The Project Grass initiative is set to yield a new trade association for the UK specialist hi-fi and home cinema sector by the early part of 2012.
The first meeting of the prospective new organisation took place in London on 4 July and featured presentations by BADA chairman Simon Byles and operations & marketing manager Phil Hansen.
Byles highlighted the many achievements of BADA, including the creation of the only national network of hi-fi retailers, but said that there was now a need for a new, larger, industry-wide association.
Accordingly, BADA’s board has agreed to transform the Association into ‘something entirely new’, with responsibility and a constitution to be shared among all players in the industry.
The event – which included a lively audience debate – also saw the announcement of a steering committee that will spearhead the development of the new group and formulate a full constitution. Committee members include Roger Batchelor (Denon), Nigel Finn (The Chord Company), Phil Hardaway (Totem Acoustic), Geoff Meads (Presto AV), Terry Murphy (Terry Murphy PR), Keith Orton (Ortons Audio Visual), Mark Perfect (Leema Acoustics), Rachel Prasher (What Hi-Fi? Sound & Vision), Alan Sircom (Hi-FI+ magazine)and Maarten Spruit (Quadraspire).
The steering committee will remain open to additional members, should other people in the industry wish to volunteer. Comments and suggestions regarding the new organisation may be posted on the Project Grass Facebook page at www.facebook.com/projectgrass
Simon Byles commented: “We had a very successful meeting […] and thanks must go out to the 70 or so members of the industry, representing manufacturing, distribution, retail and the media, who took the time to attend. It is a measure of the concern we all feel towards the future prosperity of our industry that has brought us here. All of us must take responsibility for making the transition from BADA to the new inclusive industry-wide association happen.
“At the end of the six month process we will have a new, better resourced, inclusive trade association, in which all members will have equal membership status and will work together for the good of the industry as a whole.”
