Illinois Council of Orchestras Conference

2026 ICO Statewide Conference
Hosted by Illinois Symphony Orchestra
and in collaboration with Arts Alliance Illinois Capitol Day!

Friday, April 17, 2026, 9-4pm
Lincoln Doubletree Hotel, 701 E. Adams St, Springfield IL 62701

Register for 2026 Conference

Join your orchestral peers in Springfield IL  for a day of networking, creative discussion, and informational sessions led by your colleagues throughout the Illinois Orchestral world! Any musician, staff, board member and/volunteer are encouraged to attend.  Conference is open to members and non-members.

New for 2026! As we head to the Illinois state capital, a special effort has been made to schedule ICO conference events in conjunction with Arts Alliance Illinois and their annual Capitol Day events. Capitol Day gathers arts advocates in Springfield to meet with legislators, receive advocacy training, and connect with peers to strengthen Illinois’ creative sector. Plan on being in Springfield for the full day on April 16 to advocate for Orchestras and the arts in Illinois. Use the interest form to register for Capitol Day here.

2026 Conference & Dinner Registration (Members only link)
2026 Conference Only Registration
2026 Dinner Only Registration

Schedule 

Thursday, April 16, 2026
        8-5pm Arts Alliance Illinois Capitol Day activities (separate registration required)
       6:15pm ICO Dinner (separate ticket required)

Friday, April 17, 2026 ICO Conference Day 
8:15am  Check-in Opens
9:00 Welcome
9:15 Session
10:00 Networking Time
10:30 Session
12:00 Lunch provided by the conference
1:00 Session 
2:00 Session
3:00 Session
4:00 Brief closing remarks

Conference fee

A conference ticket gets you access to all sessions and speaker events for the day and includes lunch.  If you or your organization is a member of the ICO, you qualify for member pricing. New for 2026-early bird pricing. Reserve now to get last year's prices. Prices go up March 2, 2026.  Save when you purchase early and bring colleagues!

ICO Members can also purchase the new conference and dinner package! View all pricing and use the Conference & Dinner registration form for easy registration to both events.

View all 2026 prices and package pricing here.

Register for the 2026 Conference

Hotel Accommodations

Hotel space is at a premium in Springfield and you are encouraged to make your reservation early. The ICO has held a limited number of hotel rooms for Thursday April 16 at the conference hotel, the Lincoln Doubletree Hotel Springfield.  Make reservations by calling 217.544.8800, and say you are part of “Illinois Council of Orchestras” to access the reserved block. 

If you are planning to arrive April 15 to take advantage of Arts Alliance Illinois events that evening, Arts Alliance Illinois has a block of rooms on hold for Wednesday, April 15. Details forthcoming.

Learn more about Springfield and surrounding communities and all it has to offer conference attendees. Go to VisitSpringfieldIllinois.com and plan today!

Conference Parking: A parking garage is available at the Doubletree and charges $1 per hour up to seven hours and then charges a flat $7 per 24 hours upon exit. The garage does not have in and out privileges. 

ICO Dinner: Thursday, April 16, 2026, 6:15pm

The ICO is pleased to host a dinner as we gather in our state capital for both conference and Advocacy days! Join us after the Capitol Day events. A delicious Springfield location to be announced in a few weeks. 

 2026 ICO Dinner RSVP

This project is partially supported by a CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events.

The ICO strives to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to engage fully.  To request an accommodation or for inquiries about accessibility, please contact the ICO at [email protected].