About A.V.G. (Greeting Card Association)
The abbreviation A.V.G. denotes in German the "Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Hersteller und Verleger von Glückwunschkarten" and is used to describe the Greeting Card Association.
The A.V.G. was founded in 1972 in Munich, as a non-registered association in the legal sense by the most distinguished greeting card publishers and distributors in those days. Because of the upcoming globalization, the greeting card market was expecting changes and the A.V.G. founders were getting ready to meet those challenges. Back then, the idea of the common European market was still remote and as a result, the membership was initially limited only to companies residing in the Federal Republic of Germany where the greatest impact was on problems associated with the products from the German-speaking countries.
In contrast to the U.S. where, for instance, only a few large corporations control almost 90% of the entire market, the German greeting card industry mostly consists of small and medium-sized entities. As opposed to larger corporations and due to their limited size, operations of small and medium-sized companies must operate within constraints which can only be undone by maintaining a cooperating spirit. Market research and consumer advertising represent the two typical problem areas.
A.V.G. itself is not involved in any sales of products A.V.G. goes above and beyond though. It claims to be the industry’s spokesman and acts as a centralized contact for various groups within the greeting card market.
How can you become a member?
1. The following companies may apply for a membership:
a. greeting card printers, publishers and distributors,
b. the greeting card industry partakers who are members of the Chamber of Commerce,
c. companies currently operating in the greeting card market for more than 2 years, and
d. companies whose annual greeting card sales exceed €1,000,000.
2. Please, send and address written applications to the A.V.G.’s president. The association’s president or itstrustee will review applications in compliance with Section 1 of the association's Charter and will then further discuss it with the Management Committee. In the next meeting, the voting body will make the final decision by casting its votes.
3. The membership begins after the voting body approves the application.
4. By becoming a member, the new member agrees to accept the association's Charter and to adhere to the association's current regulations.
5. The same conditions presently apply to companies that are non-resident in Germany.
Organizational Chart
