What American Thoracic Society does

The American Thoracic Society (ATS), founded in 1905 and headquartered in New York City, is an international 501(c)(3) nonprofit scientific medical society serving more than 30,000 healthcare providers and researchers across 133 countries in the fields of pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine. The society operates an integrated content, education, and community platform built around four peer-reviewed journals (most prominently the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, the most-cited respiratory journal with a 2026 Impact Factor of 21.7), the annual ATS International Conference (drawing 10,500+ attendees), and digital learning products including ATS NOW (a subscription video library of 1,000+ titles starting at $50) and ATS Ed+ (a CME/MOC platform). Members are organized into 14 specialty assemblies and 3 sections, with year-round engagement supported by the DocMatter-based ATS Member Community, evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (150+ statements), the MECOR global health research training program, patient education resources, and career services.

ATS monetizes primarily through membership dues, journal subscriptions and publication fees, conference registration, and a substantial industry engagement program at the International Conference that includes exhibit booths, industry theaters, innovation hubs, evening symposia, and business suites (with industry slots priced from $5,000 up to $65,000 per item). The society's go-to-market is event-driven, anchored by the annual conference as the flagship acquisition and revenue event, supplemented by owned-media channels (daily Morning Minute newsletter, weekly STAT newsletter, Breathe Easy podcast, six social media platforms) and direct sales for corporate membership, sponsorships, and industry programs. ATS does not currently disclose revenue or develop proprietary AI/ML capabilities; its competitive position rests on brand authority, journal Impact Factor leadership, global member network density, and the structural switching costs created by CME/MOC accreditation, journal publication venues, and assembly-based specialty community participation.

Name

American Thoracic Society

Legal name

American Thoracic Society

Website

https://thoracic.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1905

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Founded in 1905, the American Thoracic Society is an international nonprofit medical society serving over 30,000 members in 133 countries, providing peer-reviewed respiratory and critical care journals, an annual international conference, CME/MOC education, clinical practice guidelines, and specialty community platforms for pulmonary and sleep medicine professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Society Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Health Services (8000), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Medical, Scientific & Healthcare Congress Organizers (THAHACAD), Medical & Health Sciences Congresses (THAHAJAA), Healthcare & Medical Congresses (MPAGAGAF)

Keywords

• Respiratory medicine society
• Pulmonary critical care
• Medical journal publishing
• Continuing medical education
• Clinical practice guidelines

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

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, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees for 22,000+ healthcare providers and researchers providing access to journals, conference discounts, educational content, and member community.
2. International Conference: Registration fees for the annual ATS International Conference plus exhibition booth sales, sponsorship opportunities, and industry program fees. ATS 2026 is being held in Orlando, FL from May 15-20.
3. Journal Subscriptions: Sales of journal subscriptions, page charges, color art fees, and submission fees for the four ATS scientific journals.
4. Educational Products: Sales of ATS Ed+ subscriptions (starting at $50), ATS NOW subscriptions, CME/MOC programs, webinars, and professional accreditation services.
5. Advertising and Sponsorship: Advertising opportunities across conference materials, journals, and digital platforms. Corporate membership and industry sponsorship programs.
6. Publications and Products: Sales of books, reports, patient education materials, and respiratory medicine book series.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The American Thoracic Society is a nonprofit international medical society that advances respiratory, critical care, and sleep medicine through an integrated portfolio of peer-reviewed scientific journals, the annual ATS International Conference, continuing medical education platforms (ATS NOW and ATS Ed+), clinical practice guidelines, and a global member community of 30,000+ healthcare professionals across 133 countries. The society generates revenue through individual membership dues, journal subscriptions, conference registration, educational subscriptions, advertising, and industry sponsorship/exhibition programs.

Product overview

The American Thoracic Society operates as a professional medical society offering an integrated ecosystem of products and services for respiratory health professionals. The core portfolio includes four peer-reviewed scientific journals (ATS Journals), the annual International Conference, and continuing education platforms (ATS Ed+ and ATS NOW). The society provides clinical practice guidelines, patient education resources, a research grant program, career development tools (ATS Job Board), and member networking through the DocMatter-based ATS Member Community. Industry engagement programs include Evening Symposia, Industry Theaters, and Innovation Hubs. The society also offers MECOR global health training and various newsletters including the daily Morning Minute and weekly STAT newsletter.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ATS Journals: Four peer-reviewed scientific research journals including American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM), American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology (AJRCMB), Annals of the American Thoracic Society (AnnalsATS), and ATS Scholar.
• ATS NOW
• ATS Ed+
• ATS International Conference
• MECOR Program
• Public Advisory Roundtable (PAR)
• ATS Member Community

Products and services

• ATS Journals Subscription-based portfolio of four peer-reviewed scientific journals for healthcare professionals and researchers: American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine (AJRCCM, Impact Factor 21.7), American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology (AJRCMB), Annals of the American Thoracic Society (AnnalsATS), and ATS Scholar.
• ATS NOW Subscription-based personalized video learning platform offering over 1,000 videos including ATS conference presentations, expert webinars, and podcasts on pulmonology topics, with subscriptions starting at $50. Targeted at clinicians and researchers seeking on-demand professional development.
• ATS Ed+ Professional development platform providing continuing medical education (CME) and maintenance of certification (MOC) courses for clinicians, enabling self-paced learning and credit accrual. Targeted at pulmonologists, critical care physicians, and sleep medicine specialists.
• ATS International Conference Annual flagship educational event for pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine professionals, attracting 10,500+ attendees with scientific sessions, poster presentations, and industry exhibits. ATS 2026 is held May 15-20 in Orlando, Florida with on-demand content available post-event.
• ATS Member Community (DocMatter) Online collaboration platform built in partnership with DocMatter for ATS members to engage in clinical and research discussions, mentor peers, share career advice, and network year-round beyond the annual conference. Conference registrants receive complimentary 90-day access.
• ATS MECOR Program Methods in Epidemiologic, Clinical, and Operations Research program providing global health research training in low- and middle-income countries across Africa, China, India, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Turkiye.
• ATS Clinical Practice Guidelines Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines, statements, and reports developed by ATS expert panels to guide clinicians in managing respiratory, critical care, and sleep disorders. The library includes 150+ statements.
• ATS Patient Education Series Patient-facing educational materials and fact sheets covering various lung diseases, available in multiple languages, supporting patient advocacy and public health literacy.
• ATS Exhibition Booths Exhibit booth rentals at the annual ATS International Conference for industry partners to engage with 10,500+ pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine professionals. Available in standard, corner, island, non-profit, and recruitment configurations.
• Industry Theaters Presentation venues within the Exhibit Hall for industry sponsors to promote brand launches, discuss current therapies, or conduct disease awareness programs. Available in Large (250 capacity), Medium (125 capacity), and Mini (50 capacity) configurations with tiered per-day pricing.
• Innovation Hubs Intimate Exhibit Hall presentation venues providing dynamic interaction opportunities with attendees through 20-30 minute rapid-fire sessions led by industry subject-matter experts, with capacity for 35 people per session.
• Industry Supported Evening Symposia Evening educational programs (6:30-9:30 p.m.) held at conference hotels, complementing ATS scientific content. Priced at $50,000 per evening symposium with CME/CE/MOC credit available with prior approval.
• Business Suite Rentals Business suite rentals at the Orange County Convention Center during the ATS International Conference, available in 13'x20' (up to 10 attendees) and 20'x20' (up to 20 attendees) configurations with two-day and full-conference pricing tiers.
• ATS Career Center Online career center platform where ATS members can post resumes and search or advertise job positions in the respiratory, critical care, and sleep medicine fields.
• ATS Research Program Research grant program supporting young investigators in pulmonary, critical care, and sleep research through financial awards and research funding opportunities.
• ATSConference365 Digital platform providing on-demand access to ATS International Conference content, session materials, and networking features for attendees beyond the live event.

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and support.

• DocMattercoreTechnology or IntegrationATS partnered with DocMatter to create the ATS Member Community, an online collaboration platform for health care professionals to network, mentor, share career advice, and engage in clinical and research discussions year-round.
• MaritzsupportImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOfficial exhibitor housing and hospitality suite rental vendor for ATS 2026 International Conference, managing hotel room blocks and reservations.
• TriStar Event MediasupportGTM or Marketing PartnerAdvertising agency handling conference news, digital and email marketing, hotel marketing, and citywide branding opportunities for ATS conference.
• FreemansupportImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGeneral service contractor providing custom exhibits, furniture, carpeting, labor, material handling, freight transportation, and graphics for the conference.
• EncoresupportTechnology or IntegrationOfficial audio visual vendor providing equipment and technical support for conference sessions, industry theaters, and innovation hubs.
• OCCC (Orange County Convention Center)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerVenue provider for ATS 2026 International Conference in Orlando, FL. Provides exhibit hall (Halls A-B, Level II), meeting rooms, business suites, and infrastructure services.
• Map Your ShowsupportTechnology or IntegrationPlatform provider for online exhibitor directory, floorplan mapping, and event registration management.
• Smart City NetworkssupportTechnology or IntegrationInternet and telephone services provider for the Orange County Convention Center during the conference.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• European Respiratory Society: The leading European-based medical society for respiratory medicine, publishing the European Respiratory Journal and hosting the annual ERS International Congress. Directly comparable to ATS as a peer society serving the same clinician and research community with overlapping journals, conferences, and educational offerings.
• Society of Critical Care Medicine: Largest nonprofit medical organization dedicated to critical care, publishing Critical Care Medicine journal and hosting the Critical Care Congress. Overlaps directly with ATS's critical care membership, journal publishing, and annual conference offerings.
• American College of Chest Physicians (CHEST): U.S.-based medical society for chest physicians (pulmonology, critical care, sleep) publishing the journal CHEST and hosting the annual CHEST Meeting. Directly competes with ATS for the same U.S. pulmonology/critical care membership, journal authors, and industry sponsors.
• American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Professional society for sleep medicine clinicians and researchers, publishing the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Comparable to ATS in structure (membership society, journals, annual meeting) and directly overlaps with ATS's sleep medicine assembly.

Regional players

• Canadian Thoracic Society: Canadian respiratory medicine society affiliated with the Canadian Lung Association, publishing the Canadian Journal of Respiratory, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine. Operates a similar society/conference model in Canada with substantial membership overlap with ATS.
• British Thoracic Society: U.K.-based respiratory medicine society publishing Thorax and hosting the BTS Winter Meeting. Operates a comparable society model but focuses on U.K. members and guidelines rather than competing head-to-head in ATS's U.S. base.
• Asian Pacific Society of Respirology: Regional society for respiratory medicine across the Asia-Pacific, publishing Respirology and hosting the APSR Congress. Comparable in mission and structure but focused on Asia-Pacific membership, complementing rather than directly competing with ATS.

Broad incumbents

• American College of Physicians: Large U.S. medical society for internal medicine physicians publishing Annals of Internal Medicine. While ATS focuses narrowly on pulmonary/critical care/sleep, ACP operates a comparable society model (membership, journals, annual meeting, CME) at a much broader scale.
• American Medical Association: Largest U.S. physician membership organization publishing JAMA and hosting educational programs. Operates a similar multi-revenue society model (membership, journals, conferences, CME) at significantly larger scale, providing a benchmark for ATS's enterprise economics.

Emerging players

• International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer: Global multidisciplinary organization dedicated to thoracic oncology (lung cancer), publishing the Journal of Thoracic Oncology and hosting the World Conference on Lung Cancer. Overlaps with ATS on thoracic oncology research, journal publishing, and industry engagement but focuses on oncology specifically.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/atscommunity
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzbly6r1MKUnO0KfrD__yqg
• Facebookfacebook.com/americanthoracic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-thoracic-society_2
• Instagraminstagram.com/atscommunity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about American Thoracic Society