A trade association is a non-profit mutual benefit organization formed through an alliance forged between businesses operating in a particular industry. It provides its members a range of services and activities, which assist them in strategic development. It works towards forming alliances, bringing standardizations, facilitating networking and upgrading knowledge in the industry. It also represents its members as a collective voice at regional, national and international levels. At times the association becomes the lobbying vehicle for the industry to influence public policy. In short, all trade associations try to improve an industry’s business environment.

It thus, becomes important for trade associations to have secretariat support from an association management company or consultancy, that has an understanding of what trade associations are and how they work.

Grey Cell PR has worked with a number of national and international industry bodies and has extensive experience of providing trade associations and ‘special-purpose’ lobby vehicles with secretariat, communication and political consultancy services. We assist and counsel our clients on trade-related issues like investment measures and intellectual property rights. To associations having a fledgling presence we extend broad based secretarial support, a physical address and communication channels.

Grey Cell PR designs communication programmes for trade associations, which reach out, particularly through the trade press, to their entire industrial sector, other relevant trade associations, government departments and other official bodies.