News, Events and Articles
RECORD BREAKING ATTENDANCE AT 'TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION UK 2011’
The annual conference for the ISTC (Institute of Technical and Scientific Communicators), organized by volunteers and a team from ASL was held in September 2011 near Oxford.
Despite the gloomy economic climate, the event saw record breaking attendance figures with delegates, sponsors and speakers from all over the globe.
The conference was hailed as an even greater success than the previous year. Comments received after the event included:
“We had a very pleasant time in Oxford and the arrangement was flawlessly organized. What a great event”.
“I wanted to thank you - you have done a great job in organizing this event. It was definitely one of the smoothest conferences I have ever been to!”
“Great convention, very inspiring”
“Thank you very much for all the organisation involved in the conference. The structure, venue, content etc. were all excellent.”
“I just wanted to say thank you to you all for organising such an excellent event. The programme was varied, the speakers were informative and thought provoking and the venue was excellent”
COMMERCIAL UPGRADE FOR MANUFACTURERS AGENTS
 ASL is now providing membership administration and accounts services for the Manufacturers Agents Association (MAA), a trade association representing individual commercial sales agents. The MAA were looking for an association management solution instead of trying to recruit part time staff to support their Secretary General. Their database was in need of updating but for a small organisation operating in isolation the costs and resources required to accomplish this were prohibitive.
By choosing ASL, they were not only able to dispense with their office premises and telephone answering service but also gained an upgraded database and an experienced team who can assist in the development of the Association.
For further information about the MAA see www.themaa.co.uk
ASL WELCOMES CRAFT & HOBBY ASSOCIATION
This month the ASL team were pleased to host a Task Force meeting of the Craft & Hobby Association (CHA) at our Croydon offices. The CHA are the main association for their sector and are headquartered in New Jersey, USA.
Rob Oliver, ASL director, comments; “2011 has already been an interesting year in that a number of US-based organisations have contacted us for help and advice on how to establish themselves in the UK and Europe. This seems to reflect a trend towards the further internationalisation of trade and professional organisations”.
ROYAL RECOGNITION FOR ASL TEAM MEMBER
We are pleased to report that Joanna Oliver has been recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List. She has received an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) for her services to industry – specifically her work for the construction equipment sector in promoting international trade.
Joanna’s comment on the award was; “My first reaction was surprise as I know there are so many of my industry friends that have done so much for international trade. So I’m more than happy to accept the recognition both for myself and our intrepid band of exporters. Hopefully, in a practical sense it will help me in getting the right contacts abroad and maybe even the occasional flight upgrade!”
CLIENT TURNS TO ASL FOR SHOW BUSINESS
Major ASL client, the Construction Equipment Association, turned to us to put together a team to organise a brand new UK trade show. In a little over a month from Board approval of the project, a trade and business press launch of the event was held in Knightsbridge, London – with over 40 attendees. The trade show project involves forming a new company for the client, arranging funding and helping to coordinate sales, marketing and operational logistics.
ASL’s Rob Oliver commented, “We have had to move quickly on this one, as the opportunity to start a new event came with the demise of another, independently organised, show. Whilst the first edition of our new exhibition will not be until May 2013, we are charged with developing a series of lead in events to build awareness of this new brand. It is an exciting project”.
The exhibition, which will cover all forms of construction equipment, tools and related products, is called PLANTWORX – see www.plantworx.co.uk
SNOW IS NO TROUBLE FOR ASL DURING 2010 WINTER
Many UK businesses suffered due to the unprecedented amount of snow fall during November and December 2010. The staff of ASL, like much of the population, had days when they were unable to reach their respective offices, but avoided any disruption of services to our clients by utilising our ‘remote working’ capabilities to access IP phones and servers from home.
ASL staff took advantage of the time normally spent travelling to and from the office by brushing up on their photography skills – which resulted in a New Year ‘Best Snow Photo’ competition. Charlotte Harmer’s snowman photo was the popular winner, beautifully illustrating the company’s ‘laid back’ and unconcerned attitude to the winter conditions.
SOUND DECISION FOR NOISE CONSULTANTS
The Association of Noise Consultants (ANC) has just become ASL’s newest client. Representing over 110 firms providing consultancy services in noise and acoustics, the Association has grown significantly in the last few years. Much of that growth is linked to the testing of sound insulation in domestic properties where the ANC Registration Scheme is recognised by government as providing one of the routes to achieve compliance under Building Regulations.
ANC chose an association management company as they require wide ranging support from servicing meetings, to membership administration and website maintenance. Having reviewed a number of options the Association decided that ASL was best placed to provide the full secretariat service required and offered the value for money which they sought.
For further information about ANC, see www.theanc.co.uk
ASL TO TAKE OVER BMHF
ASL has recently been chosen to provide the secretariat for the British Materials Handling Federation (BMHF) which is the representative association for the UK materials handling industry. Members include the British Industrial Truck Association (BITA), the Automated Materials Handling Systems Association (AMHSA), the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), the Storage Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) and the Association of Loading and Elevating Equipment Manufacturers (ALEM). Handover from the current secretariat is scheduled to be complete by 30th October 2010.
NEW SECURITY ASSOCIATION
ASL has successfully formed a new association on behalf of suppliers of anti-terrorist products - designed to stop vehicle borne attacks. The Perimeter Security Suppliers Association (PSSA) formally became a company limited by guarantee on 1st August 2009 with founding members from a cross section of leading suppliers of specialist fencing, gates, bollards etc. The objective of the new grouping is to promote the independent certification of products and installations in the market. The PSSA is already represented on a key European standards working group and has the active encouragement of the UK government agency charged with the protection of the national infrastructure.
ASL Director, Rob Oliver, comments, "We are pleased to be working with the PSSA - particularly as they have such clear and beneficial goals. Their members supply products which are all too sadly needed in the modern world, protecting both lives and livelihoods. They had the option to go with an existing trade association but were keen to be independent so that they could retain their focus and flexibility. Fortunately we have experience in starting new associations, so we have been able to pull things together relatively quickly for them."
QUICK CHANGE IN VENUE BRINGS SUCCESS
It is every organisers nightmare to find that your chosen conference venue has to be changed. However, with a few months notice, this need not be a problem. Yet if you only have two weeks to find alternative meeting and overnight accommodation for 150 delegates it becomes a major issue! That was the situation facing an ASL client in September when the conference centre that had accepted the event booking a year before suddenly reneged on the deal.
ASL Director Rob Oliver takes up the story; "When we heard the news we jumped in the car and had a possible alternative available within 24 hours, when this one eventually fell short on a couple of key areas we were able to come up with another venue within 20 miles of the original one and the deal was done by the close of the second day after the news broke. The conference itself went off without any major hitches and in fact was marked out as a big success! However, it is not an experience we would want to repeat".
The head of the client's organising team paid thanks to his volunteer helpers and praised his paid helpers for the “focussed and diligent work by the ISTC admin team from ASL ….”
SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL COMMUNICATORS SIGN ON
ASL is pleased to announce the agreement of a contract with the
Institute of Scientific and Technical Communicators (ISTC) for
the provision of secretariat services.
Established for more than 50 years, the ISTC is the largest UK
body representing professional communicators and information designers.
It has nearly 1,000 members and associates who work within a wide
variety of backgrounds and fields. The results of their work can
be seen in user guides, manuals, online information, the internet
and product design.
ASL's Elaine Cole comments; "The Institute has a wide range of
involvements from conferences to education provision. As the organisation
has grown, it was important for them to have a more in depth and
flexible resource to look after their administration. This is
why they chose the Association Management Company (AMC) option.
Working with them to confirm and implement their longer term strategy
will also become an important part of our mission".
For further information about ISTC, see www.istc.org.uk.
ASL ACHIEVES AMC INSTITUTE ACCREDITATION
ASL has recently been awarded accreditation by AMC Institute, the global trade association representing the Association Management industry.
Among 500-plus Association Management Companies (AMC) worldwide, fewer than 50 have achieved AMC Institute Accreditation, demonstrating the commitment and the ability to deliver the highest level of professional management services to association and not-for-profit clients. These AMCs are the recognized choice of association and not-for-profit organizations.
“We congratulate ASL for achieving AMC Institute Accreditation,” stated AMC Institute Board President, John Francis. “The accreditation evaluation is the most demanding and comprehensive in our industry. Clients of accredited AMCs should feel assured that this exclusive group operates with the highest level of professionalism and responsibility, and consistently meets or exceeds all industry requirements.”
Administered by AMC Institute, AMC Institute Accreditation is recognized and supported by ASAE & The Center for Association Leadership and is based on the ANSI Standard of Good Practices for the AMC Industry. ANSI requires that the standard be reviewed and updated regularly to remain an approved standard. Measurable performance practices include contracts and service delivery; employee recruitment, training and professional development; and financial management and internal controls, among others. AMCs must earn re-accreditation every four years, demonstrating to an independent outside auditor that they continue to meet the standard.
ASL Managing Director, Rob Oliver, welcomed the news; "We are the first independent British AMC to achieve AMCI accreditation which underlines our commitment to excellence. As the global economic uncertainty takes hold, it seems that more trade and professional bodies are turning to AMCs to give them the flexibility and professionalism that they need."
Association Management Companies specialize in managing associations and not-for-profit organizations, providing leadership and professional management services through experienced staff, best practices and shared resources. Because AMCs manage multiple association and not-for-profit clients, their experience and knowledge base are broad and substantial, positioning AMCs as the preferred choice for full-service and specialized management services.
For more about AMC Institute accreditation, visit www.AMCInstitute.org/accreditation.
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