General Member Benefits
- Monitoring and reporting to members on legislative, regulatory, and press developments affecting MLPs.
- The opportunity to review and take a position on legislative and regulatory developments.
- Representation before Congress on the executive branch on federal tax and other federal issues affecting MLPs, and coordination of efforts to influence state legislatures and agencies.
- Disseminating information on MLPs to the press, the investment community, and the general public, including an annual MLP Investor Conference at which only members may present.
- Providing a website to inform and educate investors and with information in the members’ section not available to the general public.
- Providing a clearinghouse through which members may share information and ideas.
Member Benefits to Service and Investment Firms
- MLPA is the only association representing the MLP industry as such (as opposed to other associations MLPs may belong to which represent them as oil pipelines, gas pipelines, producers, etc.). It has done this with great success since 1983, and investment firms and service firms have been part of the mix from the very beginning.
- For this reason, membership in the MLPA is a very visible way to support the MLP industry.
- MLPA members get early notice of federal and state legislative and regulatory developments affecting MLPs, and a chance to have a voice in how the industry responds.
- The MLPA also has a PR function in working to educate investors and the general public about MLPs and encourage people to consider them as an investment; investment firms in the MLPA play an important role in this effort.
- The MLPA serves an important networking function for those who work with MLPs. It is a great way to meet and gain access to executives of MLPs as well as others in the industry, and to exchange information and ideas.
- Members get some free publicity on the MLPA website (www.MLPAssociation.org); all members are listed in the public section with a link to their own website.
- Research analysts and others who choose to do so can also have their material, or summaries of their material, posted on the public or the Members section of the MLPA website.
- Members also receive access to the Member Section of the MLPA website, which has valuable contact information, information and federal and state matters, briefing materials from the Annual Meeting, etc.
- Annual dues are relatively low for a trade association and can be paid in installments if desired.
Membership Categories
- Regular (Voting) Members, consisting of MLPs and service companies such as accounting firms, law firms, and banks, enjoy all the benefits listed above. In addition, they may serve on all committees, may serve on the Board of Directors, and may vote for Directors in each year’s Board election. MLP members may present and/or hold one-on-one meetings at the Annual MLP Investor Conference.
- Associate Members, consisting primarily of buy-side investment firms, receive the same benefits as Members, except that:
- They do not serve on committees dealing with federal and state policy (Federal Affairs, Regulatory, etc.).
- They may not vote for or serve on the Board of Directors.
- Industry Partners, consisting of Yield Cos, former MLPs that are taxed as C-corporations, private equity firms, and private companies, are similar to Associate Members, except that:
- They may present and/or hold one-on-one meetings at MLPA’s annual MLP and Energy Infrastructure Conference.
- They may not serve on any committee or vote on any matter.