Internet Merchants Association (IMA) Welcomes Miva Merchant as a Diamond Member

San Diego, CA, 2009/11/06--

The Internet Merchants Association (IMA) today announced that Miva Merchant, a leading provider of ecommerce solutions for online retailers, has joined the association as an in-kind, trade member at the Diamond level. Valued at $3,995, this agreement will allow each organization to offer its members increased amenities and educational opportunities—a significant value-add for e-commerce practitioners seeking to stay on the cutting edge of the field.

“With the recession, marketing budgets have been greatly reduced this past year. That affects nonprofit organizations as well, such as IMA, and can be potentially quite adverse when we look for partners who will bring value to our members,” said Cathy Aggelopoulos, IMA president.

This led to the organization considering in-kind, trade memberships, from its bronze through diamond levels inclusive, with appropriate organizations, where such an agreement would be beneficial to both parties.

“We wanted to make sure we were doing this the right way,” said Aggelopoulos. “So, in order to for such memberships to be considered, the partnering organization must have comparable dollar-value levels of membership for its own organization, so that our trade is even. Second, it must be able to offer IMA a certain number of speaking opportunities at conferences it is participating in or hosting; the exact number of opportunities agreed to will depend on the level of membership,” said Aggelopoulos.

“Miva Merchant serves approximately 50,000 online merchants and is always looking for relationships that help our customers,” said Rick Wilson, executive vice president with Miva Merchant. “When the opportunity came up to sponsor IMA and promote them to our base of merchants it seemed like the perfect fit; since IMA is specifically focused on assisting merchants of all sizes succeed in their online business. They truly represent ‘Main Street, USA’ when it comes to online retailers.”

About The Internet Merchants Association

The Internet Merchants Association (IMA) is a nonprofit (501c6) trade association founded in 2006, providing Internet-based, or e-commerce, companies with the educational tools and resources required to successfully navigate this ever-changing world. IMA holds its annual conference in Las Vegas in March every year, in conjunction with the ASD/AMD trade show. During the conference, IMA sponsors workshops and sessions for its members with some of the industry’s most noted experts. Membership in the IMA ranges from the Bronze level with annual fees of $99 to the Diamond level with an annual fee of $3,995. Gold members include AuctionBlox, Orange Soda and Vendio; Diamond members include eBay, ASD/AMD, Endicia and Miva Merchant. For more information about the IMA, please call 702-518-8002 or visitwww.imamerchants.org.