IPA Exchange October 7, 2026
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IPA Exchange October 7, 2026
THE EXCHANGE
A Curated Speaker Showcase
October 7, 2026 | Maggiano’s Little Italy, Clark & Grand, Chicago | 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM
7 Minutes. 7 Seats Per Tier. October 7, 2026
28 Speakers. 100 Meeting Planners Who Can Actually Say Yes.
The Exchange is not a conference. It’s a networking mixer. It’s a curated, one-day showcase where credentialed professional speakers get seven minutes on a live stage in front of 100 vetted meeting planners with real booking authority.
Every speaker in the room holds a CSP, a CPAE, or membership in NSA’s Million Dollar Speakers Group. Every buyer in the room has been screened for actual booking authority — not curiosity, not “exploring options.” The curation gate is the product.
You won’t be pitching to the person who forwards it to the person who decides. You’ll be pitching to the person who decides. 100 vetted buyers outnumber the sage by nearly 4 to 1 for maximum booking potential.
Seven is not a coincidence. Seven minutes on stage. Seven seats in every tier. Four tiers. October 7. When the sevens run out, the room is closed.
WHAT’S INCLUDED IN EVERY TIER
● 7 minutes on the mainstage in front of 100 credentialed buyers
● Professional video capture of your showcase set — yours to license
● Curated buyer meetings, 4:30–5:00 PM, matched by fit, not by luck
● Full hot breakfast, elevated lunch, hosted coffee, and a closing reception,5:00–6:00 PM
● Placement in the Speaker Handout Book distributed to every buyer in the room
● Recap by Dale Irvin, “The Professional Summarizer,” after your showcase block
● Doug Plank, keynote at lunch — The 46 Defense safety, who owns Burger King’s franchises
● Jamie Nolan, CEO of the National Speakers Association, demonstrates the value of CSP/CPAE
● 28-speaker hard cap. Four tiers of seven. No overflow. No, “we added a few more.”
THE LADDER — FOUR TIERS OF SEVEN
Published: $2,497
Seats are priced in four tiers of seven. The earlier you commit, the less you pay — and the more say you have over when you take the stage.
Every price ends in seven. Every tier holds seven. Every tier below Encore 1831 is priced beneath the published rate.
1831 is the year the International Platform Association was founded. Every tier carries it, because every seat in this room is part of the relaunch.
There is no wrong door — only a narrowing one.
CHICAGO 1831 — $2,197 (7 seats)
Promo code: CHICAGO 1831
The seven who charter the relaunch. First pick of all 28 time slots — before anyone else sees the grid. If you know the 10:15 slot beats the 3:40 slot, you already understand why this tier closes first.
Save $300 off MSRP.
CHARTER 1831 — $2,297 (7 seats)
Promo code: CHARTER 1831
Chicago 1831 is gone. The room is real, the buyer list is filling, and you’re still ahead of the curve. Choose from the remaining slots after Chicago.
Save $200 off MSRP.
STAGE 1831 — $2,397 (7 seats)
Promo code: STAGE 1831
Half the room is committed. You’re buying into a proven roster and a confirmed buyer count — no speculation left. Choose from what’s left—every benefit, same stage, same room.
Save $100 off MSRP.
ENCORE 1831 — $2,497 (7 seats)
Promo code: ENCORE 1831
Final seats, at the published rate. Remaining slots assigned. When these are gone, the room is closed. There is no waitlist, no “we’ll squeeze you in,” no 29th speaker.
MSRP. The room speaks for itself.
Speaking slots are selected in the order in which speakers commit. Chicago 1831 speakers choose first from the full slate of times; each subsequent tier selects from the remaining slots. Payment is the trigger — not inquiry, not intent.
7 minutes. 7 seats. 7 in every price. October 7.
Four sevens are all that’s on the table.
THE DEADLINE THAT MATTERS
August 15, 2026 — Chicago 1831 pricing closes. Slot selection opens to Charter 1831.
After that, every week you wait, the tier moves and the good slots go.
FOR BUYERS
100 complimentary seats. $100 refundable deposit — returned at check-in.
The deposit isn’t a fee. It’s a promise they will show up. Attend, and it comes back into their hand at the registration table.
Buyers #101 and beyond: $125 non-refundable late deposit, subject to availability.
THE HONEST PITCH
Most speaker showcases are a room full of speakers watching other speakers, with three bureau reps in the back checking email.
You already know this. You’ve probably paid for one.
The Exchange inverts the math.
100 buyers. 28 speakers. Decision-makers outnumber the stage nearly four to one.
We’re not selling you exposure. We’re selling you the shortest distance between your seven minutes and a signed contract.
RESERVE YOUR SEAT
James D. Feldman, CSP, CITE, CPIM, CPT, PCS
CEO & Chief Transformation Officer, International Platform Association (est. 1831)
jfeldman@jfainc.com | 312-909-9700 | internationalplatform.org
The International Platform Association has connected speakers and audiences since 1831. The Exchange is its flagship relaunch event.