St. Armands Circle Association

What St. Armands Circle Association does

St. Armands Circle Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit business association incorporated in 1987 and operating continuously since 1965 to represent approximately 150 merchants on St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida. Its functional role is commercial district management and advocacy: it markets the Circle as a destination ("Jewel of Sarasota"), coordinates signature events (car shows, art festivals, holiday events, fitness programming), maintains a public business directory and interactive map, and serves as the merchant-facing liaison to the City of Sarasota on parking (1,600+ spaces), permitting, and infrastructure. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors composed of merchant and stakeholder representatives (Columbia Restaurant/1905 Family of Restaurants, Longboat Key Club, Crab & Fin Restaurant, RE/MAX Alliance Group, Visit Sarasota County) and operates with a single paid staff member, Executive Director Rachel Burns.

The association's revenue model is a tiered annual membership program: Bronze at $600/year, Silver at $900/year, Gold at $3,000/year, and Platinum at $10,000/year, with optional monthly ACH billing. Supplemental revenue comes from Platinum-tier sponsorships (Opal Collection Hotels & Resorts, Observer Media Group, Out and About with Tyler Butler) and event-related contributions. The GTM motion is community-led and event-driven, combining organic social (Facebook, Instagram), a monthly email newsletter, a content hub at starmandscircleassoc.com, and signature in-person events to drive both local and destination visitor traffic to Circle merchants. There is no proprietary technology stack; the digital layer consists of standard website, directory, and email infrastructure.

Current operational emphasis is on post-hurricane recovery: the association is coordinating with the City of Sarasota and pursuing Resilient SRQ funding for storm water infrastructure improvements, while continuing member marketing, events, and visitor information services. Member support, district advocacy, and infrastructure resilience are the primary strategic priorities.

Name

St. Armands Circle Association

Legal name

St. Armands Circle Association

Website

https://starmandscircleassoc.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

St. Armands Circle Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit that represents approximately 150 merchants on St. Armands Circle in Sarasota, Florida, providing destination marketing, signature events, a public business directory, and advocacy with the City of Sarasota on parking and infrastructure.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Sarasota

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Business Membership Fees: The association generates revenue through tiered business membership programs. Bronze Member at $600/year, Silver Member at $900/year, Gold Member at $3,000/year, and Platinum Member at $10,000/year. Additional monthly ACH payment options available. The association is a 501(c)(6) organization, and membership fees may be tax-deductible as a business expense.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The St. Armands Circle Association is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit business association that represents roughly 150 merchants and property owners in the St. Armands Circle commercial district of Sarasota, Florida. It delivers tiered membership programs, district-wide marketing and promotion, signature events such as the Sidewalk Sale and Midnight Madness, and a visitor information center, while acting as the unified advocate for the district with the city and broader community.

Product overview

St. Armands Circle Association operates a business directory and community platform for the St. Armands Circle commercial district in Sarasota, Florida. The core offering consists of an organized business directory with categorized merchant listings (Fashion & Footwear, Jewelry & Accessories, Specialty & Gifts, Restaurants, Ice Cream & Confections, Salons/Spas & Medical, Professional Services), an interactive color-coded map, an events calendar featuring community activities, a tiered business membership program, and newsletter communications. The platform also supports visitor resources including parking information, public restrooms, and transportation options.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Merchant Membership Program Tiered annual membership for the approximately 150 merchants and property owners of St. Armands Circle, granting access to collective marketing, events, advocacy, and directory listing benefits.
• District-Wide Marketing and Promotion Collective marketing campaigns and promotional activities coordinated on behalf of St. Armands Circle member merchants and the district as a whole.
• Signature Community Events Organization and production of signature district events such as the Sidewalk Sale and Midnight Madness, designed to drive foot traffic and revenue to member merchants.
• Visitor Information Center On-site visitor information services at St. Armands Circle providing guests with district and merchant information.
• Merchant Directory Listing Online directory listing of St. Armands Circle member merchants, accessible to consumers and visitors via the Association's website.
• Event Sponsorship Packages Sponsorship packages providing brand exposure through St. Armands Circle signature events, available alongside Platinum-tier membership.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered platinum and core.

• Opal Collection Hotels & ResortsplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor representing The Resort at Longboat Key Club, Cirque St. Armands Beachside, Lido Beach Resort, and Zota Beach Resort. These hospitality partners provide accommodation listings and support the commercial district's tourism ecosystem.
• Observer Media GroupplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerPlatinum sponsor providing hyperlocal community journalism. The Observer reaches 115,000+ readers weekly covering Sarasota, Longboat Key, East County and Siesta Key news, features, events and real estate.
• Out and About with Tyler ButlerplatinumGTM or Marketing PartnerTelevision show sponsor showcasing local events, attractions and community gems in Sarasota, Siesta Key and surrounding areas, hosted by Tyler Butler.
• City of SarasotacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe association works with the City of Sarasota on parking management (1600+ spaces managed by City Parking Division), infrastructure (seeking Resilient SRQ funds for storm water improvements), special events permitting, and overall district coordination.
• St. Armands Residents AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership for area improvement and ensuring positive visitor experience. The Residents Association previously led the 2007 Save Our Statues restoration project.
• Visit Sarasota CountycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBoard member representation from tourism promotion organization to drive visitor traffic to the Circle.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Main Street America: National program supporting commercial district revitalization through a network of local Main Street organizations. Comparable conceptually as a higher-tier umbrella for district-level merchant associations, including the St. Armands model.
• International Downtown Association: Industry association for urban place management and BID organizations. Comparable at an industry level as the trade body representing the same model of member-funded commercial district organizations.

Direct peers

• Times Square Alliance: A 501(c)(3) business improvement district representing merchants and property owners in the Times Square commercial district, providing marketing, events, public safety, and sanitation services. Highly comparable as a BID-style merchant association funded through member assessments.
• Pearl District Business Association: Neighborhood business association representing retailers, restaurants, and property owners in Portland's Pearl District. Comparable in structure (nonprofit member-supported commercial district organization) and function (events, marketing, advocacy for member businesses).
• Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce: Regional chamber of commerce serving Sarasota businesses through advocacy, networking, and member programming. Comparable as a member-supported business association serving SMBs, though broader in geography and sector than the Circle.
• Visit Sarasota County: County destination marketing organization that drives tourism to the Sarasota area. Comparable as a partner and adjacent organization promoting Sarasota visitor traffic, and a board-level stakeholder in the Association's strategy.
• Magnificent Mile Association: Association representing retailers, hotels, and restaurants on Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Comparable as a destination commercial district organization that runs signature events and promotes member businesses to visitors.
• Lincoln Road Business Improvement District: BID for the Lincoln Road pedestrian mall in Miami Beach, which manages marketing, events, and member services for a coastal commercial district. Comparable as another Florida tourist-shopping district association focused on retail, F&B, and events.
• Georgetown Business Improvement District: BID that markets Georgetown's commercial corridor, hosts signature events, and advocates on behalf of merchants and property owners. Highly comparable in structure (BID-style nonprofit funded by member assessments) and function (district marketing and events).

Regional players

• Downtown Sarasota Alliance: Local nonprofit representing downtown Sarasota businesses through events, marketing, and advocacy. Comparable as a same-metro BID-style association operating a parallel commercial district and competing for the same visitor and resident dollars.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/St.ArmandsCircle
• Instagraminstagram.com/St.ArmandsCircle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-armands-circle-association

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 St. Armands Circle Association