ARCIA: new president's welcome

I am delighted and humbled to be named the president of the Australian Radio Communications Industry Association. Firstly, let me congratulate the outgoing committee members and in particular, retiring president Chris Kelly. Our industry is indebted to these fine people, who have given up countless hours to work on our behalf, purely on the basis that the work needs to be done. Their efforts have placed ARCIA in an excellent position as a respected representative of the industry. The association has a stable financial position thanks to the support of members and partners as well as prudent financial management.

The election also represents a minor change of the guard, as we now have an executive from three states alongside committee members from all over Australia. For me this represents the next challenge for our association - that is, to take the strong platform that was essentially created in Victoria and ensure that we are relevant all over the nation. Our members represent global manufacturers, small and large businesses, and individuals across many different organisations, technologies and geographies. I believe that we should strive to ensure that our association reaches all corners of the country and is able to engage with all aspects of the communications industry.

If you consider the importance of our industry to so many people and, indeed, the Australian economy, we are vastly underrepresented in our influence on government and policymakers. The only way we can change this is to pool our resources, get organised and to make our voice as strong as possible. This takes considerable time and effort, but with your help we can continue to advance our cause and become visible to the broader community.

Of course, one of the ways in which we have started to get that message out there is to have regular industry events, and the biggest one of all is the annual industry gala dinner. This year it will be held on 21 November at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, in conjunction with Comms Connect, an event that brings together our industry in spectacular fashion. If you have not added these events to your calendar yet, make sure you do, as there are many excellent reasons to attend: check out arcia.org.au or comms-connect.com.au for all the details.

I’d like to thank our administrative staff, Alison and Madeleine, for all the work they do behind the scenes, particularly with the events, which require considerable planning. The results are a credit to their dedication and skill.

I am very pleased that the incoming committee is made up of a group of people from around the country with a broad range of experience to call on. I look forward to working with everyone as we plan and discuss ARCIA’s next moves.

Hamish Duff
President
Australian Radio Communications Industry Association