... in a coordinated conference/lobbying event in Washington DC during the first part of 2010?

The National Pet Association is in the process of developing plans for a 3 day Responsible Pet Ownership Conference in Washington, DC sometime in early spring. The theme of the conference will be Current & Future Political Challenges Faced by American Reptile Owners. The plan would be to hold the event annually with a different theme each year.

The agenda would start with a welcome event on Saturday late afternoon/early evening followed by a fundraiser/auction to raise money for the organizations involved in the conference. Then Sunday morning there would be presentations by groups involved in lobbying on behalf of pet owners detailing the groups mission and an overview of their current efforts and future plans. During the day on Sunday there would be short break out sessions that cover tips for effectively meeting with your Representatives and their staff, delivering an effective message, and organizing grass roots efforts in your own state. The conference would end on Sunday with an open Q&A town hall style meeting where attendees could ask questions directly to the leadership of the groups fighting for our future.

For those that would like to stay until Monday, there would be an organized "lobby day" on Capital Hill. We would break down into small groups and meeting directly with the Representatives from your home state in order to discuss the political issues that concern you the most.

If the future of this hobby is going to be continued political battles, we better start thinking about developing a "boot camp" for pet owners. NatPET hopes that this event will turn out to be the first step in that direction.

Any input (good, bad, or otherwise) would be greatly appreciated. If it's something that you would consider attending, we'd love to hear that as well.

Thanks!

-adam