(The following article was submitted to BarterNews from the International Reciprocal Trade Association.)

IRTA Attains Membership Goal Doubling In Past 23 months

During the 2007 IRTA Convention, the Global Board of Directors set the ambitious goal of doubling the IRTA membership within the subsequent 24 months. 

Recently released figures show that goal was achieved. In fact, over the past 23 months the International Reciprocal Trade Association has doubled its worldwide membership rolls.

According to IRTA Global Board President David Wallach, “this considerable membership increase is due to several factors, primarily it was the focused efforts of IRTA’s Executive Director Ron Whitney. The resurgence and visibility of the Modern Trade and Barter industry, due to current economic conditions, and a spike in the number of barter exchange start-ups also played a part.”

“I just did what I was brought in to do — membership growth was a major goal of the board,” commented Whitney. “I was very fortunate to be able to do a membership drive during an economic climate where interest in our industry is on an upswing.”

New IRTA members include start-ups, mature exchanges and industry support groups from around the world. New members are applying for a variety of reasons including providing their companies with vital up-to-date government legislative news on the industry, an association with standards and ethics, opportunities to forge relationships with peers, and supporting the industry’s growth and viability within the marketplace.

Many of the new members will attend the historic 30th Annual IRTA “Legends of Barter” Convention to be held at the Magnolia Hotel October 1-3 in Dallas (TX). To date, registrations for the convention are at a historical high.

“This will be one amazing convention,” said IRTA member and president of Florida Barter, Scott Whitmer, “it’s our 30th anniversary and we have many of the most distinguished legends in the industry attending, along with a host of enthusiastic new comers. It is a good mix of the old and the new and everything in between – that’s what the modern IRTA is, a home and important resource for everyone in the industry.”