The relaunch of the Chicago Steampunk Exposition is now 42 weeks away!

Inspired by the 1893 Chicago World’s Exposition, we invite you to take a step back in time to an alternative history where technology and magic have accelerated the advancement of Victorian society at a much more rapid rate. Combine your imagination with immersion and experience the exhibits and wonders of the Exposition that neverwas.

Thematically for 2023, think 1893 World’s Fair meets Carnival Row! (see “Victorian Fae” below for more information)

Gail Carriger

We are thrilled to confirm that Gail Carriger (pictured above) will be a guest of honor at the 2023 Chicago Steampunk Exposition!

Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with steampunk and urban fantasy (plus sexy queer joy as G. L. Carriger). Her books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Tinkered Stars, and San Andreas Shifter series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. Also nonfiction: The Heroine’s Journey: For Writers, Readers, and Fans of Pop Culture. She is published in many languages, has over a million books in print, over a dozen New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, and starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, and Romantic Times.

Her first book, Soulless, made Audible’s Best list, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book, an IndieBound Notable, and a Locus Recommended Read. She has received the ALA’s Alex Award, the Prix Julia Verlanger, the Elbakin Award, the Steampunk Chronicle‘s Reader’s Choice Award, and a Starburner Award. She was once an archaeologist and is fond of shoes, cephalopods, and tea.

More information coming soon about Ms. Carriger’s visit to the Exposition, but in the meantime, please learn more about her by visiting GailCarriger.com and reading more of her books 🙂

Exposition Exhibitors

This coming April, the Exposition will offer a wide array of exhibitors and vendors to entertain, educate, and entice you.

Throughout the convention you will find them in our Main Exhibitor Hall, Artists’ Alley, Printers’ Row, Exhibitor Alley, and in our Special Exhibit Gallery; for more information visit our Exhibitor page.

As exhibitors are being confirmed we are adding them to the site and featuring them each week; our latest features are . . .

If you would like to be an Exposition Exhibitor, please submit an application HERE.

Special Exhibit – Victorian Fae

Each year the Chicago Steampunk Exposition hosts a Special Exhibit that sets the underlying “theme” for that year’s convention; for 2023 our special exhibit will be “Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Fantastic Discovery of the Fae World.” This exhibit will feature art, relics, and other items of interest collected around the Fae Academia following Doyle and his father establishing diplomatic contact with the Fae territories. The Exposition will celebrate the many cultures, achievements, and art of Faekind, and be joined by ambassadors and representatives of these magical realms as we welcome them to Chicago. In many ways this will be like Carnival Row, but unlike the Republic of the Burgue, Chicago embraces diversity and multicultural exchanges.

Starting in July, we shall be seeking entries from artists and inventors to display pieces in our Special Exhibit, which will be a curated gallery of artworks for admiration and sale. Details to follow (later this month).

Presentations

If you have Steampunk related knowledge and expertise that you would like to share at the Exposition, then we invite you be part of the Program and submit your proposals for presentations.

The Venue

The 2023 Chicago Steampunk Exposition is being hosted at the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg. This upscale hotel is a short drive from O’Hare International Airport with many facilities both in the hotel and surrounding it, plus FREE PARKING.

Visit our Venue Page to learn more about the layout of the show floors and what to expect from the Exposition new home.

Room prices and booking information are all listed on the Book Rooms page.