Midwest Automotive Media Association

What Midwest Automotive Media Association does

Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) is a nonprofit trade association founded in 1991 and headquartered in the Chicago area with a mailing address in Niles, Illinois. It serves a vetted membership of 246-260+ automotive journalists, editors, broadcasters, photographers, videographers, freelancers, public relations professionals, and educators across the Midwest. Working Media members pay $80 annually and Affiliate members pay $130 annually; both classes may vote in association matters, though only Working Media may hold the offices of President, Senior Vice President, and Vice President of Membership.

The association's product surface is organized around a portfolio of in-person and virtual events anchored by the Spring Rally at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, the Fall Favorites Fest, the Chicago Auto Show Media Preview Breakfast co-sponsored with the Chicago Automobile Trade Association, the Chicago Drives Electric EV-focused event, the MAMA eMeet virtual presentation series, and 8-10 monthly luncheons featuring OEM speakers. The annual MAMA Favorite Vehicle Awards program, run since at least 2011 with seven categories (Family, Luxury, Off-Roader, Pickup Truck, Performance, Plug-In, Affordable), is voted on by 175+ journalists and serves as the organization's flagship editorial product, generating 558.6M in 2024 news media reach and 118M social reach.

MAMA's business model combines subscription-based membership dues with event sponsorships from automotive manufacturers (Hyundai, Kia, Ford, Toyota, Genesis, Jeep, Lucid, Subaru, Dodge, BMW, Mazda, Scout Motors, Can-Am, Cars.com, CATA). The association is governed by an annually elected Board of Directors and operates without parent company, equity, or external funding rounds. Strategic partnerships include Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism (James L. Mateja Memorial Scholarship, cumulative fundraising above $100,000), Cars.com as official communications partner, and Road America as Spring Rally venue partner.

Name

Midwest Automotive Media Association

Legal name

Midwest Automotive Media Association

Website

https://mamaonline.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Nonprofit trade association founded in 1991 serving 246-260+ Midwest automotive journalists and PR professionals through membership, signature driving-evaluation events, the MAMA Favorite Vehicle Awards, and monthly industry programming.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Niles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Full membership ($80) for journalists covering the auto industry; Affiliate membership ($130) for media relations professionals working in the automotive field. These dues fund association activities, monthly luncheons, and events.
2. Event Sponsorships: Monthly meetings, Spring Rally, Fall Rally, Holiday Social, and Chicago Auto Show Media Preview Breakfast are sponsored by automotive manufacturers. Sponsors cover venue fees, meals, and activity costs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

MAMA is a nonprofit professional association that provides automotive journalists and PR/affiliate professionals with networking forums, hands-on vehicle evaluation events, and an annual awards program. Its core deliverables are the MAMA Favorite Vehicle Awards (seven categories plus an overall winner), signature driving rallies (Spring Rally at Road America, Fall Favorites Fest, Chicago Drives Electric), monthly industry luncheons, the Chicago Auto Show Media Preview Breakfast, and virtual eMeet presentations. Membership-based access is gated by sponsorship requirements and verified work samples.

Product overview

Midwest Automotive Media Association (MAMA) is a non-profit automotive media association that provides a forum for automotive journalism and industry news through multiple interconnected programs and events. The organization operates a portfolio of vehicle evaluation and awards programs including the annual MAMA's Favorite Vehicle Awards (with category awards for Family, Luxury, Off-Roader, Pickup Truck, Performance, Plug-In, and Affordable vehicles), Family Vehicle of the Year Award, and Luxury Family Vehicle of the Year Award. MAMA hosts signature live driving events including the Spring Rally at Road America, Fall Favorites Fest, Chicago Auto Show Media Preview Breakfast, and Chicago Drives Electric. The organization also conducts monthly luncheon programs with automotive industry speakers and virtual eMeet presentations. MAMA's members—automotive journalists and PR professionals—evaluate vehicles throughout the year at these events, with voting culminating in the annual awards announced at the Chicago Auto Show.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MAMA's Favorite Vehicle Awards Annual recognition program where automotive journalists vote on the best new vehicles across seven categories plus an overall Favorite Vehicle winner, awarded at the Chicago Auto Show.
• Spring Rally at Road America Annual two-day hands-on driving event at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where journalists evaluate vehicles on track, autocross course, off-road course, and scenic routes.
• Fall Favorites Fest Annual autumn driving event where journalists test and name seasonal favorite vehicles across all powertrains.
• Chicago Auto Show Media Preview Breakfast Annual media breakfast co-sponsored with the Chicago Automobile Trade Association that opens the Chicago Auto Show each February, drawing approximately 400 attendees.
• Monthly Luncheon Programs Eight to ten monthly meetings per year featuring guest speakers from automotive manufacturers and industry newsmakers, with product presentations.
• Chicago Drives Electric Annual EV-focused media evaluation event for journalists to test electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, held alongside Fall Fest.
• MAMA eMeet Virtual Presentations Virtual presentation series in which manufacturers brief MAMA members on new products and company updates via video conference with live Q&A.
• James L. Mateja Memorial Scholarship Annual scholarship of at least $4,000 awarded through Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism to a promising journalism student, funded by MAMA contributions of more than $100,000.

Quantifiable outcome

• 558.6M in news media reach from 2024 events
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Northwestern University Medill School of JournalismcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 January 2017MAMA partnered with Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism to establish the James L. Mateja Memorial Scholarship in honor of MAMA's founding president. The scholarship provides an annual sum of at least $4,000 to a promising journalism student as selected by Medill faculty. MAMA initially raised more than $100,000 contributed directly to Northwestern University's 501(c)(3) scholarship charity.
• Cars.comcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial communications partner and sponsor of MAMA events. Cars.com presents the American-Made Index (AMI) to MAMA members and provides sponsorship support for rallies and events.
• Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the annual MAMA Media Preview Breakfast that kicks off the Chicago Auto Show each February. CATA is the show producer and MAMA hosts the media breakfast event. More than 400 people attend this annual event.
• Road AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMAMA's Spring Rally is held annually at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin - one of America's most famous race tracks. Road America sponsors breakfast at rallies and continues partnership for vehicle evaluations.
• Drive Chicago RadiominorGTM or Marketing PartnerMAMA members Jim OBrill and Mark Bilek co-host Drive Chicago Radio on WLS 890 AM. The show covers automotive news, interviews guests, reviews specific models, and discusses car shopping tips.
• Consumer Guide AutomotiveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerConsumer Guide Automotive Car Stuff Podcast features MAMA members Tom Appel, Damon Bell, and Jill Ciminillo in a weekly automotive news recap.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Detroit Auto Press Association: Detroit-area automotive journalists association serving the U.S. auto industry's traditional hub. Comparable to MAMA as a regional automotive media trade association, with proximity to major OEMs offering both sponsorship access and competitive overlap.
• Eastern Automotive Writers Association (EAWA): East Coast regional association of automotive journalists and writers hosting vehicle evaluations and networking events. Comparable to MAMA in membership structure and event-based sponsorship model, serving a different geography.
• International Motor Press Association (IMPA): Regional automotive press association serving the Northeast/New York metro area with journalist membership, networking events, and awards programs. Closely comparable to MAMA as a membership-based automotive media trade group.
• Motor Press Guild: New York-area automotive journalists association that runs vehicle evaluation events and awards comparable to MAMA's Spring Rally and MAMA's Favorite Vehicle Awards. Direct peer in the regional automotive media trade-association category.
• Western Automotive Journalists (WAJ): California-based association of automotive journalists running press-fleet vehicle evaluations, networking events, and awards. Mirrors MAMA's structure and member profile on the West Coast, serving the same dual journalist/PR constituency.
• Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA): Texas-based association of automotive journalists and PR professionals running hands-on vehicle evaluation events and an annual awards program. Closely comparable to MAMA in mission, member composition, and event-driven sponsorship model.
• New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA): Regional trade association of automotive journalists in New England that runs vehicle evaluation programs, awards, and networking events. Directly comparable to MAMA as a membership-based, dues-and-sponsorship-funded regional automotive media association serving a similar journalist + PR member mix.

Others

• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA): National professional association for PR practitioners, with membership, chapters, and industry events. Thematically related to MAMA's affiliate/PR membership segment but broader in scope; comparable as a peer professional-association model.
• Chicago Automobile Trade Association (CATA): Chicago-area trade association representing automobile dealers and producing the Chicago Auto Show; direct partner of MAMA on the annual Media Preview Breakfast. Comparable as a regional automotive industry association but serves dealers rather than journalists, making it an ecosystem partner rather than a direct competitor.

Broad incumbents

• Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International): Global professional association for automotive and aerospace engineering professionals, with membership, standards, conferences, and publications. Comparable in membership-association structure but much larger in scope and engineering-focused rather than media-focused.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mamaonline
• Facebookfacebook.com/MidwestAutomotiveMediaAssociation
• Instagraminstagram.com/mamaonline
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/midwest-automotive-media-association-mama

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Midwest Automotive Media Association