ILLINOIS · NAICS No dedicated NAICS; 812990 proxy segment
Illinois event venues operate inside a layered downtown corporate and social calendar, suburban wedding markets, and downstate festival economies. Studies build defensible booking pace, per-event revenue, food and beverage capture, and seasonality assumptions, with the lender package turning on documented demand depth and competitive saturation.
FEASIBILITY TRIGGER
Booking-pace and seasonality projections drive lender study requirements, particularly where the venue is purpose-built or conversion-based.
From FY2010 through FY2026, Illinois recorded 236 SBA-disbursed event venue loans across the 7(a) and 504 programs, representing $75.7 million in approved financing at an average loan size of $321,000. The state sits at rank #6 of 38 for event venue SBA lending volume and holds 3.9% of the national event venue dollar pool. 7(a) accounts for 88.1% of the count, 504 for the rest, with 56 fresh approvals dated FY2024 or later.
| Disbursed loans (FY2010–FY2026) | 236 |
| Approved volume | $75.7 million |
| Average loan size | $321,000 |
| 7(a) share | 88.1% |
| Approvals since FY2024 | 56 |
| State rank by loan count | #6 of 38 |
We do not publish a state-level adverse-resolution rate for this segment: no NAICS code isolates event venues, so we rely on the national event-services segment (NAICS 812990 proxy pool). Nationally, seasoned event venue loans (approvals FY2010–FY2021) show an adverse-resolution rate of 8.3%, against 7.3% across all industries.
Source: SBA 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan-level data, as of March 31, 2026. Disbursed loans only. See data methodology.
Event venues sit outside a clean NAICS code, so lenders lean harder on documented booking pace, seasonality, and average event spend inside the feasibility study. At a national proxy adverse-resolution rate of 8.3% against 7.3% across all industries, credit committees treat this class as a projection-driven decision, and a rigorous third-party study is the report that carries the credit conversation. Illinois's 236 loans at an average of $321,000 sit inside that same national frame.
Benchmark labeled as the national event-services segment (NAICS 812990 proxy pool).
Every Illinois event venues project we underwrite follows the same lender ready process: independent market analysis, site and technical review, and financial projections tested against SBA SOP 50 10 8 standards. Our SBA feasibility study consultants guide explains scope, timing, deliverables, and what lenders and CDCs expect in the report.
Illinois projects often fit SBA 504 where owner-occupied real estate anchors the deal, with the 50/40/10 structure delivering up to 90 percent financing at a fixed debenture rate, while SBA 7(a) covers acquisitions, working capital, and equipment. From July 4, 2026 eligible borrowers can combine 7(a) and 504 for up to $10 million in total program credit.
Chicago corporate calendars, suburban wedding markets, and downstate festival economies layer the state's event demand into a multi-segment model.
For a national view of this asset class, see our event venue SBA feasibility overview, and read our related analysis in the event venue lending research on our blog.
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