Convention Comments

During the past two years I've attended quite a number of association conventions in our industry, and it seems about time for some general comments on the subject. Of course it's a real ego trip to be recognized as the editor of AF ("He's the guy with the beard and camera"). And it's always a great morale boost to hear nice things said about one's "baby." Add to that the advantages of such sun-and-fun spots as San Diego, Miami, and Atlanta over the dreariness of Chicago's winters, and you can see that covering a convention is not all that bad duty.

Even more gratifying and interesting to me, however, is a trend I've noticed taking place within our industry's associations during the past six months. I'm speaking here of a new feeling of co-operation and empathy that seems to be growing among the various segments of the fleet field. This is something AF has long felt was overdue and has spoken out for in the past.

Along these lines, then, it was great to see CATRALA's Frank Max get up before the last AALA convention, extend greetings from his members, discuss the ways that the two groups are working together on mutual problems, and extend on invitation to the AALA members to join CATRALA on future projects. Similarly, at the recent AFLA meeting in Chicago, it was interesting to note that this young group will be placing even greater emphasis on membership recruitment from the buyer-segment of the market. Lastly, during the April NAFA annual, we noted a greater acceptance of that group's "affiliates" than in past years. So all in all, it seems that everyone involved in fleet is beginning to pull together.

On the less positive side, we must in all fairness report reports some of the adverse off-the-cuff comments made by those attending these work and play meetings. In general, these fell into three categories.

First, there were those who felt that the daily programs were over-scheduled. Critics in this category complained that there was such a compulsion to get through all the day's listed sessions, that each topic was given only superficial treatment. All too often the chairman's gavel ended a lively discussion with the familiar words "Joe will be available for questions in the coffee-break that follows, and will be glad to answer your questions there." What is missed when this practice is followed, is the give-and-take of group discussion involving a multiplicity of view points. And probably those with questions never will get to Joe around the leaky coffee machine.

Another group of critics were those who complained that presentations were sometimes nothing more than a sales pitch for a particular company. As one audience member commented to me following a mildly proprietary speech of this kind, "I didn't come 2,000 miles to hear this guy give a sales spiel, " Clearly, such presentations should be kept at a minimum and should take up only a small fraction of a meaningful convention's program.

Lastly, there were those who stated that all talks at the conventions of one particular association were beginning to sound the same. "I've heard the same speech by three different guys for three years in a row now," one fellow-sufferer noted to me after we had both drowsed through a half-hour talk to the importance of "Service."

The danger at this point, consequently, is that our industry's association conventions will fail to attract and develop the leaders needed for the problems that lie ahead. Therefore, convention chairmen must take particular care to make each of their meetings more than just mere fun and games. The programs must be dynamic and viable. The presentations must be germane and worthwhile. And there must be enough time for full discussion.

But just one word of caution, If you're looking around for a new speaker at your next year's meeting, please don't call on yours truly.