Building bridges of intercultural communication.

Winners of the 1993 International Achievement Awards of Excellence, sponsored by ASAE's International Section, initiate innovative global programming.

It's time to go international. Globalize and maximize. For most industries, this is the theme of the '90s, and the association community is no different. Highlighted here are associations whose progressive programming enabled them to develop harmonious relationships within the international community.

The winners of the 1993 International Achievement Awards of Excellence were honored based on their accomplishments in one of three categories: International Program; International Trade, Understanding, and Humanitarianism; and International Management.

PACKAGING MACHINERY MANUFACTURERS INSTITUTE, WASHINGTON, D.C.

Having established "The World of Packaging Technology" theme for its 1992 trade show, the Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute was well on its way to sponsoring an outstanding international program. PMMI won an achievement award for increasing its international attendance at PACK EXPO '92 in Chicago by 48 percent. Every region of the world was represented at PACK EXPO '92.

In an effort to increase international attendance, PMMI applied and was selected for the U.S. Department of Commerce International Trade Administration's Foreign Buyer Program. Shows chosen for the Foreign Buyer Program receive special promotion assistance from commercial officers at U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide. In addition, PMMI and representatives from the Department of Commerce provided a "matchmaker" service that paired exhibitors with visitors who were interested in doing business with U.S. companies.

The show format was designed to make international visitors feel at home. It included international pavilions representing six different countries, multilingual promotional materials, and an international business center to assist visitors. As a result of increased international attendance, PMMI will be able to develop new working relationships with overseas offices. Many of these offices have new packaging buyer data bases that will serve the industry in the future.

INTERNATIONAL FACILITY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION, HOUSTON, TEXAS 

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) received an honorable mention for its joint effort with Japan's New Office Promotion Association. The two associations cosponsored the first-ever international conference on facility management. The conference brought together more than 200 Japanese and 20 North American facility professionals and featured 18 concurrent educational sessions. Some of the topics covered included preventive maintenance, space planning and building analysis, and an office plan for the year 2000.

Founded in 1980, IFMA has more than 11,400 members located throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The association remains committed to supporting the ever-changing field of facility management with education, information, and research.

NATIONAL TELEPHONE COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION, WASHINGTON, D.C.

In the technological age of faxing and E-mail, most people still rate the telephone as their top choice for communicating and obtaining information. Until recently, only 3 percent of rural Polish families had this option. The National Telephone Cooperative Association (NTCA), hoping to further free-market efforts in Eastern Europe, helped to create the first two private telecommunications companies in Poland. The association provided much-needed capital, technical assistance, training, equipment, and professional guidance to Polish residents.

NTCA won a competitive grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development in mid-1990 to launch their program; in 1991 and 1992, they won two more grants. NTCA's program in Poland has three components: the creation of independent telephone companies, legal and regulatory reform, and technical assistance and training. While launching this program, the association faced many challenges including the establishment of institutional credibility in Poland with collaborating institutions and government organizations.

By April 1993, 4,000 homes and businesses in NTCA's two cooperatives, located in South Poland just outside the city of Rzeszow, were hooked up with phone service. Chief among the benefits of phone service to these communities are job creation, income generation, and greater access to health care and social services.

GOLF COURSE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, LAWRENCE, KANSAS

The Golf Course Superintendents Association of America provides programs and services for members of the golf course management profession worldwide. Over the past three years GCSAA increased its international membership by nearly 50 percent. The association now has more than 12,000 members in 50 countries.

With the large number of international golf courses under construction or in the planning stages, GCSAA took advantage of the opportunity to provide education. GCSAA's international activities included attendance at Golf Asia '92, the opening of an extension office in Singapore to service members in the Pacific Rim, and the publication of its premier Japanese edition of Golf Course Management, the association's official regular monthly publication.

In addition, in March 1993, GCSAA sponsored its first Pacific Rim Golf Course Conference and Show in Singapore. More than 2,000 delegates from Asia, Australia, and North America attended.

The entire association staff of 75 plays a role in developing, designing, implementing, and tracking educational programs. Through continued efforts in the area of international communication, GCSAA hopes to better service its members all over the world.