2026 Spring Educational Meeting
Please submit your registration for the Spring Meeting here:
ILABB Spring Meeting 2026 Attendee Registration Link
ILABB is proud to host the 2026 Spring Educational Meeting. Members can expect an engaging, full-day, in-person event featuring expert lectures and interactive roundtable discussions led by blood bank experts from across Illinois and beyond. This event is designed to help attendees deepen their transfusion medicine knowledge, exchange ideas with colleagues, and explore current challenges and advancements in the field.
🧪 In addition to the educational sessions, the meeting will include an exhibitor fair, providing opportunities to connect with industry representatives and explore the latest products, technologies, and services in transfusion medicine.
📅 Meeting details
🗓️ Tuesday, May 5th, 2026
🚪 Doors open: 7:00am CST
⏱️ Program starts: 7:55am CST
🏁 Adjourns by: 5:00pm CST
📍 NIU Conference Center | 1120 E. Diehl Rd, Naperville, IL
Agenda: Final agenda coming soon
Vendor list: TBD
⭐ Anticipated speakers and topics (preview)
We are finalizing the agenda now, but this year is shaping up to be a strong one. Topics from leading experts currently slated include:
🩸 Antibody-positive donors: can we safely and strategically use antibody-positive donors for transfusion support?
🔬 Hemanext studies and products: what are these products, what does the emerging data show, and how could Illinois institutions apply them?
🤖 AI in transfusion medicine: what applications already exist, and where is AI creating meaningful impact today?
📘 Updated AABB standards in cardiology: what’s new, what it means operationally, and how to apply updates across institutions.
🐣 AlloHope Foundation: Highlighting where transfusion medicine intersects with obstetric and neonatal care to improve outcomes for families.
🚑 Prehospital transfusion: directly from experts helping move Illinois toward go-live, including leaders involved in national advocacy efforts.
🎓 Continuing education (CE)
PACE CE credits will be offered (final agenda pending; tentatively 6.0 contact hours). CE credits will be available to live, registered attendees only.
Certificates will be issued at the end of May.
📝 Registration (required)
Please submit your registration info here:
ILABB Spring Meeting 2026 Attendee Registration Link
Registrations and payments are manually processed by the ILABB Executive Committee.
If registration is submitted without payment, you will receive follow-up communication.
💲 Registration rates
Attending Physician: $150 regular registration
Certified MLS (including BB & SBB): $100 regular registration
Resident Physician: $50 regular registration
Students (including MLS, medical): Free (no payment required)
Retirees over 65: 50% off equivalent rate
🍽️ The meeting will span a full business day and includes catered breakfast and lunch.
🧾 Format and accessibility
This meeting will be fully in-person, with no live remote viewing available.
To support accessibility, ILABB intends to record all lectures for viewing by members.
🎥 Update: Session recordings may now be viewed, free of charge, on our YouTube page.
🗳️ Member slate updates
For the upcoming 2025–2026 year, past president Dr. Tim Carll will complete his 2-year appointment and become Board Member Emeriti. We thank him for his dedication and continue to welcome him as an active executive committee member.
President Chelsey Geurkink will complete her 1-year appointment and become Past President.
President-elect Eddie Gordon will move into the active President position.
Proposed new members-at-large are TBD. Their candidacy will be discussed at the spring meeting and a preliminary vote will be held.