CrossCheck Blog

The “Smarter-Faster” PAYMENTS 2019 conference for payments professionals takes place May 5 – 8 at the Orlando World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla. According to NACHA, the event producer, “PAYMENTS 2019 unites thousands of payments system stakeholders from business end-user and financial and technology services organizations to debate and explore the more pressing issues and opportunities today. Attendees will experience world-class education with concurrent sessions and workshops featuring payments and innovation experts.” The conference also features an interactive expo hall as well as networking events for executives and senior-level payments professionals from fintech, financial services and corporate environments.

According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), construction companies and housing currently contribute 15 – 18 percent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Those statistics and additional housing data are available via the organization’s website, including information about membership, blogs and publications, construction codes, educational opportunities and political advocacy. The NAHB is a federation of more than 700 state and local associations representing more than 140,000 members. Approximately 33 percent are construction companies in home building and remodeling while the remainder “work in closely related specialties such as sales and marketing, housing finance, and manufacturing and supplying building materials.” Furthermore, NAHB members are responsible for constructing about 80 percent of the new single-family and multifamily homes in the United States each year.

Membership in trade groups provides a type of safety in numbers that is achieved by being united with large numbers of people with similar business interests. With competition arising from every nook and cranny, GMs in the building materials industry can find professional security, increase sales and stay abreast of the latest trends by joining an association. CrossCheck reviewed a handful of representative orgs that support their membership bases while providing brief descriptions, links to upcoming conferences, and the means to join. We highly recommend seeking out and joining one in your region, so much so, that we wrote this successful article: Ten Reasons to Join an Association.

For entrepreneurs and business owners, visibility and networking are key, but these are just a couple of the many reasons it's a good idea to join industry associations. Local, regional, and national industry associations offer a wide range of opportunities that can lead to enhanced business relationships and, ultimately, greater success. Here are 10 reasons why joining an industry-related association is well worth the time and effort: 1. Access to education and training. In many cases, membership in an industry association leads directly to advanced education and training programs, which help you maintain your edge and keep your skills sharp and current.

Business has always been about connections. Connecting with your suppliers, your employees and your customers or clients is crucial to continued success. But what about connecting with peers, other business people in your industry that share your concerns, challenges and business needs? Is there value in that? Of course there is, and one way to do this is through industry and business associations.