Trade Associations Here and Now!
1 May, 2004
By: Rhonda C. ProctorWhen people think about an industry trade association, many immediately think about a group of like-minded professionals that come together to network, have fun at conferences and learn a few new things along the way. But a trade association, by definition is much less exciting than its perception, according to Webster’s New World College Dictionary, it is simply, “an association of merchants or business firms for the unified promotion of their common interests.” And whether it’s labeled an industry association, membership organization, trade group – it all means about the same thing – people banding together to address and advance shared interests and concerns.
Industry associations have grown in recent years and are arguably dominant players on the business, political and media landscape, as shown by these astounding statistics supplied by American Society of Association Executives (ASAE):
• There are an estimated 147,000 associations in the United States touching virtually every imaginable industry.
• Associations employ 295,000 people in the United States.
• More people work for nonprofit organizations than for the federal government and all 50 state governments combined (8.6 million versus 6.8 million).
• Americans are forming as many as 1,000 new associations each year.
• Associations spend $5.6 billion annually on printing and publishing--$3.2 billion for printing alone. Virtually all associations (95 percent) publish a periodical and 39 percent publish books.
But ask about associations supporting the contact center industry, and it’s much harder to quantify statistics. As if finding an accurate number of contact centers isn’t tough enough, (due to the many different labels used), identifying all of the call center associations is nearly impossible. Why? One reason is that there are vertical market trade associations that provide support to contact centers within their industry niche – like the American Bankers Association. So rather than attempting to create a complete directory, CP examined information from 20 of the most easily identifiable membership associations in the contact center industry. This piece examines the roles and goals of industry associations, their future, as well as what members want in exchange for their membership dollar.
Role of Associations
Unknown to some, industry associations wield power in the political process. In April 2004, executives representing associations throughout the United States converged on the nation’s capitol to address members of Congress about the valuable role trade associations play in public policy, advocacy and private industry. Their point? That the flourishing trade association business is important to government as a way meeting community needs and reducing government expenditures.
The importance of associations has been relayed by the ASAE for years, as stated by then President & CEO Michael S. Olson in a speech made last year, “The simple fact is that associations fill a community role that would otherwise fall to the government. Whether it''s protecting consumers by ensuring high professional standards, disseminating accurate information to those who need it most, or weighing in on issues like health care, tax reform and product safety that affect all Americans, associations are making contributions to society that are at the core of our culture, our economy and the perpetuation of our quality of life.”
Associations clearly do good deeds for the industries they represent, but is the greater good of the community the reason that people really become members of associations?
Benefits of Associations
Executive Director, Tim Searcy of American Teleservices Association (ATA) believes that a good trade association does more than simply focus on the benefits of membership, “The real issue goes beyond getting people to join – it’s more about getting them to stay.” Searcy believes, they stay for several reasons such as: people that comprise the association; the relationships that members form; the level of opportunities for member activity or involvement; the degree to which the association helps members stay current with issues affecting their industry.
In online research conducted by Contact Professional, and ERC Data Plus in January and February 2004, contact centers expected to receive the following benefits from their associations: access to information (86% of respondents); networking (75%); educational opportunities (66%) and dissemination of industry news through various channels (66%). Least important were receiving discounts and being recognized as members. In most cases industry trade associations were successful in meeting those expectations, as noted by survey respondents. Trade associations were also noted as a key ‘first point of contact” when contact center professionals were seeking industry information. Eighty-three percent of the respondents agreed that they turned to trade associations for vital industry information, at least some of the time, if not always.
The role of government advocacy has long been considered a benefit of many associations in promoting the common interests of their members. But, until recently, the contact center industry has not needed the presence of a strong advocacy group, but says Searcy, “In the past many organizations waited and hoped [that all was well], but now there is blood in the water for policy makers, and there is a real appetite for legislation around service and offshoring.” He suggests that this could become a differentiator of associations in the contact center industry moving forward, but notes that it’s not easy, “Government advocacy requires a commitment of dollars, dedicated resources, time and courage - and many associations in the contact center industry haven’t done this yet. And, education is not advocacy.” The ATA prides itself on being founded on the basis government advocacy for the teleservices industry.
But the benefit of advocacy is not all that “cut and dried” for everyone. Challenging the importance of advocacy was one respondent to the CP survey who offered the following remarks. “Most associations are political…. Savvy members who are about business and not special interests avoid the political. It works this way: As association begins because people have a need to network. It grows and becomes institutionalized. Once it becomes institutionalized and the political process kicks in, the association is no longer what it was originally intended to be. The "herd mentality" may take over, and the association may continue to exist. It will serve only a few members and their special interests.”
Competition for the Association Dollar
Few would argue that competing for the almighty dollar has been tough in recent years. Most of the industry associations CP spoke to recognize that they must continue to provide greater value in order to retain and expand their member base. There are different approaches being taken -- some associations have begun to produce more literature, training and educational materials, and are offering more information through online communication vehicles. More than half of the respondents in the CP survey concurred that information was an important value added component of their membership.
But associations are not the only groups fighting for the consumer’s attention. Common competitors for the trade association dollar, according to our poll, included: vendors (52%); industry conferences (48%); trade specific networking groups - such as Benchmark Portal, CRMXchange, etc. (32%); training firms (29%); research firms (16%) and colleges or technical schools (14%). The ATA viewed its primary competitors as consultants and the media.
Senior Level Support
Leadership support for industry associations seems to come and go, driven in part by the economic conditions and the need (or lack thereof) to streamline expenses. In the CP poll, 55 percent of the respondents indicated that their leadership team “almost always” supported managers’ involvement in industry associations, while only16 percent said that it was “almost always” supported at the agent level (however 41 percent said agent level participation was “sometimes” supported by management). The poll also indicated that the employer does pay for association membership at times, with 43 percent of the respondents indicating “yes”, 34 percent indicating “sometimes” and only 21 percent indicating, “no”.
Contact Center Groups Profiled
CP sent requests for information to more than 20 industry associations included in our online poll, and the following kindly provided their information for our reader’s review.
• American Teleservices Association (ATA):
Indianapolis, IN:
Tim Searcy, Executive Director:
website: www.ataconenct.org:
email: contact@ataconnect.org
o The ATA is the only trade association dedicated exclusively to the teleservices industry – its mission is to serve its members in advocacy, education, and networking. Its primary focus in 2004 is to continue to bring members added business value through its core mission. “We will continue to work towards crafting industry positive legislation and creating the highest ethical standards and guidelines. As we continue to grow membership, we will bring unity to a previously fragmented industry.”
o 650 member companies; Targeted membership in 2004 is 735 member companies
o Geographic focus is U.S., with 10 area chapters to promote local events
o Non-profit
• American Management Association (AMA)* :
New York, NY :
Edward T. Reilly, President and CEO :
website : www.amanet.org
email : membership@amanet.org
o Since 1923, the business community has turned to AMA for the practical training and business tools needed to improve individual and organizational performance—and achieve bottom-line results. Today, AMA provides a full range of management development and educational services to individuals, companies and government agencies worldwide, including 486 of the Fortune 500 companies. Each year, thousands of business professionals acquire the latest business know-how, valuable insights and increased confidence at AMA seminars, conferences, current issues forums and briefings, as well as through AMA books and publications, research and print and online self-study courses.
o 700,000 members
o Geographic focus : Global
o Not-for-profit
• Customer Contact Strategy Forum (CCSF):
Richmond Hill, ON Canada
Erika Van Noort, presiding member:
website: www.sharedinsights.com
email: info@ccstrategyforum.com
o Established in 1999, CCSF brings the only peer community of its kind to senior executives in the contact center industry. It provides unparalleled opportunities for members across the world to exchange insights and to explore the latest trends, developments and best practices through peer-to-peer exchange. In 2004 will grow the Call Center Manager’s Exchange (CCME) with 3-4 retreats per year dedicated to call center manager level personnel.
o 200 + members; Targeted membership is contact center executives
o Geographic Focus is North America, Australia, U.K.
o Profit
• Call Center Industry Advisory Council (CIAC): Brentwood, Tennessee
Fredia Barry, President: website:
email: info@ciac-cert.org
o Established 2000. Through industry-established standards and professional certification, the mission of CIAC is to inspire customer care and support center professionals and organizations to achieve the highest standards of performance. Its primary product is professional certification. In 2004 CIAC will see its global implementation of the Certification Management Track.
o Not a membership organization
o Non-profit
• CCNG International, Inc.:
Grapevine, TX
Lela Carter, Director of Membership
website: www.ccng.com
email: membership@ccng.com
o Established in 1992, CCNG is a networking organization for call center professionals for the purpose of relationship development and industry education. It provides local, regional and national networking meetings and events plus a member Web site and electronic news. Through a strategic partnership with Advanstar, a series of 10 one day conferences are planned in 2004 for ICCM, providing networking sessions, workshops and product demos. Price reductions are available for CCNG members attending ICCM events.
o 2,000 members
o Geographic focus is North America: Targeted Membership is call center professionals; both industry and call center management
o Profit
• Help Desk Institute (HDI): Colorado Springs, CO
Ron Muns, Founder and CEO
website: www.thinkhdi.com
email: support@thinkhdi.com
• Established in 1989, HDI’s mission is to lead and promote the customer service and technical support industry by empowering its members with timely and valuable industry information, encouraging member collaboration and establishing internationally recognized standards-based certification and training. HDI produces the HDI Annual Conference and Expo for service and support professionals and the IT Infrastructure Management and Expo among other public training and webinars. In 2004 it will focus on the support industry’s maturity models; increase its site certification and partnerships with larger training providers; update HDI certification preparatory curriculum and present is first ever award honoring the help desk analyst of the year.
• 7,500 members (90% of the Fortune 500 companies)
• Geographic focus is North America and Europe, with 50 active U.S. and Canadian local chapters: Targeted membership is service and support industry employees, managers and centers
• Incoming Calls Management Institute, ICMI Membership: Annapolis, MD: Ted Hopton; website: www.incoming.com email: icmi@incoming.com or tedh@incoming.com
o Provide access to call center management resources and networking forums for call center professionals to resolve problems, improve their call centers and advance their careers. Its publication, Call Center Management Review, the award-winning monthly publication for call center professionals, is available exclusively to ICMI Members, with an 8-year online historical archive. In 2004 ICMI’s Member Meeting, the ICMI Knowledge Exchange conference, will be co-located with the Annual Call Center Exhibition (ACCE) in Seattle, Washington, from September 13-15, 2004. It’s an exciting opportunity for ICMI Members to network, share knowledge with their peers, learn from industry experts.
o Over 2,000 members
o Geographic focus: Worldwide; Targeted membership is Managers and analysts responsible for Workforce Management, People Management, Technology Management or Strategy and Leadership
o Profit
• Service and Support Professionals Association (SSPA): San Diego, CA: Bill Rose, Founder and Executive Director: website: www.thesspa.com ; email: info@thesspa.com
o Founded in 1989 the SSPA focuses on the specific needs of service executives who are responsible for support centers and overall customer relations. It is a dynamic association offering conferences, research, collaboration, individual and site certification and STAR Awards for excellence in support service and delivery. In 2004, the SSPA will its programs to help members plan for the future in the areas of technology, people, and support demand. The SSPA also provides and maintains forums for interaction with peers, industry experts, and vendors to help members implement best practices processes.
o 23,500 members
o Geographic focus: Global; Targeted membership is VPs, Directors and Managers of technical support centers of technology companies
o Profit
• Society of Workforce Planning Professionals (SWPP): Nashville, TN
Vicki Herrell, Executive Director:
website: www.swpp.org
email: info@swpp.org
o Established in 2002 (SWPP) is an organization devoted to facilitating education and networking opportunities among workforce planners across all industries. Members receive tips of the week, quarterly newsletters, regional networking meetings, online forums, educational offerings, and an annual conference. As the only association in North America devoted specifically to workforce planners, SWPP will continue to reach out to workforce planning professionals around the world and continue to grow as quickly as they have in the past 18 months.
o 375 members
o Geographic focus: Worldwide; Targeted membership is anyone interested in the workforce planning arena
o Profit
*The AMA did not respond to our request for information, and the data provided here was gleaned from their website.
