Membership and other FAQs

Q: Does a company (or person) have to be sponsored to become an ILDA Member?

A: No, ILDA does not require sponsorship. We welcome any company (or person) that agrees to be bound by ILDA's Code of Ethics, that goes through the membership process, and that pays their dues.
     U.S.-based trade associations such as ILDA cannot require sponsorship or similar prior approval by existing members. This is illegal under U.S. law, because existing members could conspire to keep competitors out of the trade association. A U.S.-based trade association must be open to all who meet reasonable, non-restrictive membership requirements.
 

Q: How does ILDA enforce the quality of its Members?

A: All ILDA Members are bound by the ILDA Code of Ethics. We stress this to new members. Hopefully, unethical companies will not want to agree to the Code of Ethics, and thus will not become Members.
     Further, if an ILDA Member violates the Code of Ethics, then anyone (general public or another Member) can file a complaint with the ILDA Ethics Committee. This has been done on average a couple of times each year. Usually the complaint is resolved quietly to both parties' satisfaction. On a very few occasions, ILDA has cancelled membership and effectively "kicked out" a company.
      While this is not a perfect system to guarantee all transactions with Members, it does provide some protection. It is a useful way to have an impartial body (the Ethics Committee) work to resolve any problems. For more information, see "How the Code of Ethics helps protect consumers".
 

Q: How do I know if a company is a current, valid Member of ILDA?

A: The best way is by checking our online Membership Directory.
      Note that a few listings are printed in very dark colors. This "graying out" indicates former Members who may be rejoining ILDA in the current membership year.
 

Q: Some companies in ILDA seem like small startups, while others are large companies with many overseas offices. How can I tell the difference?

A: ILDA welcomes all types of laserists. Often, you can tell something about the size of a company by reading the description they submitted to the Membership Directory. Of course, you can also visit their website to get a feel for past projects and staffing levels.
    Also, for ILDA Corporate Members, ILDA dues are based on the company's annual billings for lasershow sales. There are three dues levels, for companies billing over USD $1,000,000; companies billing between $250,000 and $1,000,000; and for companies billing below $250,000. In the Membership Directory, you can see which dues level each company fits into. This gives a general idea of their size in the laser display field.
 

Q: I saw an ad from a company that says they sell "ILDA equipment". Are they members? Is this an endorsement by ILDA?

A: ILDA is a trade association, to help promote companies involved in laser shows and displays. We do not make or certify products at this time.

• To find out if someone is an ILDA Member, check our online Membership Directory. Current Members are allowed to display an ILDA Member logo, as shown at right.

• ILDA has developed certain standards. If a product meets those standards, any company (member or non-member) can claim in general terms that the product is "ILDA compatible" or "meets ILDA standards." It is up to the company as to whether this is true or not.
       -- If the company is an ILDA Member, and the product does not comply, then anyone can file a complaint with the ILDA Ethics Committee.
       -- If the company is not a member, please contact ILDA and we will try to get the company to stop with any false claims.

• ILDA's logo is only used for association business. The ILDA logo is not to be used by anyone, member or non-member, to indicate products that claim to meet ILDA standards.

For more information about possible fraudulent ads and scams, click here. We also have information about permitted and forbidden uses of the ILDA logo.