Seventy thousand people, one housing window
The 99th National FFA Convention & Expo runs Wednesday 21 October through Saturday 24 October 2026 in Indianapolis. The Indiana Convention Center and Lucas Oil Stadium host it, and the venue forecasts 70,000 attendees. Downtown Indianapolis carries 7,100 hotel rooms, and 4,700 of those connect to the convention center by skywalk.
The connected rooms cover a share of that demand. The convention returns to Indianapolis through at least 2033. A chapter that books late takes rooms outside the walkable district and adds a daily shuttle to the trip.
The housing clock runs out on 23 September
FFA opened convention housing on 13 May 2026 at 6 p.m. EDT. Housing closes 23 September 2026 at 5 p.m. EDT. The last day to cancel without penalty was 2 September 2026 at 5 p.m. EDT.
FFA runs three housing channels: chapter housing, state staff housing and alumni housing. A state delegation that travels with students and advisors holds two records with two different cut-offs. Settle that split before anyone prepares a list.
FFA publishes a Chapter Hotel List and a Hotel Area Map as downloads. The housing desk answers rate and availability questions from Room 116 of the convention center on (317) 262-5906, Tuesday 1 to 5 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Four nights, and the session that fixes them
The opening session runs 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. The second and third general sessions run Thursday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. The fourth, fifth and sixth run Friday at 8 a.m., 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. The seventh general session closes at 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
A four-night stay covers Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights with a Sunday departure. That timetable returns the chapter home before the next school day.
Badge pickup sits in Hall A of the convention center. The desk runs Tuesday 20 October 1 to 8 p.m., Wednesday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday and Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday 6:30 to 9 a.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Saturday window closes at 9 a.m.
One reservation and one rooming list for students and advisors
The A to Z guide states that 475 student delegates, representing each state FFA association, meet during the convention to set membership dues, elect the next national officer team, recommend new initiatives and suggest changes.
The guide publishes no chaperone-to-student ratio. The ratio is district policy, and the district writes it into the trip approval.
FFA publishes one chaperone rule. A student member must be accompanied by an advisor or chaperone to receive a replacement badge. A replacement badge costs $15.
The Code of Conduct applies to every participant before, during and after the event in person, by digital or social media, and through any other form of communication. Advisors can plan the trip from the Implementation Guide, published as a PDF and a DOC download.
Cost per head, and what the group pays for
Full registration covers Wednesday through Saturday. It includes one opening session, the general sessions, the American FFA Degree Ceremony, the Expo, the Shopping Mall and the student and teacher workshops.
Early bird registration costs $95 per person and closes 30 September at 7:59 p.m. EDT. Standard registration costs $115. Onsite registration opens 20 October at 12 a.m. and costs $120.
Daily registration costs $55 per person for Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, and $30 for Saturday. Saturday daily registration covers the American FFA Degree Ceremony and the seventh general session.
Add-on tickets price separately: the concert on 21 October at $75, the World's Toughest Rodeo at $45, hypnotist performances at $25, and Career Success Tours at $30. A round-trip rodeo shuttle pass costs $13 per person through convention registration. The A to Z guide prints that shuttle at $10, so confirm the amount at registration.
Late district approval and the refund window
Registration opened 9 September at 6 p.m. EDT. A slow approval loop costs the early bird rate.
The cancellation policy refunds any registration and event fee for any reason before 8 p.m. on 30 September. After that date FFA refunds only extreme circumstances with documentation: illness or injury confirmed by a doctor's note, or official cancellation of trip approval by a school administration confirmed by a signed letter on school letterhead. Refund requests must reach FFA by 24 November 2026.
A district that approves travel after 30 September carries the full registration cost. The route back is a letter on school letterhead. Get the approval in writing before the deadline.
Moving a chapter around downtown
Career and leadership development events run at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. FFA runs courtesy shuttles between the convention center and the fairgrounds every 15 minutes, with 20 minutes allowed for the one-way trip, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday.
Buses, mini-buses, school buses and motorcoaches park through Denison Parking and iPark. Taxi service from Indianapolis International Airport carries a $15 minimum charge on every fare, whatever the distance.
Book the block
One request covers the whole chapter. Enter the dates, the king and double room split, and the advisor count, then compare the offers in one dashboard. bookMyTeam sends the request to 50-plus hotels per destination. Group rates start at 10 or more rooms per night, and the platform states that some properties discount from five rooms depending on season and availability. Its home page publishes 15-40% below rack rates and $0 fees. Its FAQ states that hotels pay a commission on accepted bookings and that no markup is added to the posted rate. Payment goes to the hotel.
