Chicago Event Schedule
WILD AND WINDY 7
May 8, 9, and 10, 2025
CLICK HYPERLINK FOR THE ATTENDEE INFO PACKET WITH SEATING CHARTS, PANELS, MAPS, ETC.
SCHEDULE
THURSDAY EVENTS
4PM: HOTEL CHECK-IN
5PM-6PM: VENDOR SETUP-LASALLE & MICHIGAN HALLWAYS (EVENT STAFF WILL BRING LANYARDS AND REGISTRATION PACKETS TO VENDORS THAT ARE SELLING DURING EARLY REGISTRATION)
5PM-8PM: ATTENDEE / AUTHOR EARLY REGISTRATION (GA in MADISON, VIP in the LASALLE A BALLROOM). Pickup your event totes and lanyards.
6PM-10PM: THESE VENDOR SHOPS OPEN in the LASALLE HALLWAY: AFTER DARK BOOKSHOP, BEND ME NOT CREATIONS, COBBLER LANE DESIGNS, DARK MIDNIGHT DESIGN CO., Dogwood + Daisy Studio, P3 create/Pew Pew Printing, SIN SISTERS. . .
6PM-10PM: REWIND IT BACK MEET AND GREET WITH LIZ TOMFORDE in LASALLE B&C. NOTE THE CONDITIONS FROM THE AUTHOR ON THE POST IN THE ATTENDEE GROUP.
8PM-9PM: ANNOTATION KIT AND BOOK JOURNALING DEMONSTRATION by Dark Midnight Design Co. In the Amphitheater.
9PM-10PM: NEW ATTENDEE ORIENTATION by your hosts Nicole Huffman and Michelle Mankin. In the Amphitheater. Friendship bracelet trading will be available in the hallway outside afterward.
6PM-10PM: AUTHOR SET-UP GRAND BALLROOM & LAKESHORE (Pickup lanyards and totes at the registration desk in front of the Grand Ballroom.)
FRIDAY EVENTS
FRIDAY DAYTIME
SIGNING SESSION 1
8AM-10AM: AUTHOR ADDITIONAL SET-UP TIME
8AM-10AM: ATTENDEES CAN PICKUP PREORDERED PREPURCHASED ITEMS FROM VENDORS WHO ARE OFFERING THIS OPTION by the signing rooms. AFTER DARK BOOKSHOP, DARK MIDNIGHT DESIGN CO., Dogwood + Daisy Studio, SIN SISTERS
9AM: VIPS (GOLD) CAN REGISTER in front of the doors to the Grand Ballroom and line up in the breezeway beside this ballroom. Must lineup in order by the number that is on your badge.
10AM-11AM: EXCLUSIVE VIPs ONLY EARLY ENTRY HOUR to see the authors in the GRAND BALLROOM AND and in the Lakeshore Ballroom.
10-11AM: GA’S (PINK) CAN REGISTER AND LINE-UP in the breezeway beside the Grand Ballroom. Must lineup in order by the number that is on your badge.
11AM: PINK LEVEL CAN ENTER the Grand Ballroom and/or Lakeshore Ballroom.
2PM: SIGNING SESSION 1 ENDS
FRIDAY NIGHT TIME
5PM-6PM: VENDOR SET UP
6PM-10PM: VENDORS SHOPPING. LaSalle Ballroom hallway and Michigan Ballroom hallway. NARRATORS will be in the Michigan Hallway by the Fun in the Sun backdrop. Open to all ticket holders.
6PM-7PM: VIPs ONLY EXCLUSIVE PANEL PROGRAMMING. Dual concurrent locations. Michigan Ballroom and the Amphitheater. VIPs are welcome to choose either panel during this hour. However, keep in mind that if one room reaches capacity, you will have to choose the other one. Panelists and topic TBA. Your VIP lanyard is necessary to enter these panels.
7PM-10PM: PANEL PROGRAMMING FRIDAY SESSION Open to all Ticket Holders. Dual concurrent locations. Michigan Ballroom and the Amphitheater. Panelists and topics TBA. First come first serve for each panel. Panels are 45 minutes long and the room will be cleared between panels.
7PM-10PM: KAMA SUTRA BINGO (Madison Ballroom) listed as “bingo” on the door. Be warned. It’s totally inappropriate. Paperback prizes.
7PM-10PM: FUN IN THE SUN PARTY (LaSalle Ballroom.) VIP ONLY. Luau theme. Featuring Adaline Winters and Sara Cate plus co-host Michelle Mankin. They will be available from 7-10pm. SJ Sylvis & S. Massery will be available from 7-9pm. This is an additional opportunity for VIP ticket holders to meet these authors, buy their merchandise and books, and get signatures. If you would like to bring books from home for these authors, you may bring them and get them signed at this time. VIPs will have a special edition of The Right Man by Michelle Mankin in their totes that she will happily sign. There will be no author preorder pickups at the luau as their tables and preorders will already be set up in the Grand/Lakeshore Ballrooms.
VIPs can also play party games in LaSalle (luau and xxx themed) run by volunteers and win swag pack prizes. There will also be a scavenger hunt with several winners, and a bookish T-shirt contest (prize is a VIP ticket to Wild and Windy 8). There will be a special Fun in the Sun themed gift for each VIP in your tote, and the LaSalle Ballroom will have a Fun in the Sun photobooth with a commemorative frame, a DJ, and a cash bar a signature drink the flirty fizz.
SATURDAY EVENTS
SATURDAY DAYTIME
SIGNING SESSION 2
9AM: VIPS CAN REGISTER in front of the Grand Ballroom and line up beside it. Must lineup in order by the number that is on your badge.
10AM-11AM: EXCLUSIVE VIPs ONLY EARLY ENTRY HOUR to see the authors in the GRAND BALLROOM and in the Lakeshore Ballroom.
10-11AM: GA’S PINK LEVEL CAN REGISTER & LINE-UP in the breezeway beside the Grand Ballroom. Must lineup in order by the number that is on your badge.
11AM: PINK LEVEL CAN ENTER the Grand Ballroom and/or Lakeshore Ballroom.
2PM: SIGNING SESSION 2 ENDS
SATURDAY NIGHT TIME
5-7 PM: Westin and WW Core Volunteer crew prep the Grand Ballroom for the Pajama Party.
6-8 PM: LET’S TALK ABOUT SPICY BOOKS AND NARRATORS WILL BE READING SPICY SCENES
Author and or narrator panelists, panel times, and locations are in the attendee google drive packet. Three locations for spicy panels: LaSalle, Michigan, and Amphitheater. All ticket holders are welcome. Saturday panels are 45 minutes long. Room will be cleared between panels.
8PM-10PM: PAJAMA PARTY. (Grand Ballroom) ALL AUTHORS, NARRATORS, VENDORS AND TICKET HOLDERS WELCOME. There will be a DESSERT BAR, several CASH BARS with a signature drink, a chocolate martini, a DJ, a dance floor, a PJ Party Photo Booth with a commemorative frame, a photo op backdrop, and fun free event swag at each place setting. The LED bookshelf light centerpieces on each table are yours to take home while supplies last. This item will be included in the 2026 VIP level ticket. Trading station for friendship bracelets, ribbons, stickers, etc. will be available. Get all your book friends to sign your My Wild and Windy 7 Journals before you say goodbye.
Sunday
10am-12pm: AFTER EVENT MIXER at The Last Chapter Book Shop (2013 W Roscoe St, Chicago, IL), cupcakes and sparkling wine provided. Attending authors may appear.
Tickets are sold out.
VIP Gold $275 - quantity 500
Your 2-day event ticket includes:
+ Thursday optional early registration, vendor shopping, annotation kit/journaling demonstration, and friendship bracelet/new attendee orientation
+ 2 parties, a Friday Luau party and a Saturday PJ party. Both have a DJ and a photo booth
+ Exclusive early entry hour into the signing sessions with authors on Friday and Saturday for a total of 8 hours over both days.
+ Early hour of exclusive VIP panels on Friday
+ Exclusive VIP Friday swag item
+ Spicy panels on Saturday
+ A tote with a premium swag item and an event autograph journal that will have a gold foil cover.
GA Pink $175 - quantity 500
Your 2-day event ticket includes:
+ Thursday optional early registration, vendor shopping, annotation kit/journaling demonstration, and friendship bracelet/new attendee orientation
+ A Saturday PJ party with a DJ and a photo booth
+ Entry into the signing sessions with authors on Friday and Saturday for a total of 6 hours over both days.
+ Panels on Friday
+ Spicy panels on Saturday
+ A tote with a premium swag item and an event autograph journal that will have a non-gold foil cover.
VIP tickets sold out in 2 minutes in 2024. GA in 10. Just for your reference. There is a maximum of 4 tickets per order. If you get into the buy window, we suggest having a plan to buy for your friends. We hope everyone who wants to come gets a ticket.