Magazine Publishers Association

What Magazine Publishers Association does

The Magazine Publishers Association (MPA) is a New Zealand member-funded industry association, founded in 1982 and headquartered in Auckland, that represents magazine publishers ranging from large multi-title houses such as Are Media, Adrenalin Publishing, and ICG Media to single-title independent publishers across consumer, trade, specialist, and business disciplines. The organisation operates with 1–10 staff as a not-for-profit governed by an elected Executive Board; it does not publish editorial content but acts as the unified industry body for advocacy, networking, research dissemination, and recognition. Its service portfolio centres on a membership benefits programme, the annual Webstar Magazine Media Awards, a research and case-study resource library (drawing on Nielsen, FIPP, Bauer, and PPA data), a Magazine Media Conference and "Mag Sessions" speaker series, and the MPA Workplace job-matching directory.

The MPA's technology surface is intentionally light: a content website at mpa.org.nz, organic social channels (Facebook, Twitter/X, LinkedIn), and the MPA Workplace employer/employee directory. There are no proprietary data products, AI features, or disclosed patents. Research assets are largely curated third-party studies, with internal data generation limited to advocacy submissions such as the 2025 joint filing with Print NZ to the Commerce Commission on NZ Post pricing.

Revenue is generated from three streams: recurring membership subscriptions (with the 2026 fee structure under review), tiered sponsorships from print, distribution, digital, and research suppliers (Platinum: Webstar and NZ Post; Gold: SCG and InkWise; Silver: PressReader and Nielsen), and event-based income from the Webstar Magazine Media Awards and conference attendance. Member-paid consulting via the exclusive Katahdin partnership adds a fourth incremental stream, tiered from a free introductory session to NZ$6,300/year for the highest-engagement package. GTM is sales-led direct membership enrollment supplemented by content marketing and event-driven engagement.

Name

Magazine Publishers Association

Legal name

Magazine Publishers Association

Website

https://mpa.org.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Magazine Publishers Association is a New Zealand not-for-profit industry body, founded in 1982, that represents consumer, trade, and digital magazine publishers through advocacy, networking, research, awards, and consulting services, generating revenue from memberships, tiered sponsorships, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (81391)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

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

Keywords

• Magazine publishing association
• Publisher industry advocacy
• Trade association membership
• Media industry events
• Magazine advertising research

Headquarters

HQ city

Auckland

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: Annual membership fees from magazine publishers ranging from large multi-title publishing houses to single-title publishers. The membership fee structure is under review for 2026.
2. Sponsorship: Platinum, Gold, and Silver tier sponsorships from industry suppliers including Webstar, NZ Post, SCG, InkWise, PressReader, and Nielsen provide funding support.
3. Annual Awards: The Webstar Magazine Media Awards generate revenue through event attendance and entrant fees, celebrating excellence in magazine publishing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Magazine Publishers Association (MPA) is a New Zealand industry association representing magazine publishers across consumer, trade, niche, and digital sectors. Its core offerings include membership benefits (networking, advocacy, research access, government-level representation), the annual Webstar Magazine Media Awards, the MPA Workplace recruitment directory, industry events and conferences, and a Resources Library containing research, case studies, and presentations demonstrating magazine advertising effectiveness.

Product overview

The Magazine Publishers Association (MPA) is a New Zealand industry association representing magazine publishers. It operates a unified platform of services rather than a single commercial product, offering member benefits, industry advocacy, research resources, awards programmes, events, and a workplace job-matching directory called MPA Workplace. The core offering comprises membership services, the annual Webstar Magazine Media Awards, a resources library with research and case studies, industry events, and the MPA Workplace recruitment platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Membership Benefits Programme Core association services for magazine publishers, including networking opportunities, member-only content and research access, educational event invitations, recognition at annual awards, input into policy decisions, and MPA advocacy at the government regulatory level.
• MPA Workplace A directory platform connecting magazine publishers seeking employees with job seekers in the magazine media industry, featuring separate employer and employee directories.
• Webstar Magazine Media Awards Annual awards programme honouring the best magazine brands, initiatives, and individuals in the New Zealand magazine industry, celebrating innovation and commercial success across multiple categories including Supreme Magazine, Supreme Editor, and special interest categories.
• MPA Events Programme Industry events programme including conferences, networking sessions, Mag Sessions speaker series, and workshops such as the annual Magazine Media Conference featuring international and local speakers.
• Resources Library Collection of research, presentations, and useful links for magazine industry professionals, including local and international studies on magazine effectiveness, Nielsen reports, FIPP publications, and industry presentations from speaker series, conferences, and roadshows.
• Magazine Case Studies Showcase of magazine advertising effectiveness featuring documented campaigns from brands including Winegrowers of Ara, Marisco Vineyard, Telecom/Rip It Up, Dyrberg Kern, and Cancer Society (Daffodil Day), demonstrating ROI and engagement metrics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6.4% increase in total magazine readership year-over-year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• KatahdinminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2019Consulting practice offering exclusive one-on-one publisher consulting sessions to MPA members. Initial consultation is FREE with follow-up options at $2,700-$6,300 per year. Consultants include John Wilpers (publishing/editorial), Peter Medwid (revenue), Jeff Howland (digital audience), and Kathleen Capetta (executive management).
• WebstarcoreOthersPlatinum sponsor providing printing services including high-volume magazines, catalogues, flyers, direct mail, and large format printing. Webstar offers print management services, mailing solutions, inserting, flow wrapping and variable data application. Their state-of-the-art production facility in Auckland works with their plant in Masterton.
• New Zealand PostcoreOthersPlatinum sponsor providing mail delivery services, communication and business solutions. NZ Post offers core mail business through to banking and digital solutions, supporting magazine distribution to homes and businesses.
• SCGminorOthersGold sponsor providing creative, content, and full service print and logistics services with 150+ full time staff offering integrated solutions for projects of various sizes.
• InkWiseminorOthersGold sponsor - Kiwi owned and independent print services provider offering large-scale delivery with boutique style service for New Zealand print industry.
• PressReaderminorOthersSilver sponsor - all-you-can-read digital media platform reaching 250+ million readers. PressReader offers full issues of 4,000+ global newspapers and magazines and partners with publishers to help monetize and distribute content.
• NielsenminorOthersSilver sponsor providing comprehensive end-to-end consumer insights and media research. Nielsen studies consumers in more than 100 countries providing magazine readership and engagement data for the NZ market.
• Ovato RetailminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMagazine distribution company providing retail distribution services. Ovato spoke at industry update webinars regarding Covid crisis impact and retail cut-through strategies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• NewsMediaWorks: NewsMediaWorks is the Australian industry body representing magazine and newspaper publishers via joint research, awards, and advertising-effectiveness programs. Its mix of awards, research, and advocacy is directly comparable to MPA's value proposition across the Tasman.
• Professional Publishers Association (PPA): The PPA is the UK trade body for consumer magazine and B2B publishers. It runs annual awards, training, events, and represents members in policy debates — a near-identical operating model to MPA, differentiated only by UK vs. NZ geography.
• FIPP (International Federation of Periodical Publishers): FIPP is the global trade association for magazine and B2B publishers, representing national industry associations and publishers worldwide. It is directly comparable to MPA as both serve magazine publishers with advocacy, awards, research, and cross-border industry programming.
• Magazine Media Canada (MagNet): Magazine Media Canada is the trade association representing Canadian magazine publishers, conducting audience research and running industry events. Its services, structure, and mission mirror MPA's on a country-for-country basis.
• MPA - The Association of Magazine Media (US): The US-based association of consumer magazine publishers runs audience research and represents its members in policy and advertising debates. It is the closest large-market functional twin of MPA NZ in terms of mission, services, and stakeholder mix.

Others

• BPA Worldwide: BPA Worldwide is a global media auditing organization that provides circulation verification and audience metrics to publishers. It is adjacent to MPA as a service provider that helps magazine members prove effectiveness to advertisers — an enabling rather than competing organization.

Regional players

• PrintNZ: PrintNZ is the New Zealand printing industry association representing print producers and suppliers. It is comparable to MPA as a parallel industry body in the same country, with which MPA has collaborated on the NZ Post pricing submission to the Commerce Commission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mpanewzealand
• Facebookfacebook.com/mpanewzealand
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/magazine-publishers-association-nz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Magazine Publishers Association