Page 18 - FINAT Yearbook 2012

FINAT’S COMMITTEES
THE POWER OF VOLUNTEER FORCES
FINAT would not be the association it is today, if it hadn’t been for the many skilled volunteers that over the years have dedicated their time and expertise in order to develop a global platform in the service of the self-adhesive labelling industry. The Board and various committees remain committed to ensuring the visibility of our sector, creating awareness about and presenting the benefits of self-adhesive labelling, responding to present challenges, but also forecasting future directions and market opportunities and preparing our members for them. Our volunteer leaders report on their committees’ latest achievements and the future items on their agenda (for a full list of all volunteer members see the register at the back of this Yearbook or consult the FINAT members-only area).
As the interview with the Executive Board of FINAT elsewhere in this Yearbook indicates, the FINAT committee structure has been refined to take into consideration the growing size of the association and the topics it addresses. Both the Technical Committee and the Marketing Committee have now been divided into several sub-committees. The chairmen of these sub-committees together form the ‘Presidium’ of their respective main committees.
Where tasks have not been delegated to the operational committees, the Board itself has assigned responsibilities for strategic areas of attention − such as sustainability, education, (young) management development − among the various Board members, and takes care of the liaison with the Young Managers Club and the affiliated national and regional partner associations.
BOARD SUB-COMMITTEES
• Membership Development Committee: plenty of space left under the FINAT umbrella!
The FINAT Membership Committee (MDC) is currently chaired by FINAT’s Vice President Thomas Hagmaier (Hagmaier Etiketten, D) and exists to communicate the benefits of FINAT membership to existing and potential
members; to raise the profile of FINAT; and to actively recruit new members, both among the label printer community and further up the supply chain. It also aims to explore the needs and possibilities of new FINAT member benefits. The MDC was re-activated in 2011. Thomas comments: “There is a special focus on the label printers, who we want to encourage to be present at our conferences, to be active on the committees, and to learn how to use the web communication tools which are now available. FINAT is the networking association, and wants to be the umbrella for the local European label associations, as well as to bring together the worldwide label community. Our message is: ‘We want you and need you as a label printer to get up and take an active role in the organisation’. This can best be done by people from the label community. We are activating the potential of FINAT’s supplier base to help us to bring the FINAT spirit to potential new members, and to ‘wake up’ the dormant members. Under the FINAT umbrella, there is plenty of space left for many new companies. There should be no fear of language problems, or of being too small to join the association. The language of labels is universal, so let’s talk more about FINAT with colleagues inside and outside our
organisation, to help the community grow and enjoy the benefits.”
• Education and Training Committee: supporting the industry’s knowledge skills and competences
This one man committee is led by Svend Joergensen (CCL, Denmark). Svend comments: “The focus of FINAT’s educational activities in the year 2011/12 has been on issuing a new edition of the Educational Handbook. The Handbook was launched in March 2012 (see page... for more details). The edition was commissioned to 4impression Training in the UK, which also developed the e- modules available free of charge to FINAT’s members, and also integrated in the new Handbook. All chapters of the Handbook were updated to reflect the latest developments in our industry. A number of chapters were entirely or completely re-written including Embellishment, Design, Repro and Pre Press, Total Applied cost and not least the chapter about Environmental Issues. A subject which will require more and more attention in the coming years.”
“As for future initiatives within the area of education we are awaiting the outcome of the pending members survey to make sure our offerings are in line with the members priorities.”
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FINAT YEARBOOK 2012 |