IABC/Chicago is considered a medium-sized U.S. chapter while being the oldest in the world. The group originated in 1924 as the Industrial Editors Association and later changed its name to the Chicago Association of Business Communicators before becoming IABC Chicago in January of 1980. Through our social media outreach we have 750 LinkedIn followers and 1,500 email list members.
Chapter Membership
- Approximately 150 members
- Number of Accredited Members (ABC): 12
- Number of 500 Club Members: 11
- Number of Group/Corporate Members: 28
Top 5 Member Industries
- Consulting & Professional Services
- Education & Training
- Financial Services
- Insurance
- Health Care
Years in practice (includes all annual, corporate and 500 Club lifetime members)
- 6% have 13 to 15 years’ experience
- 10% have 16 to 20 years’ experience
- 41% have 20 years’ experience or more
Yearly Chapter Events
- An average of nine professional development and networking events
- Three Coffee Club Forums
- Bronze Quill Award Program and Gala
More about IABC
IABC members practice the disciplines of corporate communication, public relations, employee communication, marketing communication, media relations, community relations, public affairs, investor relations and government relations.
The association is organized into three levels:
- Chapters ‐ Chapters offer a range of local services, including regular professional development meetings and workshops, member newsletters, awards programs and job placement. Chapters also provide an excellent opportunity for local networking with peers.
- Regions ‐ Regions provide services ranging from management support for chapters to annual conferences and awards programs.
- International ‐ The international level of the association offers an array of direct services to individual members as well as management support to chapters and regions.