As I write this, I'm sitting on a plane making the long cross country trip from Florida to L.A., fresh from the Spring Break Nationals in Daytona Beach. Even though the IASCA season really starts right after the World Finals in October, Spring Break is the first major show of the season. It really sets the tone for the year, and it also gives us a glimpse of some of the cars that will most likely dominate their respective classes throughout the season. Since it's a triple-points regional event, serious competitors come from far away to test their stuff against the best competitors and judges that IASCA has to offer.
I don't usually do show coverage commentary, but this Spring Break was unique for a specific reason, that which will forever affect the entire sound-off scene. As some of you may know, IASCA has had some organizational and financial problems over the last few years. As a result of these issues, the world's oldest sound-off organization was recently put up for sale. After hearing this news, many long-time competitors were understandably concerned about the future of their organization and the apparent decline of the competition scene. We waited and watched to see what would happen.
On March 4th, we got our answer: IASCA was sold to Paul Papadeas, best known for hosting the Spring Break Nationals, who also happens to be the president of local retailer Soundcrafters in Daytona Beach. The idea of IASCA being owned by an individual is interesting, since it changes the entire structure of the organization. IASCA was originally designed to be a means for promoting car audio business, plain and simple. The IASCA board, a committee of representatives from many different manufacturers, ran the day-to-day activities of the place. It was set up much like our government, with all decisions made by a committee vote.
If you've ever watched a congressional session on C-Span, you know that this is not always the most effective way to make decisions. All of the manufacturers on the IASCA board had their own ideas of what IASCA should be doing for them, so it was difficult for positive steps to be made to improve the situation.
Not anymore: now IASCA's decisions are made by one person. Fortunately for the IASCA faithful, that person is Paul Papadeas, who has run Soundcrafters since 1978. In addition, he has put on a successful Spring Break show for many years. His experience as a retailer and an event organizer will be critical to IASCA's success. "My experience in the production of 'The World's Most Famous Sound-off' and my relationships with IASCA judges, coordinators and competitors, along with the leading manufacturers of mobile electronics qualifies me to take on this endeavor", Papadeas said, commenting on the recent sale. He understands what IASCA should be about: the competitors. "The assets of this sale are primarily the intellectual properties including trademarks, member database and rights for all printed matter. The most important asset we will assume is the base of the most loyal competitors in the sound-off world. IASCA's rule set is the best there is, and with some fine-tuning will be second to none."
It is obvious that Paul has the attitude and the experience to make IASCA successful again. The key here is that IASCA will now be managed like a business. Any good business knows that its customers are critical to its survival, and IASCA's customers are you, the competitors. This is the time to let Paul know what you want to see for the future of this organization, so give IASCA a call at (386) 322-1551 or go to IASCA.com and click on "feedback" to let your voice be heard. Support IASCA by becoming a member, and then get out there and show off what you have.