Issue 5/2005
09/02/05
The VFA, an association continually growing in importance
Werner Köpff
The VFA-INTERLIFT e. V. was founded in 1987 as the Association for the Promotion of the Use of Elevators (since 1995 as VFA-INTERLIFT, Association for Elevator Technology). The target of the 11 founder members was defined as “the promotion of the use of equipment for people moving”. The idea was to promote, among a wide segment of the population, an interest in elevators and all associated comfortable and modern transport devices for people in all walks of life.
Category: Issue 5/2005
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This initiative came from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Not only elevator manufacturers, but also component manufacturers and contractors founded a collective platform in order to achieve a consolidated realisation of their common interests.
With the VFA, an organisation was established to take care of the interests of the SMEs, which, on the one hand could promote market stimulating and professionally informative initiatives, while at the same time issuing educational impulses for users and operators.
One of the first great tasks awaiting the newly founded VFA was to professionally advise and actively support the international trade fair and congress interlift, which was planned for 1988 in Munich. The exhibition turned out to be a great success, which confirmed the importance of such a forum. This resulted in the clear aim of the VFA to develop the interlift to a trade fair of international importance.
The first condition to be fulfilled was to give the trade fair a fixed location and the transfer of the organisation of the exhibition to a professional and high-capacity trade fair enterprise. The ideal partner was found in the AFAG Ausstellungsgesellschaft mbH of Nuremberg and Augsburg and the aim was realised in every aspect. Since 1991 the interlift has now been held in Augsburg six times. After every interlift the organisers have been able to publish new records in amounts of exhibitors and visitors. It is already possible to see that this year’s interlift, which takes place from the 18th to 21st October, will once again surpass all its previous records. The interlift is the most important trade fair for elevator technology worldwide. Through its committee and the trade fair advisory board, the VFA has considerable influence on the organisation and planning of this event.
Although the interlift as a trade fair plays a highly important part in realising the targets of the VFA of “Promoting and publishing information from the field of use of elevators”, this still only fulfils a part of the aims of the association. The members rightly expect much more. The association has taken account of these expectations by consequently expanding the scope of the members’ service and support by information over the years.
In the context of the globalisation of markets, the international aspect became more and more important for SMEs. The participation at trade fairs and exhibitions all over the world, materialised as an important marketing instrument, and the VFA also took this development into account.
Since 1995 the association has been offering its members the opportunity to participate at elevator trade fairs in the most different regions through exhibiting at collective stands. This is a very low cost opportunity for the participants to present themselves and their exhibits, to make first contacts and to obtain an impression of the different markets, without too much effort (e.g. in Turkey, USA, China, Italy, Russia ….).
Since it was founded the VFA has been active in achieving the association’s objectives of “Developing and maintaining contacts to other relevant trade organisations at home and abroad, participation in national and international institutions which are involved in work on important projects for the field of elevator technology”. In this aim the association has been in the main successful.
The point is now reached where the VFA represents the interests of its members in influential national and European institutions. For example the VFA has a seat on the board of the ELA (European Lift Association), as well as supplying the Chairman of the ELA Component Committee. The VFA is recognised and appreciated abroad as the German Association for Elevator Technology. The cooperation with international associations such as the British LEIA (Lift and Escalator Industry Association), the French AFA (Association Francaise pour l’Ascenseur), the Spanish FEEDA (Federacion Empresarial Espanola de Ascensores), and AECAE (Asociacion Espanola de Empresas de Componentes para Aparatos Elevatores), the Italian associations ANACAM (Associazione Nazionale Imprese di Costruzione e Manutenzione Ascensori) and ANICA (Associazione Nazionale delle Industrie di Componenti per Ascensori), the United States association NAEC (National Association of Elevator Contractors), and the Chinese CEA (China Elevator Association), gives clear proof of the position that the VFA has now achieved. Contacts to technical notified bodies, government safety organisations, VDI (Association of German Engineers), the trade press and others result in a supply of detailed first hand information.
It is practically impossible for an individual to keep track of all the laws, standards, directives, regulations and decrees, and thus very difficult to maintain a state of the art level. From the flood of information coming in, the VFA filters out the relevant new information and makes it available to its members in a compact form. In addition further information is supplied concerning the alterations to be expected in the near future with regard to European harmonisation and the globalisation of markets.
It is a well known fact that today’s knowledge will only be up to date for a short period. It is imperative to be continuously acquiring new information. Therefore, in addition to the seminars offered by other institutions, the VFA has now for some years been offering an interesting programme on this subject.
In 1993 the VFA Academy was founded, which in particular enables the association to fulfil its obligations with regard to training and further education. The VFA Academy has become a fixed event, which takes place regularly. State of the art topics and the explanation of the latest standards and regulations form part of the seminar programmes, as well as contributions on the subjects of legal and business questions and solutions. The VFA Academy also organises the interlift Forum, through which further up to date knowledge is imparted and an exchange of ideas is encouraged.
Since 2005 the VFA Academy has taken over the professional sponsorship, support and monitoring of the “Schwelmer Symposium”, which is organised by Messrs. Henning and sponsored by the Lift Report. This is a further complement to the attractive range of sources of information, imparting theoretical and practical knowledge.
In addition, for some years the VFA has been promoting week-long seminars entitled “Basics of Elevator Technology” at the Rosswein Centre for Transport and Elevation Technology. Basic knowledge of elevator technology and innovations is taught here in a manner easy to understand.
Innovations must be publicised and presented through trade fair and exhibitions or through the internet. The advantages and chances offered by the internet were recognised early by the association and put to use to the benefit of its members. The archives, which have been built up by the association, make a large source of relevant information available to the members.
In the year 2000 the VFA instituted the standards database, with which the VFA considerably increased the advantages for its members. Members now have an excellent facility which allows them to find the complete texts for standards filed in the internet, or to download the corresponding explanations online.
It is mandatory to continuously observe alterations of the current regulations which are processed by international, European and national institutions. It is necessary to filter the information which concerns elevator technology out of the monthly thousands of bits of information (novelties, supplements, alterations, repeats, cancellations). A considerable part of this work is carried out by the VFA for its members. The data in the database is continuously being updated. This saves the users having to research the latest information and results in considerable savings of time and costs.
The internet pages also serve as shopping aids for the visitors. They help professional planners, as well as decision-makers in architectural partnerships and in public administration, to find their partners easily among the elevator manufacturers or service contractors through their links in the internet, which makes them a valuable utility. In order to be able to realise this plan over as wide a range of members as possible, the VFA actively supported its members by promoting the installation of mini-homepages. Such companies as were hesitating to approach the new medium for fear of inflated costs were thus enabled to realise their internet presentations at lower cost.
Recently the VFA introduced a further service for its members. Through the VFA office they are able to consult the services of a pool of experts. For a large range of subjects, experts are available to assist in the answering of particular queries.
2003 was designated the “European Year of Disabled People (EYDP)”. The VFA concentrated its public relations work on the topic of barrier-free access to all buildings. The large number of activities culminated in the “Manifest of Augsburg for barrier-free planning and building”.
On the invitation of the VFA, three renowned associations adopted the “Manifest of Augsburg for barrier-free planning and building” during the interlift 2003 in Augsburg. The signatories included the German Working Group for Refurbishment of Old Buildings (BAKA Bundesarbeitskreis für Altbauerneuerung e. V.), the German Self-help association for handicapped people (BSK Bundesverband Selbsthilfe-Körperbehinderter e. V.), and the VFA.
This declaration contains five guiding lines with concrete requirements for the realisation of barrier-free access in buildings. In addition it prescribes a further and continuous dialogue between politics, the industry and associations. The target is to further anchor and enforce barrier-free access as a basic principle of building plans, through legislation. Of course the central principle behind this is that elevators are a prerequisite for barrier-free access to multi-story buildings.
By adopting the Manifest, and at the initiative of the VFA, a further step was realised to fine-tune people’s awareness of the subject of barrier-free access.
At present the VFA is running an architects’ competition with the subject “Building in Existing Buildings”. This is a further contribution of the association towards increasing the awareness and knowledge in the public eye, and in particular with the new generation of building planners, for subjects associated with elevators for the good of the whole elevator industry.
The attractiveness of the VAF-INTERLIFT has continuously increased in importance in this sector during the years since its foundation, in particular for SMEs. More and more professionals recognise the advantages and benefits of membership.
In its first year the association numbered 30 members, a figure which has now reached considerable proportions with more than 130 members. Most certainly there is no other association which is as important as this one for SME elevator builders, component makers, and elevator contractors, service companies, planners, experts and institutions, both at a national and at an international level.
The VFA-INTERLIFT e. V. has become the spiritual home of Germany’s elevator and component manufacturers. Abroad it is known and appreciated as the German Association for Elevator Technology. As a result the VFA-INTERLIFT is gratified by the eager exchange of opinions with the representatives of the foreign associations, such as the British LEIA, the French AFA, the Spanish FEEDA and AECAE, the Italian ANACAM and ANICA and no less with the United States association NAEC and the Chinese CEA.
The members of the VFA are a mirror of the whole cross-section of the sector. They represent the state of the art and the next generation of potential technology. The VFA has continuously developed further and increased its extensive supply of information and service to its members.
The active and circumspect committee is permanently ready, together with its management, to expand the high benefits for its members.
Translated by Susan Mompalao de Piro
5/2005
