The Interactive Entertainment Merchants Assoc. (IEMA) and the Video Software Dealers Assoc. (VSDA) have voted to merge into a single trade association to represent the retailers and distributors of video and videogame products. The merger will bring together mass merchants, video specialty stores, videogame specialty retailers, online merchants, electronics retailers, entertainment combo stores, and others that retail and wholesale DVDs, console videogames and computer videogames. The yet-to-be-named combined trade association will provide its members with knowledge-sharing forums, networking opportunities, legislative and legal advocacy, research services and other trade association offerings.
"This is a great development for both the video and videogame industries," said IEMA chairman Rick Vergara. "The merger will create a more efficient and influential organization to serve the needs of video and videogame retailers and distributors. The interests of the membership of the two associations are so closely aligned that we expect a seamless integration."
"By coming together in one organization, the retailers and distributors of DVDs and videogames will increase their collective power and benefit from the business acumen and product knowledge of one another," declared VSDA chairman Bob Geistman. "We are convinced that one association can accomplish even more than two working separately."
The IEMA (www.iema.org) is the non-profit trade association dedicated to serving the business interests of leading retailers that sell interactive entertainment software (including video and computer games, multimedia entertainment, peripherals and other software). Member companies of the IEMA collectively account for approximately 75% of the $10 billion annual interactive entertainment business in the U.S.
Established in 1981, the VSDA (www.vsda.org) is the not-for-profit international trade association for the $24 billion home entertainment industry. VSDA represents more than 1,000 companies throughout the U.S., Canada and other nations. Its members operate more than 12,500 retail outlets in the U.S. that sell and/or rent DVDs, VHS cassettes and console videogames. Membership comprises the full spectrum of video retailers (from single-store operators to large chains), video distributors, the home video divisions of major and independent motion picture studios and other related businesses that constitute and support the home video entertainment industry.
