tennessee society of association executives

What tennessee society of association executives does

The Tennessee Society of Association Executives (TNSAE) is a private nonprofit professional membership organization founded in 1966 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. TNSAE serves executive directors, CEOs, association managers, and staff of professional associations and nonprofits operating across Tennessee, with the stated mission of "Elevating and Connecting" the state's association community. The organization operates a broad portfolio of products and services including an annual convention and trade show, CEO/ED retreats, peer power lunches, virtual coffee chats, webinars and self-paced e-learning, a leadership development cohort program, credential preparation for the Certified Association Executive (CAE), Qualified Association Specialist (QAS), and Institute for Organization Management (IOM) designations, an Association Executive-MBA partnership with GoalMakers, a career center, a digital Knowledge Hub, and an Awards of Excellence recognition program.

Name

tennessee society of association executives

Legal name

Tennessee Society of Association Executives

Website

https://tnsae.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTHAHACAA

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies)

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

Keywords

• Association management
• Professional development
• Membership organization
• Association executives
• Credentialing programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: TNSAE generates revenue through membership fees from association professionals and organizations across Tennessee. Membership categories include individual members, supplier members, and association supporters.
2. Events and Programs: Revenue from convention, trade shows, webinars, leadership programs, CEO/ED retreats, and other educational programming. Includes registration fees for the annual convention, trade show exhibitor fees, and CAE credit-bearing educational sessions.
3. Advertising and Sponsorship: Sponsorship revenue from Annual Partners and other sponsors for events, programs, and the website. Includes trade show sponsorships, event sponsorships, and annual partner arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tennessee Society of Association Executives (TNSAE) is a private nonprofit professional membership organization that delivers membership services, credentialing programs (CAE, QAS, IOM), in-person and virtual events, leadership development cohorts, and educational resources to association professionals across Tennessee. For nearly 60 years it has operated as the state's primary community and professional development hub for executive directors, CEOs, and association management staff.

Product overview

Tennessee Society of Association Executives (TNSAE) is a professional membership organization serving association professionals across Tennessee for nearly 60 years. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of programs and services including membership directories, professional development events (conventions, retreats, webinars, peer networking), credential programs (CAE, QAS, IOM), leadership development, career resources, knowledge hubs, and awards programs. The portfolio centers on Elevating and Connecting the Association Community through education, networking, and professional recognition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• TNSAE Membership Programs Membership packages for association professionals and organizations across Tennessee, providing access to a digital membership directory, supplier members directory, association supporters directory, member benefits, and volunteer opportunities.
• Annual Convention and Trade Show Annual convention featuring a trade show and Awards of Excellence Luncheon for Tennessee association professionals, exhibitors, and sponsors.
• CEO/ED Retreat Multi-day retreat for senior association leaders (CEOs and Executive Directors) featuring peer networking and strategic discussions.
• TNSAE Leadership Program Cohort-based leadership development program designed to support and develop future association leaders in Tennessee.
• CAE Credential Program Certified Association Executive (CAE) credential preparation and continuing education support for association professionals pursuing the CAE designation.

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered premier, core, elite annual partner, strategic annual partner and premier annual partner.

• Chattanooga Tourism Co.premierGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Annual Partner of TNSAE. Promotes and develops visitor experiences for the Chattanooga community's economic and social prosperity. Primary contact: Lori Dodd, Business Development Director. Brian Murphy handles Attractions & Meeting Venues, Convention & Visitors Bureaus, Convention Centers, Hotels.
• Visit KnoxvillecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Annual Partner and Convention & Visitors Bureau for Knoxville and Knox County. Home to Visit Knoxville Sports Commission, Visit Knoxville Film Office, Downtown Visitors Center, and Sunsphere Welcome Center. Primary contact: Pearl Dorsey, Director of Convention Sales.
• Kingsport CVBelite annual partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerElite Annual Partner. Convention & Visitors Bureau serving Kingsport, Tennessee. Primary contact: Lara Potter, Vice President.
• Southern Business Group, LLCstrategic annual partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic Annual Partner. Professional services firm. Managing Partner: Terry Edward Vaughan. Project Manager: Oscar Rangel.
• Tunica Convention & Visitors BureaucoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAnnual Partner. Provides travel and tourism information for Tunica, Mississippi including gaming, concerts, events, hotels, and dining. Primary contact: Mary Catherine Webb, Director of Tourism and Sales.
• The Peabody Memphispremier annual partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier Annual Partner. Historic hotel and venue at 149 Union Avenue, Memphis, TN. Primary contact: Vonne Gaddy, Director of Sales.
• Association Societies Alliance (ASA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ASA for the annual Association Compensation & Benefits Survey conducted in collaboration with Gallagher. TNSAE participates in this industry-wide benchmarking initiative.
• Association Academy (Ricochet Advice)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for the Association AI Accelerator Certificate Course - a 10-week professional development program for association professionals. Course led by Chris Gloede, CAE.
• Novi AMScoreTechnology or IntegrationAssociation Management Software platform provider powering tnsae.org. Provides the membership management, event registration, and website platform for TNSAE.

Scale indicators1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): ASAE is the national umbrella organization for association professionals, of which TNSAE and other state societies are typically allied members. Both serve the same core customer (association executives), offer the CAE credential pathway, and deliver similar programming categories (conventions, webinars, leadership programs) — ASAE simply at the national scale.
• Georgia Society of Association Executives (GSAE): GSAE is the direct state-level equivalent to TNSAE in neighboring Georgia, serving the same customer segment (association executives) with a comparable mix of membership, convention, credentialing, and sponsorship revenue streams. Geographic adjacency and structural similarity make it the closest comparable peer.
• Association Forum (formerly IASAE): Association Forum is the Chicago-based state society for association professionals (formerly the Illinois Society of Association Executives). It serves the same mission — networking, education, and credentialing support for association executives — at a comparable single-metro scale with similar event and sponsorship models.
• Texas Society of Association Executives (TSAE): TSAE is the Texas equivalent state society for association professionals, with parallel membership, convention, and CAE credentialing programs. It operates in a larger state but with the same structural model as TNSAE, making it a directly comparable peer.
• Florida Society of Association Executives (FSAE): FSAE serves association executives in Florida with the same value proposition as TNSAE: membership, networking events, education, and credentialing support. It represents the standard state-society template that TNSAE follows.
• California Society of Association Executives (CalSAE): CalSAE is the California state-level association for association executives, offering comparable membership, convention, and professional development programming. It operates at a larger scale but with the same structural mission and revenue model.

Broad incumbents

• U.S. Chamber of Commerce Institute for Organization Management (IOM): IOM is the U.S. Chamber's national credential program for association professionals, of which TNSAE is a participating site/partner. It is broader in scope and operated by a much larger institution, but it overlaps directly in the credentialing market TNSAE serves through its IOM program offering.
• ASAE Foundation: The ASAE Foundation is the research, scholarship, and benchmarking arm of ASAE, which TNSAE participates in through the joint Association Compensation & Benefits Survey with Gallagher. It is broader in scale and focuses on industry research rather than direct member services.

Regional players

• Association Management Inc. Association Management Inc. is an association management company (AMC) that provides outsourced operational services to associations. While not a membership society itself, its customers overlap heavily with TNSAE's member base — Tennessee association executives — and it competes for the same training, networking, and credentialing attention.

Others

• Parthenon Management Group: Parthenon Management Group is a Tennessee-based association management company (AMC) whose leadership sits on the TNSAE Board. While it is more of a partner/board member than direct competitor, it operates in the same Tennessee association-ecosystem and competes for the same association professional talent pool.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TNSAE.org
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tennessee-society-of-association-executives

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

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