Upcoming events

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• April: Kickball & Connections

  • When
    22 Apr 2026
  •  
    5:00 PM - 7:30 PM
  • Location
    TBD

  Register

  Kickball & Connections 

  TBD| Wednesday, April 22 | 5-7:30PM

  Strike up a conversation over friendly competition.

  Join Next Gen Events Collective for Kickball & Connections, an after-work kickball networking night built around teamwork, communication, and shared experience. Kickball naturally reveals how people collaborate, support one another, and show up as a team... the same skills that make professional relationships work.

  Expect kickball, conversation, and an easy way to meet people you’d actually want to work with. Play a few innings, rotate positions, cheer from the sidelines, or step off the field to connect. Stay for a game or hang out for the whole night.

  This hands-on, social format creates space for genuine connection without forced networking or formal programming.

  Tickets include a spot on a team and a drink wristband.

  Event Highlights:
  

  • After-work connections through shared activity
  • Team-based networking in a relaxed outdoor setting
  • Move your body after a long day sitting at work 
  • Meet Chicago’s next generation of event, marketing, hospitality, and creative professionals.

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• May: Annual Vendor Showcase

  • When
    20 May 2026
  •  
    5:30 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    Iron Cafe: 3700 S Iron St

  Register

  Annual Vendor Showcase

  Iron Cafe | Wednesday, May 20 | 5:30–8:30 PM

  Join Next Gen Events Collective for an interactive vendor marketplace designed to highlight the next generation of event professionals and their brands shaping the industry. This is a more engaging, social take on a traditional trade show, where connection and conversation come first.

  Throughout the evening, explore 15+ curated brands, each represented by rising professionals who are actively building their place in the industry. Learn about new and refreshed businesses, discover potential partners, and gain insight into where the industry is headed.

  This experience is designed to feel approachable and natural. Move through the marketplace at your own pace, engage in real conversations, and build relationships that extend beyond the event. Whether you are looking for collaborators, clients, or community, the opportunities are endless.

  Attendance is free. Open bar + catered snacks.

  Event Highlights:

  • Interactive vendor marketplace featuring 15+ brands
  • Connect with the next generation of event professionals
  • Discover new partners and business opportunities
  • Gain insight into emerging voices in the industry
  • Come explore, connect, and build meaningful relationships.

  Event Information: 

  NGEC 2026 Vendor Showcase Information.pdf
  

  Our 2026 Exclusive Partners:

     
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

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