This message has been cross posted to the following Discussion Forums: Small Project Practitioners and Practice Management Member Conversations .
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I find the responses to my question on AIA renewal interesting and some with great varying experiences than mine. I would like to expand on some of the issues I have found that forces me to raise the conern of wether renewal is worth it or not.
First, of the 22 years in my practice and have been an AIA member a little over half that time. When I look back at my level of business when a member and when not I in fact have seen much greater levels of business and higher profit margin when not a member of the AIA. I grant you that you can not always take a straight year to year comparison dues to economic changes but just the same it is intriguing.
second, over the years we have found that over half of our clients do not know what the AIA after the name stands for or what it means. Perhaps our money invested in the AIA could a better job of marketing. I remember a few years ago the AIA bragged about the advertising and marketing campaign they were putting on to raise awareness. It was funny that at the time I was traveling a lot on projects and during all that time only heard one radio ad. and that add promoted the AIA for bigger governmental projects which does nothing for the small practitioner that does not fit that niche.
Third,I have been members of two state chapters and three local chapters and all of these were very cliquish. In fact my current chapter is perhaps one of the worst. For the first couple years I attended several events and meetings hoping this chapter would be different. At every event when I attempted to meet and partipate I found that once again there were the small groups of individuals that grouped together and the chapter staff spent 95% percent their time with that group. Once again frustrated. I attempted to communicated via e-mail to the staff and even requested that perhaps they would help in trying to start a west valley group to encourage mare participation from people that were and hour or more from tar chapter office. unfortunately these fell on deaf ears (or eyes I should say) with no responses.
It does seem to me that there are a certain percentage that are afraid that if they do not have the AIA after their name the will somehow not be able to do business or talk to anyone else which of course is not true and more unfortunate leave a lot to be said about our profession.
Based upon the comments received and and perhaps the obvious lake of comment from the AIA ,thus showing once again their indifference to the small practioner i will not be renewing my membership in the AIA.
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Larry Warner AIA
Architect
Warner Group LLC
Sun City AZ
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