American Association of Political

What American Association of Political does

The American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) is a 501(c)-style professional membership association founded in 1969 and headquartered in McLean, Virginia, that serves as the primary trade body for US political consultants, campaign managers, pollsters, media strategists, and fundraisers across the partisan spectrum. The organization counts over 2,000 members and operates under a formal Code of Ethics with enforcement mechanisms, governed by a Board of Directors elected from the membership.

AAPC's core offerings span four pillars: recognition programs (the annual Pollie Awards, Hall of Fame, Trailblazer Awards, Top Ops Awards, 40 Under 40, and Campaign Excellence Awards); educational events (an annual Pollie Conference, three to four regional conferences in Midwest/Southwest/Mid-Atlantic/South, and recurring webinars); member resources (a Find a Consultant directory, an online job board, and 'The Future of Political Consulting' podcast); and advocacy (bipartisan positioning on ethical practices and political free speech). A closely affiliated nonprofit, the AAPC Foundation, runs internship and scholarship programs.

Revenue is generated through annual membership dues, event registration fees and corporate sponsorships tied to conferences and the Pollie Awards, and a niche stream from sales of duplicate Pollie Award trophies. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is quote-based. AAPC has no parent company, no outside investors, no disclosed M&A activity, and no reported revenue figures in the source material.

Name

American Association of Political

Legal name

American Association of Political Consultants

Website

https://theaapc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) is a 1969-founded, bipartisan US trade association serving 2,000+ political consultants and campaign professionals through membership dues, recognition programs (Pollie Awards, Hall of Fame), educational conferences and webinars, a job board, and a consultant directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Trade Association

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHACAA

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

SECONDARYBPAHACAN

Public Sector & Policy Consulting

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Management Consulting

SECONDARYMPAAADAE

Public Affairs & Government Relations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Advertising, Marketing & PR Services/Public Relations & Communications Agencies

SECONDARYBPAFADAB

Public Affairs, Government Relations & Lobbying

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Public Relations & Communications

SECONDARYBPAHAFAC

Governance & Board Effectiveness Advisory

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Risk, Compliance & Governance Advisory

Keywords

• Political consulting association
• Professional membership association
• Campaign consulting awards
• Political industry networking
• Political advocacy events

Headquarters

HQ city

Mclean

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: AAPC generates revenue primarily through annual membership fees from political consultants, campaign professionals, and related practitioners who join for networking, education, ethics standards, and industry recognition.
2. Event Registration and Sponsorships: Revenue is generated from registration fees for the Annual Pollie Awards & Conference, regional conferences, webinars, and chapter events, as well as corporate sponsorships at these events.
3. Duplicate Trophy Sales: AAPC sells duplicate Pollie Award trophies to past winners, providing a niche revenue stream from recognized recipients.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The American Association of Political Consultants (AAPC) is a nonprofit professional membership association serving political consultants, campaign managers, pollsters, media strategists, fundraisers, and other political and public affairs professionals across the United States. It sells annual memberships, hosts the Pollie Awards & Conference plus regional conferences and webinars, runs awards programs (Hall of Fame, Trailblazer, Top Ops, 40 Under 40, Campaign Excellence), and offers member resources including a job board, a Find a Consultant directory, and The Future of Political Consulting podcast.

Product overview

AAPC is a professional membership association for political consultants that operates a portfolio of recognition programs, educational events, and member resources. The core offerings include the annual Pollie Awards (the industry's premier awards competition), Hall of Fame inductions, Top Ops Awards, Trailblazer Awards, and 40 Under 40 recognition. Educational programming consists of the annual Pollie Conference, regional conferences, and webinars. Member resources include a job board, a Find a Consultant directory, and The Future of Political Consulting podcast. The AAPC Foundation provides internship and scholarship programs. The association also maintains a Code of Ethics and advocates for ethical practices and political free speech protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AAPC Membership Annual professional membership providing political consultants, campaign managers, pollsters, media strategists, fundraisers, and public affairs professionals with access to the 2,000+ member network, Code of Ethics, regional and national events, job board, Find a Consultant directory, podcast, and advocacy support.
• Pollie Awards Annual awards competition and ceremony recognizing excellence in political consulting across categories including advertising, polling, and campaign management; among the most prestigious recognitions in U.S. political advertising and consulting.
• Top Ops Awards Award program honoring exceptional political operatives for their strategic expertise, communications, research, and logistics contributions to political campaigns; inaugurated in 2024.
• Hall of Fame Highest honor bestowed by AAPC working members to colleagues demonstrating leadership, longevity, and accomplishment in the political consulting profession.
• Trailblazer Awards Annual award recognizing pioneers who created groundbreaking technologies, bold strategists, and changemakers whose leadership has expanded the boundaries of political consulting.
• 40 Under 40 Annual recognition program honoring outstanding young professionals under age 40 in the U.S. political consulting industry.
• Campaign Excellence Awards Awards program recognizing excellence in political campaign strategy and execution across various categories.
• Annual Pollie Conference Annual flagship conference featuring educational sessions, networking opportunities, and the Pollie Awards ceremony for AAPC members and political consulting professionals.
• Regional Conferences Regional conferences held across U.S. regions including Midwest, Southwest, South, and Mid-Atlantic for networking and continuing education of AAPC members.
• Webinars Online educational sessions covering topics such as polling strategy, media mix, influencer engagement, and AI in campaigns for AAPC members.
• AAPC Job Board Online job board at jobs.theaapc.org connecting AAPC member employers with job seekers in political consulting and public affairs roles.
• Find a Consultant Directory Searchable directory on the AAPC website allowing campaigns and organizations to find qualified AAPC-member political consultants.
• The Future of Political Consulting Podcast Official AAPC podcast exploring topics at the intersection of politics and technology, including AI in campaigns, media strategy, and industry trends.
• AAPC Foundation Internship & Scholarship Programs Programs operated by the AAPC Foundation providing internships and scholarships to support the next generation of political consulting professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ members

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• AAPC FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe AAPC Foundation is a related nonprofit entity that supports the association's mission through internship and scholarship programs. It operates independently at aapcfoundation.org and complements AAPC's professional development mission by fostering the next generation of political consultants.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Council of Public Relations Firms: The Council of PR Firms is an industry association for PR agency principals with structure similar to AAPC: firm membership, code of conduct, advocacy for the profession. Comparable to AAPC in scope but focused on PR agencies versus political consultants.
• American Marketing Association: AMA is a US professional association for marketing professionals with a comparable operating model: individual memberships, chapters, certification, conferences, and editorial content. Comparable in scale and structure to AAPC, though operating in adjacent rather than overlap professional space.
• International Association of Business Communicators: IABC is a global membership association for business communicators, providing credentials (e.g., SCMP), local chapters, awards programs, and an annual world conference. Highly comparable to AAPC in structure, though serving a broader communications rather than political niche.
• Public Relations Society of America: PRSA is the largest professional membership association for PR practitioners in the US, mirroring AAPC's structure (dues, chapters, code of ethics, awards, conferences). Both serve communications professionals with similar value propositions around networking, ethics, and continuing education.
• Association of Fundraising Professionals: AFP is the professional association for fundraising professionals, with strong overlap to AAPC's political fundraising members (e.g., Tina Stoll, first fundraising consultant inducted into AAPC's Hall of Fame). Similar size, dues structure, ethics code, and awards portfolio.
• National Speakers Association: NSA is a professional membership association for speakers and keynote presenters with a comparable operating model (membership tiers, code of ethics, annual convention, awards). Provides a useful comp for AAPC's smaller-scale individual-membership-association economics.

Broad incumbents

• American Political Science Association: APSA is the academic professional association for political scientists, sharing AAPC's bipartisan positioning within the political ecosystem. Comparable governance structure but operates in academic/research rather than commercial consulting.
• American Association of Advertising Agencies (4A's): The 4A's is a larger trade association representing ad agencies rather than individual consultants, offering comparable services (standards, events, advocacy) but with agency-firm membership and a broader mandate than AAPC's political consulting focus.

Emerging players

• National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics: The National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics focuses specifically on lobbying and ethics education for government-relations professionals, overlapping with AAPC's advocacy-focused members but operating at a smaller scale and with narrower scope.

Others

• Internet Society: ISOC is a nonprofit professional organization that maintains standards, advocacy, and membership programs around an industry/internet ecosystem, providing a structural comp for trade-association governance and revenue mix though its mission is technical rather than political.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theaapc
• Facebookfacebook.com/aapcfans
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/american-association-of-political-consultants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 American Association of Political