International Association of Administrative Professionals

What International Association of Administrative Professionals does

The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1942 and headquartered at 10502 N Ambassador Dr., Kansas City, Missouri. The organization serves administrative professionals worldwide through a portfolio of certification, training, leadership, and community programs. IAAP segments its audience across individual administrative professionals (its primary segment), organizations and companies, students, retired professionals, and government, education, and non-profit entities, with horizontal segmentation applied across each.

IAAP's core product is the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) credential, a proctored examination covering organizational culture, business communication, software/data, office management, meeting/event/project management, and operational functions. Supporting products include CAP study materials (5th Edition print and Kitaboo-delivered eReader, plus two timed practice exams), four CAPstone 8-week specialty certificate courses (Meeting and Event Planning with MPI, Human Resources, Business Writing, Organizational Management), the flagship IAAP Summit and Aspire Leadership conferences (in-person and virtual), the OfficePro professional journal, the Career Center job board, the Beyond the Desk podcast, the IAAP Foundation research arm, and a 2026 Innovation Lab focused on AI tool literacy. Delivery is built on the Learn@IAAP learning management system, the WebAssessor exam platform, and YourMembership.com's association management software for membership, billing, email marketing, and event management.

IAAP operates a community-led, multi-stream revenue model combining recurring membership dues ($25 student, $35 legacy, $200 professional, and $1,000-$5,000 organizational scaled by company size and type) with one-time fees for CAP exams ($335-$375), CAPstone courses ($850-$1,050), conference registrations, study materials ($149-$249), OfficePro subscriptions ($35-$50), and sponsorships ($500 APD level). Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the iaap-hq.org website, virtual learning platform, and conference venues, supplemented by social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest), email, and podcast distribution.

Name

International Association of Administrative Professionals

Website

https://iaap-hq.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1942

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The International Association of Administrative Professionals is a nonprofit professional association founded in 1942 that provides certification, training, conferences, and community for administrative professionals worldwide, anchored by the CAP credential, CAPstone specialty certificates, and the annual IAAP Summit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kansas City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual and semi-annual membership fees providing access to resources, community, and professional development opportunities. Includes OfficePro subscription for professional members.
2. CAP Certification Exams: Fees for CAP exam applications, retakes, and reactivations. Organizational members receive discounted pricing.
3. Study Materials: Sale of CAP Study Guides (print and eReader), Practice Exams, and bundled study packages.
4. CAPstone Certificate Courses: 8-week virtual specialty certificate courses with weekly live sessions. Member and non-member pricing available.
5. Conference Revenue: Registration fees for Summit (in-person and virtual), preconference sessions, and specialty experiences like CAP Experience at Summit and Innovation Lab.
6. Organizational Memberships: Annual organizational memberships priced by company size and type (Business, Education, Non-Profit, Government), providing sub-memberships for employees and additional discounts.
7. OfficePro Journal: Stand-alone subscription to OfficePro professional journal, available in 1-year (7 issues) or 2-year options. Included free with professional membership.
8. Sponsorships and Publications: APD Sponsorship opportunities and The Partnership Playbook publication sale.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IAAP is a nonprofit professional membership association that delivers the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) credential, virtual specialty certificate courses (CAPstone), annual conferences (Summit, Aspire Leadership), and ongoing professional development resources (OfficePro journal, podcasts, study materials) to administrative professionals. It monetizes primarily through individual and organizational membership dues, certification exam fees, study guide sales, conference registrations, and sponsorships.

Product overview

IAAP offers a comprehensive professional development ecosystem for administrative professionals centered around its CAP (Certified Administrative Professional) certification program. The core portfolio includes the CAP certification exam with associated study materials (Study Guide, eReader Study Guide, Practice Exam, Practice Exam 2), supplemented by CAPstone Specialty Certificate courses in Human Resources, Business Writing, Meeting and Event Planning, and Organizational Management. The organization delivers three flagship conferences: IAAP Summit (annual with in-person and virtual options), Aspire Leadership Conference (focused on executive influence), and CAPstone courses (virtual specialty programs). Additional offerings include OfficePro professional journal, Career Center job board, Learn@IAAP learning management system, Innovation Lab at Summit (AI-focused training), Professional Development Pathways guidance sessions, Beyond the Desk podcast, and The Partnership Playbook resource. Organizational memberships provide corporate team access with volume discounts on all programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CAP (Certified Administrative Professional): Professional certification program for administrative professionals
• IAAP Summit
• Aspire Leadership
• CAPstone
• Beyond the Desk: Admin Advocates
• OfficePro
• IAAP Foundation

Products and services

• CAP (Certified Administrative Professional) Certification
• CAP Study Guide (5th Edition)
• CAP eReader Study Guide (5th Edition)
• CAP Practice Exam Timed computerized practice exam with 200 multiple-choice questions following the same domain distribution as the actual CAP exam, 3-hour completion time, 1 attempt per purchase.
• CAP Practice Exam 2 Second timed practice exam with 200 new multiple-choice questions following the same domain distribution as the actual CAP exam.
• CAPstone Specialty Certificate Courses Series of 8-week virtual specialty certificate programs including Meeting and Event Planning (developed with MPI), Human Resources, Business Writing, and Organizational Management, delivered as interactive cohort-based learning with weekly live sessions.
• IAAP Summit Conference Annual flagship conference offering in-person and virtual attendance, featuring keynotes, breakout sessions, networking opportunities, and the on-site CAP Experience testing program.
• Aspire Leadership Conference Leadership development conference held in Chicago focused on executive influence and growing leadership competence, available in-person and virtually.
• Innovation Lab at Summit AI-focused leadership accelerator combining AI innovation training with real-world application, featuring Copilot and ChatGPT training, custom workflow building, and bi-weekly coaching sessions post-conference. Awarded Certificate of Achievement upon completion.
• OfficePro Journal Subscription Professional journal published seven times yearly offering expert insights on business ethics, workplace relationships, work-life balance, office software/hardware, management skills, and professional development. Available as 1-year (7 issues) or 2-year (14 issues) subscription.
• IAAP Career Center Job board platform connecting administrative professionals with employers, including job search, job postings, resume resources, and career portfolio guidance.
• Beyond the Desk: Admin Advocates Podcast Podcast series providing practical insights, real-life stories, and actionable advice to empower administrative professionals at every stage of their careers.
• The Partnership Playbook Comprehensive guidebook system for building executive-admin partnerships, including two specialized guidebooks, companion editions with case studies, interactive exercises, and potential for 20 CAP recertification points with separate assessment.
• CAP Experience at Summit On-site CAP testing program at Summit conferences combining 8-week guided study group, welcome reception, exam day breakfast, and live-proctored examination in Los Angeles.
• Organizational Membership Program Corporate membership tiers providing unlimited sub-memberships for flat yearly fees based on organization size and type (Business, Education, Non-Profit, Government), with discounts on certifications, conferences, and courses.
• Summit Preconference: Human First, Tech Forward Preconference workshop available in-person and virtually focusing on human-centered technology approaches for administrative professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• CAP certification validates relevant skills and confirms commitment to lifelong learning to employers, colleagues, and supervisors

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

AI capability1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Meeting Professionals International (MPI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAAP partnered with MPI, an industry leader, to develop the CAPstone Meeting and Event Planning (MEP) Specialty Certificate. This collaboration brings MPI's expertise in meeting and event management to administrative professionals seeking specialty certification.
• Lumia CoachingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial coaching partner for IAAP Summit 2026, providing Spark Sessions - walk-up coaching for administrative professionals. Offers 20-minute one-on-one coaching sessions during the conference to support professional development.
• YourMembership.comcoreTechnology or IntegrationYourMembership.com provides the membership management software powering IAAP's website. Provides online community software, membership management features, member invoicing/dues system, email marketing, and event management capabilities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iaap
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/iaapworldwide
• Facebookfacebook.com/iaaphq
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-association-of-administrative-professionals-iaap
• Pinterestpinterest.com/iaap

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

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Association of Administrative Professionals