Sponsor and Advertise with AIA Chicago
Demonstrate your support for Chicago’s architectural community and provide your company with unprecedented visibility to AIA Chicago members & followers.
AIA Chicago Impact
3,721
AIA Chicago Membership in 2025
AIA and FAIA: 2,268
Associate AIA: 654
Emeritus: 238
Affiliate AIA Chicago: 82
Student: 479
2026 Sponsorship Opportunities
Designight
Event Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026
Sponsorship Deadline: Thursday, September 3, 2026
Estimated Attendance: 800-1,200
Chicago's premier architectural celebration of the year showcases the latest and best award-winning projects designed by Chicago's architects. Held annually and with an attendance of 800-1,200 architects and designers, this two-part event is high exposure to those leading the industry. AIA Chicago Designight promotions reach over 23,800 subscribers per eblast.
1869Circle Eligible.
Ready to purchase sponsorship?
People's Choice Award Title Sponsor
Spotlight
Bar Sponsor
Platinum
Gold
Silver
Bronze
A-la-carte
Firm Award Sponsor
Lifetime Achievement Video Sponsor
Ice Luge & Signature Cocktail
Visual Experience Partner
Lounge a-la-carte
Firm Award Title Sponsor
Event Dates: Firm Event (August 6, 2026) and Designight (October 1, 2026)
Sponsorship Deadline: June 1, 2026 for maximum visibility
Estimated Attendance: Combined 1,000-1,300
This premier Title Sponsorship offers the opportunity to celebrate one of the highest honors within AIA Chicago while positioning your organization as a leading supporter of design excellence. As the Title Sponsor, your name will be prominently featured as “Brought to you by [Sponsor Name],” signaling top-level partnership and distinction. This sponsorship includes high-visibility recognition at two signature AIA Chicago events:
- Designight 2026 – AIA Chicago’s marquee annual celebration, where your brand will be recognized alongside the profession’s most influential leaders and award recipients.
- The Firm Award Celebration – An exclusive event honoring the awardee firm, hosted at the firm’s office or at one of their distinguished projects, offering an intimate and meaningful connection to the work being recognized.
Firm Awardee to be announced early Summer 2026.
1869Circle Eligible.
Ready to purchase sponsorship?
Firm Award Title Sponsor
Firm Award Event Benefits
- Name inclusion in official award title as "AIA Chicago's Firm Award presented by [Your Company Name]"
- Logo on the AIA Chicago website on the designated event page
- Logo recognition on designated event communications
- Verbal and Logo Recognition at event
- (4) Complimentary registrations to the Firm Award Celebration Event
Designight Sponsor Benefits can be found here.
Exclusivity: 1
*Benefits subject to change and may vary between groups.
Practice Forward Symposium
Event Date: November 13, 2026
Sponsorship Opens: March 23, 2026
Sponsorship Deadline: September 18, 2026
Estimated Attendance: 180
The Practice Forward Symposium, hosted in partnership with AIA Chicago's Practice Management Knowledge Community, is a day of educational sessions focused on impactful topics relevant to business practices and trends. The day will include networking, table top opportunities, as well as a product demonstrations.
1869Circle Eligible.
Signature Experience Sponsor
Showcase Sponsor
Breakfast & Lunch Sponsors
Champions & Friends of the KCs
Ad Partner
Bar Sponsors
IMPACT Sponsorship Bundles
Event Dates: View Events Calendar for all individual events
Sponsorship Deadline: Rolling, January 1, 2026 to receive maximum benefit
Estimated Attendance: 10-100 per-event
AIA Chicago IMPACT Bundles offer a meaningful way to support Chicago’s vibrant architecture community while gaining broad visibility and direct access to the audiences shaping the city’s built environment. By bundling multiple sponsorship opportunities, sponsors extend their IMPACT across key programs and initiatives at a reduced, bundled rate.
1869Circle Eligible.
Ready to purchase sponsorship?
Leadership Impact Bundle
Strategic Impact Bundle
Community Impact Bundle
Knowledge Communities and Affinity Groups
Event Dates: View Events Calendar for all individual events
Sponsorship Deadline: Rolling, January 1, 2026 to receive maximum benefit
Estimated Attendance: 10-100 per-event
Knowledge Communities (KC) are practice-area or professional-based learning groups comprised of AIA Chicago's membership. Affinity Groups (AG) are identity and mission focused groups of AIA Chicago's membership. They are organized for the purposes of sharing information, providing learning opportunities and events, and networking.
1869Circle Eligible.
Ready to purchase sponsorship?
Champions of the KCs/AGs
Friends of the KCs
Friends of the AGs
Preferred Venue Host
Professional Development Groups
Event Dates: Multiple, varies by opportunity
Sponsorship Deadline: Rolling: January 1, 2026 to receive maximum benefit
Estimated Attendance: 20-40 per-group
Exclusive leadership and professional development programs designed to challenge participants and encourage growth.
Groups eligible for Sponsorship:
Wing Mentorship Program: Semester-long mentorship program that pairs architecture students in Chicago with young working professionals who are Bridge Mentorship alumnus.
Program runs November through May
Bridge Mentorship Program: Nine-month mentorship program that connects AIA Fellows with rising professionals.
Program runs September through May
1869Circle Eligible.
Ready to purchase sponsorship?
Annual Sponsor
- Recognition during each event
- Logo recognition on the corresponding page of the AIA Chicago website
- Logo recognition on designated event communications
- Logo recognition on-screen during designated in-person and online events
*Benefits subject to change and may vary between groups.
Guess-a-Sketch
Event Date: July 15, 2026
Sponsorship Deadline: June 15, 2026
Estimated Attendance: 200
Guess-A-Sketch brings together our great community of architects, architecture enthusiasts, young professionals, and suppliers and consultants for a team-based architecture-themed Pictionary competition and networking event. Spectators can watch some of Chicago's most well-known architects sketch iconic buildings while competing teams try to guess to claim the Championship title. Spectators can also guess to win prizes! A portion of the proceeds from the event benefit AIA Chicago Foundation scholarship funds.
1869Circle Eligible.
Ready to purchase sponsorship?
Competition Rule: To ensure fairness among all competing teams, companies and firms cannot enter the competition as a team if they are also committed to providing a sketcher for the event.
All Star (Includes Team)
MVP (Includes Team)
Team Player (Includes Team)
Bar Sponsor (SOLD OUT)
Rookie
Ad Partner
CRAN Symposium
Event Date: May 14, 2026
Sponsorship Opens: February 18 at 9:00am, 2026
Sponsorship Deadline: April 13, 2026
Estimated Attendance: 200+
The Custom Residential Architects Network (CRAN) Symposium is a day of informative sessions focused on impactful topics relevant to custom residential architects and small firm practitioners. The day will include networking, table top opportunities, as well as a happy hour event. Sponsor today!
1869Circle Eligible.
Lead (Tabletop & Speaker)
Supporter (Tabletop)
Breakfast, Lunch, or Break Sponsor
Notebook Sponsor
Ad Partner
Advertising Opportunities
Ad Partner Program
The Ad Partner Program is a new opportunity to advertise your company or firm at four different AIA Chicago events throughout the year. Individual Ad Partners are valued at $500 each, but with this new program, you purchase 3 and get the 4th free!
1869Circle Eligible.
Ad Partner Program Package
Ready to become part of the Ad Partner Program?
Vendor Education Program
The Vendors Education Program (VEP) is an opportunity for AIA Chicago Affiliate Members to present their products and/or services to the membership of the chapter. This will give your company direct exposure to our nearly 4,000 architect and affiliate members and those who attend your event.
1869Circle Eligible.
Package A
Package B
1 Subject to vendor providing content at least five weeks ahead of scheduled event date.
2 Benefit applicable if information and payment has been made at least three weeks prior to event.
3 Subject to availability.
Vendor Responsibilities:
- Promote the event through applicable channels.
- Manage registration of event, with the names and emails of attendees sent to AIA Chicago within 48 hours of event to provide to building security.
- Vendor must be registered as an AIA Continuing Education Provider.
- Vendor is responsible for submitting Learning Units to AIA for their program upon completion.
AIA Chicago:
- Provides promotion as described above, in addition to vendor's self-promotion.
- Can not guarantee registration or attendance.
Want to learn more?
Chicago Architect Magazine
Promote your company or organization with an advertisement in Chicago Architect, AIA Chicago’s in-house magazine. Published four times a year, Chicago Architect is the primary outreach tool of AIA Chicago and distributed to our 4,000 members. 1869Circle Eligible.
View 2026 Media Kit
Ready to advertise?
Email Advertising
AIA Chicago E-News
Place your company or organization's products, services, events, or press releases with a clickable link in the AIA Chicago e-News, distributed every other week to over 23,500 subscribers. Rates vary, bulk rates apply. 1869Circle Eligible.
View 2026 Media Kit
AIA Chicago Dedicated E-Blast
Send a specialized e-Blast to AIA Chicago’s list of over 16,750 subscribers. 1869Circle Eligible.
View 2026 Media Kit
Ready to advertise?
Website Advertising
Advertising on the AIA Chicago website is a great way to reach member and non-member visitors and reinforce your marketing message. Visitors log on to aiachicago.org to learn about upcoming association events and discover ways to maximize their AIA Chicago membership.
View 2026 Media Kit
Ready to advertise?
Frequently Asked Questions
Thank you to our 1869Circle Partners:
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