

Illinois LICA's Annual Convention & Members' Meeting
January 21-23, 2026 ~ Bloomington, IL
The Illinois LICA Convention at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Bloomington, IL will bring together industry leaders for three days of networking, hands-on product demonstrations on the trade show floor, practical educational seminars, evening entertainment, and a live auction raising funds for the ILICA Scholarship Fund. Register today for this exciting event!
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Registration Open
2:00 - 6:00 pm
Convention Committee/Hotel Staff Meeting
3:00 pm
Nomination Committee
4:00 pm
Exhibitor Setup
4:00 - 6:00 pm
Awards Committee
4:30 pm
Final Board Meeting
5:00 - 5:30 pm
Dinner, Members' Meeting & Election of Officers
6:00 - 10:00 pm
All members are encouraged to participate. Members will be given updates from our various committees, as well as have the opportunity to guide Illinois LICA through 2026.
Registration Open
7:00 am - 4:00 pm
Devotions
7:30 - 8:30 am
Using God’s Word in song to spread the message of salvation, Mark & Pam Fisher are back again to uplift, encourage, and entertain you with their Gospel music! Their high-energy, toe-tapping presentation incorporates Southern Gospel, traditional, contemporary, and country styles.
FREE Show Open
9:00 - 11:00 am
Take advantage of your last opportunity to visit over 40 industry vendors and to win $250 trade show dough!
Ladies Activity
10:00 am - 2:30 pm
Join the ILICA Ladies for a day of shopping and lunch at Rosie's Pub. Enjoy good company while strolling through a myriad of local artisan and thrift shops, including Cross Roads, Spice Works, Painted Tree, and more. Meet at the registration desk for car pooling.
Break
10:00 - 10:30 am
Associate Committee Meeting
11:00 am
Education: IDOT Commercial Vehicle Regulations
11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Learn all about the various commercial vehicle rules and regulations to keep your company in compliance and prevent downtime. Illinois State Police CVEO, Trooper Ross Drennan, will cover CDL requirements, physical requirements, load securement, weight regulations, hours of service and inspections, safety scores, audits, and more.
Lunch
12:00 pm
Education: Understanding the Positive Response Requirement for Excavators
1:00 - 2:00 pm
The use of JULIE's Positive Response System became an enforceable requirement on January 1, 2026, meaning excavators must verify and document responses from utility companies before breaking ground. This presentation by JULIE's Brian MacKenzie will explain what excavators need to know about the new mandate, how to properly use PRS, why it matters for safety and legal compliance, and how it protects operators from violations and liability.
Exhibitor Teardown
1:00 - 2:00 pm
Education: Job Costing Edge of Field Practices
2:00 - 3:00 pm
Interested in adding conservation drainage practices to your list of construction services for clients or to diversify your company business model? Learn what it takes to install and job cost these practices, including bioreactors and saturated buffers, from fellow contractors leading the charge in Illinois - Jon Seevers, Seevers Farm Drainage; LaVerne Weber, Grade Solutions; Joe Streitmatter, Streitmatter Land Improvement
Ice Cream Social
3:00 pm
Education: One Big Beautiful Bill
3:30 - 4:30 pm
Passed in May 2025, the “One Big Beautiful Bill” made many changes to US tax policy & spending. Get all the latest updates on how these changes apply to your company from Dustin Courson, Courson & Associates.
Education: LICA Insurance Programs: Past, Present, & Future
4:30 - 5:30 pm
Like all industries, the insurance sector has currently been experiencing various changes with impacts to operations and underwriting that ultimately affect your company’s coverages and policies. Join Prins Insurance’s Amber Bosma to hear about all these dynamics at play within the industry, as well as to gather insight into LICA’s insurance program benefits from over the years and into the future.
Happy Hour
5:30 - 6:30 pm
Dinner & Dueling Pianos
6:30 - 9:00 pm
What's the best way to wrap up a great convention? Dinner and a show! Grab some sustenance and enjoy Howl at the Moon's world famous dueling piano show. You can make requests, dance, sing, back-flip, or get your groove on in any manner you prefer, as long as you do it safely and in good company.
Associate Hospitality Room
9:00 pm - 1:00 am
Pop into the Associate Hospitality Room one last time before calling it a night to chat about the day's events and to close out the event in the company of friends.
Registration Open
7:00 am - 4:00 pm
Devotions
7:30 - 8:00 am
Jump start your morning with scripture, testimony, and hymns.
Exhibitor Setup
7:30 - 11:30 am
Education: Septic Training
8:00 am - 12:00 pm
Get 3 CEU's for the renewal of your Illinois Septic License(s) (installer, pumper, sanitation technition) during this training provided by Doug Ebelherr of Contractor Training Store.
Tours
8:30 am - 12:00 pm
Jump on the bus with other members to head down the road to tour Grossinger Motors Arena and the Bloomington Center for Performing Arts.
Break
10:00 - 10:30 am
Welcome Luncheon
12:00 pm
Convention committee chairman welcome and new member recognition.
Ladies Activity
1:00 - 3:00 pm
Join the ILICA Ladies for an afternoon of laughs, art, and relaxation at the "Paint with Erin Boggs" experience. Whether you're a first-timer at the canvas or a Vincent van Gogh, Erin will help guide you through painting a wonderful winter scene to enjoy.
Trade Show Open
1:00 - 4:00 pm
Explore 40+ industry vendors and connect with Associate members showcasing the latest in equipment, technology, and products. Your name may even be drawn to win $250 trade show dough!
Break
2:30 - 3:00 pm
Exhibitor Photo
4:00 pm
Happy Hour
5:00 - 6:00 pm
Speculate over the 2025 award recipients with a drink.
Awards Banquet
6:00 - 8:00 pm
Help us recognize those individuals and entities that have contributed so much to the Association over the past year during this formal event. Friends and family welcome.
Live Auction
8:00 - 10:00 pm
Bid on your favorite items from model toys to tools and everything in between during the Live Auction hosted by BigIron! All proceeds fund the ILICA scholarship.
Associate Hospitality Room
10:00 pm - 1:00 am
Before you turn in for the night, pop on in to the Associate Hospitality Room to congratulate the 2025 award winners one more time. We know they would appreciate it!
Coming Soon!
Education: Septic Training
Doug Ebelherr, Contractor Training Store
Doug is a seasoned industry expert with decades of field and training experience. He will deliver practical instruction for contractors looking to renew their Illinois Septic License(s) (installer, pumper, sanitation technician).
Tour
Bloomington Center for Performing Arts
Take a one-of-a-kind tour of the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts to explore its Neo-Classical interior, walk one of the largest performance stages west of New York City, see the Green Room Artist Wall, and visit the sub-stage while learning the venue’s history and legends.

Devotions Program
Mark & Pam Fisher
Mark and Pam have been entertaining in central Illinois for years -- Pam sang for years on the Illinois Country Opry in Petersburg and other family shows (as Pam Gilbert); Mark was a regular on the Nashville Sound Country Opry in Mason City, Illinois. Since 2003, they have been singing exclusively Southern Gospel music at churches, revivals, tent meetings, ice cream socials and other special events. Visit their website for more information.

Education: IDOT Commercial Vehicle Regulations
Trooper Ross Drennan, Illinois State Police
Learn all about the various commercial vehicle rules and regulations to keep your company in compliance and prevent downtime. Illinois State Police CVEO, Trooper Ross Drennan, will cover CDL requirements, physical requirements, load securement, weight regulations, hours of service and inspections, safety scores, audits, and more.
Education: Understanding the Positive Response Requirements for Excavators
Brian MacKenzie, JULIE
The use of JULIE's Positive Response System became an enforceable requirement on January 1, 2026, meaning excavators must verify and document responses from utility companies before breaking ground. This presentation by JULIE's Brian MacKenzie will explain what excavators need to know about the new mandate, how to properly use PRS, why it matters for safety and legal compliance, and how it protects operators from violations and liability.

Education: Job Costing Edge of Field Practices
Jon Seevers, Seevers Farm Drainage, Inc; Joe Streitmatter, Streitmatter Land Improvement; LaVerne Weber Grade Solutions
Interested in adding conservation drainage practices to your list of construction services for clients or to diversify your company business model? Learn what it takes to install and job cost these practices, including bioreactors and saturated buffers, from fellow contractors leading the charge in Illinois - Jon Seevers, Seevers Farm Drainage; LaVerne Weber, Grade Solutions; Joe Streitmatter, Streitmatter Land Improvement
Education: LICA Insurance Programs: Past, Present, & Future
Amber Bosma, Prins Insurance
Like all industries, the insurance sector has currently been experiencing various changes with impacts to operations and underwriting that ultimately affect your company’s coverages and policies. Join Prins Insurance’s Amber Bosma to hear about all these dynamics at play within the industry, as well as to gather insight into LICA’s insurance program benefits from over the years and into the future.
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