There’s going to be a whole lot of postal going on in DC next month. Just after the four-day National Postal Forum (http://www.npf.org/) wraps up on May 20, the American Catalog Mailers Association (ACMA)- www.catalogmailers.org will hold its second National Catalog Advocacy & Strategy Forum May 20-21 in Washington.
In fact, the first day of the ACMA’s Forum will be held at the Washington Convention in conjunction with the final day of the National Postal Forum; the second day will be held at the Marriott Washington at Metro Center.
Why should catalogers consider the National Catalog Advocacy & Strategy Forum? “We have some serious challenges in cataloging independent of the current economic environment,” according to ACMA Chairman Stan Krangel, who is president of gifts cataloger Miles Kimball.
“We have been faced with huge cost increases the past few years. It will get worse unless we take action now,” Krangel says. “The future of cataloging is in jeopardy.”
ACMA Executive Director Hamilton Davison realizes that both the catalog industry and the U.S. Postal Service face a precarious situation. “The entire industry must come together to mobilize,” Davison says. “While ACMA has demonstrated it can affect national postal policy, there is still a huge amount to do that simply won’t happen without greater numbers of catalogers involved.
Catalogers have been given notice by the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) that “the historical cost calculation on USPS handling of our mail portends another large increase to postage few companies can absorb,” Davison says. “Fortunately, there is something we can do to avoid this–but we must act now.”
To encourage mailers to attend the National Catalog Advocacy & Strategy Forum, the ACMA is offering a discounted registration fee through April 30.
Formed in 2007, the ACMA has defined many additional opportunities available now if catalogers and postal officials choose to take advantage of them, Davison says. “The USPS is clearly aware that the catalog industry is in turmoil and is demonstrating its willingness to partner with catalogers to address the situation.”