A new trade association has been proposed for the specialist hi-fi and home cinema sectors.
Project Grass is the process to define the scope and shape of the new body, and follows the closure of the manufacturer-based BFA (British Federation of Audio) at the end of 2011, leaving the industry with just one trade association, the retail-focused BADA.
BADA has moved to include more manufacturers in recent years but is constrained from developing any further in this direction by its constitution and membership criteria. To address the issue, members first mooted the idea of a new trade body last year.
Project Grass is the process by which the constitution, membership criteria, financing, management and aims and objectives of the new association will be drawn up. 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.
At the end of the process a new trade association will exist, intended to serve the interests of manufacturers, distributors, retailers, consultants and the media working in specialist hi-fi and home cinema.
Simon Byles, chairman of BADA, commenting on the market conditions said “Let us not pretend that times aren’t tough for our businesses. There are a wide range of pressures coming to bear on us, consumer confidence is at an all-time low and the GfK sales statistics show a 20 per cent decline in CE sales year on year.
“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.”
All members of the industry are invited to the Project Grass meeting on Monday 4 July at the Royal Institute of British Architects, 66 Portland Place, London, W1B 1AD, from 1-4.30pm.
Fraser Robertson Fraser Robertson