Join Illinois Local.

Illinois Local members join to support, grow, and celebrate together.

  • Business Conference & Awards

    Our 2025 conference and awards will take place on Monday, September 8th at the Grant Conservatory of Music & Dance. The awards recognize four Illinois Local member businesses and one individual. The awards are designed and sponsored by our members.

    A man standing indoors holding a framed award certificate in one hand and a black pitcher in the other. The award recognizes best use of social media in Illinois, awarded to TaylorMade Landworks.

  • Newsletter

    Our members receive a monthly newsletter.

    Graphic with the words "Love Illinois Local" inside a speech bubble, with "Love" in red, "Illinois" in white and blue outline, and "Local" in solid blue, featuring a heart and location pin icons.

  • Networking

    Illinois Local monthly networking events are hosted by members in the state’s capital, Springfield. You can find a full list here.

    Group of people engaging in conversation in a room with chairs and stage, some standing and some sitting.

“Connecting us with other local businesses and individuals with similar philosophies, Illinois Local has most certainly helped us to grow. They have gone above and beyond by providing networking opportunities, free professional photographs of our products, gifting our products to others in our community, and highlighting us in their social media posts and newsletters.”

  • Stories

    Members complete six questions for a feature on our website. The news page is our most visited on the site.

    Owners of Yellow Bird Coffee House Laughing

  • Coverage

    With our help, members have featured on NPR Illinois, Illinois Country Living Magazine, Sweet Spot Living Magazine, and Prairie Land Buzz Magazine.

    A smiling man and woman standing together, with the woman holding a small dog. The man is wearing a gray hoodie and a yellow cap, and the woman is dressed in black athletic wear. The background is plain white.

  • Social

    We are active on social media, with posts on Instagram, Facebook, member only Facebook group, and LinkedIn.

    Person taking a photo with a smartphone inside a cafe or restaurant, with another person visible in the background near a counter and a chalkboard menu.

“We love being connected with other members through Illinois Local. It is great to have a network of individuals at our fingertips. If our clients ask us a referral, we have an easy resource to go to in order to connect them to whatever service they are looking for.”

  • Directory

    Our directory is driven by the keywords used by members in their profiles. Other directory systems commonly use a set of pre-determined categories. Illinois Local's directory is more intelligent. In addition members can list multiple locations.

    Map of Illinois and surrounding states with blue location pins in cities such as Chicago, Naperville, Peoria, Springfield, St. Louis, and others.

  • Photos

    Illinois Local organizes and pays for four photoshoots a year. The photographer shoots up to 15 members in the studio or at various locations across Illinois.

    Woman with blonde hair smiling and holding a camera in a white shirt

  • Small Business Saturday

    The 2025 Small Business Saturday Holiday Market takes place on November 29th at the Expo Building at the Illinois State Fairgrounds. Small Business Saturday is one of the busiest retail days of the year. We are a proud American Express Neighborhood Champion for Small Business Saturday.

    Santa Claus in a red suit with black boots and a white beard taking a photo with a person in a Sonic the Hedgehog costume inside a large indoor venue with industrial architecture.