Tap the NACAS Marketplace to get business done with ease

Tap the NACAS Marketplace to get business done with ease

NACAS launches new member benefit ahead of 50th anniversary

After months of planning, building and testing, the NACAS Marketplace was launched in early June 2018. A new suite of resources created for NACAS members and business partners, the Marketplace will function to help auxiliary services professionals inform decisions, assist operations, and source the best solutions to elevate business on college and university campuses.

“The Marketplace is designed to be a 24/7 online resource where business and higher education meet. With over 700 institutions and 200 partners, we are set to be your one-stop shop when it comes to making business happen on campus,” said Kelsey Harmon Finn, NACAS CEO.

The Marketplace consists of six individual tools that help members and partners conduct business on campus. NACAS members have access to:

• Institution Exchange: Collaborate with members who have similar needs. Search NACAS colleges and universities to find institutions that share common auxiliaries, demographic data, and operational structures.
• Business Partner Connect: Source the right customized solutions for your campus community. Search NACAS Business Partners by name, industry, services, and products to find the goods and services you need.
• Resource Library: Expedite your business operations with borrowed best practices. Find current tools, templates, and models to adapt for your use – including RFPs, contracts, job descriptions and more.
• NACAS Research: Access the current data and insights you need to future-proof your campus and ensure students’ needs are continually met as market changes and behavioral shifts occur.
• 1 Food Service: Compare and contrast food service products online. Use the searchable One Food Service product catalog to research the best options for your campus.
• Membership Directory: Connect with members you’ve met or want to know. Search NACAS member contacts and reach out to cultivate relationships and build your network.

“The NACAS Marketplace enhances membership by giving you the most resources possible from peers within your profession,” said Jill Coons, CASP. Coons is the Director of the Student Union and Event Services at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. She is also the Chair of the NACAS Membership Committee and has been instrumental in the development of the Marketplace.   

“It is full of powerful information and ideas all in one place. Whether you are looking for RFP templates, best practices, the latest research on what our Gen Z students want, or business partners that have exactly what you need, the Marketplace has it all,” Coons said.

The Marketplace was an ongoing project funded by the NACAS Foundation, a 501(c)(3) corporation formed for the sole purpose of supporting and promoting the auxiliary services profession through NACAS. The Foundation has been able to help fund new professional development programs, technological enhancements to improve the member experience, scholarships, research, and the CASP certification.

“It is directly through the support of our generous members and business partners that the Foundation is able to fund initiatives like the Marketplace. This is really a technological improvement by the members for the members,” said Matt Portner, CASP, President of the NACAS Foundation. Portner serves as the Director of Auxiliary Services at Ashland University in Ashland Ohio.