The Power of A

Tuesday, March 23rd
Hyatt Regency Capitol Room - Lobby Level
Down the main escalator, room to the right

12:00 - 1:00 PM
Registration

No lunch is provided; registrants will receive name badge, Member of Congress guide, and information folder.

1:00 - 1:15 PM
Welcome Address

1:15 - 1:45 PM
Review of hill visit materials

Jim Clarke, CAE
Senior Vice President, Public Policy, ASAE

1:45 - 2:45 PM
“Planning Your Most Successful Legislative Year Ever: Tips for Creating the Ideal Advocacy Calendar”

Part 1
Brad Fitch, Vice President, CQ-Roll Call Group

Stephanie Vance, Advocacy Associates LLC

It’s March 2010. Congress is trying to wrap up its major bills so it can go home and campaign. You want to make sure your issues are addressed before they split in the fall. Or during the debate an issue that impacts your industry may come up for a vote. Are you ready? Will your grassroots organizations be able to respond?

“The Advocacy Guru” Stephanie Vance and grassroots expert Brad Fitch will walk you through a month-by-month review of what you need to do to keep your grassroots network healthy, as well as guideposts to show whether your grassroots actions are effective.

2:45 - 3:00 PM
Networking Break

3:00 - 4:00 PM
“Planning Your Most Successful Legislative Year Ever: Tips for Creating the Ideal Advocacy Calendar”
Part 2

Congress is adjourned and members are in their states campaigning for their jobs. But this is not a time for you to rest! A new Congress is around the corner, and now is the time to begin laying the groundwork for your legislative strategy. Once again our experts will show you how to fine-tune your grassroots ahead of the major legislative calls to action, as well as laying the groundwork for your legislative agenda while Congress is out of town, and to prepare you for effective action the first months Congress is in session.

4:00 - 4:15 PM
Housekeeping Items

5:00 - 7:00 PM
The American Associations Day Reception
Hosted by the ASAE Board of Directors
Hyatt Regency Thornton Room - Top Floor of Hotel
Take elevators next to restaurant

ASAE Sentinel Award Presentation

Join your fellow association executives from the Greater Washington area and around the country for an evening of meeting, greeting and a celebration of the association community.

Wednesday, March 24th

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Hill Visits

12:00 - 2:30 PM
“Meet and Greet” member of Congress lunch
Rayburn Room B-340

Invite your members of Congress and their staffs to join you for an informal stand-up lunch sponsored by ASAE. This is a good time to meet up with your group, invite your member of Congress to grab a sandwich with you, and enter your Hill visit feedback onsite!

Below are some of the organizations attending American Associations Day 2010

Will you join them?

Send in your completed registration form today and join your association colleagues at the only legislative fly-in dedicated to the association profession!

For questions, call (202) 626-2703 or email publicpolicy@asaenet.org

Arizona-New Mexico Cable Communications Association

Building Owners and Managers Association of San Francisco

American Political Science Association

National Architectural Accrediting Board

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association

Association of Oil Pipe Lines

Medical Compression Garment Association

continue reading

There are many professional benefits to attending American Associations Day, not the least of which is building relationships with members of Congress and their staff from your state.  These meetings can be the beginning of an important partnership for working issues of mutual interest.

However, the ASAE fly-in also provides association professionals with the opportunity to set aside the agendas of their members and advance the issues important to the profession of association management. Andrea S. Rutledge, CAE, is the executive director of the National Architectural Accrediting Board. Although the NAAB does not engage in lobbying or political activity, Andrea sees the annual fly-in as an opportunity to be a member of ASAE and to work with her association colleagues on issues that are important to associations in general. When she was asked why she values attending American Associations Day, this was her response:

As a long-time resident of the DC area and a veteran Congress watcher, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of participating in the annual fly-in. Associations with local zip codes have the advantage of spending time on Capitol Hill any time they like - it is just a METRO ride away - to talk about the issues and legislation that are important to their members. However, the fly-in offers each of us “locals” the opportunity to come to the Hill as a member of ASAE and to talk about the issues that are important to us as professionals. It is a very different experience to sit in a members’ office and talk about the economic value of associations, as I did last year. For the 30 or so minutes we sat with Representative Steny Hoyer’s aide, we talked about what was important to non-profit organizations rather than the discrete issues that were important to our members. It only cost me an afternoon away from my office, email, and the phone, but I got to walk and talk with my colleagues in association management about what mattered to managing our organizations. There is power in numbers - that’s why associations exist - and standing together as members of the same association with a common agenda was an affirming and important experience. In the time it took to walk from the Capitol to the House office buildings, I saw the Power of A at work on the personal level. The day after the fly-in, each of you may be back to talk with the members about health care, energy, tax policy, financial industry regulation, or defense spending. For this one afternoon, however, we can all stand together as association professionals seeking common goals and speaking in a common voice.

Association executives, staff, and volunteer leaders can make those important connections at American Associations Day, March 23-24, 2010.  Please take a moment to register for the event and apply for a scholarship, view the schedule of events, and even download a guide to why you should attend the event.

The devastating earthquake in Haiti has required people from across the world to respond with aid and support.  In the U.S., nonprofits organizations are already deploying resources to assist the people in need.

For information on how you or your association can assist relief efforts, visit ASAE’s Acronym site.

Tuesday, March 23rd
Hyatt Regency Capitol Room - Lobby Level
Down the main escalator, room to the right

12:00 - 1:00 PM
Registration

No lunch is provided; registrants will receive name badge, Member of Congress guide, and information folder.

1:00 - 1:15 PM
Welcome Address

1:15 - 1:45 PM
Review of hill visit materials

Jim Clarke, CAE
Senior Vice President, Public Policy, ASAE

1:45 - 2:45 PM
“Assessing and Perfecting Your Advocacy Strategy: A Guide to the Ideal Advocacy Calendar”

Part 1
Brad Fitch, Vice President, CQ-Roll Call Group

Stephanie Vance, Advocacy Associates LLC

It’s March 2010. Congress is trying to wrap up its major bills so it can go home and campaign. You want to make sure your issues are addressed before they split in the fall. Or during the debate an issue that impacts your industry may come up for a vote. Are you ready? Will your grassroots organizations be able to respond?

“The Advocacy Guru” Stephanie Vance and grassroots expert Brad Fitch will walk you through a month-by-month review of what you need to do to keep your grassroots network healthy, as well as guideposts to show whether your grassroots actions are effective.

2:45 - 3:00 PM
Networking Break

3:00 - 4:00 PM
“Assessing and Perfecting Your Advocacy Strategy: A Guide to the Ideal Advocacy Calendar”
Part 2

Congress is adjourned and members are in their states campaigning for their jobs. But this is not a time for you to rest! A new Congress is around the corner, and now is the time to begin laying the groundwork for your legislative strategy. Once again our experts will show you how to fine-tune your grassroots ahead of the major legislative calls to action, as well as laying the groundwork for your legislative agenda while Congress is out of town, and to prepare you for effective action the first months Congress is in session.

4:00 - 4:15 PM
Housekeeping Items

5:30 - 7:00 PM
The American Associations Day Reception
Hosted by the ASAE Board of Directors
Hyatt Regency Thornton Room - Top Floor of Hotel
Take elevators next to restaurant

ASAE Sentinel Award Presentation

Join your fellow association executives from the Greater Washington area and around the country for an evening of meeting, greeting and a celebration of the association community.

Wednesday, March 24th

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Hill Visits

12:00 - 2:30 PM
“Meet and Greet” member of Congress lunch
Rayburn Room B-340

Invite your members of Congress and their staffs to join you for an informal stand-up lunch sponsored by ASAE. This is a good time to meet up with your group, invite your member of Congress to grab a sandwich with you, and enter your Hill visit feedback onsite!

This guest post was written by Bob Benedict, CAE, Executive Director of the Plumbing Heating Cooling Contractors of Nevada.  Bob is an annual fly-in participant and wanted to share his view on the importance of American Associations Day.

Last year, I was new to Nevada and so when I attended the fly-in I was prepared to visit with the staff members of each of the three Members of Congress from our new state.  I am a realist since I worked on the Hill for many years as a staffer myself and I fully expected only to see staff members.  The power of ASAE resulted in my visiting with all three of our Members for several minutes each.  We got the ASAE message across and I established relationships that will last for many years.

Later in the year, I visited these same Members for my own association and was warmly received in each case because of the previous visit.  At the meeting with Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) this past spring during the fly-in, she indicated that she had an avid interest in education and I was able to relate information about our apprenticeship program to her.  She took an immediate interest and I indicated we would consider it an honor if she would attend our graduation exercises in the spring and she readily agreed.  This will form the basis for a continuing relationship in the future.

Both ASAE and PHCC benefited from the Power of A.

Of the many professional benefits to attending American Associations Day, one of the most important for association professionals is the ability to create relationships with members of Congress and their staff from your state.  The meetings that an attendee has with lawmakers and their staff can be the beginning of an important partnership between offices to work on mutual issues of interest, both association management issues and your own association’s issues.

However, the fly-in is particularly advantageous to associations located in smaller states as it allows them more time to create a relationship with their Congressional delegation.  Susan Bitter Smith, CAE, is the Executive Director of the Arizona- New Mexico Cable Telecommunications Association and an annual fly-in attendee.  When she was asked why she values attending American Associations Day, this was her response:

I am a veteran of the ASAE DC Fly-In.  I continue to come because it truly is vitally important for a Member of Congress and Congressional staff to put faces to the names that sign e-mails and letters to them on issues     Arizona and New Mexico do not have a large numbers in their Congressional delegation so I may actually get an opportunity to see the elected Member when they are back home. The people I don’t get to see at home are the members of the Washington staff and they are truly key in getting our concerns across. In this day of instant communication via technology (certainly important to my Association members!) I still believe eye to eye communication has the most value!  The only way to do that is to take time out and make the trip to D.C.!

Association executives, staff, and volunteer leaders can make those important connections at American Associations Day, March 23-24 2010.  Please take a moment to register for the event and apply for a scholarship, view the schedule of events, and even download a guide to why you should attend the event.

How is your association forming partnerships to improve society?

Part of the power of associations and the good they do for society is found in their partnerships with other organizations to create programs to help a needy segment of the population.  ASAE & The Center on January 21 will be providing an opportunity for associations to form these partnerships when it hosts it first Volunteer Fair from 11 AM - 1 PM in the ASAE & The Center Conference Center.

The fair is open to association executives and will provide them with the opportunity to meet with various organizations in order to see if the association can partner in an existing program beneficial to the community.  The benefit is not only to the association, which shows it dedication to a better society, but also to staff and volunteers as it creates an opportunity for team building and leadership training.

Some of the organizations that will be participating include Disney, the American Heart Association, Volunteers of America, Volunteer Alexandria, Meals on Wheels, the Urban Alliance, and more.  The event is free for ASAE & The Center members, and is a collaboration between the GW Network, Nonprofit Programs and the ASAE staff’s Community Outreach Team (COT).

For more information and to register, click here.

Quick Hits

The House and Senate will begin reconciling their health care legislation not through a formal conference, but by amending the two bills they passed last year.  To see a comparison of the two bills, see the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation chart.  The House Democrats have also listed the major differences between the two bills… ASAE & The Center CEO John Graham recently penned an entry for the National Journal’s Under the Influence blog on his submission for the best advocacy campaign of 2009.  Read the entry here.

Last year, ASAE launched the “Power of A” campaign, an interactive campaign designed not only to educate the public and lawmakers about how associations are social and economic drivers, but to engage the association community in a discussion about how individual associations show the Power of A.  The Power of A campaign will continue in the new year, and we are happy to introduce some new features.

The first is the addition of information and content on the upcoming American Associations Day 2010, March 23-24 2010.  American Associations Day has traditionally been the event for association leaders from across the country to visit their Congressional delegation and share how their associations benefit society, as well as advocate of important association management issues such as health care, tax reform, and association meetings.  This year’s event will incorporate the Power of A message, and participants will see a new format and emphasis on the Power of A on both days of the event.  ASAE is currently planning these changes, and we will continually update this site with information on changes and improvements to the event.  Additionally, we plan on including new links and information about American Associations Day on this site and will announce when the site changes are complete.

ASAE will also announce new features on this site that will in many ways help associations show how valuable our profession is to both society and the economy.  While some of steps are in the final planning stage and others will be unveiled throughout the year, the Power of A site will continue to be your hub for association information and statistics that ANY association can use to show their value.

However, we want to hear from you: what would YOU like to see from the Power of A in 2010? Respond in the comment section below or add the hashtag #pwra to a Tweet with your suggestion.  You can also contact the ASAE Public Policy Department at (202) 626-2703 or publicpolicy@asaenet.org.

The Power of A and ASAE will begin its holiday hours next week and as such the site will only be updated if there is a major story or issue breaking.  However, check back with us in the new year for new content and the continuation of the Power of A campaign, including items like:

• Announcements on the AAA and Summit Award winners
• More stories on how associations are improving society
• Updates on American Associations Day
• Analysis of legislative and regulatory issues that affect the association profession.

As always please contact the Public Policy Department with questions or suggestion at (202) 626-2703 or publicpolicy@asaenet.org.