Comparison · 18 material differences
The Economic Club of Chicago vs HBR Advisory Council
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Invitation-only community
Verified September 2026 The Economic Club of Chicago
Chicago-area business and civic leaders at C-suite level or reporting directly to a chief executive
Invitation-only community
HBR Advisory Council
Harvard Business Review readers, mainly managers and executives, invited to give structured feedback to HBR's editors
What the records say
- Role or title: The Economic Club of Chicago: Top-level leadership, C-suite, or reporting directly to the CEO, with operational oversight and P&L responsibility; HBR Advisory Council: No published role or title.
- Minimum company revenue: The Economic Club of Chicago: Company generates at least US$10 million in annual revenue; HBR Advisory Council: No published minimum company revenue.
- Minimum employees: The Economic Club of Chicago: Company employs 25 or more people; HBR Advisory Council: No published minimum employees.
- Geographic restriction: The Economic Club of Chicago: Chicago-area business and civic leadership; HBR Advisory Council: No published geographic restriction.
- Annual dues: The Economic Club of Chicago: Not publicly disclosed. Neither the membership page nor the Club's own membership brochure names a dues figure.; HBR Advisory Council: $0 a year.
Side by side
| The Economic Club of Chicago | HBR Advisory Council | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Invitation-only community | Invitation-only community |
| Founded | 1927 (Founded in 1927 by leaders who set out to "aid in the creation and expression of an enlightened public opinion on the important economic and social questions of the day".) | Not documented |
| Headquarters | Chicago, United States | Boston, United States |
| Geographic footprint | Chicago and Illinois; members are drawn from the city's business, civic, cultural and nonprofit leadership | Online reader and research panel with no chapters or local groups |
| Members | 2,400as of September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed |
| Chapters | No chapters. The Club participates in a reciprocity programme with the Economic Clubs of New York and Washington, D.C. | No chapters |
| Primary audience | Chicago-area business and civic leaders at C-suite level or reporting directly to a chief executive | Harvard Business Review readers, mainly managers and executives, invited to give structured feedback to HBR's editors |
| Typical member | Around 70 per cent of members are C-suite executives. Candidates are expected to have operational oversight with profit-and-loss responsibility at a company generating at least US$10 million in annual revenue and employing 25 or more people, and to have a record of civic engagement. Government and nonprofit candidates are assessed under separate criteria. | Not publicly disclosed. HBR publishes no eligibility criteria, seniority test or member profile for the Advisory Council; membership is by invitation. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | Top-level leadership, C-suite, or reporting directly to the CEO, with operational oversight and P&L responsibilityGovernment and nonprofit candidates are considered under separate criteria that are not published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published role or title |
| Minimum company revenue | Company generates at least US$10 million in annual revenuePublished as part of the Club's candidate criteria.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum company revenue |
| Minimum employees | Company employs 25 or more peoplePublished alongside the revenue test.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published minimum employees |
| Geographic restriction | Chicago-area business and civic leadershipThe Club describes its membership as reflecting the diversity of the city and state; no formal residence rule is published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | No published geographic restriction |
| Invitation required | Yes | Yes |
| Sponsor required | Yes | No |
| Application process | Six steps. Two current members agree to sponsor the candidate and send a secure link for the biography and application. Both sponsors write letters of support. The candidate attends a Club meeting, preferably with a sponsor. A representative of the relevant membership subcommittee reviews the application and decides whether to interview. The Membership Committee then elects candidates at its quarterly meetings. | There is no application. HBR invites readers to join the Advisory Council and the FAQ does not describe any way to request an invitation. Members can leave at any time using the unsubscribe link in a council email. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. The Club describes a rigorous application and election process and reports a 92 per cent renewal rate, but publishes no acceptance rate. | Not publicly disclosed. HBR states only that membership is currently by invitation. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosed. Neither the membership page nor the Club's own membership brochure names a dues figure.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $0 a yearNo membership fee is charged or mentioned anywhere in the Advisory Council pages or FAQ; the council is a research panel rather than a paid membership.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | HBR does not charge for Advisory Council membership. Members receive downloadable content, and on some projects the final research report, in exchange for survey participation. |
| Membership term | Annual; the Club reports a 92 per cent membership renewal rate | Open-ended; members leave by unsubscribing |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Keynote speaker programmes through the year, member forums several times a year, and smaller Member Exchanges | Research invitations, generally no more than one survey per month |
| Peer forums | Large keynote events plus small, member-driven Member Exchanges; no standing confidential forums are described | No forums |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed; keynote programmes are published on the Club's YouTube channel | Research is conducted by Beehive Research Ltd, which HBR states is registered with the Market Research Society and ESOMAR |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Roughly one optional survey a month at most, per the FAQ |
| Organized as | Event-focused | Virtual |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | No |
| Local chapters | No | No |
| Virtual membership | No | Yes |
| Online community | Partial | No |
| Member directory | Yes | No |
| Events | Yes | No |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Partial |
| Leadership development | Partial | No |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | No |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | No |
| Investment discussions | Partial | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | Low |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Low |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: The Economic Club of Chicago · HBR Advisory Council