2024-2025 Illinois DI Tournament Timeline UPDATE

For 24-25, all teams participating in DI in Illinois will be invited to participate at the Affiliate Tournament on April 5 in Wilmette without attending a Regional Tournament or Showcase. All teams can participate in the scored Regional Tournament for all Illinois DI teams in Region 1 and 2  to be held in Wilmette on February 22 at Wilmette Jr, High School, but it is not mandatory. 

Why attend a Regional if it is not mandatory?  If you are new to Destination Imagination, you may wonder why should my team attend the Regional if it is not mandatory?  The scores the team receives at the Regional are the ONLY form of feedback the team should receive before the Affiliate Tournament. By comparing their scores with the total possible for each item, the team can see where corrections, improvements and refinements may be needed to increase their score before the Affiliate Tournament. Or they may realize one item is scoring high, so they can focus elsewhere. Past TMs will tell you the Regional Tournament is a great experience for the team and vital to the project management. 

For 24-25 we will have three DI Regions:

Region One teams are based in Lake and McHenry Counties. Scored Tournament location Wilmette.

Region Two teams are based in Chicago, Cook County west and south of O’Hare -(use Rt 83 as a N/S line for northern Cook county), DuPage, Kane, DeKalb, Kendall, and Will Counties. Scored Tournament location Wilmette. Non-scored Showcase to be held in Glendale Heights along with an Instant Challenge Workshop for ALL ILDI teams who wish to participate.

Region Three teams are based in central, northwestern, and southern Illinois and all other locations not listed in the other two Illinois DI Regions. Tournament location Pekin.

For 2024-2025, Illinois DI will be keeping the tournament fee the same as in the past. $100.00 per team at a Regional Tournament, and if your team competitive participates at the state Affiliate Tournament, an additional $100.00 will be paid. Registration for the Regionals will be available to all teams in November 2024. The Early Learning Teams only participate at the Regional Tournament or Showcase. A separate fee may be charged to participate in the Instant Challenge Workshop.

Regional Tournament Registration is due in  January. Dates vary according to Region. If the fee is not paid by that date and Registration is not complete, an additional $100.00 will be assessed as a late fee.   ALL teams participating in the Regional Tournaments MUST Provide and Adult Volunteer to participate as a Scoring Tournament Official. We provide the training to this individual. This over 18 year old adult may not be the Team Manager. If your team does not provide an adult for this vital position, your team will be assessed a $250.00 fee. (We do not want you to pay this fee, we need your adult to act as one of our officials)

Competitive teams placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in each level of each Team Challenge at the scored Regional will receive medals and trophies. Special Awards will also be presented. Regional Showcase teams will receive a certificate.

Early Learning, non-competitive team members all receive participation medals for presenting at their Regional or Showcase. 

At the Affiliate Final, competitive teams placing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in each level of each Team Challenge will receive medals and trophies. In addition, the team receiving the highest score in Instant Challenge for each level of each Challenge, when there is more than one team participating in that level, will receive a medal for that accomplishment. Special Awards will also be awarded.

This season, Illinois DI teams placing 1st and 2nd at the Affiliate Final Tournament, will be invited to participate in Global Finals, May 22- 25, 2025 in Kansas City, Mo. Competition will take place Friday, May 23 through Sunday, May 25. Participation at Global Finals is a wonderful experience, and many teams who have attended before, would do it again if they qualified. Additional teams may be invited to Global Finals as space in the Challenges and Levels allow.

2024-2025 ILDI Timeline

August 1, 2024 – Challenge Materials released and available to teams after purchase and background check clears.

January 17, 2025 – $ 100.00 per team Tournament Registration and fees due for all Regions!

As stated above, a late fee of $100.00 per team will be charged if not registered by your  Regional deadline. This date varies from Region to Region and this information will be provided to the Team Managers and Coordinators well in advance of the deadline.   An additional fee of $250.00 per team will be required if the team does not provide one adult (over 18 and NOT the Team Manager) Volunteer to act as an Official at the Tournament. Mandatory training for this volunteer will be provided closer to the tournament date and will involve in-person and online components.  

January 31, 2025–  Team Clarification Deadline for Competitive teams to ask questions they may have about their Challenge. Please read the Published Clarification and info on Team Clarifications on the main DI Website. https://www.destinationimagination.org/challenge-program/clarifications

February 22, 2025 –  Region One and Two scored Regional Tournament in Wilmette, Wilmette Junior High  School

March 8, 2025  – Region Two non-scored Showcase Tournament  and Tentative Instant Challenge Workshop in Glendale Heights, Glenside Middle School.

March 8, 2025 – – Region Three Regional Showcase Tournament in Pekin, Broadmoor Junior High

March 16, 2025 –  $100.00 Registration due per all competitive teams for the Illinois Affiliate Tournament at Loyola Academy in Wilmette, IL

April 5, 2025 – Illinois Destination Imagination Affiliate Final Tournament, Loyola Academy, Wilmette. Tournament from approx. 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM  In Person Award Ceremony to follow. Approximately  5:00 PM – 6:00PM The Fee to participate in the Affiliate Final will be $100.00 per team membership number. 

May 22 – 25, 2025 – Destination Imagination Global Finals – Kansas City, Mo.  For more information about Global Finals;   http://Globalfinals.org