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The Benefits of Industry Associations - TopSpot
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Are you a part of an industry or trade association? “Most industries and trades have associations tied to them, offering their members a like-minded network and event opportunities for networking, education, and training.” To go deeper into industry associations and their benefits, we spoke with David Klotz, President of Precision Metalforming Association (PMA). He illustrates how involvement in an industry association like PMA is an opportunity for your business, its employees, and the industry you serve overall. His tips apply to most industry associations and will help you maximize the value you receive.
In return, members receive many benefits, including free or discounted events and training, survey data and reports, and opportunities not just to network and find buyers. Additionally, members see added resources, best practice information, and can tour other member facilities to learn new techniques, technology, and processes. “You can branch out, compare, see what others are doing, and bring back ideas for your business.”” Klotz recommends that you get the most out of your membership by taking advantage of as many of the opportunities available as you can, especially in the 17 local chapters that offer over 60 events yearly, including supplier nights. Having an industry membership and displaying the logo on your website also provides credibility to your business, showcasing your extended resources and commitment to the industry and its advancement.
The cost of joining an organization like PMA pays for: “The events that help members network, train, and become leaders.” Programs that increase the industry knowledge base and create better-qualified workers.
More importantly, PMA promotes the event heavily but from an overall standpoint, it’s up to the individual businesses attending to promote themselves to fully utilize the opportunity and make the most of the budget spent there. Klotz agrees that ensuring your tradeshow messaging aligns with your digital marketing efforts for a full funnel effect is critical to standing out. “With that in mind, take advantage of the events, training, networking, and other offerings these associations offer to take your business further.”
He treated this new position as he had with his business leadership positions—he evaluated and built a team and created priorities. He saw the members of PMA as his customers, and these priorities looked to serve those members. ““The association exists for the members, and some people think it’s the other way around. These members are the association’s customers, and we have got to provide the best customer service to them.”” At the time, membership was down, and he looked to raise the number while upgrading the organization’s technology. This decision came just in time as COVID-19 was about to change the world, making their traditional interactions unavailable. PMA worked to provide guidance for businesses at a time when there was no roadmap or past instance to draw from.
Are you a part of an industry or trade association? “Most industries and trades have associations tied to them, offering their members a like-minded network and event opportunities for networking, education, and training.” To go deeper into industry associations and their benefits, we spoke with David Klotz, President of Precision Metalforming Association (PMA). He illustrates how involvement in an industry association like PMA is an opportunity for your business, its employees, and the industry you serve overall. His tips apply to most industry associations and will help you maximize the value you receive.