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The ICMA provides the following services to its members:
» Education, Training and Networking
- Annual International Card Manufacturing EXPO
• The International Card Manufacturers Association’s (ICMA) Annual Card Manufacturing EXPO 2009 – the world’s only manufacturing-focused global card conference and exhibition – will be held March 31 – April 3, 2009 at the Caribe Hilton, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
• ICMA members receive substantial discounts to attend or exhibit at the EXPO.
• The EXPO, attended by people from 30-40 countries worldwide, is an international forum for leading card manufacturers, personalizers, suppliers, issuers and other card industry representatives. It is a global arena for illuminating the most important challenges and opportunities facing the industry today.
• Sessions focus on general card industry and business concerns, security issues, management and technical matters, global industry trends, personalization and production issues.
• Exhibition, the world’s only venue exclusively dedicated to card manufacturers and personalizers and their unique product and service needs. Exhibitors can be certain that they are reaching a global cadre of industry participants in an intimate, up-close-and-personal format that is invaluable for networking and sales. Exhibitors include companies that supply such products as: production equipment, card materials, card supplies and card services.
• ICMA Academy Workshops
• Open to members only, the workshops are geared to technical and card production staff as well as executives and business owners. They are just a day and half and really focus on actual production issues, trends and topics. Past workshops have covered such manufacturing-specific topics as:
• New Challenges in RFID Personalization.
• How to Prepare for an OSHA Inspection.
• Card Overlay Films: Why Different Markets take Different Solutions.
• What Should a State-of-the-Art Pre-Press for a Card Manufacturer Look Like?
• The dates and locations for the 2008 Workshops are:
USA Workshop
September 10-11
Schaumburg, Illinois
ICMA Green Summit
Going Green...Myths, Challenges & Opportunity for the Card Industry
September 12
Schaumburg, Illinois
Europe Workshop
October 1-2
Stuttgart, Germany
• Workshops Table Top Displays – supplier members have the opportunity to display their product literature, materials and other information. These table top displays allow supplier members to be in front of the card manufacturer members, allowing the production/operations personnel who typically attend the Workshops to meet their suppliers.
• Workshops Networking Dinner – a great opportunity for all attendees to network with each other in a relaxed, social environment. This is a free event to everyone who registers for the workshop.
» Stay Informed!
• Subscription to Card Manufacturing, an advertiser-supported magazine published eight times a year with ICMA member news, industry information, features, product releases and announcements — and advertising discounts.
• Opportunity to receive ICMA’s Industry News Emails with card industry news. This is available to members only and includes coverage from around the globe on card manufacturing industry project announcements and news from card manufacturers, suppliers, personalizers and issuers.
• Members participate in and receive a free copy of the Annual Card Manufacturing Global Market Survey which provides historical and forecasted figures for card production worldwide. The report includes a breakdown by region and type of cards (mag stripe, gift card, contactless, etc) worldwide, which helps your company with strategic planning and identifying market trends. Free to members, non-members pay $1500 for the survey.
• Subscription to Card Flash, a monthly newsletter with association and ISO/ANSI standards news – this is only available to members.
• Representation by Dr. Brad Paulson in ISO and ANSI standards organizations. Members receive regular reports on standards activities, and have direct access to Dr. Paulson to have specific standards questions answered.
• Brad Paulson, who has many years of experience in card production, also offers members guidance, where possible, on certain technical or production issues they might be having thorough ICMA’s helpline.
• Access to hundreds of archived articles from Card Manufacturing magazine, dating back to 1998. These articles are grouped in categories such as RFID, mag stripe, security and many more and can help or guide you with your card research or projects.
• Access to archived EXPO and Workshop presentations; this enables members who are unable to attend to still benefit from the educational portion of the Workshop and EXPO.
» On-line Training and Education, Accreditation, Scholarship
• Members-only access to the Basics of the Card Industry Training Program and the Personalization Tutorial on the ICMA web site.
• The Basics Program provides a primary overview of the card manufacturing process. A unique educational tool for anyone at your company that needs to learn about the card industry, including new staff, sales and non-technical staff.
• The Personalization tutorial provides a valuable overview of the concepts and processes involved in card personalization -- taking the Basics program a step further in that area.
• The Basics Program is also available in Spanish.
• Opportunity to participate in ICMA’s New Advanced Card Education Accreditation (ACE) program, open to members only.
• This accreditation program is the only program to recognize advanced knowledge in the field of card manufacturing and personalization.
• Applicants for ACE receive a card manufacturing study guide with over 150 pages of tutorial information on seven major production steps of the card manufacturing process as well as standards.
• ACE Accreditation validates expertise and distinguishes your employees as motivated experts in the card manufacturing industry. It also increases customer confidence in your business.
• Those who achieve accreditation receive industry wide recognition via a press campaign, inclusion in Card Manufacturing and CardFlash, and on ICMA’s website. Your company can also promote your ACE-accredited staff to potential clients.
• Access to Web Seminar Series for ICMA Member Management Executives.
• ICMA brings executive level training to ICMA members, taking its educational offerings to the next level, focusing on management and leadership topics beyond its typical card industry programming.
• These web seminars can be found on the ICMA website and can be viewed individually, as a small group or as company-wide training.
• The programs blend cutting-edge content and streaming-video to keep you engaged and energized. Topics address hiring issues, employee motivation, teams and improving presentation skills.
• The seminars are free to ICMA members and $95 each per person for non-members.
• Eligibility for ICMA scholarship for members' students studying in a technology field. Each year the scholarship awards two member employees or their families with a US$2500 scholarship (or equivalent amount in your currency).
» Member Exposure
• The opportunity to get free publicity with the leading players in the card industry about your company in ICMA’s industry publication, Card Manufacturing, through preferred news and announcement placements.
• Inclusion in and free access to the online Card Manufacturing Buyer's Guide, which is categorized by product (including the various equipment, materials and components used in card manufacturing) — a valuable resource for all card manufacturers.
• Opportunity for card manufacturers to be listed in the Card Manufacturer Referral Service on the ICMA web site, a feature of the site where issuers are referred when they inquire about manufacturers who can supply cards for their card project. The ICMA website has thousands of visitors each month so this is a powerful vehicle for generating new leads for manufacturers.
• Opportunity to participate in annual Élan Awards for Card Manufacturing Excellence, the Spiritus Award for community service, and the new EXPO badge design competition — resulting in industry-wide publicity opportunities for your company. Publications such as CardsNow!Asia, Plastic News and more feature the winners of this prestigious competition.
• The Élan Awards are the only awards in the industry to recognize card design and development.
• ICMA members and their issuer customers are recognized and each receives awards in this one of a kind card competition.
• The winners and finalists receive industry wide recognition and exposure in Card Manufacturing magazine with photos of the card and a brief write-up.
• Inclusion in and free copies of the ICMA Annual Directory, a worldwide reference tool which features company contact information and company descriptions.
• The directory provides members direct access to ICMA members with contact info (contact person listed with email address and phone number). It is also purchased by other card industry representatives and issuers who are looking for card, material or equipment suppliers.
• This valuable tool enables members to connect directly with one another!
• The directory is free to members and $500 for purchase for non-members.
• ICMA supplier members can display new and innovative products used in the manufacture and personalization of cards on the ICMA Product Showcase at no charge. This is only available to ICMA supplier members.
• Opportunity to have your company name, with a link to your website, and job opportunity listings on the ICMA web site which receives 10,000 visitors each month.
• ICMA is the top listed website on Google searches for “card manufacturer” and “card manufacturing.”
» ICMA at Industry Events
• CARTES – ICMA exhibits at CARTES to meet with members and potential members from around the globe. ICMA members are encouraged to stop by for refreshments and to meet the editorial staff of Card Manufacturing to share your current and upcoming company news. Members are also encouraged to use the booth as a meeting point for their clients.
• CTST – ICMA hosts a fun networking dinner at CTST for your staff and your best customers. ICMA also exhibits are CTST offering you the opportunity to meet with the editorial staff of Card Manufacturing to share your current and upcoming company news.
• Cards Brazil – ICMA exhibits at Cards Brazil to meet with Latin American members and recruit new members.