IPAF reports strong 2019
27 April 2020
The International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) has reported growth in membership, training delivery and numbers of territories covered, in its 2019 Annual Report, leading to increased revenues, up 8.1% on 2018.
Although, significant investment in management re-structuring resulted in the Federation posting a small overall deficit of just under £40,000, resulting in net assets at the year-end of £1.44m, slightly down compared to 2018.
Once again, increased income from events, up almost 28%, and a 5.9% increase in training revenue, including significant growth in countries where IPAF previously delivered little or no training, all contributed to turnover surpassing £7 million for the first time.
Peter Douglas, IPAF’s CEO and managing director said, “IPAF’s turnover in 2019 increased to £7.06 million (US$9.2 million), representing growth of around 8.1%, compared with 2018. I’m particularly encouraged by the fact that, revenue from outside the UK reached 44% of total income for the first time, up from just over 40% in 2018.
IPAF’s total membership increased by 6.5% to stand at 1,422 at the end of the year, a significant improvement on the 1% increase in worldwide membership during 2018. The number of new training centres accredited by IPAF reduced from 57 across 2018 to 45 in 2019, bringing the total number of accredited IPAF Training Centres at the end of 2019 to 550 across 48 territories, an increase of 3.6% on the figure as it stood at the end of 2018.
Peter Douglas added, “We are pleased to report that the number of people undertaking IPAF training worldwide rose again during 2019, with 175,986 people successfully completing a course. This represents a 6.2% increase on 2018, when the figure was 165,750. Countries or regions that experienced substantial year-on-year growth include the Middle East (44%), Switzerland (20%) and the Benelux countries (18%).
“Of course, with the powered access industry worldwide experiencing challenging circumstances amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, we expect to see a considerable impact on the overall 2020 trading picture. However, everyone at IPAF is committed to minimising the economic impact of the disease and supporting our members and the industry at large in recovering quickly and sustainably as soon as national and international health and travel restrictions and economic conditions allow.”
The IPAF Annual Report 2019 was published to coincide with its AGM, which took place 23 April, at which its president and board was officially announced.
