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 and research of practical use to members and which improve their personal career skill-sets.

The RTMA holds 3 full conferences and several workshops every year.  It also produces The Routes to Market magazine, 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 magazine 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. Members are responsible for driving their companies distribution and channel strategy, either at a UK or European level.

Membership is free, with members paying £85 to attend individual events.  Service providers - companies and firms whose main raison d’être is to sell their services to members - pay £420 to attend each event.