VPELA

What VPELA does

VPELA (Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association) is a non-profit professional membership association founded in 1989 and headquartered in Camberwell, Victoria, Australia. The association serves approximately 1,250 members drawn from planning, environmental, legal, architectural, engineering, and ecological disciplines across both the public and private sectors. Its core proposition centres on tiered annual memberships — Student (free), Young Professional (A$190), Full (A$330), and Parental Leave/Retired (A$75) — which confer member-rate access to events, three annual issues of the VPELA Revue magazine, and eligibility for industry awards.

Revenue is generated through three principal streams: recurring membership fees, per-event registration income (the annual three-day State Planning Conference at Mantra Lorne being the flagship, plus masterclasses, webinars, and documentary screenings), and advertising/sponsorship income from a visible ecosystem of 16+ partner law firms and consultancies (including Hall & Wilcox, Maddocks, MinterEllison, Norton Rose Fulbright, Beveridge Williams, Urbis, Traffix, and Villawood Properties). The association is governed by an elected Board led by President Jodi Kennedy and Vice-President Meg Lee (Partner at Hall & Wilcox), with Executive Officer Anna Aughterson managing a lean 1–10 person operational team.

Operationally, VPELA runs on the iMIS (Intelligent Management Information System) association management platform, which underpins the website, member self-service portal, and event registration system. Distribution is primarily direct and digital — LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and email newsletters — supplemented by in-person events at venues across Melbourne, Docklands, and Lorne, and Zoom webinars for remote attendees. The geographic scope is explicitly Victoria-only; no parent company, subsidiaries, or external ownership structures are present.

Name

VPELA

Legal name

Victorian Planning and Environmental Law Association

Website

https://vpela.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

VPELA is a Victoria-based non-profit professional association founded in 1989 that serves 1,250+ planning, environmental, and legal professionals through tiered memberships, conferences, publications, and awards programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sponsorship, Exhibitor & Partnership Management Services (THAHACAK)

Keywords

• Professional association services
• Planning and environmental law
• Continuing professional development
• Industry networking events
• Membership subscriptions

Headquarters

HQ city

Melbourne

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees in tiers: Student (free), Young Professional ($190 inc GST), Full membership ($330 inc GST), and Parental Leave/Retired ($75 inc GST). Fees are charged annually with pro-rata adjustments for mid-year joining.
2. Event Registrations: Revenue generated from event registrations including conferences, masterclasses, webinars, and documentary screenings. Pricing varies between member and non-member rates, with early bird discounts available for major events.
3. Advertising & Sponsorship: Advertising in VPELA Revue (published 3 times yearly) at $350 inc GST per website job posting. Sponsorship opportunities for events, programs, annual gala dinner, awards, and the Young Professional Group.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

VPELA is a non-profit professional membership association that sells annual individual memberships and a portfolio of educational events, conferences, masterclasses, webinars, and a triannual magazine (VPELA Revue) to professionals working in planning, environment, and planning law in Victoria, Australia. It also sells advertising and sponsorship packages, and administers professional recognition awards.

Product overview

VPELA (Victorian Planning & Environmental Law Association) is a membership-based professional association founded in 1989, offering a single unified product portfolio centered on professional development, networking, and industry recognition. The core offering consists of membership tiers (Student, Young Professional, Full, and Parental Leave/Retired) that provide access to events and conferences, the VPELA Revue triannual publication, and various professional awards programs. Additional revenue streams include advertising and sponsorship opportunities targeting the association's 1,250+ members across planning and environment disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VPELA Annual Membership Annual individual membership tiers (Student free, Young Professional $190, Full $330, Parental Leave/Retired $75 inc GST) providing discounts on events, weekly member emails and bulletins, three issues of VPELA Revue per year, and access to specialist groups and networking.
• Events and Conferences Program Continuous education through seminars, webinars, masterclasses, documentary screenings, and an annual three-day State Planning Conference, including the YPG Masterclass series and topical sessions such as EPBC Act Reforms.
• VPELA Revue Magazine Triannual publication featuring topical articles, event photos, and contributions from the Minister for Planning, legal professionals, and private consultants. Available to members in digital or print format.
• Professional Awards Program Recognition programs including the Richard J Evans Award, Kathy Mitchell Award (for excellence in a young or new public sector professional), Fellowship Award, and VPELA Young Professional Award, recognizing outstanding contribution and leadership in the planning profession.
• Advertising and Sponsorship Packages Marketing opportunities including website job postings ($350 inc GST per post), VPELA Revue advertising, and event sponsorship packages giving access to over 1,250 planning and environment professionals across Victoria.

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Beveridge WilliamsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsoring partner displayed in VPELA's partner logo section. Beveridge Williams is a major planning and development consultancy in Victoria.
• Hall & WilcoxminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLaw firm partner shown in VPELA's partner logo section. Provides sponsorship support for VPELA events and programs.
• MaddocksminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLaw firm partner in VPELA's partner logo section, providing sponsorship and support for association activities.
• UrbisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlanning and design consultancy partner in VPELA's partner logo section.
• Traffix GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTraffic engineering consultancy partner displayed in VPELA's partner logo section.
• Villawood PropertiesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProperty developer partner in VPELA's sponsor logo section.
• Ratio ConsultantsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlanning consultancy partner in VPELA's partner logo section.
• Marshall DayminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAcoustic consultancy partner in VPELA's partner logo section.
• Hansen PartnershipminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTown planning and development consultancy partner in VPELA's partner logo section.
• FyfeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProperty and planning consultancy partner in VPELA's sponsor logo section.
• EMMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnvironmental consultancy partner in VPELA's partner logo section.
• Biosis APMminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEcology and environmental consultancy partner in VPELA's partner logo section.
• One Mile GridminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPlanning consultancy partner in VPELA's partner logo section.
• Norton Rose FulbrightminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGlobal law firm partner in VPELA's sponsor logo section.
• ContourminorGTM or Marketing PartnerUrban design consultancy partner in VPELA's partner logo section.
• MinterEllisonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMajor law firm that hosts VPELA events at their Melbourne office location.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Consult Australia: Industry association for Australian consulting firms in the built environment. Comparable because Consult Australia represents many of the same planning, engineering, and environmental consultancy firms that sponsor VPELA, and both organizations serve overlapping member firms with advocacy and events.
• Planning Institute of Australia: The national professional body for urban and regional planners in Australia. Comparable because both serve planning professionals through membership, events, and advocacy, though PIA operates nationally while VPELA is Victoria-specific.
• Urban Development Institute of Australia: National industry body representing the property development industry. Comparable because many UDIA members (developers, planners, consultants) overlap with VPELA's membership base and both organizations run conferences and advocacy on planning reform.
• Australian Institute of Landscape Architects: National professional body for landscape architects. Comparable because AILA draws from the same multidisciplinary built-environment professional community as VPELA, offering membership, CPD events, and awards programs targeted at design and planning practitioners.
• Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand: Professional association for environmental practitioners across Australia and New Zealand. Comparable because both provide membership, events, and publications for environmental professionals and share multidisciplinary member bases including ecologists and environmental consultants.

Broad incumbents

• Property Council of Australia: The peak national industry body for the property and development sector. Comparable because Property Council covers many of VPELA's stakeholders (developers like Villawood Properties are VPELA sponsors) and both run industry conferences, though PCA's scope is far broader than VPELA's planning/legal focus.
• Law Institute of Victoria: The peak body for lawyers in Victoria. Comparable because VPELA's legal-practitioner members (many at firms like Hall & Wilcox, Maddocks, MinterEllison) also engage with LIV, and both run CPD events and member publications, though LIV serves the entire legal profession rather than planning/env law specialists.

Regional players

• Local Government Professionals Australia: National association for local government professionals. Comparable because VPELA's public-sector member segment (recognized via the Kathy Mitchell Award) overlaps with LGPA's audience, and both deliver professional development for government planners and policy professionals, though LGPA operates nationally rather than Victoria-only.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/vpela1
• LinkedInca.linkedin.com/company/vpela
• Instagraminstagram.com/vpela_

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 VPELA