d want to know about travel rewards. There are usually at most 2-3 session tracks at the same time, so you don’t normally have too many conflicting topics during the weekend. The event is also known for its panels where the speakers, all experienced travelers and experienced points and miles enthusiasts, discuss various topics.
And the attendees have very varied backgrounds as well. While a vast majority are American, I found it easy to mingle and bond over the common passion of travel the year I went as an attendee and not a speaker.
And you’ll learn so much about travel in general, too — not just travel rewards. For example, last year we even got to hear from Tom Stuker, the world’s most frequent flier (he has flown 24 million miles; that’s about 1,000 times around the world).
Who is speaking at the Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference?
Apart from me, there are over a dozen other interesting speakers who are sure to cover topics that are of interest to you. My topics — along with everyone else’s, obviously — will be announced very soon, and I’ll update this post accordingly.
Here are the other speakers:
- Stefan Krasowski of Rapid Travel Chai
- Greg Davis-Kean of Frequent Miler
- Ben Komenkul of Ben’s Big Deal
- Shabbir Hakim of cardZtravel
- Aaron Hurd of Cards and Points
- Chris Hutchins of All the Hacks Podcast
- Julia Menez of Geobreeze Travel
- Anshul Singh of Points Miles and Bling
- Amy Tung of Prince of Travel
- Justin Vacula of Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast
- Husain Boxwala (Boxy) of Jetpack
- Chris Carley of Eye of the Flyer
- Brian Cohen (1) of The Gate with Brian Cohen
- Brian Cohen (2) of AwardMagic
- Todd Evans of Disability Parenting
- Tonei Glavinic of Taxes from Abroad
- Moli of Maple Miles
- Linda Lay from SoloPear Travel
- Logan Robinson of Aligned Incentives
- Justin Vacula of Hurdy Gurdy Travel Podcast
- Andy Hicks (everycountryby50)
- Dave Homyak (bikeguy)
- Mindy Bumgarner (MS FIRE)
- Sarah Ramkissoon
- Michael Cao
- Lela Shifton
- Debra Fifer
- Amy M. Gardner
- Bryan Sklar
- Keith Van
- Matthew Weyer
Is the Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference 2024 recorded for replays?
No, and it’s actually one of the event’s only rules; you can’t record any of the content yourself, either.
Some speakers will discuss tips and tricks that are better kept private, and they prefer not to have a public trace of them in any shape or form.
How can I learn more about the Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference 2024?
The event’s longstanding organizer, Stefan Krasowski, recently did a 1-hour podcast interview about the event.
If you have a great memory, you might remember Stefan had invited me to chat about my quest to visit every country in the world (which he has already accomplished himself).
That’s not the main focus of the Chicago Seminars, as most people are “normal” travelers and want to use their points for more normal aspirations. But you can definitely learn about more extreme travel while you’re there if you’re so inclined. And especially about how much easier it is to visit every country in the world thanks to travel rewards.
How to get to the Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference 2024?
There are many routes to Chicago-O’Hare (ORD), being the world’s 9th busiest airport. Chicago-Midway (MDW) often has cheaper fares and is great when going downtown, but it’s much farther from the conference location.
You can read our introduction to 31 tips to save on plane tickets and try out one by one all those that apply to your situation.
What else can I do in Chicago?
Chicago is such an amazing city, but you won’t get to see any of it if you come in just for the event. I’d highly recommend staying at least an extra day, if you can, to at least get to explore the city a bit.
I’ll share my experience in Chicago in a post soon; stay tuned.
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Summary
The Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference is happening from October 25 to 27, and I’ll be giving a few talks again this year, along with some other great speakers. Whether you’re looking to up your knowledge of travel rewards or connect with fellow travel enthusiasts, consider joining me at this fun event.
What would you like to know about the Chicago Seminars Point Travel Conference? Tell us in the comments below.
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Featured image: Chicago Seminars Points Travel Conference (photo credit: Andrew D’Amours/Flytrippers)
