As I write this, I’m preparing to leave for the United States Sign Council’s Sign World Intl. show in Atlantic City, which I’ve attended every year for at least the last quarter-century. And, my thoughts will focus on USSC’s primary founder and leader, Andy Bertucci, who died a few weeks ago. It simply won’t be the same without him. For the past few years, he’d been relegated to riding around the show in a motorized cart, but, even as I write this, I can hear his voice.
The show has become smaller in recent years, a victim of the economy like many others. And there may be a law of diminishing returns using the same venue on the same weekend for so long. But ISA has flip-flopped between Las Vegas and Orlando since 1996, so repetition seems to reflect conventional wisdom (pun intended).
But if you’re on the fence, I truly hope you attend the show in honor of Andy. And, while you’re at it, make a contribution to the USSC Foundation, which funds beneficial, visual-acuity research for the sign industry conducted in cooperation with Penn State University. And yes, I’m on the board of the Signage Foundation Inc., and yes, my brother, Tod, runs the American Sign Museum, which will soon begin its exodus to its new digs. And both are extremely valid recipients of charitable dollars as supporters and promoters of the sign industry.
Similarly, in Signs of the Times’ December issue, we published a portion of a letter from Jim Weinel, owner of Gemini, Inc., and the undisputed #1 contributor to sign-industry causes, that was part of an annual report he sends to Gemini customers. Another part of the letter, which we didn’t publish, essentially suggests that sign companies support vendors and product manufacturers who support the industry.
So, I suggest you put some feet to the fire. When you attend the Sign World show, ask the exhibitors if they’ve contributed to the sign industry. If yes, thank them. If not, ask them why. Yes, it’s been a tough three years, and charitable contributions have suffered exponentially. Association memberships are a very good start, but they’re not enough. If you can’t support the industry that supports you, what can you support?
We’ll have a banner in our booth that honors Andy, and I hope there are many other visible acknowledgments as well.