IGTI's success an example for others

Emily M. Smith
ASME NEWS

As ASME's most experienced institute, the successful business strategies of the International Gas Turbine Institute will be used to guide the operation of the other institutes already established by the Society as well as several new ones that are now under consideration.

The redeployment of IGTI strategies throughout the Society is part of a council-wide reassessment of business practices that has been underway in the Council of Engineering for almost a year.

The decision to disseminate IGTI approaches was made during a discussion among ASME staff members and leaders from several IGTI committees who gathered during the IGTI board of directors meeting in September to examine a number of issues facing ASME.

"The purpose was to have an open, forthright and action-oriented meeting to address the myriad of issues facing our Institute and ASME, and to see how and where we can help each other," said David Wisler, who, as vice president of IGTI, is chair of IGTI's board of directors and called for the discussion. "During the meeting, Tom [Loughlin, managing director of Engineering] and I made it clear that ASME was a resource that could help IGTI address its issues."

During the meeting, Loughlin said, it also became apparent that IGTI's methodology could be used by other COE units to bolster or refine their approaches.

Overall changes in financial needs, caused by shifts in the U.S. economy, coupled with new thinking within COE and ASME, the creation of the Web Conference Toolbox to manage the handling of conference papers and the e-commerce initiative got people talking about how strategies could be cross-pollinated, Loughlin said.

During the September meeting, Frank Adamek, senior vice president of Engineering, explained the opportunities available to IGTI through COE. While explaining ASME's financial processes, investment policy and practice, and the e-resource project, Joseph Holm, managing director of Finance and Administration, outlined the advantages to IGTI of participating in ASME's investment strategy and resources.

Services and activities related to the power and gas turbine industries are also available through ASME's Government Relations department. Patrick Quinlan, a former ASME federal fellow who is serving on the board on Government Relations, and Francis Dietz, Government Relations staff, detailed the services of the Washington office; state and local activities; fellows programs; and specific activities related to the power industry and gas turbines.

In discussing ASME Technical Publications, Loughlin reviewed COE's creation of the Web Conference Toolbox to support ASME conferences while reducing costs as well as plans for IGTI to benefit financially from its publications.

During the meeting, IGTI voted to produce educational material, including online Web-based training, with a financial goal of increasing revenue tenfold. ASME's Continuing Education Institute will work with IGTI to develop Web content in a revenue sharing model.

During the September meeting, Ron Natole was appointed to head a team that will develop a strategy for future Turbo Expos that allows IGTI to remain solvent. That strategy will expand COE's practice of scheduling dual conferences, a cost-effective approach that was pioneered in 2001 when Turbo Expo and the International Joint Power Generation Conference were co-located in New Orleans. They will be co-located again in 2003.

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