This is an open letter addressed to the leaders of the many graphic arts trade associations.

The economic crisis in recent years seems to have pitted the many Graphic Arts trade associations as competitors seeking members instead of helping hands for member organizations. As the printing industry struggles to define its future and re-brand itself one thing seems abundantly clear, the industry has too many trade associations.

PIA, NAPL, IPA,..... as evidenced in the recent exhaustive WhatTheyThink report, the industry is having a tough time justifying and supporting all these associations. Traditionally these associations have been the lubricating agent for providing managerial leadership training, educational programs and public policy initiatives. They have done an excellent job in the past glory days of print but we are in a different and difficult financial situation.

A recent PIA industry release highlights a decline in the number of printing establishments by 12.3% since 1994. This is not good news. This decimation of printers makes it more difficult for the remaining graphic communications companies to support the current cadre of associations. I question the need to have so many attempting to provide meaningful programs which inevitability replicate each other. Just like GATF and PIA combined, I would suggest PIA and NAPL look to merge. The time is right with one announced new leader (NAPL) and the other (PIA) ready to appoint one.

The arguments for such an amalgamation are numerous and compelling but just to take one example. Does our industry need to have two esteemed economists of the high quality of Ron Davis and Andy Paparozzi both saying almost the same thing to the same constituency? Could not that money be spent more propitiously on local or national printer education or awareness programs?

Printers throughout the country are struggling with formidable hurdles. They need the help the associations can provide, but with multiple associations competing for limited dollars printers cannot support the associations they most desperately need.

The IPA has developed a new program called TEAM, "Together Everyone Achieves More". This is an excellent program which attempts to identify the critical industry issues within the Upstream, Downstream, Operational and Management segments of a graphic communications organization and then provide workable options for members. But the IPA is small in comparison to its big brothers. If members of PIA and NAPL were made aware of this excellent program and were able to participate without having to pay dues to yet another association - who wins?

If we truly want to promote the industry we have to stop draining printer’s funds for the many repetitive, competitive programs. The local PIA affiliates are the grassroots. If we could bring the excellent Sales and Marketing programs and publications of NAPL with the outstanding public policy and technical capabilities of PIA/GATF and the innovation of some of the smaller associations, we could probably serve the needs of the graphic information community far better with less cost.

As an ardent supporter and member of several trade associations I make a simple plea. Lets take the strengths and put them together and make one or two strong associations that can better serve our industry. Lets not bleed the members that we need to survive.

We need outstanding, healthy trade associations to help foster the industry... maybe just not as many as exist today.