NAMM Announces Annual Washington D.C. Advocacy Fly-In Event Open to All NAMM Members

The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) today announced details about how Members can participate in the association’s upcoming 2012 Advocacy Fly-In for Music Education event in Washington D.C. to support issues at the Congressional-level concerning the music products industry.

NAMM invites all NAMM Members to be part of the annual fly-in event from March 26-28, 2012, and participate in advocacy training and face-to-face meetings with Congressional officials. The fly-in will concentrate on NAMM’s core advocacy theme of music education and legislation that advances access to music education for all children.

Benefits of NAMM Members participating in the fly-in include:

• Learning more about NAMM’s support at the Congressional level of national school music education programs
• Gaining knowledge about the history, current state and future of school music programs from some of the most influential political figures in Washington D.C.
• Understanding how federal laws such as the “No Child Left Behind” Act directly affect school music education programs at the state level, and the current developments associated with these laws and regulations
• Becoming actively involved with your local representative of Congress to support your local school music education programs
• Networking with NAMM Member industry professionals and collaborating on current issues related to school music education programs that can affect business outcomes
• Being recognized in your community and music products industry as an activist for school music education through NAMM’s public relations efforts

The day after the Fly-In event, Members are invited to attend a briefing from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) called “IP Academy,” demonstrating specifically how music product businesses can protect their company’s intellectual property, brand and trademark. The event will be held on March 29 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the USPTO’s offices in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside of Washington D.C. Members who decide to stay in Washington D.C. for this event will be required to register separately in order to attend.

The schedule for NAMM’s 2012 Advocacy Fly-In and the USPTO’s IP Academy will be:

• March 26, 2012: Travel to Washington D.C.; opening dinner with special guests
• March 27, 2012: Issue updates and advocacy training; presentations by representatives from the Council of Chief State School Officers, National Governors Association, National Council of State Legislatures, National Association of State Boards of Education; and a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has been requested
• March 28, 2012: Congressional visits and Congressional reception (evening departure optional)
• March 29, 2012: Departure or optional training on protecting intellectual property presented by USPTO

As an Advocacy Fly-In delegate, NAMM provides up to three nights hotel accommodations and meals, starting with dinner on March 26 through breakfast on March 29. Fly-In participants are responsible for round-trip travel to Washington and ground transportation to and from the hotel. Due to a considerable increase in hotel and meal costs in Washington, a $400 registration fee is requested. Should a family member or guest be traveling with you, $200 per person is requested to help cover the cost of shared meals. The Advocacy Fly-In hotel is Hotel Monaco: http://www.kimptonhotels.com/hotels/factsheets/hotel-monaco-washington-…

The deadline to secure registration and a hotel room is Monday, Feb. 28, 2012. For more details and to register online, visit: http://events.constantcontact.com/register/event?llr=5w7ndndab&oeidk=a0…

For more information or to register online for the IP Academy presented by the USPTO visit http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e5kzeevjf…

About NAMM
The National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) is the not-for-profit association with a mission to strengthen the $17 billion music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music. NAMM’s activities and programs are designed to promote music making to people of all ages. NAMM is comprised of approximately 9,000 Member companies located in more than 52 countries. For more information about NAMM or the proven benefits of making music, interested parties can visit www.namm.org, call 800-767-NAMM (6266) or follow the organization on Twitter, Facebook and Google+.