Association Management Solutions

What Association Management Solutions does

Association Management Solutions (AMS) is a privately held, 100% women-owned association management company founded in 1997 and headquartered in Fremont, California. The firm provides outsourced operational, governance, financial, membership, event, marketing, and technology services to technology associations, standards development organizations, professional trade associations, consortiums, and newly forming non-profits. Notable long-tenured clients include the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF), Broadband Forum, Gaming Standards Association (since 2003), Optical Internetworking Forum (15+ years), Autonomous Vehicle Computing Consortium (since October 2019), MulteFire Alliance, Streaming Video Alliance, and the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, among others.

The company's core technology asset is ARO (Association Resources Online), an enterprise-grade, GDPR-compliant association management software platform serving 75,000+ users globally. ARO provides member management, document libraries, event registration, email distribution, robust search, financial management, workflow management, and customizable sections in a click-not-code environment. AMS complements ARO with a dedicated event-planning sub-brand (AMS Event Services), in-house IT services staffed by Microsoft-certified engineers, and a compliance/certification offering delivered in partnership with the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab. The company holds AMC Institute accreditation and is self-identified as a Top 10 association management company.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid model combining recurring ARO subscriptions (publicly priced from $399 to $1,799 per month, with custom multi-year contracts above 2,500 users), managed-services retainers for full association operations, professional services for events and projects, IT services, and fractional staffing. Distribution is primarily direct enterprise sales augmented by referral and community-led motions; the company serves clients globally from a single Fremont office. The firm is led by co-founder Kirsten Machi (named 2025 CalSAE Association Executive of the Year) and has remained independent and bootstrapped since inception, with no disclosed funding rounds, acquisitions, or institutional investors.

Name

Association Management Solutions

Legal name

Association Management Solutions, LLC

Website

https://amsl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Association Management Solutions (AMS), founded in 1997 in Fremont, California, is a 100% women-owned association management firm. It provides outsourced operations, governance, membership, event, financial, and technology services—anchored by its ARO software platform—to technology associations, standards bodies, and consortiums globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Association Management Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Management Services (8741), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Corporate Governance, Entity Management & Board Management (BPAEAPAL)

Keywords

• Association management services
• Meeting and event planning
• Membership management software
• Standards body management
• Nonprofit association consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Fremont

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Association Management Services: Full-service association management including strategic planning, operations management, governance support, financial administration, membership management, and compliance services. Provides dedicated staffing model with professional expertise in all aspects of association operations.
2. Meeting and Event Planning Services: Full-service meeting and event management covering virtual, live, and hybrid events including conferences, corporate events, executive forums, trade shows, retreats, and product launches. Services include budget management, sponsorship programs, and on-site execution.
3. ARO Software Subscription: Subscription-based software licensing for ARO association management platform with tiered pricing based on user count. Includes standard package with member management, document library, event management, email lists, robust search, and financial management.
4. IT Services: Enterprise IT operations management including custom programming, data migration, website hosting, email hosting, communication and collaboration services, and enterprise application support.
5. Start-up Services: Consultation and assistance for organizations forming new associations including legal filings, bylaws development, executive director support, inaugural budget development, website creation, and organizational launch coordination.
6. Fundraising and Sponsorship Program Development: Strategic development and management of fundraising efforts and sponsorship programs using data-driven insights. Team has successfully secured millions through innovative sponsorship programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Association Management Solutions is a full-service association management company that delivers managed services and professional services for technology associations, standards bodies, and consortiums—spanning strategic planning, governance and committee support, membership recruitment and retention, financial administration, meeting and event planning, PR and social media, certification program support, fractional staffing, start-up services, and IT services. The offering is anchored by ARO (Association Resources Online), a proprietary, enterprise-grade, GDPR-compliant association management software platform serving 75,000+ users globally with member management, event management, document library, email lists, financial management, and workflow management in a click-not-code environment.

Product overview

Association Management Solutions (AMS) operates as a full-service association management company offering a unified portfolio of services and proprietary software. The core offering consists of ARO (Association Resources Online), an enterprise-grade all-in-one association management platform, complemented by the AMS Event Services division for specialized event planning. Services span the full association lifecycle including start-up services, membership management, financial administration, meeting and event planning, compliance/certification support, strategic planning, PR/social media, IT services, fundraising, and fractional staffing. The ARO platform serves as the central technology hub enabling member management, event registration, document handling, email communications, financial tracking, and workflow automation. Together, the proprietary software and comprehensive service offerings enable AMS to provide end-to-end association management for technology development organizations, standards bodies, and professional associations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ARO (Association Resources Online): Enterprise-grade, GDPR compliant, collaborative communications and association management software platform serving 75,000 users globally.

Products and services

• ARO (Association Resources Online) Enterprise-grade, GDPR-compliant all-in-one association management software (AMS) serving 75,000+ users globally. Provides member management, event management, document library, email lists, robust search, financial management, workflow management, and custom sections in a click-not-code environment.
• AMS Event Services Full-service event planning division offering virtual and in-person event management including conferences, trade shows, executive retreats, corporate events, and award ceremonies. Staffed by Certified Meeting Professionals (CMPs) and Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs).
• IT Services In-house IT department managing mission critical systems including email, collaboration tools, websites, custom programming, data migration, identity hosting, website hosting, server and service hosting, and enterprise application support. Staff includes Microsoft-Certified Microsoft 365 Administrator Experts and Azure Solutions Architect Experts.
• Meeting and Event Planning Full-service meeting and event management covering virtual and live events, conferences, corporate events, executive forums, trade shows, retreats, roadshows, and sponsorship programs.
• Financial Management and Administration Budget development, expenditure approval policies, investment strategies, monthly financial statements, tax filings coordination, and year-end audit support in compliance with GAAP accounting principles.
• Membership Services Membership management including recruitment and retention campaigns, member onboarding, engagement tracking, and operational support using the ARO platform.
• Compliance and Certification Services Certification testing and compliance program support, including conformance testing, engineering, technical and QA services, and security compliance consulting in partnership with the UNH InterOperability Lab.
• Start Up Services Comprehensive support for launching new non-profit technology associations, including organizational structure development, bylaws, legal filings, inaugural budget, website presence, and coordinating organizational launch.
• Association Transition Services Transition support for organizations seeking new management partners, including needs assessment, customized transition planning, and seamless onboarding with minimal disruption.
• Strategic Planning and Marketing Strategic plan development with diverse Boards and leadership teams, communications strategy, marketing plans, budget development, and metrics for technology outreach.
• Fundraising and Sponsorship Program Development Strategic fundraising efforts and sponsorship program development using data-driven insights, having secured millions of dollars through innovative sponsorship opportunities.
• PR and Social Media Services Strategic storytelling, thought leadership content development, social media management, and communications support, with access to top-tier PR agency partnerships.
• Fractional Staffing Flexible staffing model providing Certified Meeting Professionals, Account Coordinators, Project Managers, and Executive Directors for projects, events, or interim support needs.
• Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) Management Launch and management of multi-source agreement models, handling stakeholder management, contract structuring, and ongoing governance for partner alignment.
• Consulting Services Strategic planning, budget and financial planning, governance, and policy development services for associations and organizations.
• AMS Registration Software Proprietary in-house registration software that is robust and customizable, used for event registration, payment processing, and attendee management. Can be integrated via custom API for badge printing and related workflows.

Quantifiable outcome

• In the first year under AMC management, associations realized an increase in gross revenue of 9.6% on average (AMC Institute report)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• University of New Hampshire (UNH) InterOperability LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMS partners with UNH InterOperability Lab to support certification program development, conformance and program solutions, engineering, technical and QA services, and security compliance consulting. This partnership is critical for AMS clients for whom certification testing and compliance are mission critical to delivering their technology to market.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Conferences Direct / Convention Management Plus: Convention Management Plus (CMP) is a meeting and event management company specializing in association and society conferences — a direct peer to AMS Event Services for conference planning services.
• Association Headquarters, Inc. (AHi): AHi is a mid-size full-service AMC serving professional and trade associations across multiple industries, with comparable service offerings in governance, finance, membership, and event management.
• Virtual, Inc. Virtual, Inc. is a technology-focused association management company (AMC) providing full-service management to standards bodies and industry consortia — the closest direct comparable to AMS in mission, client type, and service model.
• MemberClicks (Community Brands): MemberClicks is a SaaS association management platform for small-to-mid-sized associations, offering member database, event registration, and online community features — competing with the lower tiers of ARO.
• WildApricot (by Personify): WildApricot is a leading cloud-based association management software platform with member, event, and website management — the most direct competitor to AMS's ARO software offering for associations that self-manage.
• Eli Kirk Group: Eli Kirk Group is a technology-focused AMC serving standards bodies and consortia, very similar to AMS in client mix (internet/tech standards) and boutique service positioning.
• Association Management Center (AMC): Association Management Center is an AMCI-accredited, mid-sized full-service AMC with a similar service portfolio (governance, meetings, membership, finance) and comparable client profile to AMS.
• Fonteva (by Salesforce): Fonteva is a Salesforce-native association management software providing member, event, and commerce functionality — competing with ARO for mid-market and enterprise association software deals.

Broad incumbents

• SmithBucklin: SmithBucklin is the largest U.S. AMC, serving hundreds of associations across multiple verticals. It is a broader incumbent than AMS but competes for the same enterprise association management RFPs, especially in technology and standards organizations.
• Kellen Company: Kellen is a large, multi-vertical AMC providing association management, government relations, and event services. It is a broader incumbent competitor that frequently bids against boutique firms like AMS for enterprise association contracts.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ams_experts
• Facebookfacebook.com/AMSExperts
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-management-solutions
• Instagraminstagram.com/ams_experts

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries2 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 Association Management Solutions