Association of Town & City Management

What Association of Town & City Management does

The Association of Town & City Management (ATCM) is a UK-based not-for-profit professional membership organisation, founded in 1991 and operating across the UK and Ireland. It serves professionals responsible for managing high streets, town centres and city centres, with members drawn from the public, private and third sectors — including town and city centre managers, Business Improvement District (BID) leaders, local government stakeholders, and partner organisations. ATCM is governed by its members and led by CEO Ojay McDonald, with a small team of 11-50 employees based at a PO Box address in Westerham, Kent.

ATCM delivers its value proposition through an integrated portfolio of member services rather than a single technology product. Core offerings include the Knowledge Exchange (best-practice sharing platform), Purple Flag (an accreditation programme for evening and night-time economy districts), the High Streets Task Force (advocacy and regeneration initiative), and a Climate Emergency initiative. The organisation runs recurring events such as the Big Cities Conference (co-hosted in 2026 with NE1 Ltd and Sunderland BIDs), Summer School and Industry Awards, study tours (e.g., Stockton Urban Waterfront Park), and convenes the BIDs Steering Committee to provide governance and peer support across the UK and Ireland.

The business model is membership-fee driven on a recurring subscription basis, supplemented by event revenue. Membership tiers are not publicly disclosed, though practitioner members receive free access to select events such as the Big Cities Conference 2026. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on professional network effects, peer referrals, and ATCM's positioning as a respected voice in place-management public policy at European and global levels. ATCM operates virtually, distributing services through its website, email newsletter, LinkedIn presence, and in-person events rather than through a field sales force.

Name

Association of Town & City Management

Legal name

Association of Town & City Management

Website

https://atcm.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Association of Town & City Management (ATCM) is a UK and Ireland not-for-profit membership association, founded in 1991, that supports public, private, and third-sector professionals managing town and city centres through advocacy, accreditation (Purple Flag), events, and knowledge exchange.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Westerham, Kent

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: ATCM operates as a not-for-profit membership organization. Members come from the public, private and third sectors and include key stakeholders and thought leaders who develop and implement shared visions, strategies and action plans for town and city centres.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

ATCM is a not-for-profit membership organisation that supports professionals who manage high streets, town centres, and city centres across the UK and Ireland. It delivers a portfolio of professional services including a Knowledge Exchange best-practice platform, the Purple Flag accreditation programme for evening and night-time economies, the High Streets Task Force regeneration initiative, and public policy advocacy at European and global levels. Members also access annual events such as the Big Cities Conference, Summer School, the Town and City Management Industry Awards, and educational study tours.

Product overview

ATCM is a not-for-profit membership organization serving as a unified platform for town and city management professionals across the UK and Ireland. Rather than a software product, it offers an integrated portfolio of professional services including the Knowledge Exchange for best practice sharing, the Purple Flag accreditation program, and High Streets Task Force advocacy initiatives. The organization delivers professional development through Summer School events and the Town and City Management Industry Awards, while the BIDs Steering Committee provides governance and peer support for Business Improvement Districts. ATCM organizes conferences and study tours including the annual Big Cities Conference and Stockton Urban Waterfront Park Study Tour to showcase urban regeneration projects. Members also access the Banknote Checking Scheme and benefit from ATCM's role as a respected voice in public policy advocacy at European and global levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Sunderland BIDscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 October 2026Sunderland Business Improvement Districts is co-hosting the Big Cities Conference 2026 with ATCM and NE1 Ltd. Sunderland BIDs hosts Day Two of the conference at Culture House Sunderland, featuring programming that showcases the city's approach to urban regeneration and place management.
• NE1 Ltd (Newcastle)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 7 October 2026NE1 Ltd, the Business Improvement District for Newcastle, is co-hosting the Big Cities Conference 2026 with ATCM and Sunderland BIDs. NE1 serves as the primary host for Day One of the conference in Newcastle, providing the venue (Boiler Shop) and coordinating the first day's programming around city-centre assets, place-making, and hospitality sectors.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Locality: UK membership body supporting community organisations and social enterprises. Overlaps with ATCM's third-sector member base and community-led place management initiatives.
• Centre for Cities: UK think tank focused on city economics and policy. Comparable as a research-and-advocacy organisation producing content used by the same city-management professionals ATCM serves.

Others

• London First: London-based business membership coalition advocating on economic policy and infrastructure. Comparable as a cross-sector business-led advocacy group targeting city-level economic competitiveness, a theme central to ATCM's policy work.
• Heritage England (Historic England): Public body championing England's historic environment. Adjacent in urban regeneration and high-street revitalisation policy areas relevant to ATCM's Climate Emergency and High Streets Task Force initiatives.

Direct peers

• International Downtown Association: US-based membership association for urban place management professionals. Directly comparable as the leading international counterpart to ATCM, serving similar downtown/BID/city-centre manager audiences with knowledge exchange, accreditation, and advocacy programs.
• British BIDs: UK national body representing Business Improvement Districts, hosted within the ATCM ecosystem. Direct peer representing the same BID stakeholder community ATCM serves via its BIDs Steering Committee.
• Town and Country Planning Association: UK charity promoting sustainable planning and development. Adjacent professional association targeting town/city policy professionals with comparable advocacy, research, and member services.
• Institute of Place Management (Manchester Metropolitan University): UK-based academic body dedicated to place management research and professional standards. Overlaps with ATCM on knowledge exchange, professional development, and accreditation for town and city centre managers.

Broad incumbents

• Urban Land Institute: Global research and education body focused on land use and real estate development. Broader incumbent with overlapping urban regeneration content, events, and policy advocacy reaching city-centre professionals.
• Royal Town Planning Institute: UK chartered body for town planners with broader professional remit. Comparable as a larger, established membership organisation in the urban planning/place-making space that overlaps with ATCM's professional development function.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-of-town-centre-management

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 Association of Town & City Management