SERMA

What SERMA does

SERMA (Sports and Entertainment Risk Management Alliance) is a membership-based professional association founded in March 2022 by Rich Lenkov and organized as SERMA LLC, headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The organization serves risk managers, claims managers, general counsels, outside counsel, and other associated professionals working in the sports and entertainment industries, addressing vertical-specific risk topics including premises liability at large venues, criminal events at sporting events and concerts, sexual abuse allegations, NIL agreements, cyber risks, intellectual property and licensing issues, business interruption coverage, and athlete/performer injuries. SERMA describes itself as the first risk management association devoted entirely to the sports and entertainment industries.

The association's product portfolio spans three membership tiers (Industry Membership free for qualifying professionals, Academic/Student at $200/year, and Attorney/Vendor at $950/year with auto-renewal), the annual SERMAnar conference series (with SERMAnar V scheduled for April 2027 in Nashville, TN), webinars, regional happy hour networking events across ten US cities, SERMASESSIONS discussion forums, Town Halls, the SERMA Blog, The SERMAPod podcast, and a members-only content portal. Underlying technical infrastructure is provided by Wild Apricot membership management software, which handles online enrollment, member authentication, content access, and event registration. The company operates with a lean team of 8 employees and an Advisory Board of senior executives from marquee sports and entertainment organizations including Red Bull, US Olympic Committee, AEG Presents, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, and Comcast NBCUniversal.

Revenue is generated primarily through paid membership subscriptions (Academic/Student and Attorney/Vendor tiers) and ancillary revenue from events and content programs. SERMA is a privately held company; no parent company, institutional investors, or funding rounds are disclosed. Go-to-market is community-led: members are acquired through industry referrals, content marketing, conferences, webinars, and direct online enrollment via theserma.org, with members-only content driving retention and engagement.

Name

SERMA

Legal name

SERMA LLC

Website

https://theserma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SERMA is a Chicago-based membership association founded in 2022 serving risk managers, claims managers, and legal professionals in the sports and entertainment industries through tiered subscriptions, an annual conference, webinars, a podcast, and regional networking events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (813920), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events (7113)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKAKAM

Sports Compliance, Governance & Integrity Services (Safeguarding, Anti-Doping, Match Integrity)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Management & Promotion Services

SECONDARYTHAHACAA

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies)

Travel & Hospitality/MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions)/Professional Conference Organizers (PCOs) & Meeting Planners

SECONDARYMPAGAGAK

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Conventions & Conferences (Business Events)

Keywords

• Risk management association
• Sports industry liability
• Entertainment risk forum
• Professional membership network
• Claims management community

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago, Illinois

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: SERMA generates revenue through tiered membership subscriptions including Industry Membership (free for risk managers, claims managers, insurance carrier employees), Academic/Student Membership ($200/year), and Attorney/Vendor Membership ($950/year with automatic renewal).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

A membership-based professional association serving risk managers, claims managers, general counsels, and outside counsel working in the sports and entertainment industries. The association operates tiered memberships (Industry, Academic/Student, and Attorney/Vendor), an annual conference (SERMAnar), the SERMAPod podcast, webinars, SERMASESSIONS, Town Halls, and a content blog to connect industry practitioners and address liability, claims, and risk exposure in live entertainment, sports, and adjacent sectors.

Product overview

SERMA (Sports and Entertainment Risk Management Alliance) is a membership-based professional association rather than a technology product. It serves as a networking and educational organization for risk managers, claims managers, general counsels, and other professionals in the sports and entertainment industries. The organization's offerings include various membership tiers, in-person conferences (SERMAnar), online webinars, SERMASESSIONS discussion forums, member town halls, and The SERMAPod content platform. Powered by Wild Apricot membership software for member management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SERMA Industry Membership
• SERMA Attorney/Vendor Membership
• SERMA Academic/Student Membership
• SERMAnar Annual Conference
• SERMAPod Podcast
• SERMA Webinars
• SERMASESSIONS
• SERMA Town Halls
• SERMA Blog

Named customers10 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

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS): A membership community for professional liability underwriters, claims, and risk management professionals. Comparable to SERMA because its membership base includes carriers, brokers, and claims managers — adjacent to SERMA's insurance carrier Industry Members.
• RIMS (The Risk Management Society): The largest and most established risk management professional association globally. Comparable as a membership-based community serving risk managers, but RIMS is broad across all industries rather than specialized in sports and entertainment like SERMA.
• PARMA (Professional Association of Risk Managers & Advisors): A membership association serving risk managers and advisors across industries. Comparable to SERMA as another risk-focused membership community, but operating across all industries rather than specializing in sports and entertainment.
• ABA Forum on Entertainment & Sports Law: The American Bar Association's largest practice group serving lawyers in sports and entertainment. Comparable to SERMA because its membership includes general counsels and outside counsel — one of SERMA's primary Attorney/Vendor segments — but operates as a broad legal-practice community rather than a risk/claims specialist.
• ASHRM (American Society for Healthcare Risk Management): A vertical-specific risk management association serving healthcare risk professionals. Comparable to SERMA as an analog of a niche industry-specific risk association model, demonstrating both the playbook and the limits of single-vertical risk communities.

Direct peers

• Sports Lawyers Association: A membership association for attorneys practicing sports law. Comparable to SERMA as a vertical-focused professional community with overlapping members in outside counsel and in-house legal roles in sports organizations.
• International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM): A membership association for venue management professionals, many of whom work in sports and entertainment arenas. Comparable to SERMA because it serves a similarly sized, vertically focused audience of operators responsible for risk and safety at live event venues.
• Stadium Managers Association: A niche professional association for stadium and large-venue operators. Comparable to SERMA as a focused community serving sports venue operators with overlapping risk, safety, and event management concerns.

Emerging players

• National Association of Sports Officials (NASO): A membership association for sports officials across amateur and professional levels. Comparable to SERMA as a sports-specific professional community with risk, safety, and liability concerns at the core of its mission, though focused on officials rather than risk managers.

Others

• American Association of Insurance Services (AAIS): An advisory organization supporting insurers with rate-making and policy forms, including for specialty lines relevant to sports and entertainment venues. Comparable to SERMA as an ecosystem participant serving overlapping insurance carrier members and addressing similar underlying risk classes.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-serma

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 SERMA