Published: 09 Jul 2025
Trade associations have an important role to play in any profession or sector that they are active in. Generally, set up by the members and for the members, they represent the best interests of the companies that form that membership. The role of the trade association is to coordinate public relations, advertising and education; it also has a responsibility to undertake lobbying and political action.
The Survey Association (TSA), originally set up in 1979, is the trade association for the geospatial profession. It has over 220 full, associate, affiliate, academic and supplier members, with a combined turnover of full members alone in excess of £300 million. Spearheaded by CEO Rachel Tyrrell, who in 2023 was included in the ‘Women in Trade Associations Top 100 Powerlist’, and with its whole-hearted commitment to its members, TSA is so much more than just another trade association.
More than a trade association
Rachel Tyrrell, CEO at TSA explains: “Community is at the very heart of TSA. Over the years we have come to realise that the professional community really comes into its own when people are provided with an environment that encourages them to support, challenge and learn from each other.
“We have established a precedent of high-quality, interesting and exciting events, held in incredible venues, and our members get an inordinate amount from these sessions. Some business leaders struggle to justify the taking the time out of what can be extremely busy diaries, but every one of them who has managed to attend either one of our annual conferences, AGMs or workshops has benefited so much from it.
Celebrating the next generation of surveyors
“As regular diary dates, we hold our AGM in April and our annual conference and awards in November. The awards are for students of The Survey School, and having the next generation of surveyors in the room with some of the most established surveyors in the profession adds a real energy to the day and provides an exciting insight for the surveyors coming through.
“More recently we have introduced a new style of event, Geo:Influence, an SLG (Survey Liaison Group) initiative, which we are running in conjunction with CICES and RICS. Collaborating with other leaders in our profession is essential to ensure that we continue to develop the surveying profession, maintain and improve our standards and ensure that its value as part of the construction lifecycle is understood and it is recognised and considered as a viable and valuable career choice for the future.”
In addition to the events, TSA membership also provides benefits such as access to TSA’s job board, business support helpline, free seminars and much more.
To find out more about joining TSA, visit https://www.tsa-uk.org.uk/membership/
