The Board of Directors of the United States Sign Council (USSC) voted unanimously to merge the USSC and all of its assets into the USSC Foundation. Starting January 1, 2018, the USSC will cease operations, and the USSC Foundation will assume all functions and activities associated with the past organization.
The USSC Foundation has been the research wing of the United States Sign Council since 1999, and this rebranding will insure that the vital USSC Foundation research can continue into the future, to yield tangible benefits for sign companies and the sign industry in the areas of sign research and science-based codes.
The USSC Foundation has funded over twenty-one (21) studies dealing with on-premise signs to date. Most recent projects have included: an up-to-date Model Sign Code, national guideline sign lighting standards, standardized sign illumination research, and national guideline sign size standards.
All members of the United States Sign Council will become automatic Supporting Members of the USSC Foundation, and the Foundation will continue to provide member services. It will be committed to providing research, training and networking opportunities to the sign industry.
The USSC Foundation will be a donor-driven organization, and this concept has gathered favorable support in the sign industry.
The USSC Foundation has a five-person (5) board that will handle management functions and Foundation responsibilities into the future. This management team represents a complete departure from previous management practices. The USSC Foundation Board consists of: Adam Brown, Wendy Kern, Max Aronow, Richard Crawford, and Neal Wilcox.
In addition, the USSC Foundation announced that it will be hosting a new sign convention next year in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The venue has been changed to Harrah’s Resort and Casino. It features a dynamic event space, newly renovated hotel rooms, and over twelve (12) bars and restaurants ready to serve attendees, all under one roof. The Foundation is confident that Harrah’s will present advantages and opportunities to both exhibitors and attendees alike.
Besides offering amenities to exhibitors and attendees, the new USSC Foundation convention will be based on a revolutionary concept: the convention will be an exhibitor-owned show, where a percentage of the show profits will be returned to each exhibiting company based on their booth space. Dates for the convention will be Thursday and Friday November 29th and 30th 2018.
Response to the show changes is positive and the show floor plan is 70 percent sold out. At the beginning of January 2018, the new USSC Foundation Web site will be live with information on the 2018 show, the show floor plan, and exhibitor sign-up details. In the meantime, please contact Foundation Board Members Neal Wilcox (716) 583-0346 or Wendy Kern (570) 573-1735 for more details about next year’s convention.
