Registration is now live for the 2016 RPM Chicagoland event. This is the 23rd year for the “Naperville” event, and we are working hard to provide a revitalized event. Here’s what we’re working on:

– A mini kit, included with your registration, sponsored by Fox Valley Models and pulled together by Frank Hodina at Resin Car Works. This model is sure to have broad appeal, but you’ll have to wait a bit for a full announcement. Choose HO or N scale when you register!

– Once again, three outstanding meals will be offered on site at the hotel. Thursday is the kick-off luncheon and presentation, the best way to here about the festivities coming up and to enjoy some food with your fellow attendees. Thursday evening will be the traditional RPM Banquet and we’re working on a multimedia presentation to cap off the evening. Friday evening will be the ever popular Friends of the Freight Car dinner. While past year’s have included a presentation by manufacturers or freight car modelers, we’re working to pull together a panel discussion featuring noted historians, librarians, and historical society folks who hold access to the prototype railroad documents that can improve both our modeling and our understanding of car construction. These are sure to be highlight events for the conference, so don’t forget to add your dinner tickets when registering.

– Back in the Sunshine days, this event used to feature the release of new resin freight car kits. While it was limited to Sunshine Models kits, there was a buzz regarding new releases. We are going to bring back the “Resin Release Party” but open it up to all manufacturers. A few have already expressed interest, and we hope to have some new model premieres at RPM Chicagoland this year. Look for this to fall into the schedule on Thursday afternoon.

– Prototype operations go hand-in-hand with RPM, and to that end we’ve been listening to the need to develop a time table and train order (TT&TO) track for the event. We have a team excited to pull together both an introductory and intermediate course in TT&TO operations in a class room setting, and they are also working with the HO and N scale layouts to have TT&TO training in a “live” atmosphere by hosting operating sessions on the Mod-U-Trak layouts.

– And as always, we’re working to pull together the full slate of presentations to run 4 deep throughout the weekend, as is the major draw to the event. We will be updating the site as presenters are confirmed. Many of your favorites have already contacted us to start planning their 2016 presentations.

Registration is now live, at a special $20 discount for early bird registrations. This year we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible to register, and have online registration available. You have the option to register through the page and pay via Paypal or credit card (no Paypal account needed to process a credit card payment). Or, if you would prefer to mail in a check, you can chose to print off your completed registration form and to mail in your payment. Payment will be through White City Lines, with instructions on the form.

If you know someone who doesn’t use computers, help them register! Or, simply have them send in a paper registration with a check. We don’t want to turn anyone away who doesn’t use a computer, but we also recognize that most do, and that online registration needed to be an option moving forward.

If you are planning to present this year, be sure to contact me before you register, as I will send you a coupon code to cover your base registration fee! This is an $89 value for presenters, in thanks for providing a seminar and sharing their knowledge. Email me for more details if you want to be a presenter this year.

There’s a lot going on in the back end, and I’d like to thank everyone who is helping to pull together the 2016 event. I will be thanking them individually as we announce each event in more detail leading up to the event. Just over 6 months till the party starts!