Media Association of Pittsburgh

What Media Association of Pittsburgh does

The Media Association of Pittsburgh (MAP) is a regional professional membership association serving media professionals across the Greater Pittsburgh area. Founded in 1946 by Thomas J. MacWilliams as The Pittsburgh Radio and Television Club (PRTC) and renamed MAP in 2007 to reflect its expanded digital and educational mandate, the organization operates as a member-supported nonprofit governed by a volunteer Board of Directors drawn from major regional media, agency, corporate, and educational institutions (Hearst, Highmark Health, WTAE, StackAdapt, Chemistry Communications, Brunner, Carnegie Mellon, Point Park University, Robert Morris University, and others).

MAP's product surface centers on three tiered annual memberships (Individual at $50/year, Group at $350/year for 10-14 employees, Corporate at $500/year for 15+ employees), the long-running Outstanding Achievement in Media Awards (OAMA, now in its 37th year and held at the National Aviary), the Beer & Big Shots scholarship fundraiser, the MAP Scholarship and Mary Beth Beggy Fischerkeller Memorial Scholarship programs (over $34,000 awarded cumulatively), and recurring educational webinars covering topics such as addressable TV advertising and AI in media. Revenue is generated from membership dues, event sponsorships, and ticket sales (distributed via Eventbrite and Leap Events), with no external funding, no disclosed revenue, and no app, API, or proprietary technology stack.

The go-to-market motion is community-led and event-driven: MAP acquires and retains members through its website, social media presence, and word-of-mouth within Pittsburgh's media community, with signature events (OAMA, Beer & Big Shots, holiday mixers, educational programming) serving as the primary acquisition and engagement touchpoints. Membership is anchored by a stable of board members who represent their firms and actively recruit group/corporate members through direct relationship building at industry gatherings.

Name

Media Association of Pittsburgh

Legal name

Media Association of Pittsburgh

Website

https://mediapittsburgh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Media Association of Pittsburgh is a 79-year-old regional professional membership association serving Greater Pittsburgh media professionals through tiered annual memberships, the annual OAMA awards, scholarship programs, and educational events. It operates as a nonprofit, community-led body with no external funding or proprietary technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industry

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Professional association membership
• Media industry networking
• Industry awards ceremony
• Media educational programming
• Scholarship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees collected from individual, group, and corporate members. Membership runs January 1 to December 31. Three tiers: Individual ($50/year), Group for 10-14 employees ($350/year), Corporate for 15+ employees ($500/year).
2. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsors support MAP events including the annual OAMA awards, Beer & Big Shots fundraiser, and holiday mixer. Sponsors receive recognition, branding opportunities, and access to the media community.
3. Event Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from ticket sales to the annual Outstanding Achievement in Media Awards ceremony and other premium events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

MAP is a professional membership association that provides Pittsburgh's media professionals, agencies, and media companies with networking, education, recognition, and community services. Its core offerings are an annual membership program (Individual, Group, and Corporate tiers), the Outstanding Achievement in Media Awards (OAMA) ceremony, a scholarship program for media-bound college students, and recurring networking and educational events such as Beer & Big Shots, holiday mixers, and webinars.

Product overview

The Media Association of Pittsburgh operates as a membership-based professional organization offering a unified portfolio of networking, educational, and recognition services for media professionals. The core offerings include MAP Membership (with Individual, Group, and Corporate tiers), the annual Outstanding Achievement in Media Awards (OAMAs), the MAP Scholarship Program, and the Beer & Big Shots fundraiser. These products work together to fulfill MAP's mission of identifying, celebrating, and educating the Pittsburgh media community while supporting the next generation of media leaders through scholarships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MAP Membership Annual membership program providing professional networking, education, events, awards recognition, career opportunities, and members-only resources for media professionals, agencies, and media companies in the Pittsburgh region. Members receive exclusive access to networking events, priority registration for educational sessions, thought-leadership programming, volunteer portfolio-building opportunities, and board consideration.
• Outstanding Achievement in Media Awards (OAMA) Annual awards ceremony recognizing excellence in Pittsburgh media across TV, Radio, Agency/Allied, and OMNI (Outdoor, Magazine, Newspaper, Internet) categories. Includes special recognition awards such as the Thomas J. MacWilliams Lifetime Achievement Award, Art Stein Memorial Award, and Rising Star Award, alongside the presentation of MAP scholarships.
• MAP Scholarship Program Annual scholarship program providing financial awards to full-time college students studying public relations, advertising, communications, or marketing in Southwestern Pennsylvania. Includes the MAP Scholarship and Mary Beth Beggy Fischerkeller Memorial Scholarship, awarded to students with a 2.5+ GPA who attend school or live in the region.
• Beer & Big Shots Scholarship Fundraiser Annual fundraising event featuring media industry personalities as guest bartenders competing to raise tips for the MAP Scholarship Fund, combining networking with scholarship support for media-bound college students.
• Educational Events and Webinars Recurring educational programming including speaker sessions, panels, workshops, and thought-leadership webinars covering topics such as addressable TV advertising, AI in media, video game marketing, and print magazine trends, offered free or at discounted rates to MAP members.
• Holiday Mixer and Networking Events Recurring networking and social mixers hosted by MAP for members and the broader Pittsburgh media community, including the annual StackAdapt & MAP Holiday Mixer which combines networking with charitable fundraising for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $34,000 in scholarships awarded to local media-bound students
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Greater Pittsburgh Community Food BankminorOthers · 11 December 2025Charitable partner for the StackAdapt & MAP Holiday Mixer held December 11, 2025. All event proceeds go directly to the Food Bank to help local families. StackAdapt matches donations up to $2,500. Total of $384 raised.
• Tapville SocialminorOthers · 11 December 2025Venue partner for the StackAdapt & MAP Holiday Mixer held at 1447 Smallman Street, Pittsburgh. Event hosted December 11, 2025 from 6:30 PM to 9:30 PM.
• StackAdaptcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStackAdapt is a key sponsor and co-host of MAP events including the annual OAMA awards and the StackAdapt & MAP Holiday Mixer. Doug Andiorio serves as MAP's VP of Communications while also working as an account manager at StackAdapt. StackAdapt matches donations up to $2,500 for the holiday mixer benefiting the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.
• Mike's Beer BarminorOthersVenue partner for the annual Beer & Big Shots scholarship fundraiser held October 6, 2025 at 110 Federal St. Pittsburgh, PA 15212. The event pairs local media 'Big Shots' as guest bartenders competing to raise scholarship funds.
• National AviarycoreOthersVenue for the annual Outstanding Achievement in Media Awards ceremony. The 37th Annual OAMA awards will be held May 7, 2026 at The National Aviary, Pittsburgh. The National Aviary hosts the premier recognition event for Pittsburgh media professionals.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• American Advertising Federation (AAF): National professional association for the advertising industry with local chapters (AAF Pittsburgh overlaps directly with MAP's territory). Both serve advertising and media professionals via membership, events, awards (ADDYs), and education — AAF is the umbrella national brand where MAP is the regional media-focused counterpart.
• Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB): National trade association for the digital advertising and marketing ecosystem. Competes with MAP for digital agency members and educational programming relevance, particularly on topics like addressable TV and AI in media.
• 4A's (American Association of Advertising Agencies): National trade association representing advertising agencies. Operates a membership/governance model similar to MAP but at the agency-firm level rather than individual professional level, serving many of the same Pittsburgh agency members.
• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA): National professional association for PR and communications professionals with a Pittsburgh chapter. Operates the same membership/events/awards model as MAP but focuses on PR practitioners rather than buyers/sellers/creators across all media.

Regional players

• Broadcasters Club of Philadelphia: Regional professional association serving broadcast and media professionals in the Philadelphia market. Comparable regional media club model with membership, networking events, and industry recognition.
• Media Club of New York (Wayne Calloway Chapter): Regional media-focused professional association providing networking, education, and events for media professionals in New York. Highly analogous to MAP's mission and operating model in a different DMA.
• Advertising Club of New York (The AD Club): Historic regional advertising/media club (founded 1896) serving New York media professionals with membership, awards (ANDYs), and events. Closest functional analog to MAP in a different DMA, demonstrating the regional-club model MAP operates.
• Chicago Association of Direct Marketing (CADM): Regional professional association serving direct, digital, and data-driven marketers in Chicago. Similar membership/events/education model for media and marketing professionals in a single metro area.
• SF Ad Club: San Francisco Bay Area advertising and media professional association hosting events, awards, and networking. Operates the same regional-media-club model as MAP in a different DMA.

Others

• Television Academy (Emmy organization): Professional organization for the television industry that administers the Emmy Awards. While more industry-specific and awards-focused, MAP's OAMA recognitions and scholarship program operate on a similar peer-recognition model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mediapittsburgh
• Facebookfacebook.com/MediaPittsburgh
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/media-association-of-pittsburgh
• Instagraminstagram.com/mediaofpittsburgh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Media Association of Pittsburgh