Hosting a conference in Chicago
Everything an organizer needs before committing a date in Chicago, Illinois — 231 mapped venues, capacity where it is published, airport distance and local time.
Soldier Field states a capacity of 63,500. The dots show what event67 would bill at that head count, and where the price stops.
Chicago venue landscape
Chicago has a recorded population of 2,721,308 (2024), inside the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area of about 9.4 million people.
Counted by what they are for, that is 8 exhibition or convention halls, 19 dedicated conference and function spaces, 21 arenas and stadiums, 55 theatres and concert halls and 128 independent event spaces.
By type that is 128 event spaces, 42 theatres, 12 stadiums and 10 banquet halls, plus a longer tail below.
Exhibition and convention halls (5)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| McCormick Place Convention Center | convention centre | not published | 3.2 km (2 mi) |
| McCormick Place South Building | exhibition centre | not published | 2.8 km (1.7 mi) |
| Fairgrounds Craft Coffee and Tea | fairground | not published | 5 km (3.1 mi) |
| Fairgrounds Coffee | fairground | not published | 7.5 km (4.7 mi) |
| Fairgrounds Coffee and Tea | fairground | not published | 4.1 km (2.5 mi) |
Conference and function space (5)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| UIC Dorin Forum | conference centre | not published | 1.9 km (1.2 mi) |
| Academic Conference Center - Catholic Theological Union | conference centre | not published | 7.9 km (4.9 mi) |
| Rubenstein Forum | conference centre | not published | 8.4 km (5.2 mi) |
| Lago Banquet Hall | banquet hall | not published | 14 km (8.7 mi) |
| Michelle’s Ballroom | banquet hall | not published | 11 km (6.6 mi) |
Arenas and stadiums (14)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Soldier Field | stadium | 63,500 | 3.1 km (1.9 mi) |
| Wrigley Field | stadium | 41,072 | 11 km (6.8 mi) |
| Rate Field | stadium | 40,615 | 2.6 km (1.6 mi) |
| United Center | stadium | 23,500 | 3.9 km (2.4 mi) |
| SeatGeek Stadium | stadium | 20,000 | 16 km (9.9 mi) |
| Lincoln Yards Stadium | stadium | 20,000 | 7.3 km (4.5 mi) |
| Wintrust Arena | arena | 10,387 | 2.4 km (1.5 mi) |
| Credit Union 1 Arena | arena | 9,500 | 2.8 km (1.7 mi) |
| Emil and Patricia Jones Convocation Center | arena | 7,000 | 15 km (9.4 mi) |
| Sullivan Athletic Center | arena | 3,000 | 8.2 km (5.1 mi) |
| Stagg Field | stadium | 1,650 | 7.3 km (4.5 mi) |
| Hawthorne Race Course | stadium | not published | 8.6 km (5.3 mi) |
| Cicero Stadium | stadium | not published | 8.6 km (5.3 mi) |
| Joseph J. Gentile Arena | arena | not published | 17 km (10 mi) |
Theatres and concert halls (46)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auditorium Theatre | theatre | 3,875 | 3.6 km (2.2 mi) |
| Chicago Theatre | theatre | 3,600 | 4.3 km (2.7 mi) |
| Civic Opera House | theatre | 3,563 | 3.8 km (2.4 mi) |
| Cadillac Palace Theatre | theatre | 2,344 | 4 km (2.5 mi) |
| James M. Nederlander Theatre | theatre | 2,253 | 4.2 km (2.6 mi) |
| Copernicus Center with the Mitchell P. Kobelinski Theater | performing-arts centre | 1,890 | 16 km (9.9 mi) |
| CIBC Theatre | theatre | 1,800 | 3.9 km (2.4 mi) |
| Merle Reskin Theatre | theatre | 1,325 | 3.3 km (2.1 mi) |
| Metro Chicago | concert hall | 1,100 | 11 km (6.9 mi) |
| Broadway Playhouse at Water Tower Place | theatre | 549 | 5.8 km (3.6 mi) |
| Double Door | concert hall | 473 | 7 km (4.3 mi) |
| Apollo Theater Chicago | performing-arts centre | 440 | 8.6 km (5.3 mi) |
| Albert Ivar Goodman Theatre | theatre | not published | 4.2 km (2.6 mi) |
| Steppenwolf Theatre Company | theatre | not published | 6.9 km (4.3 mi) |
| Arie Crown Theater | theatre | not published | 3.2 km (2 mi) |
| Avalon Regal Theater | theatre | not published | 12 km (7.6 mi) |
| Chopin Theatre | theatre | not published | 6.1 km (3.8 mi) |
| Greenhouse Theater Center | theatre | not published | 8.1 km (5 mi) |
| Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island | theatre | not published | 3.7 km (2.3 mi) |
| Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance | theatre | not published | 4.4 km (2.7 mi) |
| Ramova Theatre | theatre | not published | 2.2 km (1.4 mi) |
| Steppenwolf Ensemble Theatre | theatre | not published | 6.9 km (4.3 mi) |
| Theodore Thomas Orchestra Hall | theatre | not published | 3.8 km (2.4 mi) |
| Black Ensemble Theater | theatre | not published | 13 km (7.9 mi) |
| Chicago Cultural Center | performing-arts centre | not published | 4.3 km (2.7 mi) |
| Chicago Shakespeare Theater | theatre | not published | 5.9 km (3.7 mi) |
| Harold Washington Cultural Center | theatre | not published | 5.4 km (3.4 mi) |
| Lillstreet Art Center | performing-arts centre | not published | 13 km (7.8 mi) |
| Park West | theatre | not published | 7.7 km (4.8 mi) |
| Riviera Theatre | theatre | not published | 13 km (8.2 mi) |
| South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) | performing-arts centre | not published | 3.6 km (2.2 mi) |
| Thalia Hall | theatre | not published | 1 km (0.6 mi) |
| The Second City | theatre | not published | 7 km (4.3 mi) |
| The Vic Theatre | theatre | not published | 10 km (6.2 mi) |
| Biograph Theatre | theatre | not published | 8.5 km (5.3 mi) |
| iO Theater | theatre | not published | 6.5 km (4 mi) |
| Uptown Theatre | theatre | not published | 13 km (8.3 mi) |
| Symphony Center | concert hall | not published | 3.8 km (2.4 mi) |
| Theater on the Lake | theatre | not published | 8.7 km (5.4 mi) |
| Hyde Park Art Center | performing-arts centre | not published | 7.4 km (4.6 mi) |
| James C. Petrillo Music Shell | theatre | not published | 4.1 km (2.5 mi) |
| Briar Street Theatre | theatre | not published | 9.9 km (6.2 mi) |
| Court Theatre | theatre | not published | 7.4 km (4.6 mi) |
| ETA Creative Arts Foundation | theatre | not published | 11 km (7 mi) |
| Getz Theater | theatre | not published | 3 km (1.9 mi) |
| Jay Pritzker Pavilion | theatre | not published | 4.4 km (2.7 mi) |
Independent event spaces (30)
| Venue | Type | Stated capacity | From the centre |
|---|---|---|---|
| Congress Theater | event space | 3,500 | 8.5 km (5.3 mi) |
| Portage Theatre | event space | 2,250 | 14 km (8.8 mi) |
| United Artists Theatre | event space | 1,703 | 4.2 km (2.6 mi) |
| Patio Theater | event space | 1,494 | 16 km (9.7 mi) |
| Concord Music Hall | event space | 1,490 | 8.3 km (5.2 mi) |
| Holly Theatre | event space | 1,000 | 8.5 km (5.3 mi) |
| Bottom Lounge | event space | 700 | 4 km (2.5 mi) |
| Lincoln Hall | event space | 507 | 8.4 km (5.2 mi) |
| Sleeping Village | event space | 300 | 12 km (7.2 mi) |
| Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom | event space | not published | 13 km (8.3 mi) |
| Hull House Dining Hall | event space | not published | 2.5 km (1.6 mi) |
| Plumbers Hall | event space | not published | 3.8 km (2.4 mi) |
| Biograph Theater | event space | not published | 8.5 km (5.3 mi) |
| Gene Siskel Film Center | event space | not published | 4.3 km (2.7 mi) |
| Epiphany Center for the Arts | event space | not published | 3.5 km (2.2 mi) |
| The Salt Shed | event space | not published | 6.3 km (3.9 mi) |
| Davis Theater | event space | not published | 13 km (8.2 mi) |
| Music Box Theatre | event space | not published | 11 km (6.9 mi) |
| The Fireside Bowl | event space | not published | 9.1 km (5.7 mi) |
| Green Mill Cocktail Lounge | event space | not published | 13 km (8.3 mi) |
| Plaza Garibaldi | event space | not published | 3.5 km (2.2 mi) |
| Ramova Theater | event space | not published | 2.2 km (1.4 mi) |
| Central Park Theater | event space | not published | 5.1 km (3.2 mi) |
| Harris and Selwyn Theaters | event space | not published | 4.2 km (2.6 mi) |
| Milford Theatre | event space | not published | 12 km (7.5 mi) |
| Steinway Hall | event space | not published | 3.6 km (2.2 mi) |
| Wholesale Florists Exchange | event space | not published | 3.9 km (2.4 mi) |
| Medinah Temple | event space | 4,200 | 5.1 km (3.2 mi) |
| Briar Street Theater | event space | 300 | 9.9 km (6.2 mi) |
| Gate of Horn | event space | 100 | 5.4 km (3.4 mi) |
Also mapped in Chicago (131)
- Puerto Rican Arts Alliance
- Studebaker Theater
- The Playground Theater
- Aon Grand Ballroom
- Distro Music Hall
- Fairgrounds
- Grand Ballroom
- Historic Pullman Foundation Exhibit Hall
- Los Amantes Banquet Hall
- McCormick Place North Building
- McCormick Place West Building
- Parkway Ballroom
- The Lyric Theater
- The Olympic Theater
- Joseph J. Gentile Center
- Café Brauer (South Pond Refectory)
- Constellation Club
- Haymarket House
- Neofuturists
- Admiral Theatre, Chicago
- Andrew Conference Center
- Avondale Music Hall
- Bare Copper
- Cermak Hall
- Charles A. Hayes Family Investment Center
- City Hall
- Co-Prosperity Sphere
- Create Your Space Studio
- Crystal Sky Banquets
- Firehouse Chicago
- Hanging Gardens Banquet Rooms
- Hyatt Conference Center
- Illinois Billiard Club
- Juanitas Restaurant Banquet Hall
- Kinowerks
- Lake Shore Cafe and Conference Center
- May St. Cafe
- Midway Catering & Banquet Hall
- Morgan's on Fulton
- Radius Chicago
- Rockwell on the River
- Royalty West Banquets
- Sarabande Chicago
- Studio 2226
- The Corral
- The Green Living Room
- The Hive on Hubbard
- The Joinery
- The Quarry Event Center
- The Venue Brookfield
- The Vineyard
- Winnie's Playroom
- Andy's Jazz Club
- Attack Athletics
- Convene
- The Hideout Inn
- Winnemac Stadium
- Zanies Comedy Club
- Canvas
- Chicago Little Theatre
- Galleria Marchetti
- Granada Theatre
- Night City
- Paradise Theatre
- The Forum
- The Regal Theater
- Tivoli Theatre
- Tono Banquetes
- Windy City Fieldhouse
- Wooden Paddle
- A Red Orchid Theatre
- A. P. O
- Alumni Gym
- Banquets at the Mayor's Mansion
- Beachems Blissful Events
- Constellation Jazz Club
- Dickens Athletic Center
- Dr. John L. Connor Fellowship Hall
- El Mexico Moderno Ball Room
- Festival Hall
- L May Creations Event Space
- Lido Banquets
- Maggiano's Banquets
- McDonald's Park
- Melrose Park Civic Center
- RESERV
- Revel Motor Row
- South Shore Cultural Center
- The Jazz Showcase
- Annoyance Theatre
- Chicago Opera House
- Club DeLisa
- Germania Club Building
- Navy Pier Auditorium
- The Salt Shed - Fairgrounds
- Theatre Building Chicago
- University of Chicago Settlement
- Lincoln Yards Firehouse
- Bally's Chicago
- Central Music Hall
- Checkerboard Lounge
- Chicago Club
- Cort Theatre
- Crosby's Opera House
- Friar's Inn
- Grand Concourse
- J. Sterling Morton High School East Auditorium
- Jeffery Theater
- Jewish People's Institute
- Masonic Temple Building
- Masonic Temple Building
- Midwest Athletic Club
- Mister Kelly's
- Pekin Theatre
- Peterson Clubrooms
- Rive Gauche Nightclub
- South Shore Dining Room
- South Shore Solarium
- Sutherland Hotel
- Unity Hall
- Valladolid Banquet Hall
- Velvet Lounge
- Warehouse
- West End
- Skydeck 99
- Hilton Conference Hall
- Miracle Entertainment
- Present Company
- Seasonal Exhibit Area
- Stage
- The Three Top Lounge
Every venue mapped in Chicago appears above. The ones with enough published detail to be worth reading have their own guide and are linked; the rest are named here, which is honest about what the record holds without giving each of them a page made of three facts.
Convention and exhibition space
8 venues in Chicago are classified as exhibition or convention space. They are the only rooms here designed around a floor plan rather than a seating plan.
- McCormick Place Convention Centersize not published
- McCormick Place South Buildingsize not published
- Fairgrounds Craft Coffee and Teasize not published
- Fairgroundssize not published
- Fairgrounds Coffeesize not published
- Fairgrounds Coffee and Teasize not published
- Historic Pullman Foundation Exhibit Hallsize not published
- The Salt Shed - Fairgroundssize not published
Capacities are the figure the venue or an encyclopaedia entry published. They are usually the seated maximum, and the same room in banquet or reception layout can differ by half. Confirm the layout you want before you plan around a number.
Flights, time and distance
O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is 25 km (16 mi) out — a normal airport transfer, worth an hour in the run of show on the first morning.
The city runs on Chicago time (America/Chicago). Schedules published in one zone and read in another are the most common cause of a half-empty first session.
At about 11,949 residents per square mile the city is compact enough that a venue and its hotel block are usually walkable, which removes a shuttle line from your budget.
Cicero, Oak Park and Berwyn are close enough to draw from for a day rate, and to fall back on if Chicago has nothing free on your dates.
- Nearest major airport
- ORD
- O'Hare International Airport, 25 km (16 mi)
- Local time
- UTC−5
- America/Chicago, in September
- City population, 2024
- 2,721,308
- 9.4 million across the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area
Shows that return every year
Grant Park Music Festival, Midwest Clinic, Capricon and Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo come back to Chicago. A returning show is the best evidence a place has the rooms, the hotel stock and the airlift to carry one.
- Grant Park Music Festivalrecurring event, since 1935
- Midwest Clinicconvention, since 1946
- Capriconrecurring event, since 1981
- Chicago Comic & Entertainment Exporecurring event, since 2010
- ARC Music Festivalmusic festival, since 2021
- International Civil Aviation Conferenceconvention
- Twenty-Third AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligenceacademic conference
- Indigenous Peoples Day Chicagomusic festival
- The Second International WWW Conferenceacademic conference
- 5th ACM Conference on Recommender Systemsacademic conference
Recorded in Wikidata, which covers event series with an encyclopaedia entry. It is a floor rather than a full calendar for Chicago, and it is not a listing service — check dates with the organiser.
The local constraints
The city is smaller than the market
2,721,308 people live in Chicago itself, but about 9.4 million live in the wider Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Your local audience is far bigger than the city line suggests, and so is the commute your day-rate attendees will make.
Choice is not the constraint here
With 231 venues mapped, availability rarely fails. What fails is comparison: shortlist on capacity and distance from the airport first, and only then start touring.
Check the city calendar first
Chicago carries recurring shows including Grant Park Music Festival, Midwest Clinic and Capricon. Hotel rates and venue availability move sharply around them, so pick your dates against that calendar rather than against your own.
What event67 costs for a Chicago event
A Chicago programme at 950 activated attendees — sized to Soldier Field, the largest stated capacity in the Chicago dataset — prices like this. Nothing is charged for the first 50, and nothing at all is charged past 1,000.
- activated attendees
- 950activated attendees
- billable, after the first 50 are free
- 900billable, after the first 50 are free
- for the whole event, at $5 each
- $4,500for the whole event, at $5 each
You are billed for people, not for the venue, so the room you choose in Chicago does not change this figure. Nothing is charged for an attendee who registers and never opens the app.
By event type
With a stated ceiling of 63,500 seats, Chicago can carry a full trade show or a multi-track annual meeting without splitting the audience across buildings.
- trade shows and exhibitions
8 exhibition or convention halls mean a booth plan is possible in Chicago without renting a marquee.
- multi-track conferences
A 63,500-seat room carries a plenary with breakouts running alongside it.
- association annual meetings
An association meeting needs one big room, several small ones and a hotel block, which is the combination Chicago is set up for.
- festivals
An arena or stadium floor at 63,500 takes an audience no conference venue in Chicago can.
- sports tournaments
The same rooms already run fixtures, so load-in and crowd flow are solved.
Where this data comes from
- GeoNames, CC BY 4.0
- US Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 estimates
- Wikidata, CC0
- Geographic data © GeoNames, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- Venue data © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License.
- US population figures are US Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimates.
- Retrieved 3 September 2026. event67 has no commercial relationship with any venue listed.
Last updated
What it costs
- Free up to 50
- activated attendees, on one live event
- $5
- per activated attendee beyond 50
- $4,750
- the most one event can ever cost, whatever happens past 1,000
Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
Questions people actually ask
What does an event app cost for a 950-person event in Chicago?
950 activated attendees means 900 billable after the free 50, so $4,500 for the event. The price is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
What is the largest venue in Chicago?
Of the 231 venues mapped in Chicago, the largest stated capacity belongs to Soldier Field at 63,500. Capacities in open data are the figure the venue itself published, and they are the seated number rather than a standing or exhibition figure, so confirm the layout you actually want before you plan around it.
Does Chicago have a convention centre?
Yes — 8 venues are classified as exhibition or convention space in Chicago, including McCormick Place Convention Center, McCormick Place South Building and Fairgrounds Craft Coffee and Tea. Exhibition halls are booked by floor area rather than by seat, so ask for the hall sheet with column spacing and load-in access rather than a capacity number.
Which airport do attendees fly into for Chicago?
O'Hare International Airport (ORD), about 25 km (16 mi) from the city. It is the highest-traffic airport within reach in this dataset. Local time is America/Chicago; publish every session in that zone and let attendees' phones convert it.
Is there a free tier for a small Chicago event?
One live event with up to 50 activated attendees costs nothing. Beyond that it is $5 per activated attendee beyond the first 50, and the total for one event stops at $4,750 however many more attend. Activated means the person claimed their invite and opened the app. Not when you import them, not when the invite is delivered, and not if they register and stay home.
What events already happen in Chicago?
Recurring shows recorded for Chicago include Grant Park Music Festival, Midwest Clinic, Capricon and Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo. This list comes from Wikidata and covers series with an encyclopaedia entry, so it is a floor rather than a full calendar. Check your dates against it: hotel rates and venue availability both move around a returning show.
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Up a level
Running something in Chicago?
Set the schedule, invite the room and watch who actually turns up. Free for your first 50 activated attendees, on one live event.