The Frunchroom* is the community gathering hub at ONA26, located in Salon D on the Lower Level of the Hilton Chicago. This is where you’ll check in at conference registration, and where Table Talks and many informal community meetups will be held throughout the conference.
You’ll first see this space when you first arrive to check in. Our friendly volunteers will be waiting to welcome you to ONA26 and help you print your badge, which will gain you access to the conference. Early badge pickup starts Sunday, March 29 at 4-7 p.m. CT, and we’ll be back open Monday morning at 7:30 a.m.
The Frunchroom space holds 49 tables (7×7 rows and columns, in honor of Chicago’s 77 official community areas. Each table will be marked throughout the week with a number and a Chicago landmark, food neighborhood or influential person. We hope you’ll take a moment to check out the tables and explore the iconic writers, sports idols and other prominent figures with Chicago connections, or discover some landmarks or local delicacies to check out while you’re in town.
The numbers will come in handy during Table Talks, when you’ll use them to find the conversations you’d like to join. You can also use the labeling system to set up meetings or informal community chats during the event. For example: “Come meet me in the Frunchroom at the Oprah Winfrey table!”
Many of our informal community meetups will also take place in the Frunchroom, so you can find some new friends and collaborators there.
*Why Frunchroom?
The Frunchroom is named in honor of the Chicago colloquialism for, as Chicago Magazine writes, “the front room of a bungalow or flat, overlooking the street” where a family would entertain company. It’s a place for social gathering and community, just like this space at ONA26.
