Many thanks to Loretta Lee and Kelvin Jackson of the United States Postal Service for an informative session on mail piece design, intelligent mail and mail acceptance as it related to the 2007 Rate Case. Since everything with the rate case is not final, they graciously offered to conduct a workshop for our group once everything has been finalized and approved. We have started a list of those interested in attending this workshop, so if you want to be included, just send me an email titled "Final 2007 Rate Case Workshop" and include all of your contact information. I will get you added to the list that will receive the workshop session notice when the date and time has been set.

Back to wow our membership and marketing community again at out March 8 luncheon is Jay Steinfeld of Blinds.com. Jay will be sharing something he knows a lot about…"The No Brainer Way of Making Millions Online." You’ll learn what really matters to search engines, low-cost ways to acquire customers, and how to leverage your existing direct marketing skills for maximum online impact. I heard Jay’s keynote address during our DM Day event last year and I’m excited about getting to hear him share it again. He has promised new and updated material.

Our April 12 luncheon speaker is set as well. Maria Herlihy, SVP – Strategic Consulting and Analytical Services, from KnowledgeBase Marketing will be discussing the many ways analytical services can be used to help you make the best marketing decisions from understanding your own data, analyzing it for greater insight, finding the key information....to using that data to execute the right programs to meet your goals.

We have always asked you to RSVP in advance for each one of our luncheon events that you plan to attend and that is most important still today. Our arrangement with the Briar Club requires us to notify them 72 hours in advance of the number of luncheon attendees we expect, so they can order the appropriate amount of food for our group, plus select and setup the room that will accommodate the number we specified. At a minimum, we are obligated to pay them for the number of attendees we indicated, but also for any increase should walk-ins increase our overall total. Over the last few months, we have had such a fluctuation in the number we presented in advance to the number that actually showed up for the luncheon; they have come back and requested we tighten things up. One month we had 15 luncheon walk-ins that had not RSVP’d. Another month we had seven that RSVP’d, but did not show for the luncheon. Some months the RSVP-Attendee-No Show fluctuation evened itself out, but for most months, it either caused the Briar Club to scramble and prepare extra meals and place settings or it caused the HDMA to pay for someone that did not show up.

We want more than anything to accommodate everyone at our luncheons, and understand things can change at the very last minute; but this change puts a tremendous strain on the HDMA and Briar Club. Going forward, we ask that you RSVP a minimum of 72 hours in advance. Barbara Kilawee, our longstanding arrangements chair, has notified the HDMA Board that its time for her to leave the Board and focus on other things requiring her attention, so in the interim, please RSVP with me (michael.mccoy@kbm1.com or 713-668-9794) until we have a new arrangements chair in place on the Board. We also ask that you let us know a minimum of 72 hours in advance if you must cancel your reservation. When you RSVP, we will be asking you to provide a credit card to confirm your luncheon reservation. Your card will not be charged until the day of the luncheon, so you can pay by cash or check at the door, if this is your preferred payment method. No shows that do not cancel 72 hours in advance will be charged the member or non-member rate respective to their reservation following the luncheon activities.

Thanks for your understanding and support. I welcome any comments and suggestion, so don’t hesitate to reach out to me via my contact information listed above. See all of you February 8 at the Briar Club.

Sincerely,

Michael McCoy

President