UCIF Informs
The Value of a Trade Association Today Manuela Casali, UCIF – Italian Surface Treatment Equipment Manufacturers’ Association, Milan, Italy
A
info@ucif.net
s the Italian Surface Treatment Equipment Manufacturers’
Our Association also promotes training and refresher courses open
Association, we often ask ourselves questions that are not easy
to business owners and their employees. These are made possible
to answer. Some of them concern the value we can bring, the
thanks to an extensive network of collaborations with private
value recognised by our members, and the value perceived by those
institutions, universities, and research centres. In particular, UCIF
who are not part of UCIF and are curious about what benefits we might
collaborates and is associated with Poliefun, an association operating
offer to them. We are all used to assigning an immediate value to
within the Politecnico di Milano for the promotion of enterprise culture
actions, programmes, projects. We often wonder “what’s in it for us” to
in the finishing sector.
convince ourselves that what we are giving our support and consent to
Finally, UCIF provides a range of assistance and consultancy services
something that is “worth it”.
on matters of interest to companies, such as the organisation of trade
UCIF is a trade association and, as such, it represents and protects the
fairs and events, specific training programmes, statistical analyses
interests of a specific category, that of finishing plant manufacturers.
and data collection, occupational health and safety, and compliance
Through ANIMA, we are the point of reference for our sector within
management (e.g. environmental, privacy).
Confindustria Meccanica, a position that in itself should deserve
Being able to receive first-hand information and advance notice on
trust and support. However, in Italy, sometimes this is not enough:
the upcoming regulations, standards, and trends is a value that in
in our country, associations are not always considered a value and
itself should entice any company to join a trade association. We are
companies often treat membership fees as a bargaining chip.
witnessing a profound regulatory revolution that will inevitably bring
The work of a trade association focusses mainly on two areas: dealing
concern and both positive and negative changes. Misinformation and
with member companies and mediating and representing them in
unpreparedness are no longer an option today.
government bodies. At UCIF, this takes the form of the activities we
Being professionally and adequately informed, being represented
carry out on a daily basis through four functions: representation,
at tables where it is still possible to have a voice, and having the
listening and sharing, facilitating innovation and training, and service
opportunity to exchange views with other members for facing any
provision. As an organisation established to protect economic
challenges together is certainly a value that outweighs the obstacle of
interests, UCIF’s first function is representation. The more members
paying a membership fee.
it represents, the more weight it has in meetings with other stakeholders. Strong representation generates strong interests. Doing business nowadays is increasingly complicated due to the everchanging nature of regulations and markets: trade associations can support entrepreneurs by providing them with the services they need to carry out their daily activities at best. In the case of UCIF, a concrete example of representation is being able to stand within a sound, organised business system and therefore to support our members in their relations with institutions, public authorities, and other social partners. In particular, we have specific expertise on regulatory aspects and have the possibility to interface and interact with other European associations of a similar level. Trade associations are also useful because they allow members to exchange information. For example, they can share experiences, create partnerships and collaborations, and organise meetings. An association thus becomes a tool that facilitates access to information and news. At UCIF, sharing is fostered through numerous online and in-person meetings as well as information and training sessions.
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N. 84 - NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2023 - international PAINT&COATING magazine
UNIONE COSTRUTTORI IMPIANTI DI FINITURA