What AMA Houston does

AMA Houston is the local Houston chapter of the American Marketing Association, organized in 1949 as the Houston Business Forum and affiliated with AMA National effective July 1, 1954. It is a volunteer-led, non-profit professional membership organization serving marketing professionals across the Houston metropolitan area. The chapter offers a portfolio of community-driven programs rather than a unified software product: professional membership ($199/year individual, $169/year group, $29/year student), recurring events (monthly luncheons, networking happy hours, AMA Academy deep-dive sessions), signature annual events (Crystal Awards gala celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2026, and the one-day Marketing Edge conference), career development resources (Job Board at jobs.amahouston.org, Job Forward transition program, 6-month Mentorship Program), peer community groups (CoGroups segmented by career stage), and philanthropic initiatives (AMA Gives Back grants of $2,500–$7,500 to Houston non-profits, and the Penny Todd Scholarship for marketing students).

The organization operates with no proprietary technology platform; it relies on standard third-party tools including Mailchimp for email and SMS, Cvent for event management, a WordPress-based website, and separate standalone properties for the Job Board and Crystal Awards. Its revenue model is diversified across four streams: annual membership dues (subscription recurring), event ticket sales (recurring programs with member-vs-non-member pricing), multi-tier corporate sponsorships (Platinum, Silver, Annual In-Kind, Media In-Kind), and transactional Job Board posting fees. Customers and participants span marketing professionals at agencies, corporations, non-profits, and freelance/solopreneur segments, with student pipelines via collegiate chapters at University of Houston, University of Houston–Downtown, and Sam Houston State University.

AMA Houston has been recognized eight times as Chapter of the Year since 2000 and 14+ times with AMA Chapter Excellence Awards (Gold, Silver, Bronze), making it the most decorated chapter in the nation. Its board comprises 30+ volunteer leaders from across Houston's marketing ecosystem, supported by an Executive Director. The organization has no external investors, no subsidiaries, and no M&A activity; it operates as an independent chapter under AMA National and is funded entirely through membership dues, event revenue, sponsorships, and donations.

Name

AMA Houston

Legal name

American Marketing Association Houston

Website

https://amahouston.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AMA Houston is the local Houston chapter of the American Marketing Association, a non-profit professional membership organization founded in 1949. It serves Houston-area marketing professionals through membership, networking events, educational programming, mentorship, job resources, and community philanthropy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Marketing Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Employee Recognition, Awards & Incentive (Internal) Events (THAHAIAM), Alumni Events, Reunions & Regional Chapters (EDALAOAG)

Keywords

• Professional marketing association
• Marketing networking events
• Professional development programs
• Marketing community membership
• Continuing marketing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Houston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Professional membership at $199/year (or $169/year per person for groups of 3+) provides recurring annual revenue. Student memberships available at $29/year. Members receive exclusive access to tools, webinars, member pricing on events, and invitations to members-only events.
2. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales to luncheons, academies, happy hours, and special programs. Non-members pay higher ticket prices while members receive discounted member pricing.
3. Sponsorships: Sponsors pay for brand visibility in front of Houston's top marketers through event sponsorships, website placement, email marketing, and social media. Platinum, Silver, and Annual In-Kind partnership tiers are available. Sponsors also support specific events such as the Crystal Awards, Marketing Edge conference, and Gives Back Mini Golf Tournament.
4. Job Board Listings: Companies pay a fee to post open marketing positions on the AMA Houston job board. Contact Robert Melvin serves as Job Referral Director.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

AMA Houston is a nonprofit professional chapter of the American Marketing Association that sells annual memberships and delivers a portfolio of networking events, educational programming, career development resources, and community programs for Houston-area marketing professionals. Paid and free offerings include monthly luncheons, happy hours, AMA Academy deep-dive sessions, the Crystal Awards gala, the Marketing Edge conference, mentorship, CoGroups, a job board, and the Job Forward career-transition community.

Product overview

AMA Houston is a professional membership organization (chapter of the American Marketing Association) offering a portfolio of programs rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include membership with access to networking events (Monthly Luncheons, Networking Happy Hours), educational programming (AMA Academy deep-dive sessions), signature events (Crystal Awards gala, Marketing Edge conference), career development resources (Job Forward program, Job Board, Mentorship Program), community groups (CoGroups), and charitable initiatives (AMA Gives Back grants, Penny Todd Scholarship). Members access benefits through the national AMA.org platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AMA Gives Back: Philanthropic arm of AMA Houston providing grants to non-profits and scholarships to marketing students
• Penny Todd Scholarship
• Job Forward
• AMA Academy
• Marketing Edge
• Crystal Awards
• CoGroups

Products and services

• AMA Houston Membership Annual professional membership providing access to networking events, educational programs, mentorship, CoGroups, member pricing on events, reduced award entry fees, and exclusive access to AMA marketing tools, templates, and webinars. Available as Professional ($199/yr), Group ($169/person/yr for 3+), and Student ($29/yr) tiers.
• Monthly Luncheons Monthly educational networking luncheons featuring local and national speakers from leading brands sharing marketing success stories, insights, and inspiration for Houston marketing professionals. Open to members and non-members at different price points.
• Networking Happy Hours Monthly informal networking events where marketers connect, share industry insights, and build professional relationships in a relaxed atmosphere. Open to non-members.
• AMA Academy Educational deep-dive sessions covering marketing topics across four pillars: Data & Analytics, Strategy & Planning, Brand & Execution, and Relationship Management.
• Crystal Awards Annual gala recognizing excellence in marketing, celebrating innovative projects and campaigns. The largest marketing award event in Houston, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2026.
• Marketing Edge Conference One-day marketing conference featuring national-level speakers covering the latest marketing topics for professional development.
• Job Forward Program Free community support program for marketers in career transition, offering bi-weekly virtual meetings with guest speakers, job postings, resume tips, interview prep, and peer encouragement.
• Mentorship Program Six-month mentorship program pairing new and mid-career marketers with experienced marketing professionals for career guidance and development. Applications open December to January 15, pairings announced January 22, kickoff January 29, running February to May.
• CoGroups Small member groups organized by career stage — Solopreneurs, Small Marketing Teams, and Young Professionals — offering peer support, idea sharing, in-person meet-ups, and an online community (Slack/email) with PairUp, MeetUp, PowerUp, VoiceUp, and LevelUp sub-programs.
• Job Board Online job board listing marketing positions in the Houston area. Companies pay a fee to post open positions; job referral newsletter distributed to subscribers.
• Sponsorship Packages Corporate sponsorship opportunities at Platinum, Silver, and Annual In-Kind tiers providing brand visibility at events, on the website, in email newsletters, and on social media to thousands of Houston-area marketers. Special event sponsorships available for Crystal Awards, Marketing Edge, and Gives Back Mini Golf Tournament.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 Chapter of the Year awards since 2000
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Innovative EnvironmentscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Partner of AMA Houston. Provides brand visibility to Houston marketers at chapter events, on the website, and through email communications. Innovative Environments is an experience design and environmental branding firm.
• CCR SurveyscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Partner providing sponsorship support and brand visibility. CCR Surveys is a customer satisfaction and market research firm.
• The CKP Group (CKP)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Partner of AMA Houston. CKP is a marketing and communications firm. Carey Kirkpatrick serves as Chair of the Executive Advisory Council for AMA Houston.
• District CounselingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSilver Partner of AMA Houston. Provides counseling and wellness services, partnering with the chapter as a Silver sponsor.
• Bullpen MarketingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual In-Kind Partner. Bullpen Marketing provides marketing services and brand support as an in-kind sponsor. Past President Colin Hageney is associated with Bullpen Marketing.
• Nathan Lindstrom PhotographyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual In-Kind Partner providing professional photography services for chapter events and programs. John Maxwell of Nathan Lindstrom Photography serves as Director of Member Experience on the board.
• One Foot OverminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual In-Kind Partner. One Foot Over is a B2B strategy and marketing agency founded by Hami Vo Arrington and Stephen Brent May. The company designed and maintains the AMA Houston website (made with One Foot Over). Honorary Board Member Stephen Brent May is a co-founder.
• Houston Business JournalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia In-Kind Partner providing media coverage and brand awareness through Houston Business Journal's editorial platform. HBJ logo appears on chapter materials.
• Connexions Public RelationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness supporter listed alongside StratE8 and MantyWeb. Connexions PR is a public relations firm. Carrie Ward, VP of AMA Gives Back, is associated with Connexions PR as a PR contact.
• StratE8minorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness supporter. StratE8 is a marketing strategy firm. Nishat Jones of StratE8 serves as Co-Chair of the Agency Forum on the AMA Houston board.
• MantyWebminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness supporter. Jill Manty, Immediate Past President of AMA Houston, is associated with MantyWeb.
• AdobeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIn-Kind Partner contributing thought leadership content. Adobe authored a blog post on digital consumer insights for AMA Houston covering digital transformation, data-driven marketing, and consumer trust.
• American Marketing Association (AMA) NationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMA Houston is a local chapter of the American Marketing Association, affiliated effective July 1, 1954. The national organization provides resources, tools, webinars, the member network (38,000+ members), and the Chapter Excellence Awards program. AMA Houston operates with the support and network of the larger national organization while tailoring events to the local community.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AMA New York: Largest AMA professional chapter in the U.S., serving the New York marketing community with networking events, education, awards, and sponsorship programs — the same operating model and product mix as AMA Houston.
• AMA Chicago: Another top-tier AMA chapter running luncheons, awards, and educational programming for Chicago marketers. Directly comparable membership/event/sponsorship structure and award recognition profile.
• AMA San Francisco: AMA chapter serving the Bay Area marketing community with similar events, awards, and educational programming. Comparable product mix and peer chapter of the same national AMA organization.
• AMA Dallas-Fort Worth: Texas peer AMA chapter serving DFW marketers with comparable programming and awards. Strong geographic and demographic overlap with AMA Houston, creating the most directly competitive peer within Texas.
• Houston Interactive Marketing Association (HIMA): Houston-focused digital marketing association running events and networking for interactive/digital marketers. Most direct local competitor for marketers' time and sponsorships within the Houston market.

Broad incumbents

• American Advertising Federation (AAF) — Houston: National advertising trade association with Houston-area affiliates (Ad Club of Houston). Overlaps with AMA Houston on advertising/marketing networking, awards (ADDYs), and education but covers a broader advertising scope including creative, media, and agencies.
• Association of National Advertisers (ANA): National industry association for brand marketers and advertisers offering conferences, training, and awards. Operates at the advertiser/corporate side rather than agency/marketer-individual side but competes for the same marketing professional mindshare.
• 4A's (American Association of Advertising Agencies): National trade association representing the advertising agency industry with member agencies, events, and awards. Overlaps with AMA Houston on agency-side professional development and Houston agency community programming.

Regional players

• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) Houston: Houston chapter of the national PR professional association serving communications professionals with overlapping networking, awards, and professional development offerings. Same geographic market, adjacent professional community.
• International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Houston: Houston-area professional association for business communicators with comparable event programming and member benefits. Adjacent profession (communications vs. marketing) but overlapping value proposition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/amahouston
• Facebookfacebook.com/AMAHouston
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amahouston
• Instagraminstagram.com/ama_houston

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles21 records

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 AMA Houston