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July 24, 2009
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Extinguishing a
PR Problem
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| A big shoutout to 700 Sixth St, a new Penn Quarter office building, ideal for an association. This Akridge property includes Capitol Dome views, green roof, marble floor, glass bridges, and high-speed elevators. See ad at right. |
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| Bottled water has been the favored whipping boy of treehuggers and recessionistas alike, so it was an achievement by the International Bottled Water Association to see big yawns greeting Rep. Bart Stupak’s July 8 hearing on bottled H20 regulation. (He was the only Dem who attended.) We visited CEO Joe Doss at his Alexandria office to see how it's tamped down the outrage. |
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IBWA employed a three-pronged strategy: defending the product through press releases and enlisting scientific partners who attest to the product’s safety; telling its story through a proactive effort; and keeping its members informed so that they can respond to consumer inquiries. The problems actually started in June '07, when the US Conference of Mayors passed a resolution banning using city monies on bottled water, except in emergencies. Since then, Doss and his staff has tried to visit every large-city mayor in the US.
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Joe notes that all bottled-water containers are 100% recyclable and that beverages have the highest recycling rate of any consumer product. (He's clearly never read our jokes, 100% reused from past issues, Vaudeville, and Seinfeld re-runs.) He says that IBWA members are working on lightweighting their products as well as the racks and containers they’re stored in. Although water bottles account for only 1/3 of 1% of the US waste stream, Joe says do the right thing: Recycle those bottles.
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| Railing for Rail |
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If you think Barack Obama’s time in office has been short (happy six months, by the way), he’s got nothing on US High Speed Rail Association CEO Andy Kunz (above, with Communications Director Lauren Searl). USHSR formed two weeks ago to bring high speed rail (that’s trains going over 220 MPH) to every major city in the U.S. by 2030. Andy’s attempting to incorporate people and experts from every facet of the HSR sector, from real estate to manufacturing, into his newfound association.
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He’s been a high speed proponent for years, but after hearing the President pledge $9 billion of stimulus to it, he decided to incorporate. Think that’s a big sum? Andy says it’s lacking in comparison: China and Spain are dedicating $300 billion each for their HSR systems, and he thinks we need to catch up, quickly. To that end, USHSR has already organized its first conference, October in DC. Working almost as fast as its trains, it’s bringing together experts and upwards of 1,000 people.
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| Hometown |
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The American Society for Training & Development held its annual conference in its own back yard. That is, the DC Convention Center. (We specify because some budget cuts may have led to conventions in actual back yards.) VP of Member Relations Jennifer Homer says it was an awesome experience: "A great way to show off our nation’s capital and especially exciting for our international attendees. The association also arranged “Congressional Conversations,” its inaugural grassroots advocacy effort. Attendees were provided with an advance email template to send to members of Congress, then bused up to the Hill to talk about the stimulus and the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act.
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| Send story ideas to Curtis@bisnow.com |
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This newsletter is a journalistic news source which accepts no payment for featured interviews. It is supported by conventional advertisers clearly identified in the right hand column. You have been selected to receive it either through prior contact or professional association. If you have received it in error, please accept our apologies and unsubscribe at bottom of the newsletter. © 2009, Bisnow on Business, Inc., 1323 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036. All rights reserved.
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