Why Join CEDA?

If you are a distributor of catering equipment*, you want to maximize your sales opportunities and you are serious about providing your customers with a first class service, you should be a member of CEDA. After all, who in his or her right mind would consider booking a holiday through anyone but an ABTA travel agent?

Customers will come to you, their local CEDA distributor, in preference to A N Other down the road because they feel they can place their trust in a company, which has the backing of a national Association.

Your customers will know that, as a member of CEDA

• You will abide by the Associations' Code of Good Practice, which lays down the ground rules for CEDA's business integrity.
• All goods supplied to you will have been manufactured to the relevant standards of safety and hygiene
• Your personnel are competent to install and service commercial catering equipment.

There are many benefits to be derived from membership of CEDA, some quantifiable such as cost saving initiatives and some intangible such as co-operation and credibility. Each member probably rates different benefits as being more valuable than others, however, all agree that membership is worthwhile. The following is a list of all the benefits in no particular order.

• Credibility - CEDA is constantly promoting the benefits of dealing with its members to end users and other interested parties. This is done both through the trade press in the form of advertising and editorial and other promotional activities (See later - Promotional Activities). Some FCSI consultants will now only recommend CEDA members to their clients as being capable of handling their projects in a professional manner. As a CEDA member, your customers will know that you will:-
• Abide by the Association's Code of Good Practice, which lays down the ground rules for CEDA's business integrity.
• Ensure that all goods supplied by you will have been manufactured to the relevant standards of safety and hygiene.
• Your personnel are competent to offer sound advice on the correct choice of equipment and also to install and service commercial catering equipment.
• Your suppliers will also recognise that you are one of the industry's best and have the support of CEDA
• By individual members using copies of the Customer Charter and Code of Good Practice together with their membership certificates in sales presentations, they differentiate themselves from non-members, whilst also helping to create end user awareness of the benefits of using a CEDA member.
•  Co-operation - CEDA members may frequently compete against each other, however, all share areas of common interest. By meeting your competitors at regional meetings or conferences, you can identify these areas and if need be, use the combined strength of CEDA members to the benefit of all. It is often the case that members feel that they are the only ones to feel that a particular issue is a problem, however, by talking to other members, they soon recognise that it is an industry issue. By talking with one voice, CEDA can often achieve change that is beyond the capabilities of any individual company.
• CEDACARE is another example of co-operation between members. This is a group of members who have agreed to carry out service work in their local area on behalf of other members who are located too far away for a call to be economical. 
• Information - The Director and Secretary are regularly asked for information on a host of matters. Questions as diverse as "do you know where I can get a XYZ widget?" to "is it true that it is now the law that I have to take back equipment at my cost, once it is no longer of use?" By finding out the answers to these and other questions and notifying all members, individuals are not only kept abreast of current information, but save a lot of time in investigating for themselves. The following is a list of areas where CEDA can provide information.
• Technical - CEDA provide information on relevant standards relating to gas, electrical and plumbing installations and is represented on the CORGI council and CESRB (Catering Engineers Registration Standards Board) which ensures that members have knowledge of any pending changes in legislation or standards. The annual CEDA Service Managers Conference is also an excellent opportunity to discuss technical items of common interest.
• Legislation - CEDA offers advice on the relevance of new legislation that affects members and also guidance on what actions to take. A recent example is the WEEE regulations.
• Standard documents - CEDA provides standard model documents, which are available on disc or email or as downloads from the Members Section of the web site. These cover many areas of your business including Project handover Checklists, Terms and Conditions of Consultancy, Contracts of Employment, Planned Maintenance Agreements, Service Log Books, various Health and Safety Documents. The fact that these are CEDA branded documents provides an additional element of credibility in addition to being comprehensive, accurate documents.
• Employment Law - CEDA has an arrangement with a specialist advisory consultancy which offers discounted rates to members.
• Health and Safety - CEDA has an arrangement with a specialist consultancy which offers discounted rates to members
• Finance - CEDA has an associate who is available to provide assistance on all aspects of finance whether it be provision of finance for your customers to purchase equipment or your company to develop your business.
• Product Sourcing - Through the co-operation of all members it is possible to find a source for almost any product or service.
• Quality Assurance - CEDA has an associate who provides quality assurance advice at discounted rates.
• Environmental Policy Advice - As Environmental issues continue to press to the forefront of many business agendas, CEDA has an associate who can offer discounted advice on BS14001 accreditation.
• Areas of common interest - The CEDA web site has a members only area with a discussion forum, where members can post requests for help on any matter of common interest. If sufficient interest is shown, CEDA will undertake to investigate additional help at beneficial rates by using the combined purchasing power of its members
• Regional meetings - Meetings are held regularly and members are encouraged to attend and raise and discuss any points of common interest within their region.
• Annual conference - The CEDA conference is a national forum for the industry and not only provides stimulating speakers and discussion but a marvellous opportunity to network with other members and suppliers.
• Training - CEDA provides the following training support
• Engineer training - CEDA have negotiated arrangements for ACS fast track training at reduced costs to members. Negotiations are in hand for other engineer training initiatives.
• Sales training - CEDA organises regular sales training courses specifically targeted at outside sales people in our industry at much reduced costs to members.
• Other training - Wherever there is sufficient demand, CEDA is able to organise specialist training courses for other members of your staff in such areas as AutoCAD, Customer Care, Telemarketing etc. These courses always represent a considerable saving on the normal cost.
• Promotional Activities - CEDA actively promotes the benefits of buying from a member by:
• A major advertising campaign with over 60 full page adverts per year in the trade press. Since the campaign began in March 2007, hits on our web site have increased by over 100%. Most of these hits leave by a link to our members sites.
• CEDA Buying Advice Clinic - run in conjunction with Caterer and Hotelkeeper magazine at Hotelympia.
• Presentations to leading end user organisations such as HCA, LACA, HCIMA, BHA, Restaurant Association, ECA
• Presence at leading trade exhibitions such as Hotelympia, The Restaurant Show, Hospitality etc.
• Regular press releases to all leading trade journals promoting CEDA achievements and initiatives.
• CEDA Web Site - The CEDA web site is primarily targeted at caterers who want to find a source of supply. It promotes the benefits of buying from a CEDA member and provides links to members by geography and services offered.
• e-CEDA News is an electronic newsletter which is circulated to over 800 people in all areas of the industry. It is an opportunity to promote your company by reporting interesting projects etc.
• The annual CEDA Grand Prix Awards not only raise the profiles of the winners through the presentation ceremony at the annual conference, but also through the coverage in the national trade press.
• Representation - CEDA is represented at the regular Liaison meetings of the equipment supply industry which also include CESA (Catering Equipment Suppliers Association) and FCSI (Foodservice Consultants Society International) which gives us a voice into representation in parliament and Europe to protect our interests.
• Cost saving initiatives - CEDA has a number of cost saving initiatives, where the combined purchasing power of its members enables them to enjoy discounts from standard prices for a variety of services. Examples are Vehicle Fuel, Health and Safety and Employment Law advice, Quality Assurance and Environmental policy advice, Vehicle Hire, Credit Insurance, Debt Collection, Driver Assessment, Utilities, Stationery including Computer Consumables, Telecommunications and Project Leads information. Additional initiatives are regularly investigated and introduced.
• CEDABOND - CEDABOND is a buying consortium and is a totally separate organisation, which is independent from CEDA. Whilst the two organisations are independent, we do have a very close working relationship which includes preferential conditions for CEDA members wishing to join CEDABOND.
• Director and Secretary - The CEDA Director and Secretary are available to investigate and set up any possible initiatives that will be in the common interest of the members.

For more information contact Peter Kay - CEDA Director on 05602 618485 or email