Appreciating corporate support
By Rebecca Lintow, CAE, Executive Director | TLT Headquarters Report November 2026
Every STLE member journey is made possible by companies willing to invest in their people and this community.
Every professional milestone our members reach with STLE, from the first education course early in their career to eventually serving on the Board of Directors, is made possible by the same thing: a company deciding that participation in this community is worth supporting. That support shows up as a registration fee approved, a membership renewed or a new role on a committee. It is easy to overlook, but it is the foundation beneath nearly everything STLE does. This month, I want to recognize that support directly and highlight the growing number of ways companies can put it to work.
Corporate Membership, one of the most familiar pathways, gives an organization's team a stake in STLE's programs and a direct line to the latest research and standards shaping our field. Sponsoring or exhibiting at the STLE Annual Meeting: Innovating Through Tribology & Lubrication puts a company in front of the experts who will be specifying products and shaping decisions for years to come. And advertising here in TLT keeps a company's name in front of roughly 15,000 tribology and lubrication professionals every month, in the award-winning publication our members trust for technical credibility. I'd encourage any company that isn't yet participating in at least one of these offerings to take a look at what's available.
This month, many opportunities for corporate involvement are on full display. This issue of TLT includes CMF Plus, a special section reserved for companies that participated in the Commercial Marketing Forum (CMF) at the 2026 STLE Annual Meeting. Participating companies can purchase four pages to showcase their latest innovations to our full readership, turning a strong CMF presentation into a lasting piece of content our members can revisit long after the meeting ends. If your company is interested in CMF Plus for next year, the path starts now by purchasing a 2027 CMF slot at
www.stle.org/annualmeeting.
Also, the 2027 STLE Marketing Resource Guide, our full rundown of the ways companies can engage with STLE throughout the year, should arrive by mail shortly before this issue reaches you. You can also find a digital version at
www.stle.org/images/PDF/STLE_ORG/marketing/MRG2027.pdf.
I would like to draw special attention to a new opportunity for companies available for 2027. Each month, TLT's Sounding Board survey puts technical questions in front of our readers and reports back what the field is thinking. For a small fee, a company can now add its own questions to that survey and receive all of the anonymous responses we collect that month, direct from an audience of potential customers who already trust STLE enough to answer our questions honestly. It's a fast, low-friction way to get real, actionable market insight. For details on these marketing services and for more information about Corporate Membership, contact STLE national sales manager Tracy VanEe at
emeraldcomminc@yahoo.com.
None of this works without companies willing to say yes to sending an employee to a conference, yes to an advertising package or yes to letting someone volunteer. On behalf of STLE and the members whose careers these decisions make possible, thank you. I hope you'll consider one of these opportunities as a way to invest even further in this community.
You can reach Certified Association Executive Rebecca Lintow at rlintow@stle.org.