02/09/2005
Spirit Industry Trade Association (SITA)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
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SPIRIT INDUSTRY TRADE ASSOCIATION (SITA) ANNOUNCES OFFICIAL LAUNCH

Organization to provide forum for companies doing business in the rapidly growing cheerleading and dance market and to address common issues facing the industry

(DALLAS) – The Spirit Industry Trade Association (SITA) today announced its official launch, providing a common forum for companies doing business in the rapidly growing cheerleading and dance market. Leading companies within the industry have established SITA as a forum to discuss issues facing the market and to establish industry standards of excellence.

"Today is a banner day in the history of the spirit industry," said Lisa Saline, Chairperson of SITA's nine-member Board of Directors that is elected by member companies. "SITA will provide a unique opportunity for companies doing business in the cheerleading and dance markets to come together and bring issues to the table that affect the entire industry. Cheerleaders, dancers, and coaches across the country will benefit from guidelines and standards that will make competition fun and easy regardless of the event or organization they choose."

With an estimated three to four million participants, cheerleading and dance are two of the fastest growing athletic activities among children, tweens, teenagers and young adults in the United States. The all-star segment of the cheerleading market accounts for a substantial portion of this growth.

SITA will address issues that range from the overall growth and direction of the industry to specific corporate challenges, including the use of spring floors, risk management, and personnel. The association is also working to adopt and/or develop a standard set of divisions and guidelines for member company competitions which will streamline the registration process for all customers. Key projects in the next year will include commissioning a landmark study on the state of the spirit industry, including demographics and participation statistics, as well as developing a comprehensive safety study and considering an industry-wide trade show in 2006. SITA members meet quarterly. SITA is open to all companies doing business in the spirit industry and provides two levels of potential participation. Company members include event and service organizations who have been in business for a minimum of three years. This segment primarily includes companies who offer cheerleading and dance competitions and camps. SITA also offers affiliate memberships available to all industry-related companies who have a vested interest in the successful growth of the market, but are not cheerleading and dance events/services companies. The annual SITA membership fee is ,000 for company members and ,200 for affiliate members.

“After being in this industry for over 20 years, it is so refreshing to finally have a vessel that provides a professional platform for spirit industry leaders to meet on a regular basis to network and discuss issues that affect us all,” says Steven G. Wedge, president of COA, Inc. “This sharing of ideas will certainly help propel this industry to even greater heights, benefiting us all.”

Current SITA company members are All-Star Challenge, America’s Best, AmeriCheer, American Cheer Power, American Championships, American Cheer & Dance Academy, Athletic Championships, Atlantic Championships, Cheer Ltd., Inc., COA, Inc., Eastern Cheer & Dance, and UPA. Affiliate members include All-star Outfitters, Inside Cheerleading Magazine, LifeStyle Media, NCSSE, Spirit Innovations, and Team Cheer. For more information on SITA, please visit www.spiritindustrytrade.com

About the Spirit Industry Trade Association (SITA)

The Spirit Industry Trade Association (SITA) was developed to provide a common forum for companies doing business in the rapidly growing cheerleading and spirit market. The organization provides a forum to discuss issues facing this industry and to establish industry standards of excellence. The scope of issues that SITA addresses ranges from the overall growth and direction of the spirit industry to very specific yet common challenges faced by companies in the industry, such as the use of spring floors, insurance, and standardization of divisions and guidelines. For more information about SITA, visit www.spiritindustrytrade.com or contact Lisa Saline at 1-800-800-6872.

For more information please click on this link:  www.spiritindustrytrade.com