Set up in 1998, the Routes to Market Association is a not-for-profits, think-tank for senior managers to discuss channel and distribution strategies and issues across industries. It has two main aims:

• to offer a forum where members can meet and discuss issues with their peers in competitors, near competitors, other industries and academia
  
• to provide excellent, unbiased information, comment, analysis and research of practical use to members and which can improve their personal career skill-sets.

The RTMA holds four full conferences every year.  It also distributes the routes to market journal, which aims to be a McKinsey Quarterly-style publication on channel and distribution issues.

Typically, the conferences are attended by 30 to 50 senior managers, with 10 to 20 attending each workshop.  The journal is circulated to 2,000 senior managers and has a projected readership of 5,000.  The RTMA also sponsors academic research into channel and distribution management.

RTMA members are from the many industries, including the Information Technology sector with IBM, Microsoft, HP, Compaq and Oracle, Telecoms, with Orange, MMO2, Pharmaceuticals, with Schering, Lilly and Pfizer, Financial Services with Norwich Union, Alliance and Leicester, Abbey National and Barclays, Logistics with TNT and many others.

To qualify for membership, you should be a senior manager, responsible for driving your company's distribution and channel strategy, at a country, regional or global level.

Membership is free, to qualifying members with members paying to attend individual events.