MARS 2026 WINTER MEETING
We are excited to return to the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel for our 2026 Winter Meeting over January 13-15, 2026!
We are thrilled to welcome the following keynote speakers to the MARS Winter 2026 Meeting:
Keith Creel, President & CEO, CPKC
Janet Drysdale, Executive Vice President & Chief Commercial Officer, CN
Katie Farmer, President & CEO, BNSF Railway
Dr. Christopher Kuehl, Founder/Managing Director, Armada Corporate Intelligence
Jim Vena, Chief Executive Officer, Union Pacific
Additionally, the following speakers will join us in January 2026:
Mike Barth, Vice President, Transportation & Logistics, United Sugar Producers & Refiners Cooperative
Anthony Hatch, Founder/President, abh Consulting
Ian Jefferies, President & CEO, The Association of American Railroads
Katie Beardslee Kloentrup, Senior Digital Mine Engineer, Carmeuse
James Pearce, Vice President, People Solutions, Savage
Alex Peiffer, Chief Operating Officer, Intramotev
Christian Rowe, Vice President – Development, Savage
Michelle Schultz, Vice Chair, Surface Transportation Board
Lorie Tekorius, President & CEO, The Greenbrier Companies
Registration is NOW OPEN!
Early bird registration fee is $395 (available through 12/12/2025)
Registration fee is $450 after 12/12/2025 and until 1/13/2026)
On-site Registration fee (if available) will be $500
Registration for Luncheon only (12/14/2025) = $99
HOTEL DETAILS
Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel
1551 N. Thoreau Drive
Schaumburg, Illinois 60173
The MARS group rate is $174 and is available until December 19, 2025 (or until our block fills up).
Please note: The opening reception is on Tuesday, January 13 and the meeting is on Wednesday, January 14 and Thursday, January 15. If you make a reservation on incorrect dates, there is no guarantee that there will be a room available when you arrive. Please verify your correct arrival/departure dates when you book our hotel room.
SPONSORSHIP
Support from MARS sponsors plays a vital role in the success of our meetings! We are proud to offer sponsorship opportunities that showcase your company at North America’s premier transportation events.
If your organization is interested in a vendor table at the MARS Winter 2026 meeting, you must be a Gold level sponsor or above. As well, all booth personnel must be registered for the meeting.
For additional sponsorship opportunities, please see below.
MARS 2026 Sponsorship Packages
Refunds are available until 12/29/2025. After that date, no refunds will be issued.
SCAM ALERT: MARS has not authorized any third party to secure individual hotel rooms on our behalf for our Winter Meeting. We understand there is an organization contacting people by phone to solicit credit card information to secure hotel rooms perhaps even saying they are calling on behalf of MARS. PLEASE do not give them your information. When our room reservation link is available, we will share the link here or you will receive an email from us. We will not call you asking for credit card information.