Association of Briefing Program Managers

What Association of Briefing Program Managers does

The Association of Briefing Program Managers, operating as GACEP (Global Association of Customer Engagement Professionals), is a private, Dallas-based professional association founded in 1994 and rebranded in 2024. The organization serves practitioners who manage executive briefing programs, customer engagement centers, experience centers, and innovation centers at large enterprises, with a membership of nearly 600 professionals drawn from over 150 Fortune 500 companies. GACEP's core offering is a membership platform that bundles community access, the proprietary 'Characteristics of World Class Programs' standards framework, the CCEP certification curriculum, an annual research library (impact, staffing, compensation, and cost surveys), the CX Live podcast series, in-person conferences (Spring, European, Fall Workshop), and a World Class Awards recognition program.

GACEP monetizes through tiered annual membership dues (Primary $1,295, Associate $495, Individual $495, Solution Partner Associate $695, Solution Partner $2,500), event registration fees, and pay-as-you-go research report sales (e.g., $149/$499 for the 2023 Briefing Impact Report). Distribution is direct-to-member via the GACEP.com portal, supplemented by conferences, virtual workshops, podcasts, and a Solution Partner ecosystem of approximately 25+ AV, experience design, software, and merchandise vendors. The organization is operated by McCreery Inc. with a lean 1-10 employee structure and member-led governance via a Global Advisory Board and European Leadership Council. No public revenue, funding, or M&A activity is disclosed.

Name

Association of Briefing Program Managers

Legal name

McCreery Inc. dba GACEP (Global Association of Customer Engagement Professionals)

Website

https://abpm.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GACEP (formerly ABPM) is a private professional association serving nearly 600 briefing and customer engagement program managers at over 150 Fortune 500 companies, providing membership, certification, research, conferences, and industry standards.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Professional association
• Briefing programs
• Customer engagement
• Industry certification
• Membership community

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

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. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from Primary, Associate, Solution Partner, and Individual members provide recurring revenue. Primary Membership is $1,295/year, Associate is $495/year, Solution Partner is $2,500/year.
2. Research Reports and Surveys: Sale of industry research reports including the 2023 Briefing Impact Report ($499 non-member, $149 member), 2024 Center Cost Survey, 2024 Compensation Survey, and 2023 Staffing Survey
3. Event Registrations: Revenue from Spring Conference, European Conference, Fall Workshop Series, and virtual workshops. First-time Primary Members receive discount from non-member rate to conferences during their first year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

GACEP (formerly ABPM) operates a membership-based professional association serving briefing and customer engagement program managers. The organization delivers tiered annual memberships (Primary, Associate, Solution Partner, Individual), industry certification through the CCEP curriculum, proprietary World Class standards and awards program, paid research reports and surveys, annual conferences and virtual workshops, and the CX Live thought leadership podcast series.

Product overview

GACEP (Global Association of Customer Engagement Professionals, formerly ABPM) operates as a membership-based professional community rather than a technology product company. The organization's offerings consist of community programs including the CCEP Certification curriculum mapped to World Class Program standards; research publications including studies on briefing impact, staffing, compensation, and center costs; the CX Live! podcast series featuring industry thought leadership; annual conferences and workshops; and member resources including tools, value proposition infographics, and an online store for reports. The portfolio is organized around professional development, industry benchmarking, networking, and standards development for the briefing and customer engagement profession.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GACEP Membership Program Tiered annual membership program for enterprises and professionals managing briefing and customer engagement programs. Membership types include Primary ($1,295/year), Associate ($495/year), Solution Partner ($2,500/year), Solution Partner Associate ($695/year), and Individual ($495/year). Benefits include access to the member directory, job board, resources, events, and research discounts.
• Certified Customer Engagement Professional (CCEP) Certification Certification curriculum tailored for briefing and customer engagement program professionals, providing structured career development mapped to industry-defined World Class standards.
• World Class Program Standards and Awards Industry standards document detailing characteristics of world-class briefing and customer engagement programs, paired with an annual awards program recognizing excellence in program management, center design, analytics, customer experience, operations, and innovation.
• GACEP Conferences and Workshops Annual in-person events (Spring Conference, European Conference, Fall Workshop Series) and virtual workshops covering topics such as sales engagement, customer advisory boards, executive support, and program management for members and non-members.
• Industry Research Reports and Surveys Industry research reports and surveys including the 2023 Briefing Impact Report, 2024 Center Cost Survey, 2024 Compensation Survey, 2023 Staffing Survey, and 2019 Compensation Survey. Sold with member and non-member pricing tiers.
• CX Live Thought Leader Podcast Series Thought leadership podcast series with episodes featuring industry leaders discussing topics relevant to briefing program managers, customer engagement, facilitation, program management, center design, and AI in customer experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 600 members from over 150 Fortune 500 companies globally
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers85 records

Segments3 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered platinum level sponsor, bronze level sponsor and minor.

• Q-SYSplatinum level sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum Level Sponsor contributing to the success of GACEP Conferences and Services throughout the year. Q-SYS provides audio, video, and control platform solutions.
• Blue Telescopebronze level sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronze Level Sponsor contributing to the success of GACEP Conferences and Services throughout the year. Blue Telescope is an experiential technology company.
• Darby Mason-WernerminorOthersGACEP Member who hosts and produces the CX Live Thought Leader Interviews podcast series for the GACEP community
• Mandel CommunicationsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGlobal communications training/coaching firm with 30+ years experience. Offers training programs including The Extraordinary Discussion Leader, Master the Virtual Briefing, The Influential Conversation, The Listening Edge, and Executive Coaching. ABPM supplier member for 20+ years.
• Crafted ActionminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerInnovation consultancy enabling engaging visitor experiences. Offers Experiential Master Planning process considering space, experience, operations, and culture. Team includes architects, Pixar storytellers, National Geographic creatives, Ph.D. technologists. Clients include Amazon, Boeing, Comcast, WL Gore.
• Robertson MarketingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBranded merchandise and promotional products experts. Offers merchandise strategy, design, custom manufacturing, experiential gifting programs, retail stores, pop-up stores, vending machines, VR brand stores, global logistics. Clients include PwC, Atlassian, BlackRock.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Center for Exhibition Industry Research (CEIR): Industry research organization producing benchmarking reports for the exhibitions industry. Partially comparable because GACEP similarly monetizes research and benchmarking reports, though CEIR focuses on the B2B exhibition vertical specifically.

Direct peers

• International Live Events Association (ILEA): Global association for live events and experiential marketing professionals with chapter-based membership, networking events, and education programs. Highly comparable operating model to GACEP, though focused on the broader live events discipline.
• Society of Incentive & Travel Executives (SITE): International association for the incentive travel and motivational events industry with similar membership, certification, and global chapter structure. Comparable as a member-led professional association serving a narrow but global corporate buyer community.
• Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS): Member-driven association for marketing and business development professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. Operates on a similar model of tiered individual/corporate memberships, regional chapters, certification, and annual conferences serving a specialized B2B marketing community.
• Customer Experience Professionals Association (CXPA): Global member-based professional association for customer experience practitioners. Closest direct peer because it serves a similarly specialized, enterprise-centric CX professional community with certifications, events, and benchmarking, overlapping with GACEP's expanded customer engagement remit.

Others

• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): The 'association of associations,' providing research, training, and best-practices for association professionals. Relevant ecosystem peer given GACEP is itself an association, but ASAE does not compete for end-customer engagement professionals.

Broad incumbents

• International Association of Exhibitions and Events (IAEE): Established trade association for the exhibitions and events industry, offering CEM certification and large-scale industry events. Comparable in providing professional development and standards for an adjacent events-based community.
• Professional Convention Management Association (PCMA): Large established association for the business events industry, offering education, certification (CMP), and convening for meetings and events professionals. Comparable because GACEP operates in the same association-and-events ecosystem, but PCMA serves a much broader audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ABPM
• Facebookfacebook.com/AssociationOfBriefingProgramManagers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/abpm-association-of-briefing-program-managers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Association of Briefing Program Managers