I’ve spent a good deal of my career working with people in the trade associations and it’s a special world. I’ve sat through 15 years of meetings, conventions, seminars, dinners, luncheons listening to them and forming my opinions.
I Think of it as mini political structures with people particularly over educated, middle-aged, uptight single women with few marketable skills clawing at each other and everyone to get the coveted VP/Director positions. And if one is not available, dagnabit, they make the association form one.
They are small bitter women that live to take offense at everyone and everything that they feel might stand in the way of them getting the recognition they want. They are an entitled class of government wannabees that were hosed over by powerful man after powerful man because they always misplaced their trust in the guy they felt could help them get ahead.
These harpies are no different. They didn’t get what they wanted and took it out on someone. They’re just jaded people looking to blame someone else for their own bad personal decisions.
That’s a perfect description of the trade association world. It’s like a minor league of politics. Same with Chamber of Commerce world too.