This article originally published in Self-Service World magazine, Mar/Apr 2006.
David Drain, if one will pardon a slight stretch, is not unlike the self-service applications that have just become a significant part of his world: quiet and unassuming, constructed in such a way and of such material to project helpfulness. Then, when he is engaged, the output is informative, almost neighborly, delivered to match his audience and provide it value.
In short, the new executive director of the Self-Service & Kiosk Association is user-friendly.
Drain had his first exposure to the industry Feb. 13-14, in Orlando, Fla., where he shook hands, nodded his head and did a great deal of listening at The Self-Service & Kiosk Show. (The show and the association are operated by NetWorld Alliance, publisher of this magazine.) The days were his first on the job, having succeeded Greg Swistak, who left the executive director's office in October.
"The show was an exciting opportunity to get my arms around this industry and see some of the innovative products that our members are producing," Drain said from his Fort Worth, Texas, office.
For the past 13 years, Drain has been vice president of the industry clients group of FSA of Louisville, an association management company. He also was the executive director and executive vice-president of Foodservice Consultants Society International, a 1,100-member association with both domestic and international chapters.
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| David Drain, executive director, Self-Service & Kiosk Association |
While self-service technology doesn't figure in his resume, neither he — nor the people he'll work with — seem concerned.
"I have disadvantages and advantages," Drain said. "The disadvantage is that I have a lot to learn when it comes to the self-service industry — even though I learned a lot over the week of the show — and will have to rely on members and the rest of the NetWorld Alliance team to help guide me, especially in areas that are technical."
When it comes to advantages, Drain points to his extensive background in association management.
"In my experience, there are common skills needed by an association executive, regardless of the industry."
Part of Drain's role with FSA Group was to help associations in the food service industry find leaders.
"We would interview candidates with a food service background, and those with an association background, and nine out of 10 times, the person with the association background was successful, while the person with the food service background only would struggle."
He cites the providing of leadership and diplomacy as critical for an association executive.
"The executive director's role is to listen to the membership, to learn what it is the members need and what they are trying to accomplish, and then to develop a consensus as to the best ways to move forward," he said.
"I see my role as one of facilitator — taking the many great ideas that the members have and with my background and my experience taking those ideas and making them happen."
Dick Good, chairman of SSKA said, "David brings to the Association a depth of experience in successful association management. The growth and range of meaningful activities he led in his last position will be well applied at the Self-Service & Kiosk Association to help us reach our next levels of achievement."
Developing an Agenda
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| FIRST DAY ON THE JOB: David Drain (left) met with Ed McGunn, Dick Good and selfservce.org editor Bryan Harris at The Self-Service & Kiosk Show. Their focus was a new content plan for the association site. |
Drain steps into an association poised for growth, said Ed McGunn, president and CEO of Corporate Safe Specialists and vice president of SSKA. "David has the luxury of timing: Self-service critical mass is closer than ever, and the Self-Service & Kiosk Association has never been better positioned to serve its members to make it happen," said McGunn, who also is on the association's advisory board. "He strikes me as having great energy and put-to-it-iveness. He'll be able to generate excitement and give more retailers an eye-opening of where self-service is heading."
Drain said that he, Good and others have developed a strong set of initial initiatives for him to pursue. High on the list is completing the revamping of the association's Web site, selfservice.org, which takes the place of kiosks.org. The site was recently assigned a new editor, Bryan Harris, who will develop more original content for the site and help Drain make the site more valuable to readers — both from the association and the end-market.
"A lot of work has already been done on the site," said Drain, "and there is much more work to be done to make it unique, a site worth visiting often because it will have valuable information and will provide members with quality leads."
Alex Richardson, who is an association vice president and on the advisory board, is leading a marketing plan on its behalf. He sees selfservice.org as key to growing the association and delivering value.
"Our Web site is the Napster of the industry. People can come in and get connected to the vast resources with the association site, so that it's easier to find solutions to our problems," said Richardson, managing director of Selling Machine Partners LLC, a strategy and marketing technology firm. "It's very important to have a great Web site, and now is the time because self-service is on the mind" of CEOs, COOs and others.
Other inaugural projects include revising the association's operating documents, freshening collateral materials to help recruit new members, and furthering the marketing campaign, which is based on self-service success stories from companies like Mazda and Hilton.
