The National Association of the Specialty Food Trade is an international organization composed of domestic and foreign manufacturers, importers, distributors, brokers, retailers, restaurateurs, caterers and other providers in the specialty foods industry. The organization has more than 2,100 current member companies nationally and internationally. NASFT organizes widely popular trade shows in New York, Chicago and San Francisco, provides scholarships to university students, and publishes Specialty Foods Magazine.

The Challenge

The NASFT site suffered from inefficient functionality and maintenance difficulties. This obstacle was slowing workflow, tying up staff who were unable to make updates as frequently as they would have liked. In order to make the site a more useful membership tool, NAFST contracted outside help for evaluations, recommendations and eventually the development of a new solution for the organization.

The Solution

BrowserMedia developed a comprehensive, web-based system to manage NASFT's three annual trade shows that draw crowds of about 30,000 attendees. In addition, BrowserMedia developed a kiosk-based floor plan management system that lets attendees search under multiple categories to determine a specific booth's location. BrowserMedia also built a sophisticated online admissions and membership application management system. The website is integrated with NASFT's existing association management system (AMS), allowing staff to easily enter and manage directory listings online and run reports on site activity. The employment of an eCommerce system allows members to pay dues, register for tradeshow events, and purchase videos & training manuals through the site.

Results

NASFT's attendance for their tradeshows, the single largest source of revenue for the association, has more than doubled in the three years since first contracting with BrowserMedia. Member companies are now able to renew online, register for events, and seek out other member companies. NASFT's website has become an invaluable member resource for new, relevant content.

NASFT now has a fully-automated, online workflow that integrates seamlessly with their existing association management system. By automating their operations and reducing the labor costs associated with managing tradeshows and membership, NASFT employees can focus more time and resources on membership expansion, which has doubled its size since engaging BrowserMedia. The NASFT site now reflects the feel of a "thriving specialty food marketplace."