ohio society of association executives

What ohio society of association executives does

The Ohio Society of Association Professionals (OSAP) is a private, non-profit professional membership association headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, that serves CEOs, executive directors, and staff of professional and trade associations across the state. Its mission is to strengthen association leaders and the communities they serve through peer networking, professional development, certification support, advocacy, and industry research. Named members in the source data include Ohio Physical Therapy Association, Ohio Manufactured Homes Association, Ohio Concrete, and the Ohio Association of School Business Officials, reflecting a horizontal, long-tail membership across Ohio's trade and professional association landscape.

OSAP's product surface is a bundled membership offering rather than a discrete software product. The core membership is supported by (1) the Novi AMS platform powering member registration, event ticketing, e-commerce, and the OSAP Job Board; (2) SeminarWeb online education for virtual seminars and professional development; (3) the OSAP Observations podcast, hosted by President & CEO Jarrod A. Clabaugh; (4) the OSAP Knowledge Hub content library; (5) certification preparation for CAE, CMP, and IOM; (6) the Benefits and Compensation Study sold as a benchmarking product; (7) health insurance via an exclusive Gallagher partnership; and (8) office rental at the Columbus headquarters. Strategic partners include ASAE for national reach, Novi AMS as technology backbone, and a roster of Mission Partner sponsors spanning CVBs (Destination Toledo, Experience Columbus, Shores & Islands Ohio), venues (Kalahari Resorts), and professional services firms (Saling Simms Associates, Clark Schaefer Hackett, Burgie MediaFusion).

OSAP's revenue model is diversified across recurring and transactional streams: annual membership dues (subscription), job board transaction fees ($175 member / $249 non-member per posting), event registration fees for both in-person and virtual programming, Mission Partner sponsorship commitments, one-time sale of the Benefits and Compensation Study, and office rental income. Distribution is exclusively direct and regional (Ohio), with acquisition through the website, events, word-of-mouth, and ASAE referral. The organization is privately held with no parent company, no outside investors, and a wholly-owned OSAP Foundation subsidiary supporting scholarships and professional development initiatives.

Name

ohio society of association executives

Legal name

Ohio Society of Association Professionals

Website

https://osae.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

OSAP is a Columbus, Ohio-based non-profit membership association serving executives and staff of the state's professional and trade associations through networking, CAE/CMP/IOM certification support, events, education, a job board, and industry research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees providing access to networking, resources, educational content, and member directory
2. Job Board Postings: Fee-based job postings for association management positions; members receive discounted rates
3. Event Registration Fees: Registration fees for in-person and virtual events including annual conferences, CEO Dialogues, Coffee Talks, and seminars
4. Mission Partner Sponsorships: Sponsorship opportunities for organizations to support OSAP and gain visibility among association professionals
5. Benefits and Compensation Study: Research publication sold as a product for industry benchmarking
6. OSAP Office Rental: Rental of office space to members or external organizations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

OSAP is a nonprofit professional membership association that delivers networking, education, certification support (CAE, CMP, IOM), industry research, advocacy, and career resources to association executives and staff in Ohio. It monetizes access through membership dues, paid event registrations, job board postings, and Mission Partner sponsorships, and distributes knowledge through the OSAP Observations podcast, SeminarWeb online education, and the Benefits and Compensation Study report.

Product overview

OSAP (Ohio Society of Association Professionals) operates as a membership-based professional organization, not a software product company. The organization offers a unified membership experience that includes access to in-person and virtual events, online education via SeminarWeb, a job board, professional development certifications (CAE, CMP, IOM), the OSAP Observations podcast, the Benefits and Compensation Study, health insurance through Gallagher, foundation programs, and office rental services. These offerings function as integrated member benefits under a single organizational umbrella rather than as modular software products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OSAP Foundation: Foundation supporting and advancing the needs of Ohio's association professionals and industry thought-leaders
• OSAP Observations
• SeminarWeb

Products and services

• OSAP Membership Professional membership providing access to networking, peer connections, educational resources, industry insights, and career development opportunities for association executives in Ohio.
• In-Person Events Signature in-person events including the OSAP Annual Conference, committee meetings, and industry events for professional networking and education.
• Virtual Events Virtual event programming including CEO Dialogues, virtual seminars, Association Coffee Talks, and online educational sessions.
• SeminarWeb Online Education OSAP's online education platform offering virtual seminars, webinars, and professional development courses for association professionals.
• Job Board Career center listing open positions within association management. Listings appear for two months or until filled. Members pay $175; non-members pay $249 per posting.
• OSAP Observations Podcast Industry podcast featuring conversations with thought leaders on leadership, marketing, membership, and association management topics.
• Professional Development Programs Certification and credentialing support including CAE (Certified Association Executive), CMP (Certified Meeting Professional), and IOM preparation programs.
• Benefits and Compensation Study Industry benchmarking report on compensation and benefits for association professionals, available for purchase.
• OSAP Foundation Foundation supporting professional development needs of Ohio's association professionals through scholarships and educational initiatives.
• Health Insurance (via Gallagher) Healthcare benefits program for OSAP members, provided through partnership with Gallagher as exclusive healthcare partner.
• OSAP Office Rental Office space rental for members needing temporary or meeting space, located in Columbus, OH.

Quantifiable outcome

• 87 association executives earned CAE credential in Spring 2026
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• GallaghercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2015Gallagher serves as OSAP's exclusive healthcare partner, providing members with access to health coverage options and downloadable healthcare resources and insights through a dedicated portal.
• ASAE (American Society of Association Executives)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association partnership providing access to CAE certification, annual meetings, industry research, and advocacy resources. OSAP members participate in ASAE events and programming.
• Novi AMScoreTechnology or IntegrationAssociation management software provider powering OSAP's website, membership system, event registrations, and online store. Novi AMS is also a Mission Partner sponsor.
• Destination ToledosupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerConvention and visitors bureau serving as Mission Partner and host CVB for OSAP 2027 Annual Conference at Maumee Bay Lodge.
• Experience ColumbussupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerColumbus visitors bureau serving as Mission Partner sponsor supporting OSAP and Ohio's association community.
• Shores & Islands OhiosupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional tourism organization serving as Mission Partner supporting Ohio's association management industry.
• Kalahari Resorts & Convention CentersupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerResort and convention venue serving as Mission Partner and event sponsor, offering meeting facilities for OSAP events.
• Burgie MediaFusionsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia and marketing firm owned by Barb Burgie, serving as Mission Partner. Barb appears as guest on OSAP Observations podcast discussing marketing strategies.
• Clark Schaefer Hackett Business AdvisorssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness advisory firm serving as Industry Partner Mission Partner from 2015-2026. Contact: Michael Borowitz, CPA, CAE at Columbus Easton Way location.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Illinois Society of Association Executives (ISAE): ISAE serves Illinois association executives via membership, education, networking, and advocacy — the closest direct state-level peer to OSAP in terms of service mix, target audience, and revenue model.
• CSAE (Canadian Society of Association Executives): CSAE is the national Canadian society of association executives providing education, credentialing (CAE), and networking — directly analogous to ASAE at the national level but operating as OSAP's structural mirror across a separate geography.
• Association Forum (Chicago): Association Forum is a Chicago-based membership organization for association professionals offering education, networking, and the CAE preparation pipeline — comparable service portfolio and target audience to OSAP, operating at a metro/regional rather than state scope.
• New York Society of Association Executives (NYSAE): NYSAE is the New York State-level society of association executives, providing education, networking, and resources to association professionals — the same state-society operating model OSAP runs in Ohio.
• Texas Society of Association Executives (TSAE): TSAE is a state-level society of association executives serving Texas-based association professionals — a structurally identical operating model to OSAP (membership, events, certification support, sponsorships), differing only by state.
• Greater Washington Society of Association Executives (GWSAE): GWSAE serves association professionals in the greater Washington, D.C. region with education, networking, and professional development programming — a regional association society that parallels OSAP's Ohio-centric operating model.
• Carolinas Society of Association Executives (Carolina SAE): Carolina SAE is a regional society serving association executives in the Carolinas, offering events, education, and member resources comparable to OSAP's Ohio offering.

Broad incumbents

• American Society of Association Executives (ASAE): ASAE is the national-level professional association serving the association management industry. OSAP holds a Core-tier partnership with ASAE and routes CAE certification pathways through it; ASAE serves the same professional community but at a national rather than state scope.

Others

• Novi AMS: Novi AMS is the association management software provider powering OSAP's website, membership system, event registrations, and online store, and also serves as a Mission Partner sponsor — an enabling technology and ecosystem partner rather than a competitor.
• Gallagher (AJG): Gallagher is OSAP's exclusive healthcare partner providing member health coverage via a dedicated portal — a service-vendor and Mission Partner rather than a peer, but enables a high-value member benefit bundle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ohio-connections-academy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 ohio society of association executives