PPAI L.E.A.D. to Hit Washington Next Week

Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the Irving, Texas-based not-for-profit association, will bring its Legislative Education and Action Day (L.E.A.D.) to the nation's capitol next week. On March 7 and 8, PPAI will host meetings between suppliers and distributors and their Senators and Representatives to emphasize the importance of promotional products and discuss the issues that matter to the industry.

"For the first time, the PPAI Legislative Education and Action Day will feature unprecedented interaction with Congress by way of one-on-one visits, a virtual fly-in and social media engagement," said Anne Lardner, PPAI director of public affairs. "This year, PPAI L.E.A.D. participants will continue to focus on educating legislators on the size and scope of the promotional products industry while targeting the key issues of independent contractors, tax rates and the 21st Century Postal Service Act of 2011."

Over two days, the annual L.E.A.D. event will see 60 leaders from the promotional products world head to Washington, D.C. to make the industry's case to the country's leaders. There will be nearly 250 meetings covering a variety of topics.

A main goal of next week's event is to impress upon legislators the importance of promotional products. Industry leaders will explain the number of American citizens and companies employed in the business, the revenue generated by promotional product sales, and their value as a marketing medium. The representatives will ask that legislators keep these factors in mind before passing regulations that affect industry businesses or slander the profession.

Last year, L.E.A.D. facilitated 120 meetings with Senator and Representatives, addressing such topics as the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and 1099 reporting requirements for small businesses. These conversations lead to the Consumer Product Safety Commission's participation in August's Product Safety Summit and the April signing of H.R. 4, which repealed parts of the 1099 tax form requirements.

PPAI is asking suppliers and distributors to get involved by contacting their elected officials next week and telling them why promotional products matter. The association has provided utilities on its website, including pre-written and editable letters, to easily email members of Congress. PPAI also has created social media posts users can copy and paste to increase awareness of the event.

"Our voice and presence, in person, online or via social channels, on Capitol Hill is an essential part of the success of the industry and how its businesses go to market," Lardner said.

For more information, visit PPAI's Legislative Action Watch website, and check PromoMarketing.com next week for more on L.E.A.D. event coverage.