Publicity Club of New York

What Publicity Club of New York does

The Publicity Club of New York (PCNY), operating as PCNY Inc., is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional association headquartered in Floral Park, New York. Founded on April 12, 1940, it is the oldest ongoing organization for public relations professionals in the United States, having originated as an informal weekly luncheon club of NYC PR practitioners before being formalized under its first President, Carl Helm. PCNY serves individual PR professionals seeking media access and professional development, as well as corporate sponsors and event partners drawn from the PR and media industries. Its core offering is a community-led program of monthly "Meet the Media" luncheons that pair PR practitioners with senior editorial decision-makers from leading digital, print, broadcast, and content-driven media organizations; these events are described as nearly always sold out and serve as the organization's primary value proposition.

PCNY's product surface is built on a WordPress-based website (publicityclub.org) for event listings, membership administration, a media directory, and PR resource curation, supplemented by Zoom for virtual event delivery and recorded event access for members. The organization also curates a real-time media news feed by embedding Twitter/X timelines from prominent journalists and outlets such as David Folkenflik, Dylan Byers, Poynter, and Columbia Journalism Review. Revenue is generated through four streams: individual memberships, corporate memberships, per-event registration fees (with pricing not publicly disclosed), and corporate event sponsorship from partners including Edelman, Muck Rack, Publicist, DoubleForte, Germinder, Thunder11, St. John's University, and Vivid Comms. Distribution is primarily regional, centered on in-person events at NYC venues such as Syracuse University Lubin House, with virtual programming extending reach beyond the metro area. PCNY maintains a layered ecosystem of "Friends" partnerships with PRSA New York, IABC New York, Center for Communication, MediaBistro, CommsWeek, and Redef/MediaReDEF, reinforcing its positioning within the NYC PR community.

Name

Publicity Club of New York

Legal name

PCNY Inc.

Website

https://publicityclub.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1940

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Publicity Club of New York is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional association founded in 1940 that serves PR practitioners in the NYC area through monthly "Meet the Media" luncheons connecting them with senior journalists, funded by individual and corporate memberships and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association / PR Networking

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Conference Communications, Marketing & Community Engagement (THAHACAN), Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Professional association
• PR networking events
• Media luncheons
• Membership organization
• Public relations community

Headquarters

HQ city

Floral Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership: Individual PR professionals pay membership fees to join PCNY, gaining access to events, networking opportunities, and past event recordings.
2. Corporate Membership: Corporate sponsors pay for membership benefits, gaining visibility and access to PCNY's professional network of PR practitioners.
3. Event Registration Fees: PCNY charges fees for event attendance, including luncheons and special events featuring media professionals.
4. Corporate Event Sponsorship: Companies like Muck Rack and Publicist sponsor specific events, supporting free access while gaining brand visibility among PR professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Publicity Club of New York (PCNY) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership organization for public relations practitioners that hosts monthly 'Meet the Media' luncheons bringing senior editorial decision-makers together with PR professionals. The organization sells individual and corporate memberships and offers event registration for in-person and virtual (Zoom) programming.

Product overview

The Publicity Club of New York (PCNY) is a professional membership organization for public relations practitioners, not a technology product company. It offers monthly "Meet the Media" luncheon events, streaming event videos, a media directory, and PR industry resources and job boards. It does not operate a software-as-a-service platform or sell named digital products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Individual Membership Recurring membership for individual PR professionals that provides access to monthly Meet the Media luncheons, networking with senior editorial decision-makers, and past event recordings.
• Corporate Membership Recurring corporate sponsorship tier offering companies brand visibility, talent recruitment opportunities, and access to PCNY's network of PR practitioners.
• Meet the Media Luncheon Events Monthly in-person luncheon events (typically 12:00-2:00pm at NYC venues such as Syracuse University Lubin House) featuring senior editorial decision-makers from leading digital, print, broadcast, and content-driven media organizations; sold individually or accessible via membership.
• Virtual Event Registration (Zoom Programming) Online event registration for virtual programming hosted via Zoom, including special events such as 'Business News in the Age of COVID' and 'Streaming News,' with video recordings available to members.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Syracuse University Lubin HouseminorOthers · 10 December 2019Syracuse University's Lubin House at 11 East 61st Street, NYC serves as a venue partner for PCNY events. The 'Sports, E-Sports, Sports Betting & The Olympics' event was held at this venue.
• EdelmancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEdelman, a leading global public relations firm, is listed as a corporate sponsor of PCNY, providing financial or organizational support for events and programs.
• Muck RackcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMuck Rack is a corporate sponsor and has partnered with PCNY to sponsor specific events, including 'Business News in the Age of COVID.' Muck Rack is also listed as an association partner on the PCNY website.
• PublicistcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPublicist co-sponsored the 'Business News in the Age of COVID' virtual event, whose generosity allowed PCNY to offer the event at no charge. Publicist also appears in the PR Resources section as a job board partner.
• DoubleForteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDoubleForte is listed as a corporate sponsor of PCNY.
• GerminderminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGerminder is listed as a corporate sponsor of PCNY.
• Thunder11minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThunder11 is listed as a corporate sponsor of PCNY.
• St. John's UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSt. John's University is listed as a corporate sponsor of PCNY.
• Vivid CommsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerVivid Comms is listed as a corporate sponsor of PCNY.
• CommsWeekminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCommsWeek is listed as an association partner of PCNY, appearing alongside the PCNY Present Streaming News section.
• Center for CommunicationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a 'Friend of PCNY' - a PR industry organization partner.
• IABC New YorkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a 'Friend of PCNY' - the New York chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators.
• PRSA New YorkminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a 'Friend of PCNY' - the New York chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.
• Redef/MediaReDEFminorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a 'Friend of PCNY' - Redef's MediaReDEF channel is featured as a media industry news resource.
• MediaBistrominorGTM or Marketing PartnerListed as a 'Friend of PCNY' - MediaBistro's PR & Comms Jobs section is referenced in PCNY's PR Resources.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• PR Council: An industry association representing leading US PR agencies. While it operates at the agency-firm level rather than individual practitioner level, it serves a directly overlapping NYC PR agency ecosystem with member events and programming.
• PRSA (Public Relations Society of America): The largest US professional organization for PR practitioners, with national chapters, certifications (APR), and major events. PRSA operates at a broader scale than PCNY but addresses the same core member base (PR professionals) with a national scope.
• Arthur W. Page Society: A professional association for chief communications officers and senior PR leaders. While it targets a more senior tier than PCNY and operates nationally, it serves the same PR profession with membership-based programming and events.

Emerging players

• PRWeek: A leading PR industry media brand that runs awards, events (PRWeek Awards, conferences), and publishes industry news. While primarily a media/events business rather than a membership association, it competes for the same NYC PR audience attention and sponsorship dollars.
• Bulldog Reporter: A PR industry media and events company running awards programs, conferences, and PR/media databases. It overlaps with PCNY on serving PR professionals and providing journalist access tools, but operates at a larger commercial scale.

Direct peers

• PRSA New York: The New York chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, PRSA NY is a direct peer serving NYC PR professionals with events, awards, and networking. It is explicitly listed as a 'Friend of PCNY,' making it the closest comparable professional association in the same geography and member base.
• IABC New York: The New York chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators serves communications professionals with programming and networking. Listed as a 'Friend of PCNY,' it overlaps directly on member base (NYC communications practitioners) and programming format (events and education).
• Center for Communication: A New York-based nonprofit that brings together communications professionals through events and programming. Listed as a 'Friend of PCNY,' it competes for the same NYC communications professional audience with a similar event-led membership model.

Others

• Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications: Syracuse's Newhouse School is an academic institution that trains PR professionals and hosts industry events. It overlaps indirectly through its PR alumni network and through the Lubin House venue partnership with PCNY.

Regional players

• CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations): The UK's professional body for PR practitioners, offering memberships, credentials, and events. It is a comparable professional association model in a different geography, illustrating how the PCNY concept scales internationally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/mediaReDEF
• YouTubezoom.us/rec/share/pCfaqhl1IomXdeyOF1-21rVjT9AfyiURdDMgnVY2vMYd71Vs0sdX29wlF2LqBTvT.9b8k1zdh1ACQOY5s
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/publicity-club-of-new-york-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 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 Publicity Club of New York