chicago southland convention & visitors bureau
Visit Chicago Southland is a 501(c)(6) destination marketing organization that markets 60 south and southwest Chicago suburbs to leisure travelers, meeting planners, sports organizers, and group tour operators via a website, mobile app, podcast, and sales team.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersMatteson, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What chicago southland convention & visitors bureau does
The Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau (operating as Visit Chicago Southland) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit destination marketing organization established in 2001 and headquartered in Matteson, Illinois. It serves as the official DMO for 60 municipalities in Chicago's south and southwest suburbs, marketing the region to leisure travelers, meeting and convention planners, sports event organizers, group tour operators, and social event planners. The organization's core platform is the VisitChicagoSouthland.com website, supplemented by a mobile app (including a Biking & Walking Trails App), an email newsletter, active social media channels, a podcast series launched in 2026, and an annual 84-page Visitors Guide now in its 38th edition. It also operates a dedicated Sales Experts team that supports RFP-driven bookings across the meetings, sports, group tour, and social event segments, and it runs the gamified Passports to the Southland program to drive cross-community visitation.
The underlying technology stack is conventional content and marketing infrastructure — a content-managed website, Constant Contact for email, mobile apps for trail navigation and trip planning, and online RFP forms — rather than a proprietary software platform. The organization holds DMAP accreditation and Illinois Destinations Association certification, and partners with Enjoy Illinois, the America 250 campaign, Forest Preserve Districts of Cook and Will Counties, Governors State University, and dozens of member hotels, restaurants, and attractions.
The business model is nonprofit membership-and-assessment based: revenue derives from membership dues from local tourism-related businesses (hotels, restaurants, attractions), a tourism improvement district (TID) assessment, advertising/sponsorship placements on the website, and public funding sources. Pricing is not applicable to its core visitor-facing operations; the organization does not sell products directly to consumers but rather drives bookings to partner businesses and venues.
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- chicago southland convention & visitors bureau
- Legal name
- Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau
- Website
- https://visitchicagosouthland.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Visit Chicago Southland is a 501(c)(6) destination marketing organization that markets 60 south and southwest Chicago suburbs to leisure travelers, meeting planners, sports organizers, and group tour operators via a website, mobile app, podcast, and sales team.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Destination Marketing Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Visitors Bureaus (561591), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Full-Service Destination Management (Ground Handling & Onsite Operations) (THAHADAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- MICE & Event DMCs (Meetings/Incentives/Conferences) (THAKAEAB), Experiential & Cultural Programming (Tours, Activities, CSR/Voluntourism) (THAHADAF), Venue & Special Event Site Sourcing (Unique Venues, Permitting) (THAHADAE)
Keywords
Where chicago southland convention & visitors bureau is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Matteson
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Tourism Marketing & Membership Dues: The organization is funded through membership dues from local businesses, hotels, attractions, and restaurants, as well as through a dedicated tourism improvement district (TID) assessment. As the official Destination Management Organization (DMO) for Chicago's south and southwest suburbs, it is primarily financed by local tourism-related business contributions and public funding.
- Advertising & Sponsorship: The website displays sponsored advertiser content (banner ads) from local businesses such as Slick City Action Park, Old National Bank, Dave & Buster's, and others. These advertising placements generate revenue for the organization.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels9 records
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Chicago's south and southwest suburbs, marketing the Chicago Southland region as a travel, meeting, group tour, sports, and social event destination. It provides free destination planning support, venue sourcing, RFP submission handling, and visitor information through a digital platform, mobile app, visitors guide, podcast, and dedicated sales experts serving 60 communities.
Product overview
Visit Chicago Southland operates as the official destination marketing organization (DMO) for Chicago's south and southwest suburbs, functioning as a comprehensive visitor services platform. The organization offers a digital destination portal (Visit Chicago Southland Website) as its core product, supplemented by the annual 2026 Chicago Southland Visitors Guide (38th edition), a mobile application for trip planning and trail navigation, and the 'Where Boring Doesn't Exist' podcast series. Service offerings include Meetings & Conventions Services, Sports Event Services, Group Tours Services, and Social Events Planning, all designed to market the region to visitors and event planners. Additional products include the Biking & Walking Trails App, the Passports to the Southland gamification program, and curated travel itineraries covering heritage tours, outdoor adventures, and culinary experiences across 60 communities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Visit Chicago Southland: Primary operating brand name for the destination marketing organization promoting tourism in Chicago's south and southwest suburbs.
Quantifiable outcome
- 38 consecutive editions of the Visitors Guide published, demonstrating sustained brand reputation and operational continuity
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use chicago southland convention & visitors bureau
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Illinois Destinations Association (IDA)coreThe Chicago Southland CVB holds IDA certification, indicating membership in and endorsement by the state's official destination marketing organization association. The IDA-certified badge appears on the organization's website footer alongside the Destination Marketing Accreditation seal.
- Enjoy IllinoiscoreThe Enjoy Illinois logo appears on the CVB's website footer, indicating official partnership with the Illinois Tourism Board's statewide marketing initiative. This affiliation provides cross-promotion of Chicago Southland listings on the statewide tourism platform.
- America 250 (IL250)majorVisit Chicago Southland is an active participant in the America 250 (America's semiquincentennial) campaign celebrating 1776-2026. The CVB's 2026 Visitors Guide prominently features America's 250th anniversary, and the organization has a dedicated landing page at VisitChicagoSouthland.com/America-250. The IL America 250 logo appears on the website footer.
- Local Hotels & Accommodations (60+ Member Properties)coreThe organization partners with over 60 accommodation properties across the region including full-service hotels, select-service hotels, boutique hotels, and motels. These partners benefit from CVB marketing and reservation links, while the CVB directs visitors to these properties for lodging.
- Local Restaurants & Dining EstablishmentscoreThe CVB promotes hundreds of local restaurants through its dining section, Savor the Southland program, and the Bites & Brews mobile passport program. Restaurants benefit from CVB-driven tourist traffic while contributing to the region's culinary tourism appeal.
- Local Attractions & Entertainment VenuescorePartnership with regional attractions including Brookfield Zoo Chicago, major event venues, nature centers, golf courses, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. These partners are featured prominently on the platform and benefit from joint marketing efforts.
- Forest Preserve District of Cook CountymajorThe Forest Preserve District of Cook County manages significant trail systems and natural areas featured in the CVB's outdoor recreation content. Trail maps and nature center information are cross-promoted, supporting the CVB's outdoor tourism messaging.
- Forest Preserve District of Will CountymajorThe Forest Preserve District of Will County provides trail systems and natural areas featured on the CVB platform. TrailLink.com integration and cooperative marketing support shared outdoor recreation goals.
- Village of Orland ParkminorOrland Park is highlighted for its historic district shopping, Centennial Park West venue hosting free concerts in the park, and as a key community in the 60-municipality Chicago Southland region.
- Governors State University / Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park (theNate)majorThe Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park at Governors State University in University Park hosts 34 large-scale outdoor sculptures across 100 acres and is prominently featured as a key attraction. The CVB promotes the venue through its attractions and itineraries sections.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Choose Chicago: Official DMO for the City of Chicago operating as a 501(c)(6) with the same business model — destination marketing and sales for meetings, sports, leisure, and group tours across the broader Chicago metro, making it the most direct peer by both model and feeder market.
- Discover DuPage: Convention and Visitors Bureau serving DuPage County in Chicago's western suburbs; operates as a DMO under the same DMO-plus-meetings/sports/GTO GTM motion targeting planners for suburban Chicago hotel venues, making it the closest geographic and structural peer to CSCVB.
- Visit Schaumburg: Village-level Illinois CVB focused on meetings and conventions in northwest suburban Chicago, sharing the same DMO model and planner customer base in close geographic adjacency to CSCVB.
- Visit Lake County Illinois: Lake County IL CVB and suburban Chicago DMO pursuing meetings, leisure, and group tour business across northern Chicago suburbs with a nearly identical product offering of free parking and access to regional attractions.
Regional players
- Visit Quad Cities: Regional CVB serving the Quad Cities market along the Iowa/Illinois border with similar convention/sports/leisure DMO responsibilities but operating in a distinct Midwest geography.
- Visit Raleigh: Destination marketing organization similar in size and service mix, marketing meetings/conventions, sports, and leisure travel in a mid-sized US metro comparable to the Chicago Southland footprint.
- Experience Champaign-Urbana (Visit CU): Illinois-based regional DMO serving the Champaign-Urbana market with comparable meetings, sports, and leisure marketing functions, providing an Illinois-CVBs-of-similar-scale benchmark.
- Experience Grand Rapids: Mid-sized Midwest regional DMO comparable in scale and service mix (meetings, sports, leisure marketing) but operating in a different metro market without geographic overlap with Chicago Southland.
Broad incumbents
- Brand USA: National destination marketing organization promoting inbound travel to the United States; not a direct competitor but a thematically adjacent organization that influences the macro environment for regional DMOs like CSCVB.
- Illinois Office of Tourism: State-level DMO that oversees statewide tourism promotion; CSCVB operates under IDA certification with the Enjoy Illinois logo in its footer, making it more of a parent-and-channel-partner relationship than a pure competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau social profiles
Digital presencechicago southland convention & visitors bureau compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about chicago southland convention & visitors bureau
What does chicago southland convention & visitors bureau do?
Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau is the official Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) for Chicago's south and southwest suburbs, marketing the Chicago Southland region as a travel, meeting, group tour, sports, and social event destination. It provides free destination planning support, venue sourcing, RFP submission handling, and visitor information through a digital platform, mobile app, visitors guide, podcast, and dedicated sales experts serving 60 communities.
Is chicago southland convention & visitors bureau a public or private company?
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was chicago southland convention & visitors bureau founded?
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau was founded in 2001.
Where is chicago southland convention & visitors bureau based?
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau is headquartered in Matteson, United States, in the North America region.
How does chicago southland convention & visitors bureau make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Tourism Marketing & Membership Dues are the primary driver. The others are advertising & Sponsorship.
Who are chicago southland convention & visitors bureau's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Choose Chicago, Discover DuPage, Visit Schaumburg and Visit Lake County Illinois. Regional players are Visit Quad Cities, Visit Raleigh, Experience Champaign-Urbana (Visit CU) and Experience Grand Rapids. Broad incumbents are Brand USA and Illinois Office of Tourism.
Does chicago southland convention & visitors bureau have an API?
No public API is recorded for chicago southland convention & visitors bureau.
What industry is chicago southland convention & visitors bureau in?
chicago southland convention & visitors bureau's product category is Destination Marketing Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAHADAA, Full-Service Destination Management (Ground Handling & Onsite Operations), with a secondary code of THAKAEAB, MICE & Event DMCs (Meetings/Incentives/Conferences). Its NAICS code is 561591 and its SIC code is 7900.