Mariner Management & Marketing

Name

Mariner Management & Marketing

Legal name

Mariner Marketing & Management, LLC

Website

https://marinermanagement.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Consulting Services: Strategic planning engagements covering volunteer management, component relations, and association strategy for consulting clients
2. Training and Workshops: 41 workshops and training seminars facilitated throughout the country, including Volunteer Liaison Training program
3. CEX Events: Association Component Exchange in-person workshops and virtual events, co-hosted with partners Billhighway and Imprexium
4. Webinars: 8 free CRP webinars co-designed and facilitated on topics including non-dues revenues, chapter ambassador programs, component strategies, and dashboards
5. Research and Reports: Chapter benchmarking reports and whitepapers including the 2025 Chapter Performance & Benchmarking Report

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Mariner Management & Marketing is an association management consulting firm that helps professional and trade associations engage members as volunteers, develop chapter and component networks, and build member communities. The firm delivers strategic guidance, training and workshops, the Association Component Exchange (CEX) conference, and a Volunteer Liaison Training program, supplemented by benchmarking research and thought-leadership content.

Product overview

Mariner Management & Marketing is an association management company offering consulting and support services for associations. The portfolio consists of strategic guidance, training/workshops, and the Association Component Exchange (CEX) as core service offerings, supplemented by volunteer liaison training programs, a CRP Solution Center for resources and tools, research reports including the Chapter Performance & Benchmarking Report, webinar series, and the Waypoint newsletter. These offerings are delivered as professional services rather than software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Strategic Guidance Consulting engagements providing strategic planning and advisory support to associations on volunteer management, component relations, and organizational strategy.
• Training, Speaking & Workshops In-person and virtual training programs, speaking engagements, and workshops facilitated for association professionals and volunteer leaders across the country.
• Association Component Exchange (CEX) Annual conference and workshop series focused on component relations professionals (CRPs), featuring peer learning, collaboration, and best practice sharing for chapter and component management.
• Mastering Your Volunteer Liaison Role Training Program Two-part training program designed for staff managing volunteer programs and staff liaisons to volunteer groups, consisting of a virtual basics session and an in-person deeper dive workshop.
• Chapter/Component Benchmarking Research Ongoing industry benchmarking research tracking chapter performance trends, delivered as reports including the 2025 Chapter Performance & Benchmarking Report.

Quantifiable outcome

• 31% of members highly interested in contributing to association content, programs, and strategy per MCI's 2024 Association Engagement Index
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BillhighwaycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Co-host of Association Component Exchange (CEX) events. Mariner co-hosted two CEX in-person workshops in 2024 (Chicago & DC) with Billhighway. Partnership continues into 2025 with planned CEX events.
• ImprexiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-host of Association Component Exchange (CEX) events alongside Billhighway and Mariner. Collaboration on CRP-focused events and programming.
• Re:MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and benchmarking partnership. Re:Members partnered with Mariner on the 2025 Component Benchmarking study and co-hosted a two-part interactive virtual series to turn benchmarking insights into actionable strategies.
• Whorton ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partner for Chapter/Component Benchmarking research. Responses are handled confidentially by Whorton Research for the industry benchmarking studies.
• Kristine Metter, MS, CAE (Crystallakepartners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developed Mastering Your Volunteer Liaison Role training program. Combined forces with Kristine Metter to create a two-part program (virtual basics session + in-person deeper dive) for staff managing volunteer programs.
• The Association Evidence ProjectminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast collaboration where Mariner principals Peggy Hoffman and Peter Houstle appeared on the Association Evidence Project podcast to discuss chapter benchmarking research.
• Higher LogicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPodcast collaboration featuring Peggy Hoffman on Higher Logic's The Member Engagement Show to explore volunteer systems for associations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Higher Logic: Higher Logic is an engagement platform provider for associations, including community, email, and volunteer tools. It is a partner and adjacent ecosystem player rather than a direct competitor, but serves the same association market with technology rather than consulting.
• Billhighway: Billhighway is a financial management platform purpose-built for associations, chapters, and member-based organizations. It is a co-host of Mariner's CEX events and a strategic partner rather than a direct consulting peer, but operates in the same association ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Industry Insights: Industry Insights produces the ASAE-endorsed association salary and compensation benchmarking studies and broader industry research. It is closely comparable to Mariner's benchmarking research and reports business serving the same association market.
• Management Guidelines Inc. (MGI): MGI provides association management consulting, compensation studies, and benchmarking research. It is highly comparable to Mariner in serving association clients with research-driven management consulting.
• Tecker International: Tecker International is a long-established association strategy consulting firm serving CEOs, boards, and component leaders. It is highly comparable to Mariner in serving the same professional/trade association client base with strategic guidance, governance, and component-related advisory.
• McKinley Advisors: McKinley Advisors is a research-driven association consulting firm providing strategy, member research, and benchmarking services. It overlaps directly with Mariner's strategic guidance, benchmarking research, and association executive advisory offerings.
• Velociti Partners: Velociti Partners is a growth strategy and digital transformation consultancy serving associations and member-based organizations. It is comparable to Mariner in serving association clients with strategic and operational advisory.
• Sidecar Global: Sidecar Global (formerly Potencia Ventures) is a strategy and innovation consultancy serving associations and nonprofit organizations. It is comparable to Mariner in providing strategic guidance, executive advisory, and innovation-focused consulting to association leaders.
• Avenue M Group: Avenue M Group is a consulting firm specializing in marketing, communications, and engagement strategy for associations and membership organizations. It overlaps with Mariner in member community and engagement advisory work.
• Brighter Strategies: Brighter Strategies is an association consulting firm focused on strategic planning, governance, and leadership development for nonprofits and associations. It competes with Mariner in the strategic guidance and leadership development practices.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/peggymhoffman
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2220436/admin/dashboard

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 Mariner Management & Marketing