Distribution Management Association

What Distribution Management Association does

The Distribution Management Association (DMA So Cal) is a non-profit regional trade association founded in 1955 and headquartered in Riverside, California, serving the Southern California logistics, distribution, and supply chain community. Its core products are programmatic offerings rather than goods: tiered memberships, annual events including the Supply Chain Summit & Expo, port tours of the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, and a golf tournament, alongside educational and training programming delivered in partnership with academic and public-sector institutions.

DMA operates a community-and-events business model monetized through three primary streams: membership dues across five tiers (Student at $99/year, Individual at $395/year, Educational Partner at $750/year, Corporate Multi-Person at $995/year, and Industry Partner at $1,500/year); event sponsorships; and event registration fees. Its go-to-market is relationship-driven and regional, anchored by longstanding institutional partnerships with the County of San Bernardino, Cal Poly Pomona, the Port of Long Beach, and the Port of Los Angeles.

Operationally, DMA is a small organization of 1–10 employees that runs its member management, communications, and event registration on Wild Apricot, a standard SaaS membership platform. There is no disclosed proprietary technology, no AI/ML capability, no funding history, and no M&A activity. The organization functions as a steady-state regional professional association rather than a venture-backed or technology-led entity.

Name

Distribution Management Association

Legal name

Distribution Management Association

Website

https://dmasocal.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Distribution Management Association (DMA So Cal) is a non-profit regional trade association founded in 1955, serving the Southern California logistics and supply chain community through tiered memberships, annual events, port tours, and educational programs delivered with port and academic partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Riverside

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, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual subscription-based membership fees provide recurring revenue. Individual membership at $395/year includes event access for one person. Multi-person corporate membership at $995/year covers up to 4 members. Industry Partner membership at $1,500/year includes up to 4 comp tickets to events. Educational Partner membership at $750/year provides unlimited bundle access for educational institutions.
2. Event Sponsorships: Revenue generated through event sponsorship packages for the Annual Charity Golf Tournament, Supply Chain Summit & Expo, and other community events. Sponsorship tiers range from hole sponsorships at $500 to Title Sponsorships at $5,500.
3. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from paid event attendance including member tickets ($165), non-member tickets ($225), booth rentals, and individual event registrations such as golf tournament fees ($295 single golfer) and dinner-only options ($50).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Distribution Management Association is a non-profit trade association that provides membership-based networking, education, and professional development services to logistics, distribution, and supply chain professionals in Southern California. It sells annual memberships (Individual $395, Multi-Person $995, Educational Partner $750, Student $99, Industry Partner $1,500), hosts recurring events including an annual Supply Chain Summit & Expo, Charity Golf Tournament, and Port of Los Angeles cruise tours, and operates online professional and social forums plus a member directory.

Product overview

The Distribution Management Association (DMA) offers a unified portfolio of membership-based services for the supply chain and logistics community in Southern California. The core offering centers on DMA Membership Services, which provides access to networking events (including Port Tours, the annual Supply Chain Summit & Expo, and Charity Golf Tournament), educational programs with scholarships, professional and social forums, and a member directory. DMA was founded in 1955 and represents distribution centers, third-party logistics centers, warehouses, and related service providers. The association facilitates connections with organizations including the County of San Bernardino, Cal Poly Pomona, and the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DMA Membership Annual membership program for supply chain and logistics professionals and companies in Southern California, offered in five tiers: Individual ($395/year), Multi-Person Corporate ($995/year, up to 4 members), Educational Partner ($750/year, unlimited bundle), Student ($99/year), and Industry Partner ($1,500/year, up to 4 members). Includes access to DMA events, networking resources, member directory, and forums.
• Annual Supply Chain Summit & Expo Annual multi-day conference and exhibition bringing together supply chain and logistics professionals for educational sessions, networking, and vendor displays. Held at the Ontario Doubletree; member and non-member registration tiers available.
• Annual Charity Golf Tournament & Fundraiser Annual golf tournament fundraiser combining networking with charitable giving, featuring hole sponsorships ($500) and title sponsorships ($5,500), with single golfer registration at $295 and dinner-only options at $50.
• Port of Los Angeles Cruise Tour Member tour event providing direct access to and educational insight into operations at the Port of Los Angeles, leveraging DMA's partnership with the port authority.
• DMA Member Directory Online directory of DMA members accessible to the membership, providing access to the network of distribution centers, third-party logistics providers, warehouses, and industry partners in Southern California for networking and business development.
• DMA Education and Scholarships Educational programs and scholarship opportunities for students and members' children, supporting workforce development in the logistics and supply chain industry.
• DMA Forums (Professional and Social) Online community forums accessible to DMA members for professional networking and social interaction within the Southern California supply chain and logistics community.
• Event Sponsorship Packages Sponsorship packages for DMA events providing visibility and brand exposure to logistics decision-makers across Southern California, with tiered options ranging from hole sponsorships ($500) to title sponsorships ($5,500).

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• County of San BernardinocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMA maintains a partnership relationship with the County of San Bernardino providing additional member benefits including employee hiring credits and access to county resources.
• Cal Poly PomonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership with Cal Poly Pomona's supply chain/logistics programs providing industry connections and potential student opportunities.
• Port of Long BeachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMA partners with the Port of Long Beach to provide members with port access, tours, and insight into logistics operations at one of the nation's busiest ports.
• Port of Los AngelescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMA partners with the Port of Los Angeles offering members exclusive port tours and educational opportunities related to maritime logistics and supply chain operations.
• Various Training FacilitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDMA maintains relationships with various training facilities that provide no-cost employee training opportunities to member companies.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• American Trucking Associations (ATA): ATA is the national trade association for the trucking industry, offering advocacy, events, and education. It serves a broader, national truck-focused audience but overlaps with DMA on logistics workforce and education themes.
• Material Handling Institute (MHI): MHI is an industry trade association for material handling, logistics, and supply chain professionals, running major events like ProMat and MODEX. It serves a similar audience but operates at a much larger, industry-wide scale with broader manufacturing and equipment vendors.
• Institute for Supply Management (ISM): ISM is the largest US supply management and procurement association, offering membership, certifications (CPSM, CPSD), and education. It overlaps with DMA's professional-development value proposition but serves a broader procurement/supply chain audience nationally.

Direct peers

• International Warehouse Logistics Association (IWLA): IWLA represents third-party logistics and warehouse-based members, providing advocacy, education, and networking. Its member base of 3PLs and warehouses directly overlaps DMA's primary segment.
• Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP): CSCMP is the largest US professional association for supply chain management, offering membership, education, networking events, and certification. It is the most directly comparable peer to DMA, operating at a national scale with an analogous membership-and-events model.
• National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors (NAW): NAW is the national trade association representing the wholesale distribution industry, providing advocacy, networking, and education to distribution companies. It mirrors DMA's core constituency of distribution centers and wholesalers but at a federal advocacy level.
• Warehousing Education and Research Council (WERC): WERC is a professional association for logistics and warehousing professionals focused on education, research, and networking events. Its membership model and educational programming closely parallel DMA's offerings.

Emerging players

• National Industrial Transportation League (NITL): NITL is a national trade association for shippers and traffic managers in industrial transportation, focusing on rail and intermodal logistics. It is adjacent to DMA's distribution/logistics audience but with a more specialized transit-policy focus.

Regional players

• Pacific Merchant Shipping Association (PMSA): PMSA is a West Coast trade association representing terminal operators and maritime shipping at the Ports of LA and Long Beach. DMA partners with the same ports, making PMSA a regional peer with overlapping port-adjacent constituency.
• California Trucking Association (CTA): CTA is a California-based trade association representing the trucking and freight industry, providing advocacy, networking, and education. It is a regional peer serving logistics professionals in the same geography DMA targets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dma-socal

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 Distribution Management Association