nav1 nav3 nav10 poll
How long have you worked in the promotional products industry?





  
menufoot
Article Tools: Print | Email

The Last Word
By: Pamela Fields Webb
Issue: June 2010

What did you do on your summer vacation? That question has been asked countless times in schoolrooms and business offices around the world for decades.

Back when I was in school I always wished I had an Indiana Jones-ish type answer to the question about summer vacation. I wanted to report that I’d explored ancient Egyptian tombs, trekking through in the alien flora of the rainforest, or solved a mystery like Nancy Drew.

In reality, my exotic summer adventures revolved a family of seven, a green station wagon and road trips to Kansas and Missouri to visit my grandparents or the sandy beaches of South Texas and staycations with visits to Six Flags and the local swimming pool. Yes, all warm and fuzzy memories of carefree summer sun, family and fun, but not particularly unusual or remarkable.

This year I want to do something a little more notable, something that has a direct correlation to the promotional products industry and my job—I’m planning to take a day trip in August to Ennis, Texas to meet to meet with my congressman, Representative Joe Barton. It is my hope that this short trip will take me one step closer to starting a dialogue with Barton about pending legislation that can harm our industry, such as H.R.3408/S.2882 that limits the use of independent contractors. More importantly, I want to give him a little background and history about promotional products and tell him about the interesting, creative and entrepreneurial people who make up this industry.

But I’m not the only one—more 20 PPAI staff members are planning to visit their local legislators this summer. I encourage you to do the same. Schedule a little time in August—when legislators are on summer break and spending time in their districts connecting with constituents—to talk your local representative about issues that are important to you and your industry.

So come September, when someone asks you, “What did you do on your summer vacation?” You can reply, “I made a difference.”

—Pamela Fields Webb is managing editor of Promotional Consultant magazine.