Good day fellow Vending enthusiast. Whats in a Trade Association? A Trade association is an organization funded by business' that operate in a specific industry, these types of associations typically participate in Public Relations activities such as advertising,education,political donations,lobbying and publishing.
Their main focus however is to provide a beneficial vehicle for "collaboration within and between it's member companies".
It is in this last function that i take issue with OUR industries local Trade Association. When i first started in this industry 18 years ago, OUR local associations attendance and membership was thriving.
There were several large Independents whose companies participated greatly in OUR associations and it's members needs. Over the years as the larger Independents "sold-out" or had no choice but to be consumed by the larger national organizations, the leaders of these companies seemed to change direction and focus more on their individual needs or their "buddies" needs rather than to use the association for what it was formed and organized for in the first place. "Strong fruitful collaboration within the group and it's members".
It is my opinion that this is why OUR local association is in the position that it finds itself today. Low membership and no or very little participation or collaboration within it's membership.
The self appointed Aristocracy in my opinion has alienated the small(but growing) hungry, intelligent, hard working, driven, independent vending entrepreneur and as far as i can tell it was because they(aristocracy) felt that these fledgling, immature independent companies were of no value to THEM and not the organization.
I personally come in contact with 10 to 30 of these companies on a daily bases and i can tell you that they are very intelligent, eager, and able to do what it takes to make the Vending industry an integral and profitable part of our economy. i also know how much these independent would benefit by being part of an organized effort of collaboration and goodwill.
C'mon people, lets start helping each other out through these very difficult economic times. we have the tools in place, the association has paid lobbyist fighting for vendors rights everyday, we just have to tell them what to fight for!!! The association has scholarships available for your children, they also offer very informative industry workshops...there are tons of benefits to being part of a great organization as long as WE are all in it TOGETHER! The associations annual meeting is coming up on July 31st and August 1st. The meeting on Saturday Aug 1st is open to everyone for a very reasonable cost of $30 this includes Breakfast and lunch as well as several industry speakers, speaking on subjects that matter to all of US!!!!
I strongly encourage everyone to attend this meeting to see what it's about!!!
Regards
Curt Wokal
Thanks for keeping us all in the loop! I hear Leanne is going this year ;)
ReplyDeleteCurt,
ReplyDeleteInteresting take on NAVA. I think you could be instrumental in bringing new and fresh ideas to NAVA by bringing your independent customers to the organization.I don't think cost is the issue,but will admit that in tough times,taking on a new expense is hard to justify.But is it really?Both Washington and Oregon need money and will tax everything they can get away with.Our lawmakers put us in the same category as the vi ces nobody minds taxing,namely tobacco,gambling and alcohol.I'm trying to think of the last time i heard of a bag of chips or a candybar ruining somebody's life,draining the bank account or killing a consumer.Do you think our legislators think about it in the same way?Of course not.They see us as purveyors of "junk food" causing our kids to be fat.Our trade association has concrete responses to the attacks our government wages on our customers.For a very reasonable cost,all operators large and small have access to professional resources that will improve their business.
Curt,how can we get this message to your customers?They need NAVA as much as NAVA needs them.
John, i agree and you just did get the message to OUR customers! Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI found this in the news today; I think it illustrates the need for lobbyists and operator associations. Take a read, it’s a bit dry but I think it makes the point.
ReplyDelete"According to Julie Greenstein of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), around 40 of the 50 US states already have soft drink or junk food taxes, but they are usually too low to have an effect on consumption.
The CSPI, which has advocated for health, nutrition and food safety in the United States since 1971, says a soft drink tax would "be a great way to pay for health reform and expansion" and wants to see such a tax imposed nationally.
A tax on soft drinks was included as a possible option in the health reform bill drafted by the Senate finance committee, said Greenstein, although she was unsure if the proposed levy would make it through to the final version of the proposed health care legislation.
"The soft drink industry has a very powerful lobby," she said.
Last week, the Coca Cola Corporation was quoted in the Financial Times as saying that "the consumer in this environment is not ready for a tax on a basic staple like non-alcoholic beverages."
Frieden has based his call for a soda tax on the campaign he instigated in New York City, where he was health commissioner for seven years, which practically ran the Marlboro man out of town.
A year after he became health commissioner of New York in 2002, Frieden started raising taxes on cigarettes to the point where if you buy a packet of 20 in the Big Apple today, you don't get much change from 10 dollars.
He reasoned that people would kick their cigarette habit if it cost too much. And he was right.
"We reduced adult smoking by 25 percent and teen smoking by 50 percent in six years. About half of that reduction was the result of taxation," Frieden said.
A similar tactic applied to sodas could help to cut consumption of the sugary drinks, he reasoned, but added that the decision to impose a national soda tax was one for the politicians, not health officials.
"Whether it gets done is a political question, but what we can say as the nation's prevention agency is that obesity is an enormous problem, and price interventions are likely to be effective," he said."
My take on the whole thing is; I love junk food and soda, but I choose like anything (except work) to do it in moderation! I understand that obese people are "taxing" the health care system but then why not just tax people who say....have 70% body fat at the Dr. !! How fast do you think the Dr.'s lobbyist would be on that?????
ReplyDelete