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USSC Has Merged into the USSC Foundation

Foundation to assume prior functions, including annual Atlantic City show in December.

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On November 29, 2017, the Board of Directors of the United States Sign Council (USSC; Bristol, PA) voted unanimously to merge the USSC and all of its assets into the USSC Foundation. (Please note: Those websites will be changing soon.) Starting January 1, the USSC will cease to exist, with the USSC Foundation assuming all prior USSC functions and activities. The announcement came on the eve of what became the final Sign World International show, which was held in Atlantic City, NJ.

The USSC Foundation, the USSC’s research wing since 1999, has funded 21 studies related to on-premise signage and is governed by a five-person board. The reorganization is designed to ensure future research. The 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 organization will become donor-driven.

The USSC Foundation has a five-person board which 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.

The United States Sign Council began in 1972 as the Eastern States Sign Council. In 1980, it became one of the eight regions of the then National Electric Sign Assoc. (now the International Sign Assoc.). It separated from NESA and hosted its first independent Sign World show in Atlantic City in 1993.

New Sign Convention

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The USSC Foundation will host a new show, The Sign Exchange, on November 29-30, 2018 at Harrah’s Resort Atlantic City.

The foundation is confident that Harrah’s, ready to serve exhibitors and attendees all under one roof, 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, Nov. 29-30, 2018.

Response to the show changes is positive and the show floor plan is reportedly 70% sold out. At the beginning of January 2018, the new USSC Foundation website 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 at 716.583.0346 or Wendy Kern at 570.573.1735 for more details about next year’s convention.

Wade Swormstedt contributed to this article.

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