“Raising the Door Tour” to Be Unveiled at Expo

© 2004 Door & Access Systems
Publish Date: Spring 2004
Author: Tom Wadsworth
Page 46

“Raising the Door Tour” to Be Unveiled at Expo

At Expo 2004 in Las Vegas, IDEA will unveil “the most ambitious campaign ever to promote professionalism in the door and access systems industry.”

The “Raising the Door Tour,” to start in the summer of 2004, will give dealers and installers opportunities to take accreditation and certification exams in their own areas. The tour will visit 50 or more major North American markets throughout 2004 and 2005. The two-day events will feature management forums, Train-the-Trainer classes, and accreditation and installer certification testing.

“It is very difficult for a door dealer to pull people out of the field and fly them off to some conference halfway across the country,” says Barbara Kelkhoff, president of IDEA (Institute of Door Dealer Education and Accreditation). “This campaign brings certification to the installers and accreditation to the dealers, without requiring them to incur the cost of travel.”

Kelkhoff says IDEA seeks to establish a force of professional certified door systems technicians, along with a network of accredited dealers in every major market in North America.

Supplier Support Sought

Manufacturers and industry suppliers will be asked to be involved in the campaign as event hosts. A marketing campaign will also be initiated at Expo in May and continue through the conclusion of the tour in late 2005.

Since its founding in 1996, IDEA has been supported by the Door & Access Systems Manufacturers Association (DASMA), the American Rolling Door Institute (ARDI), and the International Door Association (IDA).

Tour to Seek Dealer Input

During the tour, dealers may also participate in a series of IDA workshops on major industry issues facing door dealers. In these workshops, IDA officials will seek to learn how IDA can solve problems and promote professionally sold and installed door and access systems products.

“We don’t want this to just be a public relations tour,” says Chris Long, managing director of IDA. “We want to get good solid information from door dealers and use that to build a stronger industry.”

“This is the time to begin preparing to be the successful dealer of the future,” adds Long. “Accredited dealers employing professional certified installers and technicians will be demanded by the public within the next 10 years,” he says.