In the past few years, the Association has learned to use its volume to purchase a variety of business services at reduced rates for members. Wherever possible these benefits have also been negotiated to provide the Association itself with a source of revenue in the form of royalties. Expanding the Scope In 1993, a group of Associate members approached the Board of Directors about the possibility of restructuring the Association to provide a more inclusive organization that would represent all aspects of the industry equally. After almost a year of planning and discussions, the dealer members of the TDA voted overwhelmingly to restructure the organization to provide manufacturers and other affiliated companies with full membership and full voting rights. The Board of Directors was expanded to provide representation from each of the voting categories of membership.
Individual membership remains a non-voting class.
The Board of Directors used the restructuring of the Association as an opportunity to change the name of the organization to better reflect the diversity of the members and what they do. The corporate name, for tax and legal purposes remains The Theatrical Dealers Association. The TSC was charged with keeping the members informed of changes in standards and regulations that affect their businesses, supporting and participating in the work of standards making bodies and creating work groups to formulate ESTA standards and recommended practices. A fund raising campaign was launched to support the efforts of this committee and the hiring of a technical standards manager for the Association. Working Groups in the areas of Control Protocols, Fog and Smoke, Photometrics, Safe Practices and Loss Control, and Truss and Rigging have been created to deal with important issues of safety, standards and compatibility of equipment within the industry.