Comparison · 14 material differences
The CMO Club vs Forbes Councils
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
Verified September 2026
Networking organization
Verified September 2026 The CMO Club
Chief marketing officers and senior marketing leaders at established brands
Networking organization
Forbes Councils
Owners, founders, partners and senior executives who want a bylined publishing platform on Forbes.com alongside a vetted online peer network
What the records say
- Role or title: The CMO Club: Chief marketing officer or equivalent senior marketing leader; Forbes Councils: Owner, founder, partner, C-level executive, or vice president and above leading a region or division, in the council's field.
- Minimum company revenue: The CMO Club: No published minimum company revenue; Forbes Councils: "Your business generates a minimum of $1M USD in revenue".
- Minimum capital raised: The CMO Club: No published minimum capital raised; Forbes Councils: "Your business has received a minimum of $1M USD in financing".
- Industry restriction: The CMO Club: No published industry restriction; Forbes Councils: "No MLM/direct sales, gambling, adult entertainment, adult websites, adult products, or cannabis companies are allowed".
- Annual dues: The CMO Club: Not publicly disclosed at any stage of the organisation's history.; Forbes Councils: Not publicly disclosed. The Business Council page confirms this is "a fee-based professional organization" offering "1-year and 2-year membership payment plans", and the membership agreement refers to "the then-current membership fee for each year of the Term", but no amount is published. Figures quoted on affiliate and agency blogs could not be independently verified..
Side by side
| The CMO Club | Forbes Councils | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Networking organization | Networking organization |
| Founded | Not documented | Not documented |
| Headquarters | United States | Boston, United States |
| Geographic footprint | At acquisition in 2020, more than 30 global chapters. The successor InspireCMO runs member programmes at chapters across the United States; a current chapter list is not published on the public site. | Nine online councils with no local chapters; the operator, Community.co, is based in Boston, Massachusetts |
| Members | 650as of March 2020 | Not publicly disclosed. Forbes Councils publishes member directories per council but no total. Community.co, which operates Forbes Councils and several sister communities, states "25k+ Members to date" across "50+ Communities", which is not a Forbes Councils figure. |
| Chapters | 30 | No chapters; the councils are online communities |
| Primary audience | Chief marketing officers and senior marketing leaders at established brands | Owners, founders, partners and senior executives who want a bylined publishing platform on Forbes.com alongside a vetted online peer network |
| Typical member | Members were CMOs and senior marketing leaders at large consumer and business brands. The club's defining rule was that vendors and press were excluded, so members could speak without being sold to or quoted. | Members are owners, founders, C-level executives, partners and vice presidents who lead a region or division, drawn from the industry each council covers. The financial test is set at the company level rather than personal wealth: US$500,000 or US$1,000,000 in annual revenue or capital raised, depending on the council. |
| Qualification | ||
| Role or title | Chief marketing officer or equivalent senior marketing leaderThe historic club and its successor both position membership as CMO-level. No formal written eligibility test is published.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Owner, founder, partner, C-level executive, or vice president and above leading a region or division, in the council's fieldThe Technology Council specifies "founders, partners, and CEOs of technology companies, C-level technology executives such as CTOs and CIOs, and VPs of technology teams"verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum company revenue | No published minimum company revenue | "Your business generates a minimum of $1M USD in revenue"Applies to the Agency, Business Development, Communications, Finance, Human Resources and Technology Councilsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Minimum capital raised | No published minimum capital raised | "Your business has received a minimum of $1M USD in financing"Alternative to the revenue test for the senior-level councilsverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Industry restriction | No published industry restriction | "No MLM/direct sales, gambling, adult entertainment, adult websites, adult products, or cannabis companies are allowed"Certain marketing agencies (link sellers, guaranteed media placements) and some cryptocurrency companies, such as those attached to initial coin offerings, are also excludedverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | Not documented | No |
| Sponsor required | No | No |
| Application process | For the successor InspireCMO: complete an online interest form, speak with the chapter's executive director, then begin attending member programmes. No public application process survives for the original CMO Club. | Candidates apply online to a specific council. A selection committee reviews the application against the published criteria and, if approved, issues a membership invitation. Payment is taken after acceptance, for a one-year or two-year term. Applications are made in an individual's own name, not a company's, even where an employer pays the fee. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. | Not publicly disclosed. Forbes Councils states that applications are vetted by a selection committee and that acceptance is at the company's sole discretion, but publishes no acceptance rate. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Not publicly disclosed at any stage of the organisation's history.verified September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed. The Business Council page confirms this is "a fee-based professional organization" offering "1-year and 2-year membership payment plans", and the membership agreement refers to "the then-current membership fee for each year of the Term", but no amount is published. Figures quoted on affiliate and agency blogs could not be independently verified.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 | Not publicly disclosed. The membership agreement states a one-time initiation fee, where applicable, is "non-refundable and will not be refunded once paid regardless of termination or cancellation".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Not documented | One-year or two-year terms, renewing automatically for equal periods |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Chapter programmes through the year plus regular virtual strategy calls and peer-led sessions, per the successor organisation | Monthly Expert Panel cycles and private virtual events; no scheduled local meetings |
| Peer forums | Member-led chapter circles rather than facilitated closed forums; each community has an assigned executive director | No facilitated peer forums; members join interest-based and geography-based online groups |
| Confidentiality | The original club's premise was a room without vendors or press. The successor publishes a code of conduct but no forum confidentiality rule | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Chapter-based, Event-focused, Virtual | Virtual, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | Partial | Partial |
| Local chapters | Yes | No |
| Virtual membership | Partial | Yes |
| Online community | Yes | Yes |
| Member directory | Yes | Yes |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | Partial |
| Leadership development | Yes | Partial |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | Partial |
| Family programming | No | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | No | No |
| Next-generation programming | Partial | No |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | No | No |
| Networking emphasis | High | Medium |
| Social emphasis | Medium | Low |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: The CMO Club · Forbes Councils