Is it beneficial to be a part of a Design Professional Association?  Yes, there are many benefits that come along with being a part of an association for Design Professionals.

Continuing Education – Most associations offer continuing education credits at a discounted price or for free.

Association contracts – Some associations offer their standard contracts available to members of the Association.  For Example, the AIA is probably the most used Association contract in the industry.

Current issues – Associations help your firm stay up to date on current issues, with presentations by experts in the industry and staying in touch with other Design Professionals.

Awards – Get recognition in your community from the Association you are involved with.  Many of the associations have awards for all different types of projects.

Insurance – Many insurance carriers will offer discounts to Design Professional firms that are a member of an Association.

Advocacy – Many Associations are the advocate for its members on different issues that come up in the community.

Here are some links for a few of the Associations for Design Professionals:

American Institute of Architects (AIA) – http://www.aia.org/

National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) – https://www.nspe.org/

American Counsel of Engineering Companies (ACEC) – http://www.acec.org/

American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) – https://www.asid.org/

American Society of Landscape Architects (LSDA) – https://www.asla.org/

American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) – http://www.asce.org/

As always please feel free to call or email your PUI agent to ask about the associations.