Channel Marketing Association

What Channel Marketing Association does

Channel Marketing Association (CMA) is a private, for-profit professional membership association that serves channel marketing professionals working in the IT channel ecosystem — specifically marketers at suppliers, distributors, technology solutions brokerages (TSBs), managed service providers (MSPs), and value-added resellers (VARs). Co-founded by Amy Bailey and Kathryn Rose, the organization positions itself as the only association exclusively dedicated to channel marketers, restricting general membership to vendor-side channel professionals while offering a separate consultant track. The business operates on a tiered membership model (Free, Pro at $49/month or $497/year, Premium at $997/year, plus Consultant and Corporate tiers) and runs an approval-based enrollment process to maintain content quality.

The core technology stack is the mn.co community platform, supplemented by the channelmarketingassociation.com website, Whova for summit registration, Eventbrite for local chapter events, and a dedicated course platform at courses.channelmarketingassociation.com. CMA does not develop proprietary technology products; instead, it curates and distributes member-contributed content, webinars, and a Resource Library. Offerings include the annual CMA Marketing Summit (3-day in-person event in Houston), CMA Virtual Summit (online), Excellence Awards across five categories, the State of Channel Marketing Report, AI Team Training programs, and the Channel Events Masterclass ($597 on-demand course). A Global Local Chapter Program spans 15+ chapters across North America, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM.

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring membership subscriptions (the primary engine), professional services revenue from training and certification courses, transaction fees from event registrations, and sponsorship/supporter programs where channel-adjacent vendors (Crossbeam, Impartner, Ansira, 360insights, Mindmatrix, etc.) pay for webinar participation, event visibility, and resource library access. Sponsors and Executive Board members drawn from major IT vendors (Microsoft, Adobe, NVIDIA, Palo Alto Networks, Dell, ServiceNow, Cloudflare, Arrow, Ingram Micro, TD Synnex) anchor the enterprise credibility of the community.

Name

Channel Marketing Association

Legal name

Channel Marketing Association

Website

https://channelmarketingassociation.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Channel Marketing Association (CMA) is a private professional membership association serving channel marketers at IT suppliers, distributors, and resellers, offering tiered memberships, an annual summit, local chapters, awards, and AI training programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Membership Association / IT Channel Marketing Community

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Channel Marketing (Distributor/Reseller Programs) (MPAAAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA), Professional & Association Conferences (MPAGAGAB), Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM)

Keywords

• Channel marketing association
• IT channel community
• Channel marketing training
• Channel partner events
• Channel marketing membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Salt Lake City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Primary revenue stream from tiered membership fees: Pro Level at $49/month or $497/year, Premium Level at $997/year, plus Free and Consultant membership tiers. Membership provides access to webinars, resource library, networking events, and the answer board.
2. Training and Certification Programs: Revenue from professional development courses including the Channel Events Masterclass at $597, AI Essentials certification courses, and custom AI team training programs for enterprise clients.
3. Event Registrations: Revenue from ticket sales to the annual CMA Marketing Summit and Virtual Summit events, including discounted tickets for Pro members.
4. Sponsorship and Supporter Programs: Revenue from sponsor partnerships where companies support the CMA community in exchange for webinar participation, blog contributions, resource library access, event visibility, and podcast sponsorship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Channel Marketing Association is a membership-based professional community that provides tiered subscriptions (Free, Pro, Premium, Corporate, Consultant) giving IT channel marketers access to an online member community, resource library, answer board, monthly learning labs, Ask Me Anything webinars, and a global network of local chapters. It also operates the annual CMA Marketing Summit (3-day in-person event in Houston) and CMA Virtual Summit, runs the CMA Excellence Awards program, publishes the annual State of Channel Marketing Report, and sells training such as the Channel Events Masterclass and AI Team Training programs.

Product overview

Channel Marketing Association (CMA) is a membership-based professional community built by channel marketers for channel marketers. The organization offers a tiered membership platform (Free, Pro, Premium, Corporate, and Consultant levels) providing access to webinars, resource library, virtual and local networking events, and an answer board. Core offerings include the annual Marketing Summit (in-person) and Virtual Summit (online), the CMA Excellence Awards program recognizing channel marketing professionals, the State of Channel Marketing Report (annual research publication), and AI Team Training programs. CMA has also launched Local Chapters globally across regions including North America, EMEA, APAC, and LATAM. The organization partners with technology companies across the IT channel ecosystem as supporters/sponsors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CMA Membership Platform Tiered membership program (Free, Pro at $49/month or $497/year, Premium at $997/year, Corporate team plans, and Consultant tier) for IT channel marketers working at suppliers, distributors, technology solution brokerages, MSPs, and VARs, providing access to webinars, resource library, answer board, mastermind groups, and local chapter events via the mn.co community platform.
• CMA Marketing Summit Annual 3-day in-person channel marketing conference held at the Westin Oaks Galleria in Houston, Texas, featuring keynotes, breakout sessions, workshops, roundtables, and networking; the 2026 summit is scheduled for March 24-26 with discounted tickets for Pro members.
• CMA Virtual Summit Annual 2-day online summit featuring pre-recorded sessions with live chat, daily welcome calls, and keynote presentations, designed to extend CMA programming globally and host the announcement of Excellence Awards winners; the 2025 Virtual Summit was held October 28-29.
• CMA AI Team Training AI training programs for channel marketing teams including Custom live training tailored to tools, goals, and partner ecosystem; AI Essentials for Channel Teams (4-hour instructor-led workshop with certification); AI Strategy Training for Channel Leaders (CMOs, VPs, Directors); and a self-serve AI Essentials On-Demand certification course.
• Channel Events Masterclass On-demand video masterclass for B2B professionals responsible for driving measurable outcomes from in-person events, trade shows, and channel field marketing programs; priced at $597 and includes lifetime access, downloadable templates, and an official certificate of completion.
• CMA Excellence Awards Annual awards program recognizing channel marketing excellence across categories including Icon Award, Visionary Marketer Award, Rising Star Award, Connector Award, and the Excellence List; winners are announced at the Virtual Summit and presented at the Marketing Summit.
• State of Channel Marketing Report Annual research publication examining how channel marketing leaders navigate budget allocation, partner engagement, measurement, events, and technology decisions; full report is available to paid members and an executive summary is available to non-members.
• CMA Local Chapters Regional community program with 15 Local Chapters across North America (Amsterdam, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Houston, New England, North Carolina, Pacific Northwest/Northern California, Southern California, St. Louis), Canada (Montreal), EMEA (Paris), and regional groups for APAC and LATAM, hosting quarterly meetups (happy hours, coffee meetups, roundtables, lunch-and-learns) with dedicated LinkedIn Showcase Pages per region.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% satisfaction rate among CMA Summit attendees
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Structured AIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of Channel Marketing Association with recognition on the Supporters page, webinar participation, and blog contribution opportunities.
• AnsiraminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBrand-to-local growth platform and professional services company supporting CMA as a sponsor with webinar participation and event visibility.
• 360insightsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChannel incentive software and services company sponsoring CMA with recognition and webinar participation benefits.
• Brightspot Incentives & EventsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerIncentive travel, channel reward programs, and meeting planning company supporting CMA sponsors.
• SpurReplyminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSales, marketing, and partner alignment consulting firm supporting CMA as a sponsor.
• Standing PartnershipminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBrand protection and growth acceleration consultancy supporting CMA sponsors.
• GTIA (Global Technology Distribution Industry Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGTIA connects thousands of companies across the global IT channel, with members spanning many countries and every layer of the technology ecosystem. Active partnership for channel community connection.
• Unusually Unusual ConsultingminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEvent planning, content strategy, and creative services consultancy supporting CMA.
• ChannelwiseminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerChannel advisory platform providing custom advice and expert consultation to CMA members.
• Tech4ChangecoreOthers501(c)(3) nonprofit organization composed of technology suppliers and channel partners that raised over $1.75 million for grassroots charities. CMA partnered with Tech4Change for the Play-to-Pay initiative where every award nomination triggered a $10 donation to support underrepresented students in technology careers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• CompTIA: Largest global trade association for the IT industry, serving vendors, distributors, and channel partners across the same ecosystem CMA targets. Comparable as an IT channel community but operates at significantly larger scale with broader scope (certifications, advocacy, events).
• Forrester: Global research and advisory firm covering B2B marketing, sales, and channel strategy with events (e.g., B2B Summit). Comparable research + events serving B2B marketing audiences, though at much larger scale and broader scope than CMA.
• ANA (Association of National Advertisers): Large professional association for brand marketers and agencies offering training, conferences, and research. Comparable professional association model but at significantly broader scope and scale than CMA's channel-specific niche.

Direct peers

• AA-ISP (American Association of Inside Sales Professionals): Professional membership association serving inside sales professionals with tiered membership, local chapters, annual conferences, training, and awards. Closely analogous niche professional association with similar revenue model (memberships + events + training).
• Channelnomics: Research, advisory, and events business focused on channel partner strategies, partner programs, and channel marketing best practices. Comparable niche focus on IT channel go-to-market and overlapping audience with CMA's membership base.
• Pavilion: Private membership community for B2B go-to-market leaders with tiered subscriptions, local chapters, summits, and an online community platform. Comparable community-led GTM membership model serving a different functional niche (RevOps/CMO) with similar mechanics.
• Women in Revenue: Niche membership association for women in B2B revenue roles offering tiered membership, local chapters, virtual summits, and awards. Comparable boutique professional association with a community-led, tiered membership and events-driven engagement model.
• GTIA (Global Technology Distribution Industry Association): Global trade association serving the IT channel ecosystem including distributors, vendors, and solution providers. Most directly comparable to CMA as an IT-channel-specific membership association; CMA already maintains a core strategic alliance with GTIA.
• The Channel Company (CRN / Channel Futures): Media and events company (CRN, Channel Futures) covering the IT channel with awards programs (CRN Channel Chiefs, Women of the Channel) and conferences (Channel Futures Events). Directly comparable events-and-recognition model targeting the same channel marketing audience.

Emerging players

• CMO Council: Executive membership network for senior marketing leaders offering peer networking, research, and events. Comparable membership-community model targeting senior marketers, though broader in scope than CMA's channel-specific focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/channelmarketingassociation
• Xx.com/channelmtkgassn
• Facebookfacebook.com/channelmarketingassociation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Channel Marketing Association