01
OrientationWelcome
Friday 4 December · 25 Jumadal Ukhra · from 5:00 pm
Network • Build Relationships
- Opening Ceremony & Keynote Address
- Business Reception Darees
- Exhibitors & Industry Leaders Intro
- Dinner & Relationship Building
Anjuman-e-Saifee Chicago presents a Business Expo
Where Mumineen businesses meet, grow & thrive
The Biz Connect Showcase
Entrepreneurs, business owners, manufacturers, retailers, innovators, startups and investors from across the community — three days to connect, collaborate and grow, under one roof in Chicagoland.
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The Vision
Business runs in our veins
“Business is a defining characteristic of the Dawoodi Bohra community. Business comes instinctively to Mumineen — it runs in their veins, just as the muhabbat of Awliya Allah AS does.”
Inspired by this guidance, and with the Dua Mubarak of Aqa Moula (TUS), Anjuman-e-Saifee Chicago and Al-Tijaarat al-Raabehah Chicago present a premier three-day Business & Innovation Showcase.
The Biz Connect Showcase brings together entrepreneurs, business owners, professionals, manufacturers, retailers, innovators, startups, investors and aspiring leaders — to connect, collaborate and grow.
More than an exhibition, it is a platform to exchange ideas, discover opportunities, build lasting partnerships and strengthen the economic future of our community.
Three days of keynotes, working sessions, a full exhibition floor and deliberate networking, hosted at the spectacular Compass Arena in Willowbrook, Illinois. A state-of-the-art venue, and the right setting for business that starts as conversation and ends as partnership.
Registration is open. Complete your registration today and be part of a gathering where businesses connect, collaborate and thrive.
Who Attends
Every seat at the table
From a first-year startup to a third-generation manufacturer — the showcase is built so that everyone in the room has something to offer and something to take away.
Entrepreneurs
Business owners
Professionals
Manufacturers
Retailers & wholesalers
Innovators
Startups
Investors
Aspiring leaders
Service providers
Family businesses
Students & first-timers
Why take part
Great businesses are not built alone
They are built through vision, collaboration and meaningful relationships. Three days in one room is enough time to start all three.
For Attendees
Why attend
- Hear from leaders who have built businesses within and beyond the community.
- Find the trends, tools and technology reshaping your sector before your competition does.
- Build relationships that outlast the weekend — suppliers, partners, mentors, customers.
- Walk the exhibition floor and see what Mumineen across North America are making and selling.
- Bring a specific problem; leave with people who have already solved it.
- Open doors for the next generation entering business.
For Exhibitors
Why exhibit
- Put your product in front of decision-makers who buy, distribute and refer.
- Generate qualified leads across three days of concentrated footfall.
- Launch or demonstrate something new to an audience primed to look.
- Meet distributors, retailers and manufacturers you would otherwise cold-email.
- Build brand recognition across the North American Bohra business community.
- Sit alongside businesses at every stage — and learn from the floor as much as you sell on it.
Programme
Three days of inspiration, innovation & opportunity
Each day has its own job. Day one builds the room, day two puts the businesses in front of it, day three turns all of it into what comes next.
02
DiscoverExplore
Saturday 5 December · 26 Jumadal Ukhra
Learn • Explore • Collaborate
- Business Expo & Product Showcase
- Expert Speakers & Industry Panels
- Manufacturing Pavilion
- Live Demonstrations
03
GrowThrive
Sunday 6 December · 27 Jumadal Ukhra
Lead • Innovate • Thrive
- Startup & Innovation Spotlight
- Leadership & Business Growth Sessions
- Closing Keynote
- Recognition Ceremony & Final Networking
Session titles, speakers and exact timings will be confirmed closer to the event.
Registration
Choose how you take part
All registrations are handled through a single form. Tell us which way you are joining and we will follow up with the details for your pass.
Attendee
Rates announced soonEarly-bird rate to follow
- Full three-day access to keynotes, panels and sessions
- Entry to the exhibition floor across all three days
- Business Reception Darees, dinner and networking on day one
- Attendee badge and event materials
Most enquiries
Exhibitor
Rates announced soonPer booth · limited spaces
- Booth space in the Business Expo & Product Showcase
- Listing in the event directory and on this site
- Attendee access for your booth team
- A place in the Manufacturing Pavilion or live demonstrations, by sector
- Introduction from the stage during the Exhibitors & Industry Leaders session
Sponsor
Tiers on requestSpeak with the committee
- Brand presence across the venue and event collateral
- Speaking or session-hosting opportunities by tier
- Premium floor placement
- Recognition in the closing session
Complete your registration
Register for the showcase
One form for attendees and exhibitors — choose which on the final question. It takes about three minutes.
Have your ITS number and Jamaat to hand
About 3 minutes
Confirmation sent by email
Form not loading? It opens fine in its own tab. Open the registration form
The Venue
Compass Arena, Willowbrook
A state-of-the-art arena and dining destination in Chicagoland—open floor for the expo, rooms for sessions, and space to keep talking once the sessions end.
- Address625 Joliet Road, Willowbrook, Illinois 60527
- Getting thereRoughly 25–30 minutes from Chicago Midway (MDW) and about 40 minutes from O’Hare (ORD), traffic permitting.
- ParkingOn-site parking available for attendees and exhibitors.
- HotelsHotel details will be shared with registered attendees closer to the event.
Exterior
Photograph to come
Expo floor
Photograph to come
Dining
Photograph to come
Around Chicago
Make a weekend of it
Compass Arena is about 25 minutes from downtown Chicago. If you are travelling in for the showcase, these are worth the extra day.
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
One of the great encyclopaedic museums — the Impressionist rooms, American Gothic, and the Thorne Miniature Rooms. Book a timed entry slot.
Plan a visit
View
Skydeck at Willis Tower
103 floors up, with the glass Ledge boxes that cantilever out over Wacker Drive. Timed tickets, cheapest well before sunset.
Book tickets
Tour
Architecture River Cruise
The Chicago Architecture Center's docent-led cruise along all three branches of the river. Widely rated the single best thing to do in the city.
Browse tours
Free
Millennium Park & The Bean
Cloud Gate, the Pritzker Pavilion and Lurie Garden, all walkable from the Loop. No ticket needed.
Park information
Museum
Museum of Science and Industry
A captured U-505 submarine, a full coal mine and a 3,500 sq ft model railroad. The strongest pick if families are travelling with you.
Tickets & hours
Family
Navy Pier
The Centennial Wheel, boat departures and the lakefront promenade. Entry is free; rides and attractions are ticketed individually.
What's onHalal dining near the venue
Willowbrook, Oak Brook and Naperville — drive times from Compass ArenaLevantine
Damascus Falafel
The closest strong option to the arena, right up Route 83. Sit-down Levantine grills and mezze, 4.6 on Zabihah with a high halal rating. Prayer space on request.
Directions & phoneMiddle Eastern
Kabob Q
Full-service kebab house a couple of minutes further on 75th. Straightforward, comfortable, and easy for a group after sessions.
Directions & phoneMediterranean
Pita Pita Mediterranean Grill
Sit-down Mediterranean carrying Zabihah's top halal rating and a five-star average. The pick if you want somewhere properly nice for a business dinner.
Directions & phoneAfghan
Afghani Box
Full-service Afghan kitchen — kabuli pulao, mantu, charcoal kebabs. Also top halal rating and five stars.
Directions & phoneMiddle Eastern
Pitaville
Larger sit-down room that handles bigger tables well. High halal rating across two dozen reviews.
Directions & phoneIndian · Pakistani
JK Kabab
The closest thing to familiar desi cooking done as a proper sit-down restaurant rather than a counter.
Directions & phoneWorth the drive into the city
25–40 minutes from the arenaIndian · Pakistani
Ghareeb Nawaz
A Chicago institution — enormous plates, very cheap, no frills at all. Go for the food and the story, not the room.
DetailsMiddle Eastern
Naz's Halal Food
Platters, gyros and grills. Also carries Zabihah's highest halal rating.
DetailsMediterranean
I Dream Of Falafel
Fast-casual bowls and wraps with several Loop locations — the easiest option between sessions downtown.
DetailsIndian · Pakistani
Tandoor Char House
Sit-down North Indian on Halsted, one of the higher-rated halal kitchens in the city.
Details
Every restaurant above is drawn from Zabihah, the community-verified halal directory, and none is listed as serving alcohol. Zabihah carries 200+ more across Chicago. Please still confirm directly before you go — ownership and certification change, and this list is a starting point rather than an endorsement. Drive times are approximate.
Sponsorship
Will you just be watching from the sidelines?
Sponsorship packages are open for businesses that want visibility across all three days — tiers, placements and speaking opportunities on request. Or take a booth and put your product in the room.
Questions
Before you register
Who is this showcase for?
Anyone doing business or preparing to. Established owners, professionals, manufacturers and retailers will find buyers and partners; startups, students and first-time founders will find mentors and a first audience. You do not need a booth to get value from the three days.
How do I register?
Registration runs through a single form covering both attendees and exhibitors — you choose which on the last question. Have your ITS number and Jamaat to hand, along with your industry and business name. The committee will follow up with the details for your pass, including payment once rates are confirmed.
Can I attend for only one day?
The programme is designed to build across the three days, and passes are being planned around full attendance. If a single day is your only option, note it on the registration form and the committee will come back to you.
What does an exhibitor booth include?
Booth space in the Business Expo & Product Showcase, a directory listing, attendee access for your booth team, and an introduction during the Exhibitors & Industry Leaders session on day one. Booth sizes, layouts and rates are being finalised — register and select Exhibitor to be first in line.
Is food available at the venue?
Compass Arena is a combined arena and dining venue. Catering arrangements for the showcase will be confirmed and shared with registered attendees ahead of the event.
I want to sponsor or speak. Who do I contact?
Reach out through the contact details below and the organising committee will send the sponsorship pack and speaking guidelines.