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Program
October 28: The Program Booklet is online. As always, the Program-At-A-Glance available on-site may reflect changes since the program book went to press. The information contained in the printed PAAG will supersede that in the Program Book.
As usual, there will be quite a few different programs available—
This year we have three alcohol-related programs: Thursday’s Whiskies Tasting, Friday’s Curative Cocktails, and Saturday’s Wine Tasting. Space at any alcohol-related programs is limited, and we want to give all our attendees an equal opportunity to participate in these events. As such, when you attend, your badge will be punched, and you will not be able to attend another unless there is still space available 5 minutes after the program has started. Please arrive early for your event, as they are expected to max out. This policy does not affect attendance at Pretentious Drinking, which, as always, is open to all WeeM attendees over the age of 21.
Want to make a presentation to your fellow Mensa members and guests? Or host a Meet & Greet? Or run a tournament?
Have some information or a topic you’d like to share or wish to see Mensa members and guests compete?
Fill out our Speaker/
All submissions will be reviewed and approved based upon content and ability to schedule.
It’s still early days, but so far, this year’s topics (tap/click on a topic for details) include:
- Awards & Announcements
- CAM ExComm Business Meeting
- Chair Massage
- Epicurean Experience
- Friday Night Dance
- HELL’s M’s Meeting
- Human Hungry Hungry Hippos
- The Infamous Costume Contest
- The Kids Costume Contest
- Kids Halloween Craft
- Kids Lego® Time
- Mensa Test
- Parent/Kid Swim Time
- Photo Booth
- Pretentious Drinking
- Pub Trivia
- Saturday Night Dance
- Self-Sufficient Ms: Carry-in & Seed Swap
- sMartBar
- Werewolves of WeeM
‡ Must be vaccinated to attend!
The hotel layout for HalloweeM can be found here.
Many changes will occur between now and WeeM but you can expect most of the programs listed above and the HalloweeM Favorites listed below and, of course, more that haven't been finalized.
Last year’s HalloweeM topics, excluding the ones listed above for this year, are listed below. Some of these may be repeated. Tap/click on a topic for details.
- AG 2025 Preview
- Amazing Race - WeeM Style
- Artificial Intelligence Promise & Perils
- Blind Tasting—or So You Wanna be a Sommelier?
- A Capitol Idea: Visiting Every US State Capitol
- Choose a Travelogue (or two, or three, …)
- Clandestine - Strategy Game Preview
- Coffee with the AMC
- Ferangi as Jewish Representation: Good, Bad or Neither; a Conversation
- The Festivus for the Rest of Us
- Fictional Cocktails II (Contemporary Fiction & Urban Fantasy)
- Financial Crime Protection for Senior Citizens
- Forgiveness Pressure: Why Anger and Resentment are Healing Potions and Forgiveness is the Real Poison.
- FroMMMage Cheese Swap (bring and share)
- The Garden of Doom
- Gardening for Pollinators
- Gen X Ms SIG Meet and Greet
- Gen Y Meet and Greet
- HalloweeM Pumpkin Paint-A-Palooza
- HELL’s M’s Invades the Baltics, or, Where the Heck is Estonia Anyway?
- Improv Comedy Show: The BlueBs
- ImprovThis: The Three Pillars of Improv
- The Isle Where Fairies Still Roam
- It's A Wonderful World
- I’ll Turn This Car Around!
- Job Search Like a Pro — Résumés
- Just Because I’m Smart, Do I Have to be Scary?
- Logic Problem Tournament
- M-etaphysical SIG Meetup
- Metro Chicago Water Systems, Ensuring Healthy and Sustainable Resources
- Near-Death Experiences
- Nerdy Yoga with Jedi Master Mensa
- Otimo! A Week in Southern Portugal
- Peace Corps Experiences in Thailand
- Poker Tournament
- Residential Solar: An Introduction
- Rock and Roll Concert/Sing-Along.
- Seeing Another Way
- Senior Living Myths Unmasked - Separating Fact From Fiction
- 7 Wonders Tournament
- Singing at the Bedside
- So Long, Sucker!
- So You Want To Be An Investigator?'
- Sound Bath Meditation
- Spy School
- The State of Shapes; or rather, The Shape of States
- Strategies for Peak Productivity and Effective Personal Branding
- Sushi Go! Battle
- Taoist Tai Chi Demonstration
- Travel to Extreme Latitudes: The North and South Geographic
- Trust Me, I'm a Dyslexia Therapist
- Trust Me, I'm An Event Planner
- Trust Me, I’m a Crisis Behavioral Interventionist
- Turning Your Manuscript Into a Book: Traditional, Small Press, or Self Publishing?
- Wanderverse: Quest for The Golden Clock
- Whisk(e)y Tasting Adventure - Buckle Up!
- Your Climate Solution
Past Programs
Also, you can access our archives (pdf) to view the full program booklets for all past HalloweeMs with the exception of the virtual one in 2020.
HalloweeM Favorites
Thursday

Glass Blowing Excursion
Volunteer!
HalloweeM setup starts at ~3 PM at the hotel. As much as we’ve appreciated all the impromptu volunteers in years past, this year we ask you to sign up in advance for Hospitality either online or using the on-site sign-up sheet near registration because, for everyone’s safety, we need to tightly control the number of people who have access to the food preparation area and food in the serving area. Sign up to earn entries for the Sunday morning gift card drawings held during the Awards & Announcements Presentation. Winners need not be present Sunday for awards of $25 or more. Volunteer for at least 4 hours and receive the coveted WeeM pin.
Programs
Expect the first program to start no earlier ˜6 PM.
Tournaments
The first tournament will begin at ˜6 PM.
Dinner
Gather in the hospitality area and catch up with your friends while enjoying a great meal including tasty sides at ˜7 PM.
Friday
Costume Parades
The Friday night costume party is one of the unique events that sets the Chicago Area Mensa RG apart from all the others. Mensa grown-ups take dressing up to a new level. Costumes range from fanciful to funny to elaborate and elegant, but the thing for which Mensans are best known are the pun and word-play costumes. In all of them, Mensa-style creativity is obvious. Bring your sense of humor, and your wits, because our puns will keep you guessing and giggling all night long. Make sure to consider this year's theme, ripe for pun-filled humor! Puns, however, are not a requirement. View our pictures to see costumes from ’WeeMs past.
The kids costume parade will precede the adult costumes. As in past years we encourage more adults to attend and support our youth. For those of you who have younger children who might be overwhelmed by hundreds of strangers, who have children with early bed-times, or who simply want to avoid having to explain some of the (occasionally suggestive) puns, this will give kids a chance to dress up and compete for prizes at their own party. If you signed up for baby-sitting, your kids can then go to the Kids Room and you can stay for the adult costume contest.
Dance
Everyone on the dance floor! Requests taken.
Saturday
Pretentious Drinking
Liqueurs. The fancy stuff. Polished, cosmopolitan, perhaps even a bit snooty. The stuff you graduate to from beer and wine. You’d like to know more but, gosh, look at that price. What if that pricey potion isn’t quite the palate pleaser you expected? Rejoice! As in years past, you can sample some truly amazing liqueurs, and your money’s no good here! We will supply a wide range of weird and wonderful concoctions from around the world. You can determine which you’d like to own, which should be left on the shelf, and which you should give to your arch-nemesis as a thoughtful gift. Obviously, you must be of legal drinking age to join us and show proof at registration. Snobbish accents and extended pinkies optional.
Photo Booth
Once again the Photo Booth it will be located in the hallway near Pretentious Drinking. You can pose with friends wearing all sorts of fun and silly props. You’ll be given a copy of your photos as a keepsake. See some of the prior years’ photos (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2015 or 2014) to get an idea of what to expect.
Werewolf of WeeM Tournament
For those under 21, in addition to the daily Social Deduction games, we will offer a special Werewolf tournament just for teens and tweens after the Epicurean Experience.
Epicurean Experience
Unusual food samples and, occasionally, unique beverages.
This event is alcohol free, so anyone not wearing
an “under 21” badge should visit before partaking of Pretentious
Drinking and show us your PD ticket. (You can keep it.)
Please note: we aren’t serving a meal, just samples and sips, so
come for curiosity, not dinner.
Contests
We’ve also had requests to bring back the Cookie Contest as well as the Scarecrow Decorating Contest from previous years. If you’re a local member or attendee interested in hosting or helping with either of those or another contest idea, please let us know by contacting our WeeM Chair or signing up to add it to the program list.
Dance
More dancing and often karaoke!
Sunday
Chicago Area Mensa ExComm Meeting
CAM members are invited to attend. Submit any GOBS requests no later than Friday to give the GOBS liaison time to process it during this busy weekend.
Awards & Announcement
Join us in Hospitality to find out who won the various Volunteer
gift cards—
Amazing Race: WeeM Style Tournament
Join us for the “Amazing Race” for Mensans! Based upon the popular TV reality show, teams of 2-4 competitors complete a variety of tasks, some cerebral, some lighthearted, on their way to the final “Pit Stop” and victors’ bragging rights. Our version is designed for all ages and activity levels, and is sure to be one of the most memorable things you’ll do this weekend!
Mensa Test
If you haven’t officially joined Mensa, today’s your chance. Often there are special offers during October. To be sure of a seat, preregister.
HalloweeM Breakdown
Please volunteer to help us pack up. We need people to put all the decorations away so they can be loaded onto the truck as well as all the kitchen items in Hospitality.
Deadlines

- Registration - tttthereeeeeeeeee Monday, July 14th is the last day to qualify for a great discount. Discounts for advanced registration are available through Friday, October 17th. (Note: Full payment is required by the appropriate deadline to qualify for the discount for which you registered.)
- Lodging - The hotel is offering a WeeM rate of $129 through Thursday, October 9th, subject to availability. If the hotel block is full, please contact our WeeM Chair who will try to expand the block.