October 5, 2024
11:00am – 3:00pm (CT)
Navy Pier
Festival Hall
600 East Grand Avenue
Chicago, IL 60611
312-595-PIER (7437) or 800-595-PIER (7437)
STEM / PVA Component:
At the NACAC National College Fair – Chicago, there will be special sections of the exhibit hall floor designated specifically for:
- STEM: science, technology, engineering, and math institutions, indicated with green/white pipe & drape
- PVA: performing and visual arts institutions, indicated with yellow/white pipe & drape
- The General NACAC National College Fair, indicated with blue/white pipe & drape
Booth section selection:
If we do not receive your survey response by August 28, 2024, your booth location will default to the general NACAC National College Fair section. If you would like to be placed in the general NCF section, you do not need to complete the survey. You will automatically be placed in the general NCF section if you do not fill out the survey.
Fair Set Up Hours:
Friday, October 4, 2024
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 5, 2024
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Directions and Parking*:
Find directions to the Navy Pier here and parking information here.
The recommended lot to park in is the East Parking Garage, at 60 East Grand Ave. Entrance 2 and Doors 9 and 10 are closest to Festive Hall. View parking map
Parking rates are configured hourly without in/out privileges.
- < 1hour | $18
- 1-2 hours | $32
- 2-5 hours | $37
- 5-12 hours | $45
- 12-18 hours | $55
- 18-24 hours | $60
If the East Garage gets full, then everyone will be directed to park in the West Garage. There will be signs leading from the garage to the Exhibit Hall.
*Rates and availability are subject to change without notice. Please contact the Navy Pier for current rates.
Use this address for the most direct route to the parking garage using GPS: 900 E Grand, Chicago, IL 60611
Fair Set-up Hours:
Friday, October 4, 2024
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, October 5, 2024
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Estimated Attendance:
2,000
Loading/Unloading:
Follow the Navy Pier parking signs to the North dock drive of Navy Pier. There will be a ramp leading up to the loading and unloading area from the North dock for those who need assistance unloading their vehicle. If you plan on loading and unloading materials, please park in the East Garage and access Festival Hall A via the elevators.
Exposition Services Provided by:
Smith Expo LLC
Contact: Heather Smith
317-710-8703
hsmith@smithexpo.com
Exhibitor Kit
View / download the exhibitor kit
Shipping Information:
(College / University Name), (Booth #)
NACAC CHI
c/o Smith Expo
1173 Airport Pkwy., Ste. C
Greenwood, IN 46143
Shipping Deadline:
All materials must be received by Thursday, October 3, 2024.
Material Handling Charge:
Shipping is billed per 100# with a 200# minimum. Shipments must be sent prepaid. Collect shipments will be refused. Please see Exhibitor Kit for details.
*Rates are subject to change without notice. Contact Smith Expo: hsmith@smithexpo.com or 317-362-6890 for shipping arrangements.
Electrical and Wi-Fi Services:
Electrical services are supplied through Navy Pier directly. For any electrical or Wi-Fi requests, please fill out the electrical order form.
Cutoff for advance order is Saturday, September 14th, 2024.
Host Hotel:
Embassy Suites by Hilton Chicago Downtown Magnificent Mile
511 North Columbus Drive
Chicago, IL 60611
P: 312-836-5900
Single and Double Room Rate: $299.00
Deadline: Monday, September 9, 2024
To make reservations to receive the NACAC rate use the NACAC personalized reservation link.
Exhibitor App:
GoToCollegeFairs is NACAC’s exclusive technology services provider for in-person NACAC National College Fairs. All lead retrieval services for in-person programs will be captured through the GTCF Mobile Scanning Application.
Please be sure to download the app prior to arrival. See the Quick Start Guide for step-by-step instructions on how to get set up in the app. There will be a GTCF representative onsite to answer any questions you have during the fair.
If you have any questions about the app before the fair, please email mjohnson@nacacnet.org or info@gotocollegefairs.com.
NACAC College Fair Attendee Mobile App
We wanted to make you all aware of an exciting new attendee enhancement that we will be piloting National College Fairs this season. The NACAC College Fair Attendee App will be available to download for all attendees at these pilot sites and will allow attendees to have instant access to crucial fair information including their lead retrieval barcode, the list of exhibiting colleges (including the locator map), list of colleges that matched their preferences via Matchmaking, and much more.
In addition to enhancing the attendee experience, we believe it will enhance the experience for the exhibiting college representatives, as well, as we believe this will drive even more traffic to those schools that attendees match with. Please note, the NACAC College Fair Attendee App does not replace the GTCF MobileScan App or change the lead retrieval process for you in any way. We are just providing this information to you as a courtesy and so that you are aware of this exciting new feature.
On-site Food and Beverage
While light refreshments will be provided, NACAC strongly encourages you to eat a full meal before you arrive.
Contact Information:
For more information regarding this National College Fair, email Makini Johnson, mjohnson@nacacnet.org or call at 703-299-6859.