Training Magazine
Training Magazine is a 55+ year-old B2B trade media brand (Lakewood Media Group LLC) publishing a quarterly print/digital magazine, weekly newsletter reaching 48,000+ L&D professionals, two annual conferences, awards programs, and certificate courses serving training, HR, and business management practitioners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersExcelsior, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Training Magazine does
Training Magazine, published by privately held Lakewood Media Group LLC (Minneapolis, MN), is a 55+ year-old B2B trade media brand serving the U.S. learning and development (L&D) market. Its core product is a quarterly print and digital magazine (March, May, September, November) plus a continuously updated website (trainingmag.com) carrying 500+ archived article pages, a weekly email newsletter (Training Weekly, 48,000+ subscribers), and the Innovations in Training podcast. The publication targets training and L&D professionals, HR practitioners, and business managers, with editorial coverage spanning leadership development, employee engagement, instructional design, measurement, and — increasingly — AI in learning.
The company's revenue is diversified across four streams: (i) primarily free qualified print subscriptions with paid print subscriptions for non-qualifying or international readers; (ii) advertising and sponsorship sold across the website (partners.trainingmag.com), newsletter, and magazine; (iii) two flagship annual conferences — Training Conference & Expo (Orlando) and TechLearn (Austin in 2026) — generating registration, sponsorship, and exhibitor fees; and (iv) paid Training Live + Online certificate courses in topics including Story-Based Design, AI for Learning Design, and Learning Measurement. Owned sub-brands include the Training MVP Awards (formerly APEX Awards, 25+ years), Emerging Training Leaders Awards, and Training Magazine Network Choice Awards.
Operations are run by a four-person managing-partner group (Mike Murrell, Bryan Powell, Philip Jones, Lori Gardner) and a Director of Production and Operations (Bethany Hollenkamp). The company is privately held, has no identified venture capital or parent-company ownership, and is registered as an LLC in Minnesota.
Training Magazine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Training Magazine
- Legal name
- Lakewood Media Group LLC
- Website
- https://trainingmag.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Training Magazine is a 55+ year-old B2B trade media brand (Lakewood Media Group LLC) publishing a quarterly print/digital magazine, weekly newsletter reaching 48,000+ L&D professionals, two annual conferences, awards programs, and certificate courses serving training, HR, and business management practitioners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Training Magazine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Training & Development Trade Media
- NAICS
- Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Learning & Training Content Development (EDAGAKAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Corporate Training Course Marketplaces (B2B Content Libraries) (EDAFAIAH), Sales, Customer Service & Soft Skills Training (BPACANAD)
Keywords
Where Training Magazine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Excelsior
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Training Magazine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions: Training magazine offers free print subscriptions for qualified U.S. training/learning development professionals, and paid print subscriptions or free digital subscriptions for non-qualifying or international readers. The magazine is published four times annually in print and digital format.
- Advertising and Sponsorship: The publication generates revenue through advertising and sponsorship opportunities on its website, magazine, and at events. The website includes an advertising/sponsorship page (partners.trainingmag.com) indicating commercial partnerships with training industry vendors and solution providers.
- Conference and Event Revenue: Training Magazine produces paid conferences including TechLearn 2026 and Training Conference & Expo. These events generate revenue through registration fees, sponsorships, and certificate program fees. Early bird discounts are offered for advance registration.
- Certificate Programs: Training Live + Online certificate courses offered at conferences and virtually, with registration fees. Programs include Story-Based Design in Articulate Storyline, AI for Learning Design, and Learning Measurement and Reporting Strategy.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Free Print Subscription for qualified U.S. training professionals |
| Subscription | Annual | Paid Print Subscription for non-qualifying or international readers |
| Freemium | Annual | Free Digital Subscription |
| Freemium | Annual | Email Newsletter (Training Weekly) |
| Subscription | Annual | Conference Registration - Super Early Bird Rate |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Certificate Program Fees |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
Training Magazine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Training Magazine is a multi-platform trade media brand serving L&D, HR, and business management professionals. It publishes a 55-year-old quarterly print and digital magazine, the trainingmag.com website with 500+ online articles and videos, the Training Weekly newsletter (48,000+ subscribers), the Innovations in Training podcast, the Training MVP Awards and Emerging Training Leaders award programs, two annual conferences (Training Conference & Expo and TechLearn), and Training Live + Online certificate courses. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising and sponsorship, paid subscriptions, conference and event registrations, and certificate program fees.
Product overview
Training Magazine operates as a multi-platform media company offering a portfolio of print/digital publications, award programs, conferences, and online learning resources for the training and L&D industry. The core offerings include Training Magazine (the flagship print/digital publication), the Training Magazine Website with online articles and podcasts, and Training Weekly email newsletter. The company also runs award programs including the Training MVP Awards (formerly APEX Awards), Emerging Training Leaders Awards, and Training Magazine Network Choice Awards. Conference products include TechLearn Conference and the Training Conference & Expo, complemented by Training Live + Online Certificate Courses and the Innovations in Training Podcast.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Training MVP Awards: Worldwide ranking of organizations that excel at training and human capital development (formerly called Training APEX Awards)
- Emerging Training Leaders Awards
- Training Magazine Network Choice Awards
- TechLearn Conference
- Training Conference & Expo
- Training Live+Online
- Innovations in Training Podcast
Products and services
- Training Magazine A 55-year-old professional development magazine published four times annually in print and digital formats (March, May, September, November), covering leadership development, HR issues, recruitment, retention, learning theory, AI in training, and training best practices for L&D professionals.
- Training Magazine Website Online platform trainingmag.com offering 500+ online articles, podcasts, videos, webinars, whitepapers, the Training Day Blog, and an L&D Provider Directory for training professionals.
- Training Weekly Newsletter A free weekly email newsletter reaching 48,000+ training professionals worldwide, including MVP Awards best practices, articles, webinar invitations, and resource links.
- Training MVP Awards A worldwide ranking program (now in its 26th year, formerly the Training APEX Awards) recognizing organizations that excel at training and human capital development, with a black-tie gala at the Training Conference & Expo.
- Emerging Training Leaders Awards An awards program recognizing training professionals with 2-10 years of experience who demonstrate exceptional leadership skills, business acumen, and training instincts.
- Training Magazine Network Choice Awards A crowd-sourced awards program sponsored by Training Magazine recognizing vendor partners across categories including authoring and learning design tools, custom content development, gamification, immersive learning, leadership development, LMS, and measurement and assessment.
- TechLearn Conference Annual conference focused on learning technology and design, featuring breakout sessions, hands-on clinics, keynote sessions, and AI-focused content for L&D professionals.
- Training Conference & Expo Annual flagship conference for training and L&D professionals featuring industry masters, skills workshops, latest training tools and technology exhibitions, and the Training MVP Awards gala.
- Training Live + Online Certificate Courses Paid certificate programs offered in person at conferences and virtually, including Story-Based Design in Articulate Storyline, AI for Learning Design, and Learning Measurement and Reporting Strategy, awarding a digital Training magazine certificate of completion and eBadge.
- Innovations in Training Podcast A podcast featuring interviews with industry experts and thought leaders shaping the future of learning and development, with Test Kitchen segments for experiencing new tools and technology.
Companies that use Training Magazine
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Training Magazine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Training Magazine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Training Magazine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Chief Learning Officer (CLO) Magazine: CLO Magazine is a B2B media brand targeting chief learning officers and senior L&D executives. It directly competes with Training Magazine for the same L&D professional readership, advertising dollars, and conference sponsorships in the workforce learning market.
- Learning Solutions Magazine: Learning Solutions Magazine covers the design, development, and delivery of online and blended learning, targeting instructional designers and L&D professionals. It overlaps with Training Magazine on e-learning, instructional design content, and the same L&D professional audience.
- Training Industry Inc. Training Industry is a B2B media, research, and marketplace company covering the corporate training sector. It competes directly with Training Magazine for L&D advertising and sponsorship revenue, and runs its own research, awards, and vendor directory programs.
Broad incumbents
- HR Executive: HR Executive is a B2B media brand and conference producer serving senior HR leaders. It overlaps with Training Magazine on L&D, talent management, and workforce development content, and competes for HR executive-level advertising and sponsorships.
- Association for Talent Development (ATD): ATD is the largest professional membership association for talent development practitioners and publishes TD Magazine. It overlaps heavily with Training Magazine's audience and content categories (training, L&D, leadership), but operates more as a member association while Training Magazine is a pure media brand.
- SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management): SHRM is the world's largest HR professional membership organization and publishes HR Magazine. While broader than Training Magazine, it serves overlapping HR and workforce development audiences and competes for HR-focused advertising and event sponsorships.
- Workforce Magazine (Workforce Management): Workforce Magazine covers workforce management, HR, and talent topics for business executives. It overlaps with Training Magazine on workforce development and L&D content, though its audience skews more toward HR operations and workforce planning than pure training practitioners.
Emerging players
- TalentCulture: TalentCulture is a digital media and community platform covering HR, talent, and workforce topics. It is comparable to Training Magazine as a content-driven media brand serving HR and L&D professionals, though smaller in scale and digital-first in distribution.
- eLearning Industry: eLearning Industry is a digital-first media platform serving L&D professionals with articles, courses, and vendor directories. It is comparable as a content-driven L&D media brand, though with a more e-learning and digital-tooling focus than Training Magazine's broader corporate training coverage.
Regional players
- TrainingZone (UK): TrainingZone is a UK-based B2B media brand serving training and L&D professionals in the UK and Europe. It is comparable in audience and content focus to Training Magazine, but operates primarily in a different geographic market.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Training Magazine social profiles
Digital presenceTraining Magazine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Training Magazine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Training Magazine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Training Magazine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Training Magazine
What does Training Magazine do?
Training Magazine is a multi-platform trade media brand serving L&D, HR, and business management professionals. It publishes a 55-year-old quarterly print and digital magazine, the trainingmag.com website with 500+ online articles and videos, the Training Weekly newsletter (48,000+ subscribers), the Innovations in Training podcast, the Training MVP Awards and Emerging Training Leaders award programs, two annual conferences (Training Conference & Expo and TechLearn), and Training Live + Online certificate courses. Revenue is generated primarily through advertising and sponsorship, paid subscriptions, conference and event registrations, and certificate program fees.
Is Training Magazine a public or private company?
Training Magazine is a private company. It is classified as management employee owned and is currently operating.
When was Training Magazine founded?
Training Magazine was founded in 1970. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Training Magazine based?
Training Magazine is headquartered in Excelsior, United States, in the North America region.
How does Training Magazine make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are advertising and Sponsorship, conference and Event Revenue and certificate Programs.
Who are Training Magazine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Chief Learning Officer (CLO) Magazine, Learning Solutions Magazine and Training Industry Inc.. Broad incumbents are HR Executive, Association for Talent Development (ATD), SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) and Workforce Magazine (Workforce Management). Emerging players are TalentCulture and eLearning Industry. TrainingZone (UK) is listed as a regional player.
Does Training Magazine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Training Magazine.
What industry is Training Magazine in?
Training Magazine's product category is Training & Development Trade Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAKAC, Corporate Learning & Training Content Development, with a secondary code of EDAFAIAH, Corporate Training Course Marketplaces (B2B Content Libraries). Its NAICS code is 611430 and its SIC code is 2721.