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  About ILDA's proposed
  Gold-Silver-Bronze
  member recognition program
 

BACKGROUND

ILDA Corporate (laser show) and Affiliate (supplier) members currently pay dues based on their annual billings. The higher the billings (laser-related revenue) a company has, the more dues they pay and the more votes they have on association business. To be specific:

  • Corporate members reporting US $1,000,000 or more in annual billings pay $1,000 in dues to ILDA and have two votes on business matters.
     
  • Corporate members with $250,000 to $999,000 in billings pay $500 in dues and have one vote.
     
  • Corporate members with less than $250,000 in billings pay $250 in dues and have one vote.

"Tiered dues" like this are common in trade associations. ILDA has done this since it was founded in 1986.

THE PROBLEM

Some of ILDA's larger members are understandably upset. They feel it is unfair that they pay more, but they are not identified as contributing more in ILDA's membership lists and other activities. ILDA currently has no way of publicly identifying larger members.

Click for more info, and to get enlarged versionFor example, all Corporate members are listed together online in one long list. Also, in ILDA's The Laserist magazine, all Corporate members are printed in a single list. An example is shown at right; click to see the full list.

This lack of recognition has become a serious problem. A few large members have dropped out of ILDA; other large companies see no reason to join. There has been some talk of a new laser display association that would be "for professionals only".

In 2005, members formed the ILDA Professional Committee to address these concerns. One recommendation was that ILDA establish a way to identify larger and more active members. The difficult part is how to set criteria -- how do you measure the "professionalism" of a company?

THE GOLD-SILVER-BRONZE PROGRAM

A simple but effective solution is to use the existing criteria -- the tiered dues system -- to identify larger members. Tiers are already in place; ILDA merely needs to make these visible to prospective customers.

At the March 2006 ILDA Conference, the Board and Executive Director worked with members to develop the "Gold-Silver-Bronze" program. The current dues levels of $1000, $500, and $250 will be identified as "Gold", "Silver" and "Bronze" levels.

  • Click for more info, and to get enlarged versionIn printed member lists (such as in The Laserist magazine), Gold and Silver members will have more information included than at present. An example is shown at right. You can see how Gold members now have logos and full descriptions included. Click on the graphic to see a mock-up of what the full list might look like.
     
  • In online member lists (here at www.laserist.org), it will be possible to search by level, so a client wanting high-end shows can identify Gold and Silver members separately.
     
  • In addition, for Gold and Silver members, listings will specify the number of years of ILDA membership and the number of ILDA Awards won.
     
  • New logos will be developed to identify the three levels. Members can use the new logos, and descriptions such as "ILDA Gold Level Member" in their marketing materials. (It is also possible to use the current ILDA logo, with no level identification, if this is desired.)
     
  • There may be additional benefits and recognition at higher levels. These have not yet been established, but examples could include larger discounts on ILDA advertising, and receiving "ILDA Member" display plaques instead of printed certificates.

WHO IS IN A LEVEL?

Who determines a member's level? The member himself or herself determines this, in one of two ways:

  • Annual billings: Members report their annual billings (gross laser-related revenue) in one of three categories. The levels currently are US $1,000,000, $250,000 to $999,999 and less than $250,000.
         Note that this is exactly how ILDA currently determines dues. In the new program, ILDA simply gives names to the three dues levels: Gold, Silver and Bronze.
     
  • Billings plus ILDA Awards plus ILDA tenure: If they don't have enough billings for a desired level, members can choose to "move up" if they have won ILDA Awards and have been ILDA members for a while.
         Specifically, a member with income between $250,000 and $999,999 -- normally SIlver -- can choose to be at the Gold Level if they have won two or more ILDA Awards and have been an ILDA member for four or more consecutive years. (Of course, the member will have to pay the higher Gold Level dues.)
         Similarly, a member with income below $250,000 -- normally Bronze -- can choose to be at the Silver level if they have won one or more ILDA Awards and have been an ILDA member for at least two consecutive years.

Note the following important points:

  • The first method, based on annual billings, is well-established. ILDA has used this method for over 20 years to determine dues. The only thing that is new is that the three dues levels now have names, and members are publicly identified by level.
     
  • The second method was developed due to concerns that the Gold-Silver-Bronze system not be based solely on income. There may be smaller members doing excellent work. That is why there is an alternative that rewards members for showing quality in their work (Awards) and consistency in membership.

BENEFITS FOR EVERYONE

This system is not perfect -- no classification system ever is. However, it is a simple, easy-to-understand method of using ILDA's existing tiers. There are benefits for everyone:

  • Larger laser companies will receive additional benefits and recognition for the additional dues they pay.
     
  • Smaller laser companies continue to receive the same listings as before. There is no reduction of benefits or recognition. They also have an incentive to demonstrate quality and consistency, and be rewarded by  the opportunity to move to a higher tier.
     
  • ILDA may gain more members, since the concerns of large companies are beginning to be addressed. ILDA may gain more dues, as there is now an incentive for members to correctly state their annual billings. The ILDA Awards become even more attractive -- there should be more entries, of even higher quality. And there is now an incentive to stay an ILDA member year after year.
     
  • Prospective laser clients can more easily find companies working at a particular level. For example, someone doing a major event like the Olympics is likely to look for a Gold Level member. On the other hand, a small local store or disco might choose a Bronze Level member, thinking that their rates might be lower.

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

IILDA welcomes questions or comments on the Gold-Silver-Bronze program. Members should use the ILDA mailing list (ILDA-list) for public comments. For private comments, and non-members, contact ILDA.

Some frequently asked questions are at the Gold-Silver-Bronze program FAQ page.