Early days in GAMAA & VISA merger talks

The prospect of a merger to enhance the already strong relationship between the Graphic Arts Merchants Association of Australia and the Visual Image Suppliers Association is still some way off as both organisation start to explore the possibilities.

As joint promoters of co-located trade shows, notably PrintEx with Visual Impact next May at the Sydney Showground and PacPrint in two years time in Melbourne, the groundswell for creating a single body is growing stronger. Many suppliers are members of both Associations and find themselves juggling the decision about how to spread their support.

Both GAMAA and VISA have a significant interest in the graphic arts sectors, albeit coming from different perspectives. In recent years VISA has set the pace with exhibitions every year as wide format inkjet technology takes off.

Balancing the interests of the members will take some delicate negotiations and sources are keen to downplay any expectations of  a merger this early in the piece.

In a statement GAMAA said it is open to new ways of working and delivering its members with tangible solutions for future growth. As such GAMAA and VISA have entered into preliminary discussions around the notion of a merger in the future. These discussions are part of GAMAA’s philosophy to explore opportunities that meet its charter of contributing to a sustainable future for the industry.

There are clear synergies with both supplier associations that point towards a merger having merit for GAMAA, VISA and the broader industry. However, there are processes to follow and consultation to undertake with each association’s membership, so it is too early to make a definitive statement.

VISA has its origins as a trade show organisation and is by far the most active of the two Associations in that space. Its Sydney exhibition is an annual event, even as it co-locates with PrintEx every four years. Its Melbourne and Queensland shows are held bi-annually with one co-locating with PacPrint. On its website it claims small satellite exhibitions are held in other states as circumstances dictate.

Visual Impact Trade Shows began in the early 1990s after a group of supply companies became discontented with the trade show of the time, which was run by a profit making company. This company would dictate when and where our Trade Shows were to be held. Under the guidance of David Saunders and supported by the owners of three of the larger suppliers, the Sign Suppliers Association was formed, a not for profit organisation now known as the “Visual Industries Suppliers Association” (“VISA”). The association has grown from six members at its inception to over 100 in 2012, and has continued to run very successful trade shows all over Australia.

GAMAA is not as large in terms of membership but is arguably more influential in the wider graphic arts industry.   Another a not-for-profit association, it counts all the leading suppliers as members and supports the industry through various means including sponsorships, grants and networking opportunities.

It’s early days but a coming together of the two organizations holds the promise of a dividend for the industry as a whole.