What Illinois Craft Brewers Guild does

Illinois Craft Brewers Guild (ICBG) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1997 that represents the Illinois craft brewing industry. Headquartered in La Grange Park, Illinois, the organization operates on a 501(c)(6) membership-based structure funded primarily through tiered membership dues (Brewer Members, Associate Brewers, Associate Members, and an In-Planning track) supplemented by enthusiast memberships (ImBIBE) and event revenue. The Guild's stated mission is organized around three pillars: legislative and regulatory advocacy on behalf of Illinois brewers, member and consumer education, and promotion of Illinois craft beer. It serves over 150 craft breweries across the state, with concentrated membership in the Chicago metropolitan area and other cities including Springfield, Normal, Rockford, and Peoria.

The Guild's core offerings are programmatic rather than technology-based. Signature consumer-facing programs include Illinois Craft Beer Week (ICBW), an annual statewide celebration anchored by the Beer Under Glass festival at Chicago's Millennium Park Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace (featuring 80+ breweries and 150+ pours), and the Summer Passport program. Supporting programs include the Illinois Brewing quarterly magazine (distributed at 350+ locations and to ImBIBE members), the ImBIBE enthusiast membership, a centralized Job Board for industry hiring, and an interactive Brew Map and member directory supporting the #DrinkIllinois consumer-discovery campaign. Distribution occurs through member brewery taprooms, magazine retail points, and event venues rather than direct product distribution.

Commercially, the Guild acts as an aggregator and collective marketing channel for an otherwise fragmented base of small breweries that could not independently replicate statewide advocacy, event-scale promotion, or consumer discovery. The 1-10 employee organization does not develop proprietary technology, does not disclose pricing, and reports revenue solely through its membership and program activities; no AI/ML capabilities, APIs, patents, or acquired companies are present. Strategic positioning is defined by long-tenured brand recognition, regulatory incumbency as the unified industry voice, and a multi-sided ecosystem spanning breweries, suppliers, and consumers.

Name

Illinois Craft Brewers Guild

Legal name

Illinois Craft Brewers Guild

Website

https://illinoisbeer.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild is a 1997-founded nonprofit trade association representing 150+ craft breweries across Illinois through tiered membership dues, legislative advocacy, and statewide consumer programs such as Illinois Craft Beer Week, Beer Under Glass, the ImBIBE enthusiast program, and Illinois Brewing magazine.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Association Services

NAICS

Breweries (31212), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Beverages (2080)

akta.pro primary industry

Microbreweries & Craft Breweries (THAFALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Brewpubs & Taprooms (On-site Beer Service) (THAFALAA), Beer, Brewery & Craft Beverage Tastings (THAJAGAE), Beer Brewing & Craft Brewing (AFAFAAAA)

Keywords

• Craft beer advocacy
• Brewery trade association
• Beer industry promotion
• Craft brewery membership
• Beer industry events

Headquarters

HQ city

La Grange Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The Guild operates as a nonprofit trade association funded through membership dues from Brewer Members, Associate Brewers, and Associate Members. The membership categories include various tiers for breweries at different stages of development.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1997 that represents Illinois craft breweries through three primary service pillars: legislative and regulatory advocacy, member education (technical seminars and conferences), and promotion of member breweries via signature events (Illinois Craft Beer Week, Beer Under Glass), publications (Illinois Brewing magazine), consumer programs (ImBIBE, Summer Passport), and a Job Board.

Product overview

The Illinois Craft Brewers Guild operates as a nonprofit trade association offering a portfolio of member services and consumer programs rather than a unified technology product. Core offerings include Illinois Craft Beer Week (ICBW), the signature Beer Under Glass festival, the Summer Passport craft beer adventure program, ImBIBE enthusiast membership with quarterly Illinois Brewing magazine delivery, a Job Board for industry recruitment, a Brew Map directory for brewery discovery, and a membership directory listing brewer and associate members. The Guild's programs are organized around three pillars: legislative advocacy, member education, and promotion of Illinois craft beer through events and publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Illinois Craft Beer Week (ICBW): Annual celebration of Illinois-brewed beer from taproom to bottle shop, featuring festivals and promotions across the state.
• Beer Under Glass (BUG)
• Summer Passport
• ImBIBE

Products and services

• Illinois Craft Beer Week (ICBW) Annual week-long statewide celebration of Illinois craft beer running May 8-15, 2026, featuring festivals, brewery events, and promotions including the Beer Under Glass kickoff.
• Beer Under Glass (BUG)
• Summer Passport
• ImBIBE Enthusiast Program
• Illinois Brewing Magazine
• Job Board
• Brew Map
• Membership Directory

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 150 craft breweries represented across Illinois
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Member BreweriescoreOthersThe Guild's core partnerships are with its member breweries - craft breweries across Illinois that join the Guild for advocacy, education, and promotional benefits. Member categories include Brewer Members, Associate Brewers, and In-Planning members. The Guild does not disclose specific formal partnership agreements but works collaboratively with all member breweries.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• California Craft Brewers Association: State-level nonprofit trade association representing California craft breweries. Closely comparable in mission, structure, and activities (advocacy, events, education, promotion) to ICBG, just operating in a larger and more fragmented state market.
• Florida Brewers Guild: State-level trade association for Florida craft breweries providing advocacy, education, and promotional events. Functions as a direct peer to ICBG in a different but comparably large state market.
• New York State Brewers Association: Statewide craft brewery trade association for New York. Highly comparable structure and mission, including legislative advocacy and member promotion, mirroring the ICBG playbook in a different state.
• Massachusetts Brewers Guild: Nonprofit trade association representing Massachusetts craft breweries through advocacy, education, and events such as the Massachusetts Craft Brewers Festival. A direct state-level peer to ICBG.
• Colorado Brewers Guild: Nonprofit trade association representing Colorado craft brewers with advocacy, events, and education programs. Operates the same membership-and-events model as ICBG in another large craft-beer state.
• Oregon Brewers Guild: Oregon's nonprofit craft beer trade association, providing advocacy, education, and promotion to member breweries. A near-identical operating model to ICBG at a state level, making it a directly comparable peer.
• Washington Beer Commission: Washington state's beer commission, supporting and promoting Washington craft breweries through marketing and advocacy. Directly comparable mission and structure, with a slightly more government-anchored funding model.
• Michigan Brewers Guild: Michigan's nonprofit craft beer trade association. A structurally identical peer to ICBG with a similarly large member base and an event-driven engagement model (notably the Michigan Brewers Guild Winter Festival).

Broad incumbents

• Brewers Association: The national nonprofit trade association representing small and independent American craft brewers. It is the most direct conceptual peer to ICBG but operates at a national scale with broader mandates, including the 'Independent Craft Brewer' seal and national consumer campaigns.

Others

• Craft Brewers Conference (Brewers Association Events): The Brewers Association's flagship annual conference and trade show for the U.S. craft brewing industry. Not a peer association, but a closely adjacent ecosystem player that competes for member attention, sponsorship dollars, and event mindshare with state-level guilds like ICBG.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IllinoisBeer
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/IllinoisBeer/playlists
• Facebookfacebook.com/IllinoisCraftBrewersGuild
• Instagraminstagram.com/ilcraftbeer
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/illinois-craft-brewers-guild-icbg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Illinois Craft Brewers Guild