Motor Press Guild

What Motor Press Guild does

Motor Press Guild (MPG) is a California-based chartered nonprofit professional association founded in 1984 (originally as IMPA West) and operating independently since 1989. It is the largest automotive media association in North America, serving working automotive journalists, editors, photographers, broadcasters, producers, PR professionals, analysts, students, and industry affiliates. Members gain access to OEM and partner events, the annual Media Guide directory, the monthly Milepost newsletter, signature events such as Drive Day and Cars & Coffee meetups, and a national awards program headlined by the Dean Batchelor Lifetime Achievement Award.

MPG's product portfolio is membership-centric: tiered annual memberships ($30-$150), the multi-category MPG Awards Program, a 300-page Media Guide, the Milepost newsletter, Drive Day vehicle-evaluation events, the Featured Artist spotlight series, and book-giveaway benefits. The organization operates on a subscription-recurring revenue model anchored by annual membership dues, supplemented by sponsor contributions from companies such as Mothers and event-program partnerships. The technology backbone is the Wild Apricot membership management platform, which handles signups, renewals, payments, and automated communications, with CognitoForms supporting event registration.

Governance is by an elected member Board of Directors with three-year terms; the 2026 board is led by President David Boldt, Vice-President Patrick Anderson, and Secretary/Treasurer Jim Dvorak. A Strategic Modernization Plan adopted in 2024 repositions MPG from a regional journalist group into a broader incubator for automotive storytelling across print, digital, video, podcast, and social media formats. Geographic scope remains North America, with a stated annual budget in excess of $300,000.

Name

Motor Press Guild

Legal name

Motor Press Guild

Website

https://motorpressguild.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Motor Press Guild is the largest automotive media association in North America, a California-based nonprofit providing membership services, industry events, credentialing, and a national awards program to automotive journalists, PR professionals, photographers, broadcasters, and analysts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Media Relations & Rights Support Services (Press Ops, Rights Packaging Support) (MPAKAKAN), Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Automotive media association
• Professional membership organization
• Automotive journalism awards
• Auto industry networking
• Press credentialing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from journalist, public relations, analyst, affiliate, student, and emeritus members. Membership runs on calendar year basis (January 1st). Premium enhanced membership levels available at higher price points for journalist and PR categories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Motor Press Guild is a nonprofit professional association that provides tiered annual memberships to working automotive media professionals. Its core service offerings include access to industry networking events, OEM press fleet opportunities, the annual MPG Awards program, the Drive Day driving event, the Milepost newsletter, and a published media directory.

Product overview

Motor Press Guild (MPG) is a professional association offering a suite of membership services for automotive media professionals. The organization operates a unified membership platform that includes the MPG Awards Program for recognizing automotive journalism excellence, a Membership Directory and Media Guide for networking, the monthly Milepost newsletter for industry updates, and annual Drive Day events for vehicle evaluation. Additional member benefits include the Featured Artist Series spotlighting automotive photographers and artists, a Book Giveaway Program offering automotive literature, and exclusive access to automotive industry events including SEMA Show, Automobility LA, Electrify Expo, and various manufacturer-hosted gatherings. The organization is powered by Wild Apricot membership management software and uses CognitoForms for event registrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MPG Membership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• MPG member survey on EV industry (50%+ believe Tesla leads EV segment)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, minor and core.

• Lions Automobilia FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 12 July 2025Lions Automobilia Foundation hosts the Roar of Lions Annual Car Show and Lions' Gasser Gathering Car Show. MPG members receive media credentials and access to these automotive cultural events celebrating hot rodding and racing history.
• FuelFestmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 28 June 2025Created by Cody and Felicia Walker (Fast & Furious family), FuelFest is a traveling celebration of horsepower, music, and family. MPG provides member access and press credentials for FuelFest events including the first LA event at Fairplex in Pomona.
• Shelby AmericanmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 25 June 2025MPG partners with Shelby American for exclusive media events showcasing Shelby vehicles including the 2025 Super Snake and 2026 Shelby GT350. Events held at Segerstrom Shelby Event Center in Irvine, CA with ride-alongs and manufacturer access.
• Electrify ExpomajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 21 June 2025North America's largest electric vehicle festival. MPG partners with Electrify Expo to provide members access to Industry Day events, panel discussions on EV industry trends, and special media credentials. The partnership includes MPG-hosted surveys and panel discussions on eTransportation.
• SEMA GarageminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 December 2023Partnership with SEMA Garage for Toyota Tacoma Measuring Session media event. MPG members received access to view new vehicle models, speak with SEMA executives and Toyota subject matter experts, and learn about SEMA member services.
• Zimmerman Automobile Driving MuseummajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2023Partnership for 'Art & Racing' event hosting at the museum in El Segundo, CA. MPG hosted panel discussions featuring automotive artists and photographers at the museum venue. Museum provided meeting space for member events at no cost.
• Garage + SocialminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 July 2023Hosted 'Building a Career in Automotive Media Today' panel discussion at Garage + Social location in Culver City. Featured prominent media members discussing industry landscape, career paths, and advice for young journalists.
• Wild ApricotcoreTechnology or IntegrationWild Apricot membership management software powers the MPG website, handling membership signups, renewals, payments, and automated functions. The platform provides the underlying technology infrastructure for the organization's digital operations.
• Mothers (MPG Awards Sponsor)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerMothers Polishes and Waxes serves as sponsor for MPG Awards and member contests. Jim Dvorak of Mothers serves as Secretary/Treasurer on the MPG Board. Mothers provides product prizes for member contests such as the Mother's Day contest winner receiving $200 in Mothers products.
• SEMA ShowmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSEMA Show provides MPG Journalist members with simplified registration for the largest automotive trade show at Las Vegas Convention Center. MPG serves as credentialing body for automotive media attending the show.
• Automobility LA (Los Angeles Auto Show)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerMPG partners with LA Auto Show's media and press day. MPG Journalist members in good standing automatically receive media badges for Automobility LA. MPG hosts member meet-up during happy hour.
• Fabulous Fords ForeverminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMPG partners with Fabulous Fords Forever group for Cars & Coffee events at Segerstrom Shelby Event Center. Members view Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, and Edsel vehicles on display.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Motor Press Association (IMPA): East Coast counterpart and MPG's former parent organization before MPG broke away in 1989. IMPA operates the same fundamental model: membership-based automotive press association hosting events, awards (IMPA Distinguished Service Award), and networking for journalists, PR professionals, and analysts in the New York metro area.
• New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA): Regional automotive media association serving the Northeast U.S. with the same membership/awards/event model as MPG. Holds annual NEMPA Awards programs, hosts vehicle launch events, and serves automotive journalists, PR professionals, and analysts in its region.
• Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA): Regional automotive press association based in Chicago serving Midwest U.S. automotive media. Operates the MAMA Spring Rally, hosts manufacturer events, and runs an annual awards program for automotive journalism—direct functional parallel to MPG.
• Western Automotive Journalists (WAJ): California-based automotive media association that historically overlapped with MPG's territory. Operates similar journalist membership, vehicle evaluation events, and networking functions for automotive press in the Western U.S.

Regional players

• Texas Auto Press Association (TAPA): Texas-based regional automotive media association with similar membership, event-hosting, and awards structure. Serves automotive journalists and PR professionals in Texas with a regional focus, parallel to MPG's California-centric footprint.
• Rocky Mountain Automotive Press (RMAP): Regional automotive press association serving the Rocky Mountain region with comparable membership, event, and awards structure to MPG. Hosts drive events and networking for automotive journalists in Colorado and surrounding states.
• Detroit Press Club: Historic regional press association based in Detroit, the historic center of the U.S. auto industry. Operates membership and networking programs for journalists in the Detroit metro, providing regional overlap with MPG's automotive media focus.

Broad incumbents

• Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International): Larger, established professional society serving the broader automotive engineering industry with membership, conferences, and standards development. While not focused on media/press, SAE overlaps with MPG's automotive industry networking role and has partnered with MPG on SEMA Garage events.
• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA): National professional association for PR practitioners that overlaps with MPG's PR membership segment. Operates the same membership model (dues, events, awards, networking) but covers all industries rather than specializing in automotive, making it a broader-incumbent comparison.
• Online News Association (ONA): National membership association for digital journalists. Shares the membership/awards/event model with MPG and is comparable as a journalism professional organization, though ONA operates across all beats rather than specializing in automotive coverage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/motorpressguild
• Xx.com/motorpressguild
• Facebookfacebook.com/motorpressguild
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/motor-press-guild

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Motor Press Guild