Reach an $11 Billion Audience: Market to Chicago Associations

Why should you market to associations in Chicago? Don’t take our word for it. The numbers speak for themselves:

1. Chicago Is the Nation’s Second Largest Association Community

Because Chicago has the nation’s second largest concentration of association headquarters, it should come as no surprise that:

• Chicago is the No. 1 health care association market, with more medical associations and professional societies than any other city in the United States.
• Chicago is the home base for nearly 2,000 membership organizations, 80 percent of which are national or international in scope.
• Chicagoland associations serve more than 37 million members and 9 million donors, worldwide.
• Chicago associations employ more than 47,000 association professionals.
• More than 2 million people attend association-sponsored events in Chicagoland every year.

2. Chicago Associations Spend Big Bucks

Chicago associations aren’t just professionals. They’re also consumers. In fact:

• Chicagoland associations have combined budgets of more than $9 billion.
• Chicago associations control more than $2 billion in meetings and convention expenditures.
• Associations spend more than $300 million a year to publish magazines, newsletters, brochures and other materials.
• Associations spend nearly $200 million for insurance, $100 million for computer hardware and software, $75 million for office supplies and more than $400 million for legal, accounting, and other consulting services.

3. Chicago Associations Are Actively Looking for Suppliers

As the association for associations in Chicago, the Association Forum knows firsthand that its members are always looking for quality vendors and suppliers. More, they use Association Forum events and publications to do their shopping.  Be where your customers are through sponsorship and advertising with Association Forum.  

Association Forum members don’t just work for associations; they also buy for them. Find out how to connect with key decision-makers as a sponsor of more than 100 educational programs, meetings and events that’s hosted annually by the Association Forum.

Sponsorship of Association Forum educational events provides your organization the opportunity to gain access to and build relationships with association professionals.  Each package is customized to give the sponsor extensive exposure though:

• Opportunity to welcome attendees and introduce the speaker.
• Opportunity to have marketing collateral available at workshop.
• Logo and sponsor recognition on workshop promotional messaging, attendee confirmations, website, and onsite signage. 
• Post event registration list to include name, title, organization, mailing address and phone number.

A sampling of educational programming includes:

• C-Level Executive Education
• Essential Series
• Shared Interest Groups
• Diversity Workforce Partnership
• Medical Meetings
• Key 25
• Brown Bag Education
• Social Media Boot Camp
• AMS Demo Day
• CMS Demo Day

To Learn More

Please contact Christy Spahn, director, sales and sponsorship, at (312) 924-7074 or spahn@associationforum.org.

A weeklong celebration of associations in Chicago, Association Week offers an ideal opportunity for sponsors to maximize both their exposure in front of Chicago associations and support for the industry it serves.

Association Week, which takes place every June, is a weeklong celebration of associations in Chicago. It includes the Association Forum Annual Meeting, which is a full day of association networking and education; Association All-Star Day, which provides Chicago associations the chance to show appreciation for their staff; and the Association Forum Honors Gala, a dinner event showcasing the Association Forum's prestigious annual award winners, its diversity scholars and the Association Forum Foundation’s important initiatives.  

Sponsorship of Association Week is available at three levels - Goal, Honors and Strategic.  A variety of opportunities also exist to sponsor specific areas of Association Week like meals, receptions, and educational programming.

To Learn More

Please contact Christy Spahn, director, sales and sponsorship, at (312) 924-7074 or spahn@associationforum.org.

The Association Forum's annual Holiday Showcase — Chicago’s leading association industry trade show — is the Midwest’s No. 1 daylong education and business services and meeting sites exhibition. Offering one-stop shopping, Holiday Showcase offers Chicago associations an easy way to meet with suppliers and take care of multiple business needs — in one day and under one roof.

95 percent of Holiday Showcase attendees make or recommend purchasing decisions for their organization.

Because the annual event consistently attracts more than 2,300 association professionals and more than 800 exhibitors, the Holiday Showcase program is a can’t-miss opportunity to connect with qualified buyers and attendees.

With over 800 exhibiting companies, we offer a variety of opportunities to help increase your company’s exposure and make you stand out among your competition!

• Registration Bags
• Badge Holders
• Lunch
• Beverage Stations
• Dessert Stations
• Keynote and Breakout Education Sessions

To Learn More

Please contact Christy Spahn, director, sales and sponsorship, at (312) 924-7074 or spahn@associationforum.org.

Turn contacts into clients. Give your business, destination or meeting place direct access to Chicago’s association decision makers with the Association Forum’s print and electronic advertising opportunities.

FORUM Magazine: This award-winning magazine publishes nine times per year and is consis¬tently rated Association Forum’s No.1 member benefit. Association execu¬tives in Chicagoland value FORUM magazine as their resource for professional development and industry news. Capitalize on a market that is responsible for planning more than 30,000 meetings annually, and associations that have combined budgets of more than $9 billion.

This Week e-Newsletter: Every Monday, association executives receive a quick overview of Association Forum news, industry events and educational programming through their subscription to This Week. The format and content fit their busy lifestyle, and sponsorships provide maximum visibility to the nation’s No. 1 health care association market.

Association Briefs e-Newsletter: Every other Thursday, Association Briefs provides Forum members a comprehensive news briefing of the week's top national and international business and industry headlines taken from over 14,500 media outlets. Align your company’s brand with timely news to support our member’s leadership efforts in an ever changing business landscape.

AssociationForum.org: Association Forum’s recently redesigned online home has members talking, clicking and sharing. Association Forum members will visit the revamped associationforum.org to learn more about networking and education events, as well as enable them to network virtually, collaborate electronically and customize their online experience. Integrate your message with the valued content from the Association Forum by advertising on associationforum.org.

Member Directory and Buyers Guide: Association Forum’s most valuable resource when it comes to sourcing service providers and meeting sites. Gain exposure in the association industry’s largest printed directory and buyers guide. The premier sourcing directory for Association Forum members includes: CEOs, executive directors, meeting planners, education directors and more.

Holiday Showcase Program Guide: Stand out before, during and after the expo with an ad in the official Holiday Showcase Program Guide. Every attendee receives this program at registration and uses it to navigate the expo floor, track roundtable discussions, and plan their day. Reach more than 2,000 association professionals and set yourself apart from the competition at Holiday Showcase.

To learn more about the opportunities available click here, or contact Christy Spahn, director, sales and sponsorship, at (312) 924-7074 or spahn@associationforum.org.

Thank you for your interest in utilizing the Association Forum’s mailing list to convey your message to association executives in the Chicagoland area. Using our mailing list is one of the most cost effective means of promoting your company to the $2.3 billion association market.

The following information explains our mailing list requirements and regulations:

Eligibility: The Association Forum mailing list may be rented by any member or non-member whose mailing information is:

• Relevant to association management.
• Does not promote, market or otherwise solicit any programs or services which Association Forum provides to its membership.

Format: The mailing list is an electronic Excel spreadsheet that contains name, title, organization, address and member type (if more than one member type selected). Sort order is per request.

Cost: The Association Forum currently offers 3 different types of mailing lists.

• CEOs Only: $450.00 for members; $675.00 for non-members (approximately 355 names; one-time usage only)
• CEOs & Association Professionals: $650.00 for members; $975.00 for non-members, (approximately 2,150 names; one-time usage only)
• All Members (includes Supplier Partner members): $750.00 for members; $1,075.00 for non-members, (approximately 2,850 names; one-time usage only)

Interested? Please fill out this order form. You must be logged in to receive the member pricing. Upon submission you will receive an order confirmation via e-mail.

Questions? Contact Todd Ross at (312) 924-7042 or via e-mail at ross@associationforum.org.