Ad Club CO

What Ad Club CO does

Ad Club Colorado (Ad Club CO) is a nonprofit professional membership organization serving the advertising, marketing, and creative community across Colorado's Front Range, with a primary base in Denver. Founded in 1891 as the Alfalfa Club, it is the oldest Ad Club in the United States, later renamed the Advertising Club of Denver in 1911 and rebranded to Ad Club CO in 2018 to reflect its broader Denver-Boulder regional remit. The organization aggregates a portfolio of programs and services rather than operating as a unified technology platform: a membership program, signature in-person events (Colorado Ad Day, Kegs with Legs, Freelancer Fling, Creative/Caffeinated Mornings), award programs (The Fifty, Ace Awards), community impact initiatives (Good Works, Nonprofit Ad Hack), professional development (Adcademy, Ad Hack: Student Edition), and member resources (Job Board, Freelancer Directory, editorial blog). Operations are supported by a Wild Apricot-powered membership management platform integrated with the adclubco.com Squarespace website.

The organization serves a horizontal persona base spanning agency professionals (creatives, strategists, account managers, producers, media buyers), independent freelancers (designers, copywriters, photographers), client-side brand marketers seeking talent and visibility, and students entering the industry. Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring membership dues, transactional job posting fees ($75 per non-member listing, free for members), and corporate event sponsorships from a diverse roster including LoopMe, Mile High Outdoor, Frederic Printing, Jamloop, Zeta Global, Dcipher, Harmonic, Griffiths Law, and Colorado Sun. Governance is led by an Executive Director (Tonja Roth) and a volunteer Board of Directors including President Louisa Bisio, Vice President Kristan Butler, and Past President Sandy Hazzard, with board members drawn from leading Colorado agencies, brands (Kodiak Cakes, Mars, Dish Media), and academic institutions (University of Colorado Boulder).

Name

Ad Club CO

Legal name

Ad Club Colorado

Website

https://adclubco.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ad Club Colorado is a nonprofit professional membership organization, founded in 1891, that serves advertising, marketing, and creative professionals across Colorado's Front Range through events, awards, networking programs, and member services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association / Advertising Industry Membership

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Marketing, Sponsorship Sales & Promotion (MPAGAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sponsorship Activation & Experiential Marketing (THAHAGAC)

Keywords

• Professional membership association
• Advertising industry networking
• Marketing community events
• Advertising awards program
• Creative industry nonprofit

Headquarters

HQ city

Littleton

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual/membership fees for individual professionals and agencies to access member benefits, directory, job boards, and events
2. Job Postings: Fee-based job posting service - free for members, $75 for non-members
3. Event Sponsorships: Corporate sponsorships for events like Colorado Ad Day, The Fifty, Kegs with Legs, and other programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Ad Club Colorado operates a membership-based professional association for Colorado's advertising and marketing community, delivering value through networking events (Colorado Ad Day, Kegs With Legs, Freelancer Fling, Creative Mornings), industry award programs (The Fifty, Ace Awards), pro-bono community service initiatives (Good Works, Nonprofit Ad Hack), professional development (Adcademy), and member resource platforms (Job Board, Freelancer Directory, Blog). Revenue is generated through individual and agency membership dues, corporate event sponsorships, and job posting fees.

Product overview

Ad Club CO is a membership-based professional organization that serves as a community hub for Colorado's advertising and marketing professionals. Rather than a unified software platform, the organization offers an integrated portfolio of programs and services including membership access, signature events (Colorado Ad Day, Freelancer Fling, Creative/Caffeinated Mornings, Kegs With Legs), award programs (The Fifty, Ace Awards), community service initiatives (Good Works, Nonprofit Ad Hack), professional development (Adcademy), and member resources (Job Board, Freelancer Directory, Blog). The various programs work together to provide networking, recognition, skill-building, and community engagement for the Colorado advertising industry.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Program Annual membership program connecting Colorado advertising and marketing professionals through directory access, events, job board privileges, and community resources. Available for individuals and agencies.
• Colorado Ad Day Annual flagship advertising industry conference bringing together Colorado's creative community for a full day of learning, networking, and celebration. Held June 4, 2026 (9am-6pm).
• Freelancer Fling Speed-networking event connecting freelance creative professionals with agencies and companies seeking talent.
• Creative Mornings (Denver & Boulder) Monthly breakfast talks featuring local creatives, designers, artists, developers, photographers, and architects. Denver events held the 4th Friday of each month; Boulder events held the 1st Friday of each month. Free to attend, open to all.
• Kegs With Legs Networking event series held at host company venues, featuring drinks and social gatherings for the advertising community. Hosts open their offices to the creative crowd.
• Ace Awards Annual awards program recognizing the best people and service providers behind the scenes of Colorado advertising, including media buyers, printers, and talent agencies.
• The Fifty Annual awards ceremony celebrating Colorado's best creative work, featuring an amusement-park themed celebration and awarding winners with gold bars.
• Good Works Program Pro-bono advertising services connecting Colorado nonprofits with creative professionals to help amplify their missions.
• Nonprofit Ad Hack Hackathon-style event where creative professionals volunteer to produce advertising materials for nonprofits in a compressed timeframe.
• Adcademy Professional development programming for Ad Club members focused on skill-building and career advancement in advertising.
• Job Board Employment listing platform for advertising industry jobs in Colorado. Free for members; $75 per posting for non-members.
• Freelancer Directory Online directory connecting freelance creative professionals with agencies and companies seeking contract talent.
• Corporate Sponsorship Program Corporate sponsorship packages for Ad Club CO's events and programs including Colorado Ad Day, Kickball, The Fifty, and Good Works. Designed for agencies, brands, and vendors seeking visibility in the Colorado advertising community.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 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 core and minor.

• Creative Mornings DenvercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMonthly breakfast talks featuring local creatives, designers, artists, developers, photographers, architects. Events held 4th Friday of each month. Free to attend, open to all.
• Creative Mornings BouldercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMonthly breakfast talks for Boulder creative community. Events held 1st Friday of each month. Free to attend, open to all.
• LoopMeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Ad Club CO programs and events
• Mile High Outdoor (MHO)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Ad Club CO programs and events
• Frederic PrintingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Ad Club CO programs and events
• JamloopminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Ad Club CO programs and events
• Zeta GlobalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Ad Club CO programs and events
• DcipherminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Ad Club CO programs and events
• HarmonicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Ad Club CO programs and events
• Griffiths LawminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Ad Club CO programs and events
• Colorado SunminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Ad Club CO programs and events
• Wild ApricotcoreTechnology or IntegrationMembership management software platform powering Ad Club CO website, member login, event registration, and job board

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Denver Ad Club (regional comparison within AAF district): AAF's Colorado district presence that historically overlapped with the Ad Club CO footprint. Listed as an adjacent/overlapping association reflecting how regional advertising clubs are structured within the broader AAF federation, similar to Ad Club CO's own positioning.

Broad incumbents

• IAA (International Advertising Association): Global advertising industry association with chapters worldwide, including in the U.S. IAA operates on the same nonprofit membership/association model as Ad Club CO but with international scope and a focus on industry policy and cross-border issues.
• 4A's (American Association of Advertising Agencies): National U.S. trade association representing advertising agencies. While broader and agency-focused rather than community-driven, 4A's competes for the same advertising community engagement, sponsorship dollars, and professional recognition mindshare that Ad Club CO pursues.

Regional players

• AMA Colorado: Colorado chapter of the American Marketing Association, a regional professional association serving marketers in the same Denver/Boulder market. Directly comparable nonprofit membership model with overlapping target audiences in marketing and brand-building.
• PRSA Colorado: Colorado chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, a regional professional membership association serving communications professionals in the same Colorado Front Range market. Operates the same local-chapter nonprofit model with overlapping audiences in marketing/communications.
• Ad 2 Denver: Denver chapter of Ad 2, a national organization for advertising professionals under 32. Operates within the same Colorado Front Range creative community, targeting a younger professional segment that overlaps with Ad Club CO's student and emerging-professional audience.

Direct peers

• Creative Mornings: Global breakfast lecture series for the creative community with local chapters including Denver and Boulder. Already a formal partner of Ad Club CO (hosting Creative Mornings Denver and Boulder monthly), directly comparable as a community-driven creative professional platform.
• The One Club for Creativity: Nonprofit organization supporting the creative advertising community through awards (The One Show), education, and professional development. Comparable to Ad Club CO in being nonprofit, serving creative advertising professionals, and combining awards with community programming.
• AIGA (Professional Association for Design): National professional association for design with active local chapters. AIGA operates the same nonprofit, membership-based, local-chapter model as Ad Club CO, serving creative professionals in similar geographic community formats.
• American Advertising Federation (AAF): National trade association for the advertising industry with a federated network of local ad clubs. AAF operates AdClubs at the district/local level nationally, the same category Ad Club Colorado operates in, serving overlapping member audiences (agencies, brand marketers, students).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/adclubco
• Xx.com/adclubco
• Facebookfacebook.com/adclubco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Ad Club CO