Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival,

About the event

The 10th Annual Chicago International Dragon Boat Festival blends ancient culture with the excitement of sport and competition, transforming Busse Woods (Ned Brown Preserve) into the host venue for this high-energy day of racing. With festival grounds just a short drive from downtown Chicago, it’s no surprise that this event has grown to become one of the most popular destinations on the MLDB map for US and Canadian teams alike.

Don't have a team? We have the Experience Dragon Boat Program, click here for more information. 

In 2015, GWN welcomed the USDBF Club Crew National Championships, during which teams fought for a berth at the 2016 IDBF CNCC World Championships. In 2018 the event was moved to Busse Woods (Ned Brown Preserve) in the Schaumburg/Elk Grove communities and was met with rave reviews. This beautiful park will provide an ideal setting for competitive racing and good community fun. You can still expect to share the water with teams representing Fortune 500 companies, some of the nation's best paddlers as well as many visiting Canadian teams.

In addition to its prime location on and off the water, this festival is proud to support Adaptive Adventures, a charity dedicated to improving the quality of life of individuals with disabilities, through year-round adaptive sports and recreation programs.  

Spectators and paddlers are welcome to explore the Cultural Village or try out products and services from the Health and Wellness Village. Paddlers will have their own zone to relax and get race-ready in the Athletes’ Village.

Why should you sponsor?

SPONSORSHIPS

Sponsoring a MLDB event or GWN Training Camp gives you the opportunity to integrate your brand into a setting populated by active, health-conscious adults from a wide spectrum of ages.

As a sponsor, the presence of your brand can include:

• Festival and racecourse signage
• Logos applied to the sides of dragon boats
• Inclusion in print and web marketing campaigns
• Social media mentions
• Product integration and sampling
• Booth space
• Employee engagement
• Philanthropic alignment with local & national charities

To learn more about the opportunities, click here

WHY PARTNER WITH GWN AND DRAGON BOATING?

For five years, Walgreens has partnered with GWN, harnessing the opportunity to create meaningful connections with the community, build brand awareness and engage employees. To learn more about Walgreens' involvement, click here.

VENDORS

Vendors can look forward to an ideal environment for market research and test launches for products or services, particularly those in the health and wellness field. The dragon boat community is a close-knit network; most teams travel to various racing venues throughout the season where they socialize with other paddlers, a valuable characteristic for leveraging lead generation.

haley Montague

Hi there!

I'm Haley, a friendly and enthusiastic sales executive at GWN events! My true passion lies in fostering team bonding and inspiring community engagement through our incredible dragon boat events.

I firmly believe that dragon boat events offer a unique opportunity to connect with the community while strengthening the bonds among colleagues. Witnessing the joy and excitement that people experience both on and off the water is incredibly fulfilling and motivates me to continue promoting these unforgettable experiences.

I'm here to support and guide you every step of the way, ensuring that you and your team have an unforgettable time at our dragon boat events. Let's come together and create memorable moments that will leave a lasting impact!

Looking forward to sharing the excitement of dragon boat racing with you and your team!

Contact the Organizer Contact the Organizer