The dates for Congressional Action Days, the Society of American Florists’ (SAF) annual legislative conference have been changed. The new dates are Feb. 25-26, 2008, changed from mid-March, and the event will take place at the Fairmont Washington Hotel in Washington, D.C.
“It’s an essential part of SAF’s lobbying efforts. We need as many members as possible to participate,” said SAF’s chief operating officer, Drew Gruneburg. Each year, several hundred industry members attend this event to lobby industry issues and ensure their voices are heard on Capitol Hill. “We changed the dates because members felt the original mid-March dates fell too close to the busy Easter season,” explained Gruneburg.
The new dates have an additional benefit. There was a chance that the March date may have fallen during Congress’s spring recess, meaning many legislators would not be in Washington, D.C. While it’s not absolutely necessary to meet legislators directly, it is beneficial to keep opportunities open for attendees to make personal contacts with lawmakers.
SAF strongly encourages industry members to attend Congressional Action Days so that the issues that are important to them will matter to Congress. “Individual visits to Congress are extremely important,” stated SAF government relations Chairman Randy Schenauer. “They have tremendous impact with legislators.”
More than 100 industry members from 27 states attended Congressional Action Days last year and visited almost 150 Congressional offices. They also were able to listen to many distinguished speakers during the event, including Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), who discussed his plans for healthcare reform, and former Ohio congressman John Kasich, who offered insight into the American political landscape.
Registration information will be available to SAF members in early January. For more information, contact Laura Weaver at lweaver@safnow.org or (800) 336-4743. You can also visit www.safnow.org for information.
