Testimonials

Many Association Vision clients have great things to say about the company. Their comments are featured here.

Public Relations Testimonials

“When I want a communications project handled from start to finish, I turn to Al Rickard. He has the talent, creativity, and follow-through needed to achieve success. I strongly recommend Al and his company to any association looking for outside communication services.”

Susan Sarfati, CAE
CEO, High Performance Strategies

“Association Vision has raised the bar for public relations at AIHA. The company has helped us gain leadership consensus on core audiences and messages, created a strategic public relations plan, conducted media training for our key spokespersons, and consistently delivers our messages to the media.”

Peter O’Neil, CAE
Executive Director
American Industrial Hygiene Association

“We wanted to raise the visibility of NSA and promote the expertise our members can offer in the accounting profession. Association Vision generates hundreds of placements during tax season and has established relationships with trade and general media reporters that are also paying off throughout the year.”

Jodi Goldberg
Director of Marketing & Member Services
National Society of Accountants

“Association Vision was a key player in helping ASAE and The Center for Association Leadership communicate with members and the media throughout our merger process. The hard work that Al Rickard and his team put in helped us succeed.”

John H. Graham IV, CAE
President & CEO
American Society of Association Executives

"Association Vision has been with us since the inception of ConventionPlanit.com, and has been instrumental in gaining media coverage about the site and developing new partnerships. The company has helped put us on the map in the meetings industry."

Katherine and David Markham
Co-Founders
ConventionPlanit.com

"LES was not fully aware of the value and importance of media relations or experienced in this area. But Association Vision quickly educated us with an excellent messaging workshop followed by a long-term, consistent program that has landed us in the Wall Street Journal and numerous other publications. The ability of Association Vision to adapt to the range of interests of our volunteer leaders has been instrumental in the progress we've made."

Ken Schoppmann
Executive Director
Licensing Executives Society

"Association Vision provided PCMA with a complete public relations plan and executed it throughout the year to really ramp up our media coverage in the meetings industry. The diligence and timely follow-up that Al Rickard provided helped us respond quickly to breaking news stories and deliver a steady stream of news to the trade press."

Sandy Eitel
Director of Communications and Marketing
Professional Convention Management Association

“We hired Association Vision to generate media coverage for our TS² trade show in Washington, DC, and they delivered! We landed a major feature in The Washington Times and several radio placements.”

Tamara Christian
President
National Trade Productions

“When our organization began operations we were confronted with major challenges to gain general recognition and to communicate our achievements to many stakeholders. Association Vision consulted with us to create and implement a new communication plan that made us successful on many fronts. Our visibility is much higher as a result.”

Timothy R. Rugh , CAE 
Executive Director
3-A Sanitary Standards, Inc.

Publishing Testimonials

“For more than six years Association Vision has helped guide our communications program, including the recent launch of our magazine. Al Rickard has also been an important strategic thinker in helping GCCA evolve into a strong, unifying force in our industry.”

Bill Hudson
President and CEO
Global Cold Chain Alliance

“In 2007, Association Vision came to us at a time when we needed to revamp our member communications. Our existing magazine was financially unsustainable but still a very important communication tool. Al Rickard and his firm gave us some ideas and options, and together we developed a focused newsletter that has earned raves from NAA members and is well-respected throughout the industry. They stuck with us and did an excellent job.”

Jonathan Gaffney
President and CEO
National Aeronautic Association

“When it came time for NACS to launch a magazine, Association Vision was there to make it happen. The company counseled us on our mission and marketing positioning, wrote the business plan, presented it to our Board of Directors, and won approval. Today it is our number-one communication vehicle and the leading magazine in our industry.”

Gina Veazey
Former Editor-in-Chief
The NACS Magazine
National Association of Convenience Stores

Communication Audit Testimonials

“Working with Association Vision was an absolute pleasure. Al Rickard delivered a communications audit that benefited from his years of experience in the field. We have implemented many of the recommendations included in the audit and our communications efforts are stronger as a result. I would recommend Association Vision to any association who wants a straightforward assessment of its current communications strategies from a consulting firm that delivers on time and within budget.”

Jeffrey N. Shields, CAE
Senior Vice President & Chief Planning Officer
Constituent and Member Services
National Association of College & University Business Officers

"The public relations audit Association Vision did was instrumental in helping ASPS restructure its PR operation. The recommendations helped us create a stronger link between PR and advocacy, and identified core messages and strategies that moved us forward. I highly recommend Association Vision for this type of analysis."

Paul Pomerantz, CAE
Executive Vice President
American Society of Plastic Surgeons

“Al Rickard with Association Vision did a communications audit for us and the results changed the way we do business. The audit was thorough, balanced, and chock full of practical tips for implementing the recommendations he made. It gave us insight into what our members are really thinking and how we could best serve their needs. I highly recommend him!”

Mary Yerkes
NACHA--The Electronic Payments Association

“I hired Association Vision to conduct a Communications Audit for the Direct Selling Association. Al Rickard did a thorough job of getting to know our association, and conducted online and telephone interview with our members. His assessment and suggestions were right on target. We're still referencing the materials he provided for us two years later and even hired him to do an additional assessment of one specific element of our communications program. I highly recommend Al for any communications project.”

Amy Robinson, APR
Vice President, Communications and Media Relations
Direct Selling Association

“Association Vision conducted a thorough and focused examination of all our association communications, both print and electronic. The result was a detailed report that has proved extremely helpful in guiding our future communications decisions, particularly the integration of a pending website redesign and our member newsletters. Al and his team were a pleasure to work with. I recommend them highly.”

Steven F. Sullivan
Director of Communications
American Academy of Actuaries

“Association Vision conducted an in-depth communication audit for ABIH that provided an excellent analysis of our program and gave us specific, actionable ideas for to grow our communications in the future. We were extremely pleased with the results and will probably hire the company to implement some of these recommendations.”

Lynn O’Donnell, CIH
Executive Director
American Board of Industrial Hygiene

Interim Communication Services Testimonials

“When we needed short-term management of the BOMA magazine and our PR activities, Association Vision stepped in and handled it. It was a seamless process and added value to the publication.”

Henry H. Chamberlain, CAE, APR
Executive Vice President
Building Owners and Managers Association International

“I hired Al Rickard to assist with newsletter and book publishing and member communications. He is an expert in his field, provides great results, and offers good value. He is also extremely personable and diplomatic with staff colleagues, dependable, and proactive in offering creative ideas in all facets of communications. Overall he is a key stress reducer, because I know I can count on him. I am certainly keeping him in mind for future projects.”

Gerry Romano, CAE
Senior Director of Communications
Club Managers Association of America

Media Training Testimonials

"Wow! From the title of the seminar (Media Encounters of the Difficult Kind: Media Training You Can Use) I didn't think it would be relevant. Was I wrong. This was awesome in all respects of life, business, and organization. Thank you."

"Excellent session - lots of interchange with instructor and group. Very helpful."

"Exceeded my expectations. Excellent decision by the Board to retain this firm. Good role playing exercise."