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Membership FAQs

What is GMDC's focus as a trade association?
What companies are eligible to join GMDC?
What product categories are recommended for GMDC membership?
What industry events does GMDC sponsor?
What are the annual fees associated with being a GMDC member?
Are there other benefits of membership beyond participation in the Marketing Conferences?
Can you tell me more about the educational studies that GMDC has produced?


 

 

What is GMDC's focus as a trade association?
Global Market Development Center (GMDC) is the premier global trade association dedicated to serving General Merchandise and Health Beauty Wellness retailers, wholesalers, suppliers and manufacturers.  GMDC promotes critical connectivity to grow and expand member companies by uniting members through business building events, and enriching their thinking through education and training; consumer and business insights; and information resources.

What companies are eligible to join GMDC?
The Wholesale and Retail membership is made up of over 90 different companies and represents over 115 distinct buying locations.  This Wholesale and Retail membership includes companies from the food, drug, mass, convenience, value and e-commerce channels.  GMDC's combined wholesale and retail member volume represents over 125,000 retail outlets and over $500 billion dollars in retail sales.  The Supplier and Service associate membership includes over 185 Health Beauty and Wellness companies and more than 375 General Merchandise companies.

What industry events does GMDC sponsor?
GMDC conducts two marketing conferences per year: Health Beauty Wellness in the late spring and General Merchandise in the early fall.  The industry GMDC serves requires connectivity on many levels and there is no better way to create this connectivity than to meet with top management from existing and potential trading partners at a GMDC Marketing Conference.  From both a time and budgetary standpoint, GMDC Marketing Conferences are The Most Productive Workdays of the Year! 

A GMDC Marketing Conference is not a "booth show" but a series of pre-scheduled meetings conducted between top management from both the Retail/Wholesale and Supplier/Service sides of the membership. Meetings consist of Controlled Casual Conferences (CCCs) and Senior Executive Conferences (SECs).  During appointments, delegates review a myriad of key topics including business reviews, logistics issues, operational issues, marketing plans, as well as new ideas and items to grow and expand business together.  In addition to the pre-scheduled meetings, members have the opportunity to network with other GMDC members in social settings that include: business sessions, retailer focus sessions, workshops, roundtable idea exchange sessions, breakfasts, lunches, receptions and dinners.

What are the annual fees associated with being a GMDC member?
Annual dues are $2,500.00 per Supplier and Service member company and $2000.00 per Wholesale/Retail member company.  Registration fees for GMDC Marketing Conferences are based on a per person fee for supplier attendees, which includes all conference events and participation in the meeting format. Retail/Wholesale participants are also charged on a per person basis and their fees include the cost of their airfare and hotel while participating in the Marketing Conference.

Are there other benefits of membership beyond participation in the Marketing Conferences? 
In addition to our conferences, members of GMDC have access to the Member Only services offered within our website.  Some of these services include: 

Marketplace Services and Resources

Can you tell me more about the educational studies that GMDC has produced?
Since 1993 the GMDC Education Leadership Council has published research studies designed to help our members increase sales by focusing on creating actionable consumer and business insights programs and strategies.  Some of the more recent studies available on the GMDC website include:

  • Helping Consumers Make Healthy Choices Through a Fully Connected Store
  • Who Cares? Reaching the Family Caregiver Market
  • Jump-Starting Top-Line Growth I & II
  • Multicultural Marketing ... A Plan for Growth in GM & HBC
  • Seasonal Best Practices .... A Plan for Seasonal Merchandising
  • Leveraging the Connection Between Pharmacy & the Whole Store
  • Merchandising for Success
  • Women's Well-Being Merchandising Strategies
  • Whole Health
  • Consumer Shopping Habits Study for Wellness and Environmentally Conscious Lifestyles

GMDC members also have free access to a multitude of consumer studies conducted by fellow members; with additional studies produced by the industry offered at a discount.

 

 

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