FIP REVENUE COMMISSION SECRETARY’S REPORT – CONGRESS INDONESIA 2012

I became the Bureau’s Newsletter Editor in 2008 and was formally elected to the post of Secretary at the Congress held at EFIRO2008 in Bucharest. Major achievements during that period were:

• to edit and distribute two annual newsletters in 2007 and 2008;
• to update the contact details for National Delegates;
• to provide background information for Francisc Ambrus to establish the Society’s web site; (http://www.fip-revenue.org);
• to organise a meeting for revenue enthusiasts at London 2010;
• to assist Jukka Mäkinen to assemble the list of all FIP Revenue exhibitors and their results.

These ventures, especially the establishment of the Revenue Commission web site, have greatly improved communication between revenue exhibitors and collectors. However there are many areas where improvements are needed.

National Delegates • Need to encourage the 20 or so FIP member countries who do not have a nominated National Delegate:
• Encourage existing National Delegates to provide their current email addresses and details of exhibiting history;
• Encourage many more National Delegates to contribute information to the Commission’s web site, for example an annual report (it could be brief) once a year .

Bureau Members
To maintain contact with the National Delegates in their FIP region, ie FEPA, FIAP and FESA. To report on revenue results for exhibitions in their region to the webmaster.

FIP
The structural organisation of FIP with Commissions for each of the recognised exhibiting classes is to be commended. However there are three areas where improvements are suggested.
• Some minor financial assistance especially for the costs incurred by the Commissions in communicating with its members;
• The provision of meeting room space for those Commissions wishing to hold meetings at FIP shows. This could be achieved either by requiring FIP Show organisers to provide such space free of charge or by assisting with the financial costs of room hire.
• Require all member countries to provide annually a list of all National Delegates to each Commission together with contact details, especially email addresses. These details to then be circulated to all FIP Commission Secretaries.
• dis-satisfaction has been expressed by many Revenue Exhibitors at FIP Shows that many of the judges appointed are not qualified for the class or in some cases are not even active revenue exhibitors or collectors.

The establishment and maintenance of the Commission’s web site by Francisc Ambrus has without doubt been the outstanding achievement of the Revenue Commission over the past four years. What is required from all Bureau Members, National Delegates and revenue enthusiasts is that they regularly consult the web site and that they make every effort to contribute material to it.

It is my sad duty to report the deaths since the last Congress of two valued and active National Delegates died. There were John Wilson from New Zealand and Eugenio Berisso from Argentina. We are pleased to welcome Jenny Banfield and Dr Eliseo Otero as the new members for those two nations.

On a personal note I encourage all Revenue Exhibitors to consider entering Australia 2013, to be held in Melbourne in May 2013. The closing date for entries is 31 August 2012. I am happy to report that the Organising Committee has agreed to make space available, at no cost, to those FIP Commissions who wish to hold meetings. These are not intended to be business meetings but to provide the opportunity for revenue enthusiasts to meet together. As the Meeting Co-ordinator for Australia 2013 I can report there will be such a meeting organised by the Revenue Commission. My suggestions are that this follows a similar pattern to the meeting at London 2010 and includes presentations of general interest. For instance, a brief introduction to Australian revenues and the opportunity to meet at the frames with some of the revenue exhibitors.

It has been my pleasure to be a member of the Revenue Bureau for the last six years or so. I thank fellow Members for their support and wish the new Bureau every success for the future.

Dingle Smith
Secretary Revenue Commission
June 2013.