HPA (Hollywood Professional Association)

What HPA (Hollywood Professional Association) does

HPA (Hollywood Professional Association) is a US-based, non-profit member trade association serving individuals and businesses that provide creative and technical expertise to the media and entertainment post-production industry. Founded in 2002 and headquartered in Burbank, California, HPA operates through three pillars: Community, Knowledge Exchange, and Recognition, delivered via four core programs - NET (Networking Education Technology), HPA ALL, Women In Post (WIP), and Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) - alongside flagship events including the annual HPA Tech Retreat and the HPA Awards (held each November since 2006), with the Innovation & Technology Awards recognizing advancements across the production lifecycle.

The organization functions as a convening body rather than a technology company; it does not build or sell software products, APIs, or proprietary AI systems. Its primary assets are programs, events, and the reputational standing accumulated over roughly two decades of recognizing engineering excellence and creative achievement in post production. Membership tiers span Foundation, Premier, Elite, Executive, and Networking levels, with Foundation and Premier tiers anchored by major technology and studio players (AMD, Dolby, Sohonet at Foundation; Amazon MGM Studios, Google, Microsoft, WBD at Premier).

Revenue mechanics rest on three streams: tiered membership dues (subscription, recurring), event registration fees (per-event and annual gala tickets), and corporate sponsorships for programs and events. Go-to-market is community-led: HPA acquires members through industry events, the Tech Retreat, the Awards, NET/WIP/YEP programming, referrals, and digital marketing channels including its website, email newsletter, and social platforms. Following the December 2025 departure of Executive Director Phil Kubel, the organization is currently led on an interim basis by Joyce Cataldo and Alicia Rock.

Name

HPA (Hollywood Professional Association)

Legal name

Hollywood Professional Association

Website

https://hpaonline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HPA (Hollywood Professional Association) is a non-profit trade association serving creative and technical professionals in the media and entertainment post-production industry through tiered memberships, the annual HPA Awards, the HPA Tech Retreat, and community programs (NET, WIP, YEP, HPA ALL).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Burbank

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: HPA generates revenue through tiered corporate and individual membership fees at Foundation, Premier, Elite, Executive, and Networking levels. Membership provides access to events, programs, networking, and industry recognition.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from paid events including NET Roundtables, WIP lunches, HPA Awards Show, and other networking events. Event fees vary by member status (HPA Members vs Non-Members) and event type.
3. Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorship revenue from companies supporting HPA programs, events, the Tech Retreat, and the HPA Awards. Sponsors receive visibility and access to the HPA community.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HPA is a non-profit trade association that serves the post-production community of the media and entertainment industry through tiered corporate and individual memberships, recurring educational and networking programs (NET roundtables, Women In Post, Young Entertainment Professionals, HPA ALL), and signature events including the annual HPA Awards (recognizing creative achievement and engineering excellence) and the multi-day HPA Tech Retreat. Membership and event participation are the sellable units; the association does not develop proprietary technology products.

Product overview

HPA is a professional association, not a technology product company. The organization offers a unified portfolio of programs and services: the HPA Awards (including Innovation & Technology Awards recognizing industry advancements), the annual HPA Tech Retreat (four-day industry gathering), and member programs including NET (Networking Education Technology) roundtables, Women In Post (WIP) networking events, Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) mentorship, and HPA ALL community programming. Membership tiers (Foundation, Premier, Elite, Executive, Networking) provide access to events, education, and industry connections.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• HPA Awards: Awards program recognizing creative achievement, outstanding artistry, and engineering excellence in the media and entertainment industry since 2006.
• HPA Tech Retreat
• NET (Networking Education Technology)
• Women In Post (WIP)
• Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP)
• HPA ALL

Products and services

• HPA Awards Annual awards program recognizing creative achievement, outstanding artistry, and engineering excellence in the media and entertainment industry, including an Innovation & Technology Awards track honoring advancements across the production lifecycle. Held each November.
• HPA Tech Retreat Four-day annual gathering of industry-leading thinkers and innovation-focused companies engaged in content creation, management, and dissemination, featuring presentations, debates, and networking focused on the most compelling topics in media and entertainment.
• NET (Networking Education Technology) Program Recurring educational program fostering connections through accessible, expert-led education on current technology topics, featuring paid roundtable events with hands-on demonstrations and panel discussions.
• Women In Post (WIP) Program Networking and professional development program supporting women in the entertainment post-production industry, including monthly lunches, virtual events, workshops, and mentorship opportunities.
• Young Entertainment Professionals (YEP) Program Program designed to support and develop emerging professionals in the entertainment technology industry through mentorship, networking, and educational opportunities.
• HPA ALL Program Program focused on addressing industry-wide issues through collaboration and community engagement among professionals across the content creation ecosystem, spanning business, technology, education, and advocacy.
• HPA Membership Program Tiered membership (Foundation, Premier, Elite, Executive, Networking) for individuals and companies, providing access to events, networking opportunities, educational content, and industry recognition within the post-production and content creation community.

Quantifiable outcome

• HPA Awards have recognized excellence in the industry since 2006
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SMPTEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHPA collaborates with SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers) on industry standards and educational programming. The November 2025 event 'HPA & SMPTE Hollywood Meet-Up' demonstrates the partnership.
• Foundation Member Sponsors (AMD, Dolby, Sohonet)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerFoundation level corporate members including AMD, Dolby, and Sohonet support HPA programs and events. These companies represent technology providers serving the post production industry.
• Premier Member Sponsors (Amazon MGM Studios, Google, Microsoft, WBD, etc.)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier level corporate members including Amazon MGM Studios Technology, Google, Microsoft, WBD, and others support HPA programs and represent major studios and technology companies in the media industry.
• Event Venue PartnersminorOthersHPA partners with venues including Television Academy Wolf Theatre, Sheraton Universal, La Quinta Resort & Spa, Marino's restaurant, and Golden Road Brewery for events.
• Blackmagic DesigncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDiamond Title Sponsor of the HPA Awards Show 2023, demonstrating deep partnership in supporting industry recognition events.
• SigniantminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Skyline Social NYC event, co-sponsored with Motion Picture Enterprises (MPE) for New York networking events.
• Picture ShopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegistration sponsor for HPA Awards events, supporting industry recognition activities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers): SMPTE is the closest peer to HPA — a professional membership society serving motion-imaging and broadcast engineers, with overlapping educational programs, standards work, and Hollywood-centered events. HPA already partners formally with SMPTE, underscoring direct comparability.
• Visual Effects Society (VES): VES is a professional honorary society for VFX practitioners, operating with a similar nonprofit, member-funded, awards-and-events model in the post-production ecosystem. It targets an adjacent but overlapping segment of the same creative-technical community HPA serves.
• American Cinema Editors (ACE): ACE is an honorary society of film editors running the annual Eddie Awards, with a nonprofit membership structure and post-production focus highly comparable to HPA's editorial and creative community.
• Cinema Audio Society (CAS): CAS represents sound mixers in film and television, running the CAS Awards and operating on a nonprofit, member-supported model targeting the same post-production professional base HPA engages.
• Motion Picture Sound Editors (MPSE): MPSE is a nonprofit honorary society of sound editors running the Golden Reel Awards. Its member-driven, awards-centric, post-production-only focus makes it a directly comparable peer to HPA's positioning.

Broad incumbents

• IATSE: IATSE is the dominant labor union for behind-the-scenes entertainment workers including post-production roles. While its scope is far broader than HPA's, it serves many of the same individual practitioners and is the largest membership organization in HPA's addressable community.
• National Association of Broadcasters (NAB): NAB is a much larger trade association running NAB Show — the industry's largest annual technology convention. It overlaps with HPA in broadcasting and content technology but operates at vastly greater scale and broader scope.
• Television Academy (Emmy): The Television Academy runs the Emmy Awards and serves M&E professionals in television with a broader creative remit. Its awards-and-recognition model and Hollywood-centric membership base are structurally similar to HPA's.
• Producers Guild of America (PGA): PGA represents producers across film, television, and new media. It uses a similar nonprofit, dues-funded, awards-driven operating model but with a broader, more business-oriented scope than HPA's post-production technical focus.

Others

• Entertainment Technology Center at USC (ETC): ETC is an industry-supported USC think tank studying the future of entertainment technology. It is thematically adjacent to HPA's Tech Retreat content and serves many of the same corporate members, but is a research rather than membership organization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hpaonline
• Facebookfacebook.com/hpaonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hollywood-post-alliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 HPA (Hollywood Professional Association)