Tradeshow Season
By Stefan Budricks, Editor

In last month’s issue, Bud Abraham, in his capacity as executive director of the International Detailing Association, spoke of the difficulties all associations have with recruiting members. He identified the current state of the economy as part of the problem, but also laid some blame on the ubiquity of the Internet.

For all the help the web has been in easing associations’ administrative burdens and facilitating communication with members, it has also opened a treasure trove of information, resources, and networking opportunities — all at the click of a button — that previously could only be accessed through a formal organization. For many, this negates an important argument for association membership.

Not that detailers and car washers have ever been prolific association joiners. Our latest Detailing Survey (January 2010) reveals that only 11 percent of freestanding detail businesses are members of a trade association. Combined detail shop/car wash operations do a lot better — 40 percent report association membership. Both these percentages are down from our 2003 survey when 20 percent of freestanding detail shops reported belonging to an association and 53 percent of combo facilities said they did. While the numbers may have been better seven years ago, they, too, were no cause for celebration.

Interestingly, but perhaps not surprisingly, a substantially larger percentage of freestanding detail shops (26) and combo facilities (50) report being members of the local chamber of commerce. As significant is the fact that these numbers are virtually unchanged from those recorded in 2003. The saying might be that “all politics is local,” but car care service providers obviously believe it applies as well to business.

We are about to witness 2010’s first round of car care events. As usual, the Southwest Car Wash Association gets the season started with its annual show in February. The Automotive Oil Change Association’s iFLEX follows in April, while the International Carwash Association provides the main event with Car Care World Expo in May. These are not only the associations’ most visible functions, they are also proof positive that there is a far greater need for trade organizations than their membership might imply. More often than not, attendance at these events outpaces the membership of the organizing body.

Car care service providers benefit from the associations’ conventions and tradeshows and from the myriad other, less conspicuous duties these organizations perform. Foremost among these is functioning as liaison between the industry and government, whether local, county, state, or even national. The association serves the operator in many other no-less-important ways: promoting his service to the consuming public, setting standards, collecting data, conducting research, and providing educational material and seminars. Of necessity this is a partial list.

To fully benefit from these services, every operator needs to be a member. To maximize its efficacy, the association needs every operator to be a member. The obvious place for the twain to meet is at the trade show. Plan on attending at least one this year. Visit with all the equipment and product exhibitors, but do not pass by the association’s booth without enquiring about new member services or membership itself.

Attendance (and membership) is not an expense; it’s an investment. Just one money-saving or revenue-generating idea could repay the cost several times over. Besides, the cost may be less than you think. Turn to page 44 in this issue, and discover how Uncle Sam will help pay for your next trip to Las Vegas.