I'm deep into my second trade association commitment. For 17 years, I was a member of the AMOA Board of Directors. Now, I am on my third term of the National Bulk Vendor's Association Board, currently serving as secretary of the association.
In looking back at my years in the AMOA leadership, I remember how much fun it was, and how rewarding it can be to work industry side-by-side peers who share common interests and experiences. I also remember dealing with association politics, an important and unavoidable element of managing a successful organization. To ignore it is to ignore a terminal disease.
It's all coming back to me now, fresh from the NBVA 2006 convention, held in Las Vegas in late April. (Look for coverage of the show elsewhere in this current issue of RePlay.)
The refreshing part of being active in an association is the constant exposure to obsessively passionate people. I'm a believer in the adage that if two people agree on an issue, then one of them is unnecessary. That's never been truer than in trade associations. And that's the healthy part of such organizations. Sincere passion should never be restrained, but celebrated. Unfortunately, sincere passion brings out the extreme in people, and that doesn't always translate the way it's intended. But if everyone's intention is to improve the association, the outcome is usually acceptable, and the association is better for the discussion.
The unhealthy side of association politics rears it ugly head when things become personal, or the competitive environment improperly influences a member's positions or recommendations. It's been said that the more you put into an association, the more you get out of it, and I believe that. But it's tough to talk about best business practices when the competitor that just took your best account is in the front row. The late Fred Collins used to say give me an aggressive educated competitor any day over the dummy that just throws money around.
Associations are, by their very nature, made up of volunteers. The volunteer is harder to find today than ever. The business requires total dedication, and finding time to volunteer requires some real juggling. If I wake up facing an association task, and a task that impacts my business or my employment, the business task will always come first.
Our industry associations exist to 1) Communicate to the membership what is going on in the industry, 2) Educate via newsletters, seminars, Internet sites, etc, 3) monitor and lobby for and against legislation. Associations can achieve success in the governmental or regulatory sphere where a single owner cannot, generally due to fund raising and their collective expertise. When associations, especially small ones, miss the core assignment and work on projects that should better be left to the members of the association, they usually fail.
An annual trade show should be designed with these goals in mind so that it can best benefit the membership. This speaks directly to when the show should be held, where, how long, and what days of the week.
Today's shows are being bundled with other common shows via a concept called co-locating. This is a proven method to serve the membership, allowing them to get more business done in one trip, which requires them to be away from their businesses a shorter period of time. It also allows associations to be independent where they need to be, and benefit from shared services where they do not require independence.
I've now seen three associations move their trade show away from Las Vegas, and have seen all three move back, most likely for good. Let's face it. Las Vegas has something for everyone. It the destination choice of our industry members. Years ago, an industry friend told me that the great debate over where to hold shows was the easiest of questions to answer. Our industry members want go to Las Vegas, period, he said.
We're in industry of fewer members than ever, and it's very tough to recruit and retain members. Yet, in my book, consolidation and increased competition mean that members are the industry are under an even stronger obligation to support their association(s).
Are you supporting yours? Are you giving back something to the industry? Or are you making withdrawals and no deposits?