The elections are a unique milestone in the merger of the two Associations, as this is the first time that ESTA and PLASA Members will vote simultaneously to elect representatives to the new Board structure. The month-long ballot, in which over 1,000 companies and individuals will have the opportunity to vote, pre-empts the New Year merger date when the Associations formally unite under the PLASA name.
For PLASA, one of the major developments to come out of the merger is the move to a more representative Governance system. The new 12-member Regional Boards will better mirror the diversity of regions, market sectors, business types and technologies across the PLASA membership.
Ahead of the merger, current Board Members of both ESTA and PLASA with terms still to serve have been incorporated into the NA and EU Regional Board structures, while the entire memberships of both Associations have been transferred into the new two-tier membership system so they can vote for a candidate from their own sector.
As a consequence, the two Regional Boards will have representatives from the following groups of members - Dealer/Retailers, Distributors, Manufacturers, Production Services, Professional Services and Rental Companies, together with a representative from both the Organizational and Individual memberships.
The Governing Body is a new concept for PLASA and is designed to ensure continuity of decision-making and strategic consistency, with the Chair, Vice-Chair and Treasurer from the European and North American Regional Boards automatically taking six of the nine places on the Governing Body. The remaining three 'at large' positions will be voted for in the October elections.
Another first is that PLASA Members have joined ESTA Members this year in taking advantage of secure online voting to cast their votes.
PLASA CEO Matthew Griffiths and ESTA Executive Director Lori Rubinstein are actively encouraging all PLASA and ESTA Members to vote for their choice of candidates for both the Regional Boards and Governing Body. In a joint statement they said: "It is the Members' Association and participation in these current elections will help bring the new PLASA community together with a deeper sense of ownership."
The elections commenced on 1 October and run throughout the month, with the results being announced in early November, ahead of the Boards taking effect in the New Year.
(Jim Evans)
