Gies Business Career Fair
Join us at the 2026 Gies College of Business In‑Person and Virtual Career Fairs
This is your one‑stop shop for accessing exceptional talent at the University of Illinois. While hosted by Gies Business, this fair is open to students from all majors, giving your organization the opportunity to connect with a diverse pipeline of candidates who bring strengths in business, technology, analytics, communications, design, and more.
Career Fair Highlights
Connect. Recruit. Hire.
Whether you're hiring for internships, full-time roles, leadership development programs, or specialized positions, the career fair streamlines your recruiting by bringing a broad range of skilled, career-ready students together under one roof—along with strong early-talent visibility, including access to a high turnout of first-year students ideal for early identification and pipeline development.
Engage with motivated talent, strengthen your brand presence on campus, and fill multiple hiring needs in a single high-impact day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I ship my materials directly to the iHotel?
No. Employers should not ship any materials directly to the iHotel. All career fair shipments must be handled through our approved decorator, BestExpo.
How do I ship materials to the fair using BestExpo?
BestExpo provides inbound and outbound shipping, material handling, and booth services. Employers should consult BestExpo’s service kit for details on shipping deadlines, material handling costs, payment instructions, and warehouse vs. show-site options.
Is Wi-Fi available?
Yes. Employers may connect to IllinoisNet_Guest.
Where can I park?
Employer parking is located in the Illinois Conference Center main lot off St. Mary’s Road.
What should I expect for the In-Person Career Fair logistics?
Employer check-in opens around 10:30am CST before the fair begins and remains available throughout the event. Check-in is located inside the main entrance of the Illinois Conference Center, adjacent to the employer parking lot. We will provide employer lanyards and badges, though we encourage representatives to wear a branded company name badge if available. We also ask that all company representatives complete the check-in process by scanning the provided QR code.
Who are the students I should expect to meet?
The Gies Business Career Fair is open to students from all majors across the University of Illinois, with business students serving as the primary audience. We encourage employers to be prepared to engage with students from a variety of academic backgrounds. To learn more about Gies Business undergraduate programs, please review our business majors and minors here: https://giesbusiness.illinois.edu/academics/majors-and-minors.
You should also expect to meet students pursuing business minors, first-year students practicing their networking skills, and enthusiastic international students. All Gies Business graduate programs are STEM-designated, allowing eligible graduates to work in the United States for up to three years before requiring employer sponsorship. If your organization does not offer long-term sponsorship, we appreciate you taking the time to encourage these students and, when possible, share information about future opportunities or global career pathways.
I am interested in interviewing students after the career fair. Can you help me find space for interviews?
Yes. If you are interested in conducting interviews or hosting additional recruiting activities after the career fair, please complete our Employer Space Request Form and a member of the Employer Engagement team will follow up to coordinate your request.Connect with Students Beyond the Career Fair
Employers can reserve campus space to host information sessions, networking opportunities, and other student engagement activities. Complete the form to request a space and begin planning your visit.
Questions?
Contact us at (217) 333-2840 or hirebusiness@illinois.edu.