Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network

What Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network does

Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network (CFBN) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership-based industry association founded in 2017 and headquartered in Chicago. It serves as the recognized regional convener for the Chicagoland food and beverage cluster, which generates $32B in annual sales across 4,500 companies and 130,000 employees. The organization aggregates 1,200+ members from 60+ organizations, ranging from early-stage CPG startups to established manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, contract co-packers, and food technology firms. Its mission is to fuel a vibrant food and beverage community in Chicagoland and across the Midwest by delivering enriching content, valuable benefits, and engaging experiences that drive growth and innovation.

CFBN's product surface comprises a tiered membership program, a calendar of nearly 40 in-person and virtual events per year (Innovation Breakfasts, trend tastings, networking mixers, industry panels), a Virtual Content Library of on-demand webinars and podcasts, an exclusive Industry & Co-packer Directory, a turnkey Career Pathways Food Manufacturing Curriculum delivered with workforce partners, and a charitable 501(c)(3) arm called Bigger Table that applies member supply chains to food insecurity. Underlying technology is limited to the Wild Apricot association management platform for membership, event registration, and content delivery; CFBN does not develop proprietary technology and is not a software company.

The business model blends recurring and transactional revenue streams: annual membership dues (not publicly priced), per-event registrations ($30 for general admission, up to $80 for signature events such as Taste the Trends), tiered event sponsorships (Virtual from $1,500 member/$2,500 non-member; Gold in-person from $3,500 member/$5,000 non-member), and foundation grant income (initial ~$1M seed from MacArthur and JPMorgan Chase foundations in 2016-2017). The go-to-market is event-driven, anchored by nearly 40 hosted programs per year and amplified through a 15,000+-contact newsletter, social channels, and reciprocal GTM partnerships with IFT, PACK EXPO International, and Enterprise Ireland.

Name

Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network

Legal name

Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network

Website

https://chicagolandfood.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CFBN is a Chicago-based 501(c)(3) industry association that convenes 1,200+ food and beverage professionals through membership, 40 annual events, a virtual content library, a co-packer directory, and a workforce training curriculum for the Chicagoland food cluster.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Trade Association Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Meeting & Conference Planning (Internal/External) (THAHACAB)

Keywords

• Food industry networking
• Industry trade association
• Workforce development training
• Industry events programming
• Membership association services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership dues from individual and corporate members ranging from entrepreneurs to established food and beverage companies
2. Event Sponsorships: Virtual event sponsorships starting at $1,500 (member) / $2,500 (non-member); Gold in-person sponsorships starting at $3,500 (member) / $5,000 (non-member). Sponsors receive speaker roles, brand recognition, logo placement, attendee lists, and newsletter articles.
3. Foundation Grants: Initial funding from MacArthur Foundation ($400,000) and JPMorgan Chase Foundation (~$600,000) for startup and workforce development programs
4. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from event admissions ranging from $30 (members) to $80 (general admission) for signature events like Taste the Trends

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network (CFBN) operates a membership-based nonprofit association that provides food and beverage industry professionals with networking opportunities, industry events (Innovation Breakfasts, trend tastings, mixers, panels), an Industry & Co-packer Directory, a Virtual Content Library of recorded webinars, workforce training through the Career Pathways Food Manufacturing Curriculum, and member benefits including event discounts and early access to programming. The organization serves as a regional cluster hub for the Chicagoland food and beverage ecosystem, funded through membership dues, event sponsorships, registration fees, and foundation grants.

Product overview

Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network (CFBN) is a membership-based non-profit association that serves as the premier platform for food and beverage professionals to connect, contribute, and transform the industry. The organization operates a unified membership program that provides access to CFBN Events (in-person and virtual gatherings including Innovation Breakfasts and trend tastings), the Virtual Library (on-demand webinars and video podcasts), the Industry & Co-packer Directory, Career Pathways Food Manufacturing Curriculum (workforce training), and Event Sponsorship packages at various tiers. These offerings work together to deliver networking, education, brand development, and community impact for the regional food and beverage ecosystem.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bigger Table: 501(c)(3) charitable arm of CFBN that applies industry expertise and supply chains to address food insecurity through innovative product development and distribution

Products and services

• CFBN Membership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ events hosted since 2017
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

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

18 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, founding, core and minor.

• Enterprise IrelandstrategicGTM or Marketing Partner · 14 July 2026Co-presenting 'Food Intelligence: The New Competitive Advantage' event on July 14, 2026 at Ireland House, connecting Irish food technology companies with Chicagoland network
• World Business ChicagofoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2017Founding partner in the Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network launch; economic development organization focused on Chicago's business growth
• Chicagoland Chamber of CommercefoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2017Founding partner providing business network and advocacy support for the food and beverage cluster initiative
• Cook CountyfoundingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2017Founding government partner supporting workforce development and economic growth initiatives
• Instituto del Progreso LatinocoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 4 April 2017Workforce training partner developing Career Pathways Food Manufacturing Curriculum; operates vocational training programs in Chicago's Near South Side neighborhoods
• Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2017Academic partner including Institute for Food Safety & Health (IFSH) with partnerships with 50+ food companies, FDA personnel, and USDA
• Institute for Food Safety & Health (IFSH)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2017Applied food science research consortium combining academia, FDA, and food industry for food safety, food defense, and nutrition research
• The Hatchery ChicagostrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenting Taste the Trends 2025 event; food incubator providing facilities and support for emerging food brands
• DatassentialstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood and beverage intelligence provider; partnership for trend analysis presentations at Taste the Trends events
• Wells FargostrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood and Agribusiness division; co-hosting 'How Finance Fuels Innovation & Growth' event at Wells Fargo Chicago office
• McCain FoodsstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld's largest manufacturer of frozen French fries; hosting 'Creating Farms of the Future' event on regenerative agriculture with CFBN panel
• Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustomer Solutions Director for Regenerative Agriculture presenting at Farms of the Future event; sustainability partnerships in agricultural supply chain
• Farm FoundationstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural advocacy organization; VP Todd Price participating in Farms of the Future panel discussion
• University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Kimberlee K. Kidwell serving as moderator for Farms of the Future event; academic collaboration on food and agriculture initiatives
• IFT (Institute of Food Technologists)strategicGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner for IFT FIRST Annual Event and Expo; provides 30% discount for CFBN members on registration
• PACK EXPO InternationalstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner for PACK EXPO International 2026; provides free registration code for CFBN members
• CSIFT (Chicago Section of Institute of Food Technologists)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerIndustry partner receiving 50% discount code for CFBN events for members in good standing
• Bigger Table (501c3)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFBN's charitable arm applying industry expertise and supply chains to address food insecurity through innovative product development and distribution

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• World Business Chicago: Public-private economic development organization and a founding partner of CFBN; directly comparable as a Chicago-focused, membership/event-driven organization promoting industry cluster growth, but operating across multiple verticals.
• Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce: One of CFBN's founding partners and a major Chicago business membership organization that runs events and networking; directly comparable in Chicago geographic focus and broad-based member services, though covers all industries rather than F&B specifically.

Broad incumbents

• Specialty Food Association (SFA): National trade association for the specialty food industry, operator of the Fancy Food Shows; comparable to CFBN as a membership-based F&B association that produces large industry events and member resources, but at national scale.
• Consumer Brands Association (formerly GMA): National trade association for consumer packaged goods (CPG) manufacturers, including many food and beverage companies; comparable to CFBN as an industry association that advocates and convenes F&B/CPG companies, but at national lobbying and policy scale.
• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT): Major global nonprofit scientific society for food science and technology with 100+ year history; comparable to CFBN as an F&B-focused membership organization that runs the large IFT FIRST conference. Already a formal CFBN partner.
• National Restaurant Association: The largest US trade association for the restaurant/foodservice industry; comparable to CFBN as a membership- and event-driven industry body, but operates at national scale with significantly broader scope, lobbying power, and resources.
• Food Industry Association (FMI): National trade association for grocery retail and wholesale food industry; comparable to CFBN as a membership-driven F&B industry body that runs conferences (FMI Show), networking, and educational content, but serving the grocery retail side nationally.

Direct peers

• Texas Food & Wine Alliance: Regional nonprofit food and beverage industry network serving Texas; most directly comparable to CFBN in mission, membership/event-based model, and regional-cluster focus. Notably, CFBN's incoming ED Mariam Parker was previously the inaugural ED of this organization, making it an exceptionally close analog.
• Food Northwest: Regional food and beverage industry trade association serving Oregon and the Pacific Northwest; comparable to CFBN as a regional cluster organization running events, advocacy, and member services for F&B manufacturers and suppliers in its geography.

Emerging players

• The Hatchery Chicago: Chicago-based food business incubator and co-working space that supports food entrepreneurs; comparable to CFBN as a Chicago food-industry community builder and a co-presenter of Taste the Trends, though it focuses on incubation rather than networking.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/chgofood
• Facebookfacebook.com/chgofood
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chicagoland-food
• Instagraminstagram.com/chgofood

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Chicagoland Food & Beverage Network