The ATM Industry Association has recruited some 500 members in 20 countries over the past six years -- largely because of members running their mouths.

"It's all been pretty much word-of-mouth advertising," said Lana Harmelink, the industry trade group's executive director for the United States and Canada.

With a goal of doubling its membership by the end of 2008, Harmelink said ATMIA wants to get people talking even more. So it's created an entry-level package of benefits for first-time members and priced it at $300, 40 percent less than the standard membership fee.

Included in the package is password access to ATMIA's database. Among the materials  found there are best practice manuals for physical ATM security, PIN security and encryption key security; an international ATM crime directory; and updates on all regulatory initiatives, including federal and state legislation as well as network regulations.

New members will also receive access to fraud alerts provided by Fair Isaac Corporation, discounts for two to all ATMIA conferences, a quarterly newsletter with regulatory updates and access to security best practices materials produced by the Global ATM Security Alliance (GASA), a group that includes representation from Visa and MasterCard, and from major ATM networks and law enforcement and fraud prevention agencies in several countries. ATMIA helped create GASA last June.

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"We want to get this type of information into as many hands within the industry as possible," Harmelink said. "We want everybody to have a chance to participate on our committees and to help improve the reputation of our industry as well as make it more profitable."

ATMIA's insurance program and the right to reproduce its logo in marketing materials and post press releases on its Web site are among the membership benefits not included in the entry-level package, Harmelink said.

"We think once (new members) get a taste of what we're about, they'll want to continue," Harmelink said.

Tell a friend

To promote the entry-level package, ATMIA is launching its first formal membership campaign. Acknowledging the importance of word-of-mouth marketing, ATMIA will award existing members a 25 percent credit toward their annual membership dues for each new member they bring into the fold.

Noting that ATMIA retains some 90 percent of its members, Harmelink said, "We think a referral means more when it comes from a trusted associate. Because of our high retention rate, we think a lot of our members will feel comfortable recommending ATMIA to their colleagues."

By making referrals, Harmelink said current members will also help improve networking opportunities within ATMIA, a benefit that makes conferences a popular breeding ground for business relationships.

"More members definitely mean more networking. It will help open more new horizons for everyone," she said.

ATMIA also plans to place advertisements in industry trade publications, and executive directors in all five of ATMIA's regions -- the United States, Canada, Africa, Europe and Australia/Asia -- will target hot prospects.

The addition of directors and other staff has helped make it possible for ATMIA to expand its benefits as well as to focus on recruitment, Harmelink said.

"We wanted to make sure we could deliver all we promised before we went out and started trying to recruit new members. We think it's important to have a stable foundation to build upon."