Sections may elect to hold receptions in conjunction with the 2025 Annual Meeting onsite at the Hyatt Regency Chicago or at an offsite venue. Your reception will be scheduled on your Section day. If your Section day is Tuesday, your reception will be scheduled on Monday. Please note that receptions may not start prior to 6:30 p.m. Please review the following information before making a decision.
ONSITE RECEPTIONS
If you choose to host your reception onsite at the Hyatt Regency Chicago, submit your request by May 22 to ensure inclusion in both the online and PDF programs. Requests received after this date will only appear online.
Menus will be available for review in April. All food and beverage orders must be submitted by May 29. Feel free to reach out with any questions regarding the menu or budgeting. To reserve a room, email the following details to [email protected]:
- Section(s)
- Organizer(s)
- Date of reception
- Start time
- End time
- Guest count
- Budget
- For joint receptions, indicate how the final bill will be split.
OFFSITE RECEPTIONS
Offsite reception agreements or contracts must be signed by ASA. Once your agreement or contract is ready for signature, please send it to [email protected]. It’s important to note that Sections are part of ASA and not separate legal entities. Since members are not authorized legal representatives, Sections cannot sign contracts on behalf of the association. To ensure a smooth process, please allow ample time for reviewing all agreements. Contract and accessibility approval must be completed by May 22 for the reception to be included in the PDF version of the program. Along with your contract for review, please include:
- Section(s)
- Organizer(s)
- Date
- Start time
- End time
- Venue Name and Address
- Accessibility verification from the venue that the below criteria have been met.
Accessibility Requirements
The ASA accessibility policy mandates that all association events must be accessible. Venue verification may be an email from venue management attesting that their facility meets the criteria or a URL where the facility accessibility is clearly listed. Simply saying that the venue is ADA compliant is insufficient. The following criteria must be met to be listed in the Annual Meeting program:
- Entrance: Participants with limited mobility, including those in electric wheelchairs, can use a main entrance. Doorway must be at least 32” wide; if entrance is not level with the sidewalk, a ramp must be available.
- Reception/Meeting room: Participants with limited mobility have access to the area where the reception will be held and corridors and pathways between tables are wide enough (32”) to allow them to move freely in that space.
- Restrooms: Participants with limited mobility can access the restroom unassisted; an accessible stall with handrails is available.
- Lighting: Adequate to ensure safe movement and to facilitate visual communication modalities.
- Sound: Background music can be turned down or off to accommodate differing hearing abilities.
- Note: Microphones are preferable for presentations or remarks but are not necessary if no presentations or remarks are planned.
Locations
Here is a list of possible venues in Chicago. These venues are not pre-approved; however, they are nearby. You will need to verify that they meet the accessibility requirements.
