The Business Forum Institute

Name

The Business Forum Institute

Legal name

The Business Forum Institute

Website

https://bizforum.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Executive Networking & Business Forums

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Executive Summits & Invitation-Only Forums (MPAGAGAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Customer/User Conferences & Client Advisory Boards (THAHAMAD)

Keywords

• Executive networking forums
• Business luncheon events
• Moderated business discussions
• Corporate event sponsorship
• Business intelligence publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Beverly Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Event Sponsorship: Organizations sponsor Business Forum meetings where they present their products, services, or new ideas to an assembled audience of qualified senior decision makers. Sponsors pay for the opportunity to participate in moderated discussions and gain direct access to potential clients and peers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Business Forum Institute organizes and hosts moderated in-person business luncheons and closed expert events at world-class hotels, where corporate sponsors present for five minutes followed by an open Q&A under professional moderation with senior executive guests. It also publishes The Business Forum Journal featuring articles and white papers from corporations, academic institutions, and individual experts, and maintains World Information Pages providing country-by-country reference data. Revenue comes from organizations that sponsor these meetings to gain direct access to qualified senior decision makers.

Product overview

The Business Forum Institute operates as a business networking and information publishing organization offering a portfolio of services including The Business Forum Journal (a monthly publication featuring expert articles and white papers), World Information Pages (comprehensive country-by-country reference data), Business Forum Luncheons (senior-level networking events with moderated discussions), and Closed Expert Events (intimate forums for specialized knowledge sharing). The organization connects senior decision-makers with industry experts and peers to facilitate business discussions, information exchange, and professional networking. Founded in 1982 in Beverly Hills, California, the institute has served multinational corporations and government organizations for over three decades.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 27% gross revenue growth in eight weeks reported by Norris Environmental Services after adding Business Forum to marketing mix
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 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

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Adobe Systems, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor technology sponsor that participated in early Business Forum events alongside other Fortune 500 companies. Adobe presented at forums where they engaged with top CIOs and CISOs from Los Angeles County.
• IBM CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIBM participated extensively with multiple divisions including IBM Crisis Response Team, IBM Tivoli Group, and IBM Rational Software. Multiple testimonials praise the forum for delivering insights on information technology and business operations.
• Cisco Systems, Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCisco used the forum as a focus group without the one-way mirror to get frank feedback from hard-to-reach executives. Kevin Flynn from Security Technology Marketing Division described it as a great opportunity for face-to-face discussion outside the normal sales process.
• Intel CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntel participated through System Technology Laboratories. Ken Salzberg noted the forums deliver lively debates on key IT topics providing critical understanding of issues and how technology can be employed in real world settings.
• Microsoft CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicrosoft was among the major technology companies that participated in Business Forum events from the organization's early days.
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSenior FBI members participated in information security forums alongside technology vendors. Memco Software noted the unique opportunity to have FBI, forensic experts, and IT vendors in the same room for open interactive discussion.
• NASAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA Director Robert Stark expressed support for Business Forum efforts that lead towards strengthening the economy.
• Government of DenmarkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Royal Danish Government Consulate General organized successful luncheon programs through The Business Forum, particularly in the environmental sector.
• Government of Victoria, AustraliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioner Alan S. Reiher noted that The Business Forum is clearly well recognized in the West Coast business community and senior business people value the process.
• Deloitte & Touche LLPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeloitte was initially skeptical but became satisfied with visibility and leads from Business Forum sponsorship. They continued sponsorship as part of their marketing plan to expand consulting services visibility throughout California.
• Memco Software Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMemco organized events with FBI, forensic experts and IT vendors across half a dozen cities in four states over three months. VP Business Development Daniel Woolley reported ROI far greater than anticipated.
• State of Nevada Commission on Economic DevelopmentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Director Robert Schriver reported being amazed at the quality and level of contacts gained from luncheons.
• Fujitsu Software CorporationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Sales Manager Jason Rose described The Business Forum as an invaluable resource and business development partner that puts them in front of the right people in a relaxed environment.
• Cambridge Technology Partners Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarketing Manager Steffan Land described the Business Forum as a powerful marketing tool that brings senior level audience for meaningful discussions on business issues.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The Conference Board: The Conference Board convenes C-suite executives through conferences, councils, and research, providing a trusted forum for executive discussion. The overlap with the Business Forum's format of moderated senior-executive dialogues and neutral moderator-driven debate is direct.
• YPO (Young Presidents' Organization): YPO is a global peer-to-peer network of chief executives that organizes forums, events, and learning communities for senior decision makers. Like the Business Forum, it monetizes access to senior executives through curated convenings and is a direct analog in the executive forum category.
• Vistage Worldwide: Vistage operates peer advisory groups and executive events for CEOs and business leaders. It shares the Business Forum's core model of convening senior executives in moderated small-group settings for knowledge exchange and networking, with a clear peer relationship in executive convening.

Regional players

• Foreign Policy Association: The Foreign Policy Association hosts moderated discussions and Great Decisions series connecting executives with policy experts. Comparable to the Business Forum's international focus (e.g., Denmark, Victoria Australia) and the World Information Pages / country-knowledge content asset.

Broad incumbents

• Aspen Institute: The Aspen Institute runs executive seminars and invitation-only forums for leaders across business, government, and policy. Its moderated-dialogue format and senior-executive audience overlap directly with the Business Forum's neutral-moderator approach.
• World Economic Forum: The World Economic Forum hosts invitation-only annual summits and convenings for heads of state, Fortune 500 CEOs, and senior officials. While broader and global in scope, it shares the Business Forum's model of curating invitation-only executive forums for peer dialogue on pressing issues.
• Milken Institute: The Milken Institute hosts global conferences (e.g., the Milken Conference) and publishes research focused on finance, health, and philanthropy. It shares the Business Forum's model of combining executive convenings with published thought leadership, though at a much larger scale.
• Council on Foreign Relations: CFR convenes senior executives, government officials, and academics through invitation-only meetings and roundtables. Its 'no attribution' moderated discussion model is structurally similar to the Business Forum's neutral moderator format for frank executive dialogue.

Emerging players

• Chief Executive Group: Chief Executive Group hosts CEO peer groups, events, and summits focused on senior leadership. It shares the Business Forum's senior-decision-maker audience and B2B event-driven model, though it has digital community and content components as well.

Others

• United States Council for International Business: USCIB represents US business interests to international organizations and convenes events connecting corporate executives with policy and international stakeholders. It is thematically related to the Business Forum's international convening and government engagement activity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-business-forum-institute

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 The Business Forum Institute