Register for the 2026 CQI Conference!
Conference Dates: October 13 & 14, 2026
Location: IHotel and Conference Center, Champaign, IL
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER:
https://my.socialwork.illinois.edu/eventreg/register.asp?id=2355
Registration includes two full days of educational and networking sessions, plus breakfast, lunch and snacks each day, and CEUs (if applicable).
Early Bird Registration until September 1, 2026 is $300. Thereafter, registration will be $350. We are not able to issue refunds for cancellations after September 22, 2026.
If you have submitted a proposal to present at the conference, please wait until final decisions on presentations have been made. Instructions for accepted presenters will be sent separately.
If additional paperwork for your organization is needed (such as an invoice or W9 form), please contact sw-expenses@illinois.edu.
If needed, please make checks payable to University of Illinois.
Mail to:
UIUC School of Social Work
Attn: Amy Hiles
1010 West Nevada Street
Urbana IL 61801
If you have any questions, please email CQICommunity@gmail.com. You can find past conference materials here.
2026 Conference Hotel Information
Conference Dates: October 13 & 14, 2026
Location: IHotel and Conference Center, Champaign, IL
Due to other events being held at the Illinois Conference Center at the same time as the CQI Conference, IHOTEL is fully booked. Please see the information below for other hotels in the Champaign-Urbana area. Parking at the Illinois Conference Center is free.
Holiday Inn Champaign
(0.8 mile; map)
Rate: $119.00/night
101 Trade Center Drive, Champaign
Front Desk: 217-850-0578
Reservations Here
Homewood Suites Champaign
(0.9 mile; map)
Rate: $175/night Standard King
1417 South Neil Street, Champaign
Front Desk: 217-352-9960
Hilton Reservations: 1-800-446-6677
Reservations Here
Home2 Suites Champaign
(0.7 mile; map)
2013 South Neil Street, Champaign
Rate: $175/night Standard King or Standard Two Queens
Front Desk: 217-355-6468
Hilton Reservations: 1-800-446-6677
Reservations Here
Hotel Royer
(2.8 miles; map)
210 South Race Street, Urbana
Rate: $119.00/night Standard King or $129.00/night Standard Two Queens
Front Desk: 217-600-5129
Group Code (if calling in for reservation): 91O ("nine-one-Oscar")
Hilton Reservations: 1-800-446-6677
Reservations Here
2026 Conference Information
Conference Dates: October 13 & 14, 2026
Location: IHotel and Conference Center, Champaign, IL
ABOUT THE 2026 CQI CONFERENCE: "From Surviving to Thriving: The Next Chapter of CQI."
The 2026 Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) Conference represents a pivotal moment for our field. As organizations navigate growing complexity, workforce pressures, and evolving community needs, CQI remains an essential framework for moving beyond day-to-day problem solving toward stronger, more resilient systems.
This year’s conference focuses on how CQI helps organizations stabilize what matters most, strengthen relationships and processes, and build the capacity to sustain meaningful improvement over time. Sessions will highlight practical tools, lessons learned from the field, and forward-thinking approaches that help teams move from managing challenges to creating environments where people, services, and systems can truly excel.
Attendees will explore how to:
- Strengthen system reliability and reduce inefficiencies
- Support and sustain the workforce through smarter processes
- Deepen partnerships with families and communities
- Use data as a tool for learning and insight
- Design systems that work in real-world conditions
- Advance equity through improvement efforts
- Grow leadership capacity at all levels
- Turn short-term fixes into sustainable change
PURPOSE OF THE CONFERENCE
The CQI Community Group’s annual conference is a capacity building and networking event that brings together leaders, practitioners, and visionaries from diverse sectors. It is an opportunity for people from a variety of professional backgrounds to come together to explore strategies for developing, managing, and participating in the CQI process that will lead to better outcomes for children, adults, families, and communities. The conference will have sessions for professionals of all levels from basic to advanced CQI knowledge and skills.
CQI IS FOR EVERYONE
When we say CQI is for everyone, we mean everyone. Our audience is primarily CQI staff, but also includes leadership and direct-service staff from community-based, academic, state, behavioral health, medical, and government settings. The CQI Community Group promotes diversity among workshop presenters and is committed to building a vibrant and empowered community.