Chicago Advertising Federation

06/11/2026

Pride Month is all about celebrating what it means to live authentically, courageously and joyfully, and we are excited to keep that celebration going at next month's DTLC Summer Mixer!

Join us for a night of connection and conversation with speakers Laura Washington, Precious Brady-Davis, Susan Betteridge and moderator Qadree Holmes as they discuss how lived experiences and public visibility influence storytelling, representation, and the evolving role of LGBTQIA+ voices in media and advertising.

We're excited to be hosting this year's mixer in partnership with our incredible sponsor Schafer Condon Carter.

Join us July 16th and register now at https://chicagoadfed.glueup.com/event/dtlc-summer-mixer-2026-181465/

06/10/2026

The ADDYs may be over, but the stories behind them are just getting started.

Join The Chicago Advertising Federation on Tuesday, June 30 from 12:00 - 1:00 PM CST for a special webinar edition of Market Smarter: “Chicago AF: Behind the City's Biggest Night in Advertising.” Host Shanita Akintonde will sit down with David T. Jones and Katie Nikolaus along with Creative of the Year winner, Robert Clifton, Jr., for a behind-the-scenes conversation about one of Chicago’s premier creative events.

We’ll discuss what it takes to organize an awards program like this, what judges are really looking for when evaluating entries, emerging trends in creativity, and some of the memorable moments that made this year’s event stand out.

Whether you’re a creative professional, marketer, communicator, student, or simply someone who appreciates great ideas, this conversation will be for you.

Come curious. Leave smarter.

https://chicagoadfed.glueup.com/event/market-smarter-chicago-af-inside-the-citys-biggest-night-in-advertising-169579/

06/08/2026

What makes the Chicago American Advertising Awards so special?

Red Carpet host Shanita Akintonde asked our attendees at the 2026 ADDYs what makes the night so important to the advertising community and our guests delivered some great insight.

Want more behind-the-scenes on what goes into the ADDYs? We've got more coming soon! 👀

05/29/2026

05/27/2026

Presenting the DTLC 2026 Summer Mixer: "Living Out Loud: Pride, Joy, and the Power to Shape Culture."

This discussion, moderated by our very own Qadree Holmes, will explore what it means to live out front—with authenticity, courage, and joy—while shaping culture across media, politics, advocacy, and journalism.

Join us for a night of connection and conversation with speakers Laura Washington, Precious Brady-Davis, and Susan Betteridge, as they discuss how lived experiences and public visibility influence storytelling, representation, and the evolving role of LGBTQIA+ voices in media and advertising.

We're excited to be hosting this year's mixer in partnership with our incredible sponsor Schafer Condon Carter.

Join us July 16th and register now at https://chicagoadfed.glueup.com/event/dtlc-summer-mixer-2026-181465/

05/26/2026

✨ CAF is thrilled to announce that members of our Board of Directors will be taking part in a special panel discussion during LE BOOK CONNECTIONS Chicago on June 17, 2026 at 2:00 PM.🥂

Join panelists Lori Claps, Kristian May Stewart and Lewis Williams, with moderator Shanita Baraka Akintonde for a Chicago Advertising Federation panel, "From Content to Culture: When Brand Work Actually Moves People."

Today, the intersection of entertainment IP and brand is basically where culture lives. But not all content created there is equal — some of it runs and disappears, and some of it becomes part of the cultural moment. This panel explores what separates the two, and what it takes to make work that actually resonates.

Join the discussion by registering at: https://www.lebook.com/events/gJfHcqamJ2WDu9kcPIl9/about

05/20/2026

✨ CAF is proud to be the official Cocktail Hour sponsor of LE BOOK CONNECTIONS Chicago on June 17, 2026.🥂

Join CAF and LE BOOK for an immersive creative event that goes beyond traditional networking, offering a vibrant platform for professionals to connect with top-tier creatives, industry experts, and potential collaborators.

Gain invaluable insights into emerging trends, cutting-edge technologies, and innovative approaches that are shaping the industry.

Let’s ignite the future of advertising, by registering at: https://www.lebook.com/events/gJfHcqamJ2WDu9kcPIl9/about?utm_source=chatgpt.com

05/19/2026

What. A. Night. 🎉✨

The 2026 Chicago American Advertising Awards were a celebration unlike any other, where incredible ad agencies all across Chicago truly showed out and shined bright.

We presented our first ever Creative Of The Year award to the one and only Robert Clifton Jr., who delivered a profound speech to all in attendance on the importance of connectivity in our industry.

We had record breaking attendance for an ADDYs, brought to fruition by our amazing hosts at TAO Chicago 🏆

We handed out awards to 19 different agencies, ranging from large legacy organizations to small independent agencies, showing that exceptional work comes in all shapes and sizes.

To say it was an exceptionally triumphant evening for the Chicago Advertising community would be putting it lightly.

There are still plenty of highlights, conversations and special moments we're excited to share, but the full photo album from the event is available now at: https://photos.app.goo.gl/pUcok9gCERXgroHh8

Share your favorite snapshots from the night with

05/15/2026

Join GenNext and Kargo at our Spring Social Event!

Celebrate with Chicago Advertising Federation's GenNext committee next week at an exclusive evening of networking, drinks, and tacos at Federales.

Whether you're looking to make new connections in the industry, catch up with colleagues, or learn more about what's next in advertising with the Kargo team, this is the place to be.

Sign up now at https://chicagoadfed.glueup.com/event/gennext-x-kargo-spring-social-event-177559/ to reserve your spot!

05/08/2026

GET TICKETS NOW FOR THE 2026 CHICAGO ADDYS

Celebrate great work and raise a glass to the Chicago creative community. The American Advertising Awards (AKA the ADDYS) are NEXT THURSDAY May 14th 6-9pm at TAO.

Join Highdive, BBDO, Leo, Edelman, SCC, The Escape Pod, Dame, Contender, Havas, Arc and more.

DJ Heaven Malone will keep us moving and special bites from Tao will keep us fueled.

It’s going to be Chicago AF. Get your tickets now at https://chicagoadfed.glueup.com/event/chicago-american-advertising-awards-2026-171964/