Proposals for Project Grass – the working title of the plans to create a new trade association serving the specialist hi-fi and home cinema sectors – will be presented at a meeting in London on 4 July.
The closure late last year of the manufacturer-based BFA (British Federation of Audio) has left the sector with only one specialist trade association, BADA, which is primarily a retail-focused body with manufacturers as Associate members.
The inclusion of many of the industry’s leading manufacturers and media names has moved BADA towards more of an industry-wide role during recent years. However, the organisation’s constitution and membership criteria constrain it from developing any further in this direction – hence the suggestion, after extensive brainstorming, to create a new trade association.
Project Grass is the process by which the constitution, membership criteria, financing, management and aims and objectives of the new association will be devised As the only current trade association for the specialist industry, BADA is taking the lead in working on the plans. New board member Fraser Robertson, of Focal JM Labs, is heading up the development of an outline form for the new body.
The end-result of the process will be a new trade association to serve the interests of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consultants and the media working in specialist hi-fi and home cinemas. All members will have equal membership status.
Highlighting the challenging market conditions for specialist hi-fi/home cinema, BADA chairman Simon Byles remarked that “the industry has said it wants a trade association that represents and works for all parties, to help promote the benefits of buying home entertainment products from specialist manufacturers and quality retailers. Project Grass is intended to fulfil this need and I would implore anyone who is serious about securing the future for our industry to come along on 4 July and get involved. We can only do this together.”
Interested parties are invited to attend the Project Grass meeting on 4 July at the Royal Institute of British Architects, 66 Portland Place, London, W1B 1AD. The meeting will commence at 1pm with a light lunch and should conclude by 4.30pm.
