UPDATE ON ROOMS FOR THE NABJ CONVENTION
IN CHICAGO (JULY 31-AUGUST 4, 2024)
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
CONVENTION ROOM RESERVATIONS FOR THE HILTON CHICAGO REOPEN EARLY NEXT WEEK!
(PLEASE READ IN ENTIRETY!)
Dear Members and Supporters:
We are thrilled that you are excited about our 2024 Convention in Chicago! We want you to know we ARE NOT sold out. There are rooms available from Wednesday, July 31 – Sunday, August 4. We are working through glitches with the Hilton reservation system.
We reserved more room nights this year than we have in the history of NABJ conventions, and we are delighted that you are booking rooms early! It is also exciting to see that media companies are booking a significant number of rooms for our members who are employees and for NABJ Career Fair recruiters and hiring managers. It is no surprise that the Chicago engagement will be well-attended!
Although most of you have successfully navigated the Hilton reservation system, we know that some are having issues with completing transactions. For your information, the Hilton reservation team is working through the processing system that involves third-party reservation contractors throughout the country along with Hilton reservations employees. Hilton says it has communicated verbally and in writing to all of its reservation locations and personnel regarding the specifics of NABJ registrations.
That said, here is some helpful information:
1. Make sure the Hilton reservations staff knows you are booking for the NABJ Convention. Otherwise, they will tell you they are sold out of rooms because they won’t be looking at NABJ’s block. Besides the NABJ block, there are no other rooms available in the hotel.
2. Some media companies have booked rooms for their employees. Check with your company.
3. The bulk of the room block is for the convention dates, Wednesday, July 31-Sunday, August 4. (A full slate of programming starts on Wednesday morning, with the last activity being the spectacular relaunch of our Sunday morning Gospel Brunch.)
4. We traditionally have room cancellations. Additional rooms “MAY” be available later, but we won’t know when or how many, so you’ll need to check frequently with the Hilton reservations team.
5. Remember: The Lollapalooza Music Festival is happening at the same time across the street from the hotel, so rooms are a hot commodity. NABJ contracted for rooms years before the festival was even scheduled.
We appreciate your patience, understanding, excitement, and support. We are excited to see you in Chicago! Please remember that hotel reservations will reopen early next week. Stay tuned!
Thanks,
Ken Lemon, NABJ President
Drew Berry, NABJ Executive Director