Athletic Equipment Managers Association

What Athletic Equipment Managers Association does

The Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA) is a US-based, nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1974, serving athletic equipment managers across high school, collegiate, and professional sports programs. Its core offerings are structured around four pillars: tiered membership (Professional $155/year, Student $60/year, Retired at no cost), a Certification Program administered with Meazure Learning that covers five domain areas (Department Administration, Safety and Standards, Operations, Procurement and Finances, Inventory Control), a CEU continuing education program requiring 6.0 credits every three years, and an annual national convention (Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky in June 2026, Orlando in June 2027) that serves as the primary gathering for workshops, certification exams, and exhibitor showcases. AEMA operates across 9 districts covering all 50 US states, Canadian provinces, and select international locations (Germany, Japan), with district directors facilitating regional meetings and CEU tracking.

AEMA has no proprietary technology products; it operates a standard website-based membership management system and relies on third-party platforms including Meazure Learning (formerly Scantron) for certification exam delivery and Helmet Tracker for convention attendance/CEU scanning. The association monetizes through five revenue streams: membership dues, convention registration ($165/attendee), tiered sponsorships (Platinum $35K, Gold $20K, Silver $10K, Bronze $5K) plus exhibitor booths ($2,500) and à la carte event sponsorships, certification exam and manual fees, and journal/publications. The Riddell Career Boost Program and a 2026 partnership expansion represent its flagship corporate relationship. The organization is governed by an elected Board of Directors with a President (Will Rodecap, elected June 2026), Vice President, 9 District Directors, and a newly hired full-time Executive Director (Ann Kitt-Carpenetti, April 2025). Recent strategic emphasis has been on professionalization, digital member benefits, and deepening corporate partnerships — most notably with Riddell (Platinum Sponsor since 2022 with a 2026 multi-year extension).

Name

Athletic Equipment Managers Association

Legal name

Athletic Equipment Managers Association

Website

https://equipmentmanagers.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA) is a 50+ year nonprofit professional membership association serving 700+ athletic equipment managers across high school, collegiate, and professional sports in the US, Canada, and select international markets, offering certification, continuing education, and an annual convention.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized/Single-Purpose Accreditors (e.g., seminaries, arts conservatories) (EDADACAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Project, Quality & Operations (PMP PDUs, Six Sigma, Quality CE) (EDAAALAM)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Athletic equipment management
• Sports certification program
• Continuing education credits
• Membership association

Headquarters

HQ city

Freeville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Primary revenue stream from annual membership dues. Professional members pay $155/year, student members pay $60/year. Membership runs July 1 - June 30 annually.
2. Convention Registration: Separate convention registration fees of $165 per attendee (2026-27 season). Early-bird discounts available in February. The convention includes exhibitor booth sales, sponsor packages, and event-related revenue.
3. Sponsorships and Exhibitor Fees: Platinum sponsorships at $35,000, Gold at $20,000, Silver at $10,000, Bronze at $5,000. Exhibitor booths at $2,500. Supporter tier at $1,000. Additional à la carte opportunities for coffee breaks ($3,000), volunteer t-shirts ($2,500), workshop sponsorship ($2,000), and more.
4. Certification Exam Fees: Revenue from certification exam applications and certification manual sales. The exam fee structure includes the manual cost ($160 by April 1, $235 with late fee prior to May 1).
5. Journal and Publications: The AEMA Journal was distributed free to members starting in 1995. Online journal exams earn certified members 0.5 CEUs each.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

AEMA operates as a nonprofit professional membership association for athletic equipment managers, offering tiered memberships ($155/year professional, $60/year student), a formal certification program administered with Meazure Learning, an annual national convention, and a continuing education (CEU) program. Core deliverables include the AEMA Certification Exam, CEU workshops and tracking, district-level meetings across 9 regions, job listings, monthly newsletters, and the AEMA Journal.

Product overview

The Athletic Equipment Managers Association (AEMA) operates as a professional membership organization rather than a software product company. Its core offerings include membership services with access to an annual national convention, certification programs developed with Meazure Learning, and continuing education through CEU credits. The association provides various awards recognizing excellence (Glenn Sharp Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Booker Kilgore Award), mentorship programming, job listings, and monthly newsletters. In 2026, AEMA launched an expanded Career Boost Program with Riddell including Rookie of the Year Awards, a digital study guide/manual, and a mobile event app for convention attendees. The association is structured across 9 districts with district directors providing localized support and CEU opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AEMA Professional Membership
• AEMA Certification Program
• Annual National Convention
• CEU (Continuing Education Units) Program
• Certification Manual and Study Materials
• Riddell Career Boost Program
• Job Listings and Classified Ads

Quantifiable outcome

• NFL requires AEMA Certification for all new Head Equipment Managers per 2020 CBA
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Texon Towel and Supply Co.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Texon is a Silver Level Sponsor for 2026. They sponsored the Welcome Reception at the 2026 convention along with ISS, Green Gridiron, and Player's Kits.
• Renegade BrandscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2026Renegade Brands is a Silver Level Sponsor for 2026. They sponsored the Riverboat Lunch Cruise at the 2026 convention. Partnership announced February 2026 focused on advancing athlete safety, operations excellence, and the equipment manager profession.
• Certor SportscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Certor Sports is a Gold Level Sponsor for 2026. Partnership aims to advance athlete safety and equipment innovation. Certor Sports represents Schutt Sports and VICIS helmet brands.
• RiddellflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Riddell is the Platinum Sponsor of AEMA and has been a key partner since 2022. In 2022, Riddell announced a three-year commitment to establish the Riddell/AEMA Career Boost Program for Student Managers. In 2026, Riddell and AEMA announced a multi-year partnership to elevate the equipment manager profession with expanded collaboration to increase visibility for equipment managers.
• Meazure Learning (formerly Scantron Corporation)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 1991Meazure Learning develops and administers the AEMA Certification exam. Selected due to proven work in the athletic field with groups like the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). They conduct Role Delineation Studies and create job-specific examinations based on equipment manager competencies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• American Football Coaches Association (AFCA): A long-standing professional association for football coaches offering membership tiers ($175-$400), conventions, and award programs. AFCA serves a closely adjacent population within collegiate football programs and is cited by AEMA as a pricing benchmark.
• National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA): A professional association serving strength and conditioning coaches and sports scientists with certification (CSCS), continuing education, and conventions. Comparable membership pricing (~$371 + $320 convention) and overlapping athletic department buyer base make it a direct benchmark.
• National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA): The leading association for collegiate athletic directors, whose member institutions employ AEMA's primary collegiate customer base. NACDA's convention and membership structure closely parallels AEMA's at a higher organizational tier.
• National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM): A certification and education organization for personal trainers and sports performance professionals. NASM's model of credentialing continuing education and tiered professional offerings mirrors AEMA's certification-plus-CEU business design in an adjacent sports profession.
• National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA): The professional association for high school athletic directors, serving the same customer segment as AEMA's high school equipment manager population. Both organizations sit within the high school athletic ecosystem and share overlapping convention and certification economics.
• National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA): The largest professional membership association for athletic trainers, with a comparable structure of certification, CEUs, conventions, and district-based chapters. AEMA explicitly benchmarks against NATA's pricing ($300+ membership + $349 convention), making it the most direct comparability reference for dues and convention economics.
• Professional Football Equipment Managers Society (PFEMS): The professional society specifically for NFL equipment managers, which requires AEMA Certification for membership. PFEMS is the closest peer within the same sub-niche and represents the apex of AEMA's credentialing value chain.

Broad incumbents

• American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM): A larger and more established professional organization with broader clinical and scientific sports medicine scope. ACSM competes for the same professional development and convention mindshare as AEMA in the collegiate athletic space.

Others

• Riddell: AEMA's Platinum sponsor and primary industry partner for the Career Boost Program. While not a peer, Riddell is the largest external stakeholder in AEMA's ecosystem and represents the corporate-vendor relationship that underpins convention sponsorship economics.
• Helmet Tracker: A technology partner providing attendance and CEU scanning services for AEMA conventions. While a vendor rather than a peer, Helmet Tracker illustrates the technology ecosystem that supports AEMA's CEU tracking infrastructure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AEMA_74
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@AEMA_74
• Facebookfacebook.com/AEMA-74
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aema-74
• Instagraminstagram.com/aema_74

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Athletic Equipment Managers Association