CMS Partners

What CMS Partners does

CMS Partners operates as the Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS), a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1984 and headquartered in Weatherford, Texas. The society convenes users, service providers, and OEM manufacturers of portable 3D coordinate measurement systems — including laser trackers, laser radar, photogrammetry/videogrammetry systems, articulating arms, scanning devices, CMMs, theodolites, GPS, and laser projection systems. Its core constituency comprises measurement technology professionals across industrial manufacturing, aerospace, defense, and government buyers (Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center are named participants).

The society's flagship product is the annual Coordinate Metrology Society Conference (CMSC) — a five-day event established in 1984, held at rotating venues, featuring technical presentations, an interactive exhibit hall showcasing cutting-edge 3D technology, hands-on training workshops, and networking sessions. The 42nd Annual CMSC is scheduled for July 20-24, 2026 at the Fairmont Dallas in Dallas, Texas, and is described as the world's premier event for Measurement Technology Professionals. Supporting products include a Technical Paper Archive containing 500+ peer-contributed papers since 1984 (the most comprehensive such repository cited), the semi-annual Journal of the CMSC, the quarterly CMSC WORLD eNewsletter, online video training through 3DMU, and a Metrology Certification Program offering Level 1 cognitive assessment plus Level 2 certifications in Articulated Arms and Laser Trackers.

Revenue is generated across four streams: conference registration (which bundles a one-year membership), $75 annual membership dues, exhibit booth registration for vendors, and metrology certification/MIT assessment fees. The society is governed by an elected Executive Committee and supported by standing committees including Certification (chaired by Randy Gruver) and Nominations. Educational partnerships include UNCC Center for Precision Metrology and NIST, and the society participates in the PrecisionPath Consortium focused on U.S. manufacturing competitiveness. Marketing reaches members through the quarterly CMSC WORLD newsletter, social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, YouTube, LinkedIn), and content marketing anchored on the technical paper archive and Journal.

Name

CMS Partners

Legal name

Coordinate Metrology Society

Website

https://cmsc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1984 that convenes measurement technology professionals through its annual CMSC conference, certification programs, technical publications, and training resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• 3D metrology conference
• Coordinate measurement systems
• Metrology certification program
• Portable measurement technology
• Professional society membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Weatherford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Conference Registration: Annual five-day conference with registration fees including membership, conference program, exhibit hall entrance, presentations, workshops, meals, and evening networking events
2. Annual Membership Dues: Annual membership dues providing access to members-only area containing annual conference proceedings, technical papers, photos, and CMS by-laws, plus email updates
3. Exhibit Booth Registration: Companies can exhibit at the CMSC to showcase technology products to focused group of 3D metrology users
4. Certification Fees: Metrologist certification and MIT (Metrologist In Training) assessment test fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

CMS Partners is the membership arm of the Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS), a professional nonprofit association for measurement technology professionals. It operates the annual five-day CMSC Conference, sells annual memberships, runs a metrology certification program (Level 1 cognitive assessment and Level 2 certifications in Articulated Arms and Laser Trackers), publishes the Journal of the CMSC and CMSC WORLD newsletter, and maintains a technical paper archive of 500+ papers.

Product overview

The Coordinate Metrology Society (CMS/CMSC) operates as a membership-based professional society rather than a product company. The organization provides a unified platform centered on its annual CMSC Conference - a five-day premier event for measurement technology professionals. The portfolio includes professional certification programs for metrologists, technical publications including the Journal of the CMSC and a repository of over 500 technical papers, online video training through 3DMU, and the quarterly CMSC WORLD newsletter. The society also runs the PrecisionPath Consortium and provides certification testing at various exam locations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CMSC Annual Conference Five-day annual conference for measurement technology professionals featuring technical seminars, an interactive exhibit hall showcasing 3D metrology technology, hands-on training sessions, panel discussions, and networking events. Includes membership, presentations, workshops, meals, and evening networking. For metrology end users, vendors, OEMs, researchers, and students.
• CMS Annual Membership Annual membership dues at $75.00 providing access to members-only area with annual conference proceedings, technical papers, photos, CMS by-laws, email updates, and community benefits. Open to users, service providers, and OEM manufacturers of coordinate measurement technology.
• Metrology Certification Program Professional certification program for 3D metrology including Level 1 cognitive assessment, Level 2 certifications in Articulated Arms and Laser Trackers, Metrologist In Training (MIT) assessment test, and recertification. The only program of its kind addressing portable 3D metrology certification.
• Journal of the CMSC Technical journal published twice a year featuring white papers presented by industry experts at the CMSC conference, covering portable and three-dimensional measurement technology applications.
• CMSC Technical Paper Archive Comprehensive repository of over 500 high-level technical papers and presentations contributed by industry leaders since 1984, covering portable metrology technologies and applications. Accessible to CMS members.
• Exhibit Booth Registration Exhibit booth registration allowing metrology technology vendors and OEMs to showcase products to the focused group of 3D metrology users attending the CMSC conference.

Quantifiable outcome

• 500+ technical papers and presentations contributed since 1984
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Educational Partners (UNCC Center for Precision Metrology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Coordinate Metrology Society maintains educational partnerships with leading institutions in metrology education and research, including the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Center for Precision Metrology, providing collaboration on research and development initiatives.
• PrecisionPath ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMS is actively involved in the PrecisionPath Consortium, which focuses on building and strengthening the future of U.S. manufacturing through collaborative initiatives in precision metrology.
• 3DMU Online Video TrainingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership providing online video training resources for metrology professionals under the Education & Jobs section of the CMS website.
• NISTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed among educational partners on the CMS website, representing collaboration with the National Institute of Standards and Technology in metrology standards and research.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ASTM International: Standards-development organization with committees (e.g., E57 on 3D imaging systems) directly relevant to CMS members. Comparable as a standards and community anchor for metrology, though structured around formal standards rather than a single flagship conference.
• SPIE (Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers): International scientific society for optics and photonics, with a comparable operating model of membership, large annual conferences, peer-reviewed proceedings, and continuing education. Overlaps with CMS in photogrammetry and laser-based metrology communities.
• American Society for Quality (ASQ): Major quality-management professional society with certifications, publications, and industry events. Overlaps with CMS in the metrology and quality assurance space, and CMS is described in industry press alongside ASQ as addressing certification needs.
• ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers): Large engineering professional society offering conferences, journals, and certification programs. Comparable in operating model to CMS at a much larger scale, and serves an audience that overlaps with industrial metrology users.
• Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME): Large, established manufacturing professional society. Operates overlapping capabilities in technical publications, annual events, and certifications, but serves a far broader manufacturing audience rather than specializing in portable 3D metrology.

Direct peers

• NCSL International: Professional society for measurement science and standards, including calibration laboratories. Closely comparable to CMS as a niche professional association for metrology practitioners, with conferences, technical publications, and a focus on traceability and standards.
• A3 (Association for Advancing Automation): Trade association serving the automation, robotics, and machine vision communities. Comparable in structure — membership society with major annual event, certifications, and industry publications — and overlapping in industrial measurement and quality end markets.
• American Society for Precision Engineering (ASPE): Professional society for precision engineering and metrology practitioners. Directly comparable as a membership association serving an overlapping community of metrology and precision-measurement professionals with conferences, publications, and educational programs.
• ASNT (American Society for Nondestructive Testing): Professional society for nondestructive testing and evaluation, with a strongly analogous model: membership, annual conference, technical journal, and certification programs serving measurement professionals in adjacent testing/inspection disciplines.

Regional players

• Coordinate Metrology Society competitors / IMTS: International Manufacturing Technology Show — a much larger biennial trade show for manufacturing technology with adjacent metrology exhibitors. Indirectly competitive for exhibitor marketing dollars and attendee attention, though far broader in scope than the CMSC.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cmscevent
• YouTubeyoutube.com/results?search_query=coordinate+metrology+society+conference
• Facebookfacebook.com/coordinatemetrologysystemsconference
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coordinate-metrology-society-conference

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

Investments1 record

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

Frequently asked questions about CMS Partners