Cathy Hotka & Associates

What Cathy Hotka & Associates does

Cathy Hotka & Associates, LLC is a privately held, founder-owned boutique marketing firm headquartered in Washington, DC, operating since 2002 with a small team of 1–10 employees. The firm operates three core event-based products: the Retail Insiders Party (an annual cocktail event held during the NRF Big Show in NYC since 2006), the Store Operations Council (an invitation-only forum for heads of store operations, with a 2026 edition planned in New Orleans), and Custom Events (bespoke Customer Advisory Board meetings and dinners in cities with retail leadership density).

The firm's go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging Cathy Hotka's three-decade personal reputation in the retail technology community — built originally through her creation of the NRF CIO Council in 1996 and recognized through awards including the Computerworld Premier 100 and Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Award — to assemble invitation-only gatherings of senior retail IT, strategy, and operations leaders. Retailers participate free of charge; revenue is generated from technology companies that sponsor these events and commission custom advisory board engagements under quote-based, multi-year contracts. Distribution is handled personally by Cathy Hotka via direct outreach, and the firm maintains strategic partnerships with NRF, RILA, the Food Marketing Institute, RetailWire (as a Braintrust Panelist), the Retail AI Council, and the Retail Orphan Initiative.

There is no proprietary technology platform, no disclosed AI/ML capability, and no external investment. The firm has no subsidiaries, no disclosed funding rounds, and no acquired entities; operating geographies are limited to the United States, with events concentrated in NYC and select cities with retail leadership density. The principal assets are intangible: Cathy Hotka's personal brand, multi-decade relationships with hundreds of Fortune 500 retail leaders, and three interlocking community franchises (NRF CIO Council, Retail Insiders Party, Store Operations Council) that consistently sell out.

Name

Cathy Hotka & Associates

Legal name

Cathy Hotka & Associates, LLC

Website

https://cathyhotka.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Cathy Hotka & Associates is a Washington, DC-based boutique marketing firm founded in 2002 that connects technology companies with senior retail leaders through exclusive, invitation-only events including the Retail Insiders Party and the Store Operations Council.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Retail Marketing Services

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Public Relations Agencies (541820), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Advertising Agencies (7311)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Thought Leadership & Executive Visibility (BPAFADAG), Corporate Meetings & Conferences (Internal/External Business Events) (MPAGAHAA)

Keywords

• Retail event marketing
• Invitation-only retail events
• Customer advisory boards
• Retail industry networking
• Store operations council

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Sponsorship: Technology companies sponsor the Retail Insiders Party and Store Operations Council meetings in exchange for visibility and access to senior retail leaders. Sponsorship provides 'unprecedented visibility' for sponsors.
2. Custom Advisory Board Services: Custom-curated Customer Advisory Board meetings or dinners in cities with retail leadership concentration. Each meeting is individually designed by the community-building expert.
3. Vendor/Technology Company Consulting: Marketing strategy services for technology companies seeking to reach and connect with senior retail leaders, including unbeatable marketing strategies and event masterminding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cathy Hotka & Associates is a boutique marketing firm that connects innovative technology companies with senior retail leaders through curated, invitation-only events. Its core offerings include Custom Events (Customer Advisory Board meetings and dinners), the Retail Insiders Party (cocktail networking events held during major retail conferences), and the Store Operations Council Meetings (peer forums for heads of store operations).

Product overview

Cathy Hotka & Associates is a boutique marketing firm offering three distinct event-based products: Custom Events (Customer Advisory Board meetings), The Retail Insiders Party (cocktail networking events during retail conferences), and The Store Operations Council Meetings (invitation-only forums for store operations leaders). These products work together to connect technology companies with senior retail leaders through curated in-person events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Events Customer Advisory Board meetings or dinners held in cities with high concentrations of retail decision-makers. Each meeting is custom-curated by a community-building expert to enable knowledge-sharing, constructive brainstorming, and relationship building between technology companies and senior retail leaders.
• The Retail Insiders Party A cocktail event bringing together senior retail IT and transformation leaders during major retail conferences such as the NRF Big Show, providing networking opportunities and sponsor visibility for technology companies.
• The Store Operations Council Meetings Invitation-only meetings that combine retailer presentations, panel discussions, and technology partner presentations for heads of store operations, covering associate motivation, omni-channel processes, and customer experience. Participation for retailer attendees is complimentary.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of Fortune 500 retailers attend the Retail Insiders Party annually since 2006
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• RetailWireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCathy serves as a Braintrust Panelist for RetailWire, where retail influencers weigh in on the biggest issues of the day. This partnership enhances her thought leadership visibility and connects her communities with broader retail industry discussions.
• The Retail AI CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Retail AI Council attracts both key retailers and AI companies for mutual learnings and advice. Cathy is actively involved, providing her network of retail leaders while gaining access to cutting-edge AI insights for her community.
• Retail Orphan InitiativeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCathy is on the Board of Advisors for the Retail Orphan Initiative, a nonprofit coalition within the retail industry that aims to raise awareness and provide solutions for vulnerable children worldwide. The initiative holds events during the week of the NRF Big Show.
• National Retail Federation (NRF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCathy created the NRF CIO Council in 1996 during her 7 years at NRF. The Retail Insiders Party is held during the NRF Big Show, and Cathy continues to be deeply connected to NRF activities.
• RILA (Retail Industry Leaders Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfter working at NRF, Cathy consulted to RILA, providing advisory services and community-building expertise.
• Food Marketing InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfter NRF, Cathy also consulted to the Food Marketing Institute, extending her community-building services to the grocery/food retail sector.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Retail Federation (NRF): The largest U.S. retail trade association and operator of the NRF Big Show. NRF is the institutional incumbent Cathy Hotka worked at for 7 years and created the CIO Council in; it organizes the flagship conference where Cathy Hotka & Associates hosts the Retail Insiders Party.
• Food Marketing Institute (FMI): Food retail trade association Cathy Hotka consulted to. Runs large grocery industry conferences and educational events that overlap with the firm's grocery/food-retail expansion path.
• Retail TouchPoints (The Lead): Retail media and events brand covering digital, store operations, and customer experience. Operates conferences and editorial reaching the same audience as Cathy Hotka & Associates' Store Operations Council.
• RILA (Retail Industry Leaders Association): U.S. retail industry association that Cathy Hotka consulted to after her NRF tenure. Organizes executive-level retail events and convenes the same CIO/COO audience as Cathy Hotka & Associates.
• RIS News: Retail technology trade publication and event operator; ranked Cathy Hotka as the fourth most influential PaceSetter. Reaches the same retail-IT and store-operations buyer audience through editorial, awards, and conferences.
• Shoptalk: Large-scale retail and grocery technology conference (now including Groceryshop). Targets the same retail-technology buyer as Cathy Hotka & Associates but at a much larger, conference-tradeshow scale with paid sponsorship tiers.

Emerging players

• Future Stores Miami: Annual retail store operations conference and expo run by WBR. Directly competes with the Store Operations Council for heads of store operations attention and vendor sponsorship budgets.
• RETHINK Retail: Community-driven retail leadership events and Top Retail Expert recognition program. Directly comparable to Cathy Hotka & Associates as a boutique, community-led organizer of executive retail gatherings and is listed as a peer awarder of Cathy Hotka.

Direct peers

• RetailWire: Retail industry discussion platform with Braintrust panelists and daily debates among retail executives. Cathy Hotka is a Braintrust Panelist; RetailWire serves the same audience of senior retail leaders and technology vendors and operates a similar community-led GTM model.
• Retail AI Council: Invite-only council convening retailers and AI vendors. Active partnership already exists; it directly competes for AI-themed retail-tech sponsorship and council mindshare.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Cathy Hotka & Associates