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BECOME A MEMBER

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"Every major craft active in the entertainment field has a self-governing body formed of members of that craft. The personal manager is playing a greater part in the development and presentation of talent. His services are specific and highly skilled and a horizontal organization is now necessary."

WILLIAM LOEB

FIRST PRESIDENT
CONFERENCE OF PERSONAL MANAGERS 1956

Those who decide to join the Talent Managers Association do so because they are invested in the protection and advancement of the integrity of talent management, are interested in positively supporting, learning from and engaging with peers within their professional community, and wish to show their commitment to the level of ethical business standards and practices the industry expects from our Members.

All applicants complete a thorough peer-reviewed vetting process in order to be approved for Membership, 

and are required to adhere to both the Code of Ethics and Bylaws of the TMA in order to remain in good standing with our organization.

BECOME A MEMBER

Prospective Members are vetted during our dedicated Membership Season, which occurs the first business day of June until the last business day of August every year. Applications will be available via the TMA website starting on the first day of the Membership Season. The vetting process takes approximately 2-4 weeks, and a vote date will be assigned to each applicant once the Membership Committee confirms receipt of their completed application. Only applications that include all necessary information and the non-refundable application fee will be considered.

ALL APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY MONDAY, AUGUST 12TH, 2024 TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE CURRENT MEMBERSHIP SEASON.

Once the vetting process is complete, the Committee will submit a recommendation along with the applicant's package to the Board of Directors for review. Meetings designated for the purpose of voting on Prospective Membership applications will take place once a month during the Membership Season, which will be posted on the public Calendar for the sake of transparency.

The Board will discuss all materials provided with the Membership Committee Chair before a vote is conducted. Each applicant will be notified of the Board's decision via electronic mail at the conclusion of this process. 

The Board's decisions are considered final. Once an applicant has been approved, they will have ten (10) business days to pay their one-time initiation fee along with any annual membership dues that are required at the time of acceptance. If this deadline is not met, their acceptance will be rescinded. If acceptance is rescinded or an applicant is denied, the Prospective Member will not be eligible to re-submit a new application until the next Membership Season that begins the following June.

REQUIREMENTS FOR FULL MEMBERSHIP

To be considered for Full Membership, an applicant must have been employed as or in business as a full-time talent manager for a minimum of two (2) years at the time of application and must pass a strict vetting process.

Alternatively, if an applicant was a casting director (not assistant or associate) that held membership with the CSA or was an agent (not assistant or junior) at an office that was either SAG-AFTRA or ATA franchised for at least one (1) year before becoming a talent manager, and can provide reliable documentation of such, the applicant will only be required to have been employed as or in business as a full-time talent manager for a minimum of one (1) year at the time of application.  

Full Members are eligible to run for office after completing one (1) full year of membership in good standing.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

To qualify, an individual must have worked legitimately in the Entertainment Industry at the Assistant level in either a management firm, talent agency or casting office, for a verifiable period of at least one year, and must be actively employed as a Junior Manager for the firm and under the direction of a current Full Member in good standing at the time of application.

 

Associate Members must be Sponsored by the Full Member under which they are associated, and the termination and/or resignation from the position as Junior Manager at the associated firm, or the termination, resignation and/or retirement of their sponsor, will effectively terminate their ability to hold Associate Membership with the TMA unless employed and Sponsored by a new candidate in good standing as defined above and within these Bylaws. The conduct of the Associate Member is considered a direct reflection of their Sponsor, and Sponsors are responsible for ensuring Associate Members hold themselves to the standards and conduct expected of a TMA Member.

 

Associate Members who are promoted to the position of Talent Manager must notify the Membership Committee of their promotion within three (3) months of accepting the role by submitting a Promotion Waiver to the Membership Committee, which must be countersigned by their Sponsor, at which time they will be permitted to apply for Full Membership if in good standing at the time of review. Associate Membership shall in no way guarantee approval of Full Membership to the TMA. If approved, Associate Member’s prepaid dues for the term will be credited toward their Full Membership dues, but the Member will be required to pay any difference of fees or dues at the time of approval in order for Full Membership to be considered active. If denied, Associate Membership will be terminated and the individual will be permitted to reapply during the Membership Term that occurs the following year.

 

Associate Members will pay a lower initiation fee and lower dues than Full Members, which will be determined by the Board of Directors. To be considered in good standing, Associate Members must have all dues paid in full, are required to adhere to the TMA Code of Ethics as well as the Bylaws of the TMA, and must actively fulfill their Committee requirement. Associate Members are strongly encouraged to participate in one TMA Committee of their choosing.

 

Associate Members in good standing are permitted to attend General Membership Meetings, attend select TMA programming and events, and have access to select TMA resources. In order to attend The Heller Awards, Associate Members must attend alongside and be seated with their Sponsor. Associate Members are not permitted to vote, hold office on the Board of Directors, hold Chair or Co-Chair positions on any TMA Committees, and are not eligible to be elected for Talent Manager of The Year. Executives, those with the full title of Talent Managers, Coordinators, Office Managers, Assistants, and/or any other support staff not listed here are ineligible to hold Associate Membership.

To inquire about an application for Associate Membership, please email Membership@TalentManagers.org.

ADDITIONAL MEMBERSHIP REQUIREMENTS

All Members, regardless of level, must meet the following criteria:

  • If an applicant has been an actor in the past, they cannot have performed as an actor for at least one (1) year prior to submitting their application for membership. Members are not permitted to work as an actor, paid or unpaid, including background work, while holding TMA Membership, cannot be represented as an actor, cannot represent themselves as an actor, and cannot hold active status with any of the performing unions or guilds (including, but not limited to, SAG-AFTRA, AEA, AGMA, AGVA, CAEA, ACTRA, UPBCP, UDA or Equity);

  • A Member cannot hold an active talent agency license, employment agency license, an active agency franchise with either SAG-AFTRA or ATA, advertise themselves as a licensed talent agent or give the impression to their clients or the the general public that they are operating as a licensed talent agent;

  • A Member's only clients cannot be related to them (for the purposes of this statement, "related to" refers to parent, child, sibling, spouse, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece or first cousin);

  • Members are not permitted to charge advance fees in any capacity - including retainers, administration or office fees of any kind, website hosting, maintenance costs or registration fees - or receive any arranged financial interest (aka "kickbacks") from services referred to their clients, including but not limited to acting classes, photography, or public relations services;

  • Any Member operating in the State of California and representing youth talent is required to hold a valid CPS license from the time of application and continuing throughout their membership term;

  • If the Member also consults, teaches or offers publicity services, this is only acceptable if they do not charge their management clients for this service. They must also include the following disclaimer on their website starting from the time of application and continuing throughout their membership term: "Our management clients do not pay any upfront fee for any service. We work strictly on a commission basis for our management clients";

  • The Member's management website must be separate from any other services' websites, with the exception of producing services;

  • Members must agree to abide by the TMA Code of Ethics at all times;

  • All Members are required to read the TMA Bylaws at the time of their acceptance into the organization, and must agree to and are responsible for complying with the TMA Bylaws for the duration of their membership.

2024 MEMBERSHIP FEES & DUES

Membership fees and dues are based on the level of Membership a Prospective Member is seeking. The application fee is due at the time of application in order for the vetting process to begin. Application fees are non-refundable. Once an applicant has been approved, they will have ten (10) business days to pay their one-time initiation fee along with any annual membership dues that are required at the time of acceptance.

FULL MEMBERS

Non-Refundable Application Fee...$50.00
One-Time Initiation Fee Upon Acceptance...$150.00
Annual Membership Dues...$250.00


TOTAL FEES DUE FOR NEW FULL MEMBERS...$450.00

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS

TBA

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