[press release]
CHICAGOPEX 2018 Features Two Convening Societies, NPM Chief Curator of Philately Dan Piazza
CHICAGO, Sept. 23, 2018 – CHICAGOPEX 2018 will feature two convening societies and a speaker from the Smithsonian National Postal Museum at the show, which takes place Nov. 16-18 at the Westin Chicago Northwest, 400 Park Blvd., Itasca, Ill.
The annual philatelic exhibition and stamp show, celebrating 132 years of the Chicago Philatelic Society, features two convening societies: the France and Colonies Philatelic Society and the Society for Czechoslovak Philately. These groups will present special exhibits of stamps and postal history as well as hold meetings open to the public.
On Saturday afternoon, Dan Piazza, chief curator of philately at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington, will be giving a talk entitled “25 Years of Stamps and Stories: The National Postal Museum’s Silver Anniversary.” Attendees will have a chance to receive an autographed NPM cover, a set of postcards and a catalog from a past NPM exhibit.
On Friday afternoon, the Executive Director of the American Philatelic Society, Scott English, will hold a town hall event where he will take questions from the attendees. The Library Director of the American Philatelic Research Library, Scott Tiffney, will also be attending the show.
On Friday and Saturday of the show, at 12:30 p.m., Rodney Juell, one of the authors of the Encyclopedia of United States Stamps and Stamp Collecting, will be signing copies of the book in the Atrium. Copies of the book will also be available for sale.
The following groups are also meeting at the show (all free and open to the public):
- Chicago Philatelic Society (Saturday)
- Germany Philatelic Society Chapter #5 (Saturday)
- American Association of Philatelic Exhibitors – Open Forum on Exhibiting (Saturday)
- Illinois Postal History Society (Sunday)
- North Shore Philatelic Society (Sunday)
Many of these groups feature expert guest speakers giving talks open to the public. The full schedule will appear in the show program, which will be available at the hospitality desk in the hotel’s atrium.
On Saturday and Sunday mornings, the APS Committee for National Exhibits and Judging (CANEJ) will be presenting sessions on the title page and synopsis, and exhibit treatment, respectively.
This year’s show theme is “Honoring the 200th Anniversary of Illinois Statehood and the 100th Anniversary of the End of World War I.” The theme is featured on the show postcard and the cover of the show program. The U.S. Postal Service will likely have the stamp for Illinois’ 200th anniversary available for sale at the show.
There will be nearly 300 frames of philatelic material on display with something of interest for all attendees. On Saturday, the 2018 also marks the 52nd anniversary of the philatelic literature competition with the books and other materials on display. CHICAGOPEX judges also evaluate electronic literature such as websites, blogs and online articles.
The show bourse will feature at least 75 dealers from the United States and Europe. They will offer a vast array of material to interest everyone: from the beginning collector to the advanced collector and exhibitor. The U.S. Postal Service and the U.N. Postal Administration will also attend.
The show includes a youth booth with free stamps and supplies, including a giveaway from Mystic Stamp Company.
Attendees are asked to contact the hotel to make reservations and to mention CHICAGOPEX for the special room rate. Admission and parking are free. Show hours are: Friday and Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Saturday night will also feature a catered awards banquet. Tickets must be purchased in advance ($60 each) and dress is business casual. Please see the CHICAGOPEX website for the reservation form. Special diets can be accommodated upon request.
