About DIA

by Gene Muchanski

Dive Industry Association, Inc. was founded in the Fall of 2000, in Carlsbad, California.  Many Industry Professionals encouraged us to form a Trade Association that would be responsive to the needs of its Members. After a six month feasibility study to determine if the industry wanted, needed and would support a second trade association, it was decided to start Dive Industry Association. The Association was incorporated in the state of California on April 3, 2001. During the first year 15 Charter Members joined us and we started "Building a Better Industry, One Member at a Time."

From the very beginning, DIA was set up as an association that was Member centric. The Goals of the Association were established to: 1) Unite the industry to a common purpose and foster the spirit of cooperation. 2) Provide our Members with Business Tools that will help them be more professional, productive and profitable. 3) Generate maximum marketing exposure to help our Members reach their customers. 4) Increase business opportunities in the industry for our members.

During 2002, Dive industry Association added 45 more Charter Members and 12 of the original 15 Charter Members renewed for the year. DIA exhibited at the DEMA Show. DIA started publication of The Dive Industry Professional, our Association's monthly printed Newsletter. In November 2002, DIA's Office was moved to League City, Texas, SE of downtown Houston.

You can see that each of these "industry types" have different make-ups, different operating procedures, different customers bases and different priorities and agendas. DIA did not believe we could lump all these distinctly different types of businesses into one organization and still be fair to each group. We decided to construct 16 seperate "Member Benefit Sheets" and treat each group slightly different according to their needs. Each group has its own place in the "Industry" and each Group is equally important. Each group therefore has its own autonomy within the association.

In May 2002, DIA conducted its first industry-wide survey. We polled 180 of the Top Retail Dive Centers in the country and 30 responded for a total of 17%. We learned that only 70% were incorporated, 87% were owned by men and their average age was 48. We also learned a lot about their profit centers, what they sold, and how many people they sold to. We saw that, on average, the Dive Stores certified 292 students a year. The most important question we asked was, "What are Your Top 5 Needs as a Dive Industry Retailer? " The answers we received to that question formed the basis of our programs, products, and services we offer through Dive Industry Association.  Dive Retailing is the heart of the dive industry.  Retailers are true Entrepreneurs becasue they invest their time, money and manpower to build their own business. The needs of our Retail Dive Center Owners are significantly different than any other sector in the community.

In August 2002, DIA conducted its second industry-wide survey, for manufacturing Sales Reps. Of the 160 Reps that were asked to complete the survey, 15 responded. But even though only 9% of the Reps participated, the industry learned that Reps have the hardest job out there. Most Sales Reps are not company employees but are Entrepreneurs, working for themselves.  That is one significant difference between Reps and the rest of the dive community.  The average Rep works for 5 companies, in 7 states and has 163 accounts. They spend $33,150 a year visiting their accounts and are away from home 183 days a year. Our Members learned all about the Reps' Top 3 needs.

In our third year (2003), Dive Industry Association added another 52 Members and we kept our renewal rate high with our 60 Charter Members. As an Association, we exhibited at Beneath The Sea, Our World Underwater, Sea Space and the DEMA Show.

We took our message of "Building a Better Industry, One Member at a Time" to the dive industry in 2004. DIA exhibited at nine trade and consumer dive shows to meet the Industry Professionals who make their living in Dive. We exhibited at Seas Scuba Expo, Ohio Scuba Fest, Beneath The Sea, Our World Underwater, Scuba Show, and Sea Space. Not only did we exhibit at the DEMA show again, we tried our hand at The Super Show, where we found out that the Sporting Goods industry knew nothing about the dive business community but sure was interested. In November 2004, DIA supported and exhibited at the North East Rep Show, in Secaucus, NJ.

Our focus at Dive Industry Association is to grow new business for our Members and that means exploring new markets. The sporting goods market is a good example. For many years, only a select few companies exhibited at the Super Show and basically had the whole market to themselves. Diving is very popular with different groups in different ways. Some people look at it as a seasonal recreation. Some see it as a hobby, a sport and even a life style. Another aspect of diving is a means to get a job done, lke Commercial Diving, Military Diving and Public Safety Diving.

During 2004 Consultants at DIA were involved in Small Business Consutling and participated in the Mid-America Lenders Conference and the Association of Small Business Development Centers Conference in New Orleans. Working with small businesses that specialize in Diving is the main focus of DIA. Helping Entrepreneurs start, grow and succeed in business is the most important thing we can do as an industry to ensure our growth and long term success. The challenge is to help scuba diving enthusiasts become as good in business as they are in diving.

In 2005 Dive Industry Association continued to exhibit at six Consumer Dive Shows and DEMA Show. We exhibited at Ohio ScubaFest, Beneath The Sea, Ocean Festival, Scuba Show, Sea space and the new Florida Dive Show.

In 2006 we exhibited at the Our World Underwater, Ohio ScubaFest, Beneath The Sea, Ocean Festival and the Florida Dive Show. In November we were back in Orlando for the DEMA Show. This was the year we added the Hawaii Ocean Sports Expo to our Consumer Show circuit, not knowing it would be the last show run by David Castles.

In 2007 we exhibited at Our World Underwater, Beneath The Sea, returned to Sea Space, Ocean Festival and the Florida Dive Show. DEMA Show was once again in Orlando.

In 2008 we added the new Texas Dive Show to our circuit of Consumer Dive Shows and added the Surf Expo to our list of Watersports Trade Shows. This addition was a big decision for DIA and one which we were glad we made. The show circuit for 2008 included the Texas Dive Show, Our World Underwater, Beneath the Sea, Surf Expo, DEMA Show and the Florida Dive Show.

There were two additions to our Show Circuit in 2009. Rick Stratton introduced his Dive & Travel Expo in Tacoma, WA which was an instant success. We took a chance and exhibited at the Adventures In Travel Expo in New York City. On the first day of the travel show we realized how significant this series of shows could be for the entire dive industry. The 2009 show circuit included Texas Dive Show, Our World Underwater, Beneath the Sea, Dive & Travel Expo, Surf Expo, Adventures in Travel Expo and DEMA Show.

2010 was a very busy year for the association on the show circuit. We exhibited at three dive shows; Our World Underwater, Beneath the Sea and the Dive & Travel Expo in Tacoma. We exhibited at the Adventures in Travel Expos in Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Chicago, Secaucus, NJ, and Dallas. For Trade Shows we exhibited at Surf Expo and DEMA Show.

In 2011 we exhibited at Dive Shows at Our World Underwater, Beneath the Sea, and the Dive & Travel Expo in Tacoma. We exhibited at the Travel Shows now called Travel & Adventure Shows in Santa Clara, CA, Chicago, Washington D.C., and Los Angeles. We exhibted at the September Surf Expo and DEMA Show 2011.

We started off 2012 by exhibiting at the January Surf Expo and Our World Underwater.  At Our World we co-sponsored a Business Seminar and drew over 30 attendees.  We are getting ready to leave for Beneath The Sea in Secaucus, New Jersey.  So, what's left on the horizon for 2012? Dive Industry Association is continuing on the path of "Integrated Marketing." The recreational diving community still has not recovered from a bad economy. Many sectors in our business community are experiencing economic difficulities. It is our vision to get to the root of these business problems and find solutions to fix them. Albert Einstein once said that you cannot solve a problem with the same thinking that got you into the problem. Our community has been doing things the same way for way too long. To expect different results from doing the same things is insanity.

Dive Industry Association is dedicated to working with all the Industres that specialize in Diving. All are important and all have a piece of a job to do in the "Diving Business Community." First, let's look at what we plan to do internally. DIA will continue to build its marketing vehicles to reach the Trade and reach the buying public. We are building our trade web site, www.diveindustry.net as a marketing and educational tool. We are planning to build our Industry Trade Directory, www.DiveIndustryDirectory.com as a comprehensive resource to promote all our Member businesses in the group. Our monthly electronic Newsletter, The Dive Industry Professional, will continue to be pubished monthly to anyone in the trade who is interested in the industry's growth and survival. Our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/diveindustry will develop into a daily marketing reminder as to what is happening in the diving trade community.

Very little has been done in the community to reach the general public. In an industry that wants to grow, this is totally unacceptable. Dive Industry Association, Inc. has created a consumer division to make contact with the general public. Sure, this takes a great amount of time, money & manpower and DIA is requesting your support. #1 - Become a Member of Dive Industry Association. #2 - Donate to our non-profit organization, the Dive Industry Foundation. #3 - Support the efforts we do through Undersea Showcase.

What is the Undersea Showcase doing?  Undersea Showcase is set up as a consumer dive media company that promotes scuba diving and related water sports.  Our web site is built to "Showcase" the best of watersports recreation.  The web site www.UnderseaShowcase.com has a Directory and a Shows a & events page.  Our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/underseashowcase is also a daily marketing reminder as to what may be interesting news for diving enthusiasts.  Undersea Showcase has even developed an electronic Newsletter called The Watersports Enthusiast. 

1.  Have a Strong Presence at Consumer Dive Shows.  Shows & Events for 2012 are covered in detail in our Trade and Consumers Web Sites.  www.diveindustry.net/events  and www.underseashowcase.com

Consumer Dive Shows for 2012:  Our World Underwater, Beneath the Sea, Dive & Travel Expo (Tacoma), Dive & Travel Expo (Santa Clara), Scuba Show.

2. Promote Adventure Dive Travel Outside the Dive Industry at Travel Shows

Travel & Adventure Shows for 2012:  Long Beach, Chicago, Santa Clara, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Dallas.

3. Promote Dive Outside the Dive Industry at Trade Shows

Trade Shows for 2012: Surf Expo (January) and Surf Expo (September).