FINAL CONVENTION TIP of the DAY for 2024 - Monday, June 10, 2024 - Braggin’ Rights Quiz

In the spirit of competition and having a little to brag about AND to ensure you know all things convention, take the Braggin’ Right Convention Quiz! The 2024 State FFA Convention Prep Quiz will serve you well as your Last Convention Tip of the Day for 2024.  Studying all of the Convention Tips of the Day is a great place to start to prepare for the quiz.  

****NEW this YEAR, Illinois FFA will have a 96th Annual Illinois FFA State Convention Quiz for Advisors to take to ensure you feel fully prepared for the State Convention. If you get 100% on the quiz, come find me, I will have a small prize for you AND of course don’t forget to brag to all of your friends, family and fellow Ag Teachers about being a State Convention Expert.  

One final reminder and message from the 2023 - 2024 Illinois State Officer Team - please be sure to watch this with your students before you put the bus/van/car in drive…

The 2023 - 2024 Illinois FFA State Officers have created a video for all students to check out before they come to FFA conferences, conventions, and events. Please take a moment to watch and share this with your students. They do such an amazing job of connecting with your FFA members.

I just wanted to make sure that I touched base with all of you and asked that you remind your students to be mindful of the following things prior to attending the 96th Annual Illinois FFA State Convention: 

• Be respectful of everyone, not only FFA members attending the conference, but also the facilitators, our hosts, and anyone we encounter.  

• Be Kind & Empathetic to your fellow FFA members, we never know what someone else is experiencing or where they are coming from with their perspectives. 

• Remind them that FFA events are designed to bring us Together in leadership.  Divisive or disrespectful actions only work to impede our process as growing leaders. 

• Remind them that State Convention is designed for them to learn about building connections, their roots, opportunities in FFA, goal setting, defining success, and their brand of leadership.  Encourage them to be ready for that development, discoveries, and much more.  

• Remind them to Reflect, as they travel back home to your home chapters, ask them to reflect on what they experienced and how they continue to grow as leaders in shared experiences.  

Thank you for taking a moment to set the tone with your leaders for the 96th Annual Illinois FFA State Convention.  We are so thankful to all of you for your leadership and passion as agriculture teachers, we look forward to seeing you too!

What questions or concerns can I answer for you?  Happy to assist in any way that we can or address any concerns you may have in advance.   We look forward to seeing you then.  Travel safely!

Have a GRAND day!

FREQUENTLY ASKED CONVENTION QUESTIONS:  

I have parents and grandparents coming in on Wednesday, since our FFA Vans and Minis buses are in street parking where should they park?  

• Cars, Vans, Regular-Sized Trucks - Please use the Parking Garages, there are several available downtown.   The closest parking garages to the BOS Center are the President Abraham Lincoln Hotel/BOS Center Parking Garage off of 7th Street (One-Way Runs South) Washington Street (one-way runs East) or the Wyndham Hotel Entrance on Monroe Street (One-Way Runs East). The height requirement for most of the parking garages is 6 ft. 7 inches.  Downtown Parking Information

  • ATTN:  GUESTS:  BOS Convention Center Parking Garage  - How to Pay Instructions 

  • The only vehicles allowed to park at the meters are the minibusses and oversized vehicles.  If cars park at the meters they will get tickets!!

• **** NEW THIS YEAR for WEDNESDAY ONLY - Guests on Wednesday, June 12, 2024: THANK YOU  to Caritas Bingo Hall, 900 E Converse St, Springfield, IL for free GUEST AND CAR Parking WITH a Shuttle Service to the Bank of Springfield Center.  Caritas BINGO Hall is 1.7 miles from the Bank of Springfield Center and is a straight shot, so the shuttle drivers can get your guests there with ease.  Click here to see it on a map.  

ADVISORS - please share this information with parents and families who are attending on WEDNESDAY.  PLEASE ask any guests who want to take advantage of this service to drop all the other guests off at the BOS Center and then have the driver park their vehicles at Caritas BINGO Hall.  Shuttle drivers will start at 12:30 p.m. and run right up until the start of the session at 2:00 p.m. and then of course take drivers back to the BINGO Hall after the session. Shuttle Drivers can also be contacted via this phone number:   217-299-9744.  

Is the wifi going to work this year?  

Please know we have taken steps to address our issues from previous years.  

• The Bank of Springfield Center put a new firewall in place and has also updated their wifi switches in the building.

• Illinois FFA paid for an upgrade in bandwidth for using wifi. 

• Illinois FFA has secured LRS (for internet) and will be able to provide tech on-site during elections.

What questions or concerns can I answer for you?  Happy to assist in any way that we can or address any concerns you may have in advance - TEXT me at 217.412.5646.   We look forward to seeing you then.  Travel safely!

Have a GRAND day!