Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

What Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists does

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG) is a nonprofit professional membership association founded in 1922 and headquartered at 730 17th Street, B1, Denver, Colorado. The organization serves approximately 1,800 to 2,000 professional geoscientists, students, K-12 educators, and geology enthusiasts, primarily across the Rocky Mountain region of North America. Its member base is supplemented by roughly 200 university, government, and industry library subscribers receiving its publications. The organization is operated by a small staff of approximately 9 employees and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors with active committees covering publications, awards, continuing education, field trips, membership, diversity and inclusion, and geoscience outreach.

RMAG's core products are membership services and two flagship publications: The Mountain Geologist, a quarterly peer-reviewed journal published since 1964 covering regional geology topics including petroleum geology, stratigraphy, geophysics, hydrogeology, and paleontology, and The Outcrop, a monthly member newsletter. The organization also delivers a calendar of in-person and hybrid programming including expert-led field trips, luncheons, short courses, workshops, symposiums, social events, and a golf tournament. A separately incorporated RMAG Foundation, established in 1975, administers scholarships (8 graduate and 2 undergraduate annually), a Teacher of the Year award, science fair awards, and educational outreach to all 10 Colorado colleges and universities. RMAG has no proprietary technology platform; its digital presence is a website (rmag.org) supporting membership signup, event registration, and an online publication store selling digital compilation downloads.

RMAG generates revenue through four streams: recurring membership dues, transactional fees for events and field trips, one-time publication sales (digital and print, including Mountain Geologist compilations and guidebooks), and corporate sponsorships and advertising from oil and gas operators and software vendors. Pricing is unit-based and tiered, with member rates discounted against non-member rates and student rates offered free or near-free across most events. Distribution is regional (Rocky Mountain focus, with adjacent reach into Western Canada), conducted through the self-serve website, in-person events, and a direct e-commerce storefront. Strategic partners include the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), the Colorado Geological Survey, USGS, and sponsoring firms such as EOG Resources, Bayswater Exploration, Rogii, Gverse Geographix, and GeoEdges.

Name

Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Legal name

Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists

Website

https://rmag.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists (RMAG) is a 1922-founded Denver-based nonprofit professional association serving approximately 1,800-2,000 geoscientists in the Rocky Mountain region through peer-reviewed publications (The Mountain Geologist journal, The Outcrop newsletter), expert-led field trips, continuing education, awards, and an affiliated scholarship foundation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees that provide access to publications, events, member directory, job resources, and professional networking opportunities.
2. Event Registration Fees: Fees charged for field trips, luncheons, short courses, workshops, symposiums, happy hours, and golf tournaments.
3. Publication Sales: Sales of digital and print publications including The Mountain Geologist compilations, guidebooks, GIS data, and geologic atlases.
4. Sponsorships and Advertising: Revenue from corporate sponsors and advertisers in publications and at events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

RMAG is a nonprofit professional membership association serving geoscientists in the Rocky Mountain region. It sells annual memberships that unlock access to peer-reviewed publications (The Mountain Geologist journal, The Outcrop newsletter), expert-led field trips, luncheons, short courses, workshops, and symposiums, and offers digital and print geological publication compilations for purchase.

Product overview

The Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists offers a portfolio of educational products and services centered around its core publications (The Mountain Geologist peer-reviewed journal and The Outcrop monthly newsletter) and professional development offerings. The organization provides digital publication compilations spanning decades of geological research, along with events programming including field trips, courses, workshops, luncheons, and symposiums. Membership services include a directory, employment resources, and various awards programs. RMAG also operates the RMAG Foundation for scholarships and educational support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Mountain Geologist: Quarterly peer-reviewed journal published by RMAG focusing on geology of the greater Rocky Mountain area of North America, published since 1964
• The Outcrop
• On The Rocks Field Trips
• Rocky Mountain Discovery Series
• Short Course 101 Series

Products and services

• The Mountain Geologist A quarterly peer-reviewed journal covering geology of the greater Rocky Mountain area of North America, including environmental geology, petroleum geology, geophysics, hydrogeology, mining, paleontology, petrology, stratigraphy, and structural geology. Distributed to members and approximately 200 university/government libraries.
• The Outcrop Monthly newsletter of RMAG circulating to over 2,000 members, covering association events, member activities, awards, topics of interest, and operations.
• The Mountain Geologist 2011-2015 Compilation Digital compilation of 5 years of complete Mountain Geologist issues (2011-2015), including special focus issues on Geothermal Resources, Niobrara Formation, Paradox Basin, and the Massive Heart Mountain Slide.
• The Mountain Geologist 2006-2010 Compilation Digital compilation of Mountain Geologist issues from 2006-2010 featuring special issues on Structural Geology of Colorado Front Range, Rocky Mountain Gas Reservoirs, Eocene Green River Formation, and Boulder-Weld Coal Field.
• The Mountain Geologist 1964-2005 Compilation Comprehensive digital compilation of over 100 issues and 400+ articles from Mountain Geologist published through 2005, including all Special Issues.
• The Mountain Geologist 2016-2020 Compilation Digital compilation of Mountain Geologist issues from 2016-2020 including Wyoming Geochronology and New Insights into the Niobrara Petroleum System.
• On the Rocks Field Trips Geological field trip program featuring expert-led excursions to explore Rocky Mountain region geology, with member and non-member pricing tiers.
• RMAG Luncheons Regular luncheon events featuring presentations on geological topics, with in-person and online attendance options and differentiated pricing for members, non-members, and students.
• Short Courses & Workshops Professional education short courses for geoscientists covering technical subjects such as Python programming for geological applications, with discounted rates for members and student members.
• RMAG Membership Annual membership providing access to publications, member directory, event discounts, job resources, networking, and professional development opportunities.
• Rocky Mountain Discovery Series Interview series featuring Oil & Gas Leaders from the Rocky Mountain region, with discounted rates for members and free access for student members.
• RMAG Golf Tournament Annual social/networking golf tournament for members and non-members, offered as individual, twosome, and team registration options.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2000+ members served through publications and events
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RMAG FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeparate nonprofit established in 1975 with mission to inspire and educate current and future geoscientists. Supports earth science education through RMAG symposia, top geology seniors at Colorado universities, Teacher of the Year awards, science fair awards, and provides 8 graduate and 2 undergraduate scholarships annually.
• Gverse GeographixminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTechnology company in the oil and gas software space that sponsors RMAG events and publications.
• EOG ResourcesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor oil and gas exploration and production company that sponsors RMAG events.
• Bayswater Exploration & ProductionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDenver-based oil and natural gas development company that sponsors RMAG events and foundation.
• RogiiminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUpstream oil and gas software company that sponsors RMAG events.
• GeoEdgesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGeological edge sets and data company that sponsors RMAG events.
• American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational professional organization that RMAG participates in through AAPG House of Delegates, with joint awards programs and the annual RMS Meeting (AAPG Section Meeting).
• Colorado Geological SurveyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency that provides experts for field trips and educational programs.
• USGS (United States Geological Survey)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal agency providing expert trip leaders for field programs including South Park Basin trip.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Geophysical Union (AGU): International scientific association for geophysics and earth science professionals, offering journals, member benefits, and conferences. Operates the same nonprofit membership, publication, and conference model as RMAG at a national/international scale.
• American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG): National professional association for petroleum geologists. RMAG is an affiliated regional section that participates in AAPG's House of Delegates and co-hosts the annual RMS-AAPG Section Meeting, making it a direct peer in the same membership and publication model.
• Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG): Global professional society for geophysicists in applied subsurface exploration, with membership dues, journals, and continuing education. Comparable to RMAG as a peer-reviewed publishing and professional development body serving the broader exploration geoscience community.
• Wyoming Geological Association: Regional geological association serving Wyoming geoscientists with publications, luncheons, and field trips. A direct peer in structure, offering, and membership base, though concentrated in the Greater Wyoming / Rocky Mountain region.
• Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists (AEG): Professional association for environmental and engineering geologists offering publications, technical meetings, and regional chapters. Operates the same membership-association model as RMAG with overlapping adjacent subject matter.
• Geological Society of America (GSA): Broad geoscience professional association offering membership, peer-reviewed journals, regional sections, and meetings. GSA is a direct peer operating the same professional society model across a wider geoscience footprint, including allied regional and specialty sections.
• New Mexico Geological Society: Regional geological society offering publications, field conferences, and meetings to New Mexico earth scientists. Closely comparable to RMAG as a regional professional association with fieldtrip-driven programming and peer-reviewed publications.

Broad incumbents

• American Geosciences Institute (AGI): Federation of geoscience societies providing publications, workforce reports, and education across the geosciences. Broader incumbent offering that competes for institutional influence and educational content production that RMAG also pursues.
• Society for Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration (SME): International professional society for mining and mineral professionals offering membership, publications, and conferences. A broader incumbent in the mineral resources segment of geoscience, overlapping with RMAG's mining-adjacent membership.

Regional players

• Colorado Geological Survey: Colorado state agency that already partners with RMAG to provide experts for field trips and educational programs. Comparable in subject matter focus on Colorado geology but plays a state-government role rather than a membership-association role.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rmagdenver
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCUnQzMuv28HzK7TsBVB4OaA
• Facebookfacebook.com/RMAG1922
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rocky-mountain-association-of-geologists
• Instagraminstagram.com/rmagdenver

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists