Join IRMA
Both magazine publishers and publishing industry suppliers may join IRMA, suppliers may choose to become either Gold or Silver sponsors.
Magazines
Membership Benefits
- The annual conference hosted by a different member magazine each year, featuring formal sessions with industry experts, round-table discussions and seminars on editorial and business topics, online publishing, advertising, circulation and more, plus networking and good fellowship with your regional publishing colleagues, and, as a bonus, a tour of the very best of the host’s regional attractions.
- The IRMA magazine exchange, complimentary subscriptions to all member magazines, a great source of ideas.
- Compete for IRMA’s prestigious annual awards in over 20 categories awarded by a panel of independent writing and design judges.
- The eSignature, IRMA’s regular e-newsletter, a great forum for questions and answers between members.
- Networking, at the annual conference and year-round via email, with colleagues and friends at other magazines.
- Tips and best practices: IRMA’s unique spirit of sharing that results from members in similar businesses but different markets. Our bylaws even state that a primary purpose of the Association is “to act as a channel of communication and to encourage the free flow of information among regional magazines.”
- Member forum: Got a publishing problem or a question? Post it to the IRMA group on Facebook. This closed Facebook group is available to members and sponsors only.
What Members Say About IRMA:
“We are a case study for IRMA - without IRMA, we would not have survived and thrived and understood how to build our ancillary product line, and we’re working on our 30th anniversary issue!”
-Cindy Hayden, Publisher
Lake Superior Magazine
“One very productive aspect of the IRMA conferences is the informal sharing of information, everything from contributors’ fees to good advertising strategies. Questions come up outside the formal presentations in the spirit of working together.”
-Elizabeth Folwell,
Creative Director
Adirondack Life
To meet all qualifications for membership, a magazine must…
- Have published consecutively for two years as a quarterly or more frequent schedule under the same title;
- Have general interest, lifestyle or tourism editorial content about a specific state or region, while supporting the purposes of the association;
- Be primarily printed on coated paper stock;
- Must apply for separate individual memberships for magazine titles that may be published by the same firm or entity; and
- May apply for membership even if the majority of the relevant voting stock is owned by another person, business entity or governmental entity with common affiliations or interest.
All membership applications must be accepted by the board of directors through a majority vote. The board defines a regional magazine as one that covers a specific geographical area larger than a city and smaller than a nation (except for small nations).
Provisional membership may be granted by the board of directors if the board believes the magazine will meet all of these requirements within a two-year period.
Click here for a membership application.
Sponsors
Any person, firm or corporation engaged in a business allied to the publishing of regional magazines may join.
It’s About Access
IRMA sponsorship is not about sitting at a table/booth hoping that the membership comes by to speak to you. It’s about total integration with the membership—being in the seminars, at the meals, on the field trips and most importantly in the hospitality suite every evening. It is about not being treated as a vendor but as a partner. It is about being able to call a publisher, editor or anyone in a member organizations and saying that you are an IRMA sponsor and getting right in the door.
What Sponsors Say About IRMA:
“Nothing that I had heard about previous IRMA conferences could have prepared me for how enjoyable your group would be. I was not only impressed with how openly you shared ideas and comments, but how much fun you had doing so.”
—Ora Lee Keaton, Senior Vice President, Publishing Services Group, Worldcolor
“The Conference was indeed very special and you can count us in for all IRMA events. Thanks again for making us feel welcome and part of IRMA.”
—Mark Pratt, Vice President, Business Development, Metro Publisher
“The people of IRMA are a unique group. The Association is a wonderful and inspiring club. I’m thrilled to be a part of IRMA.”
—P.J. Burnsky, Sales Executive, Fry Communications
Gold Sponsor Benefits
- Two FREE registrations for the annual conference (a $1,000+ value). Entitles two representatives to attend all the functions of the annual conference, including the Annual IRMA Awards Banquet . This is a great opportunity to meet and talk with top managers from member magazines one-on-one in a friendly, informal atmosphere.
- Ability to network year-round among all members as a fellow member of IRMA on their members-only Facebook forum or directly by phone or email.
- Free, targeted online ad: Your company logo, including a link to your company’s site, on the IRMA Web site home page
- Free logo and Web site link in each issue of the eSignature association newsletter sent to members throughout the year
- Your company’s name on all conference materials available to members, identifying you as a Gold Sponsor
- Your company’s name displayed in the hospitality suite throughout the conference, identifying you as a Gold Sponsor.
- Your sales/marketing information distributed directly to IRMA members attending the conference
- A five-foot tabletop display space at the conference.
- The opportunity to give a five minute presentation on the topic: “What’s New at Our Company” at a full conference seminar or meal at the discretion of the host
- The opportunity to present specific information linked from the e-Signature (up to four times per year in coordination with the Executive Director)
- Use of the IRMA mailing list.
- The opportunity to present webinars on industry topics to the membership up to four per year, coordinated through the Executive Director and publicized in the eSignature
- Your representative will announce all winners of one category of the IRMA Awards (including gold, silver, bronze and any awards of merit) during the Gala Awards Banquet at the annual conference. This means that your company will be part of the highlight event of the conference.
- Receipt at the Annual IRMA Awards of an appreciation plaque from all IRMA member magazines.
- Featured on the new IRMA Bid Board on the IRMA website
- A 10% Discount on the Sponsorship Fee (returning sponsors only) if application form is received prior to March 15
- Plus all the benefits of an IRMA Silver Sponsor (a $3,900 value, see below)
Click here for a sponsorship application.
Silver Sponsor Benefits
- One FREE registration for the annual conference , including the Annual IRMA Awards Banquet (additional registrations at the guest rate), a $500 value, a great opportunity to meet and talk with top managers from member magazines one-on-one in a friendly, informal atmosphere.
- The opportunity to present specific information linked from the e-Signature, IRMA’s newsletter, (up to two times per year in coordination with the Executive Director)
- The opportunity to present webinars on industry topics to the membership. (up to two times per year coordinated through the Executive Director and publicized in the eSignature
- A five-foot tabletop display space at the conference.
- Full membership privileges except for holding office, voting or participating in IRMA business meetings.
- Your company’s name listed as a silver sponsor on IRMA’s Web site home page
- Access to the Members Only section of this site including the member staff directory and member company profiles
- Results of member surveys conducted from time to time.
- Receipt of each issue of the eSignature association newsletter
- Listed on the New IRMA bid request form on the IRMA website
- Ability to network year-round among all members as a fellow member of IRMA.
- A 10% Discount on the Sponsorship Fee (returning sponsors only) if application form is received prior to March 15
- More benefits are listed in materials you will receive when you complete the membership application form below.
Click here for a sponsorship application.