The Hudson Valley DMA has a new brochure. Great copy and the layout and artwork is wonderful. Even has current photos of attendees to events. Sounds like I'm promoting? Well I am, since a lot of hard work by RMI's Becky Terhaar and Hillary Taylor went into this little baby.

It will make you want to join twice!!!!

If all you took away from last week's DM Days in NY was that it was oppressively hot, you missed the best parts. The List Leaders Group hosted two events; a breakfast with John Greco, President of the DMA, and Donn Rappaport, Chairman of the Board of the DMA. This was an unprecedented event set in a "town hall" discussion platform. Attendees had access to the two leaders of our industry and could hear from them their ideas for the future of our industry. They spent over an hour fielding questions from the audience and giving frank answers.

The next event was Fast Forward... my favorite. The two morning sessions were geared towards what we as owners of marketing companies must do to insure our viability for the future. Our lunch speaker was the always-on-target, Seth Godin who urged us to think differently about the way we view ourselves in the industry. Two more afternoon sessions also dealt with issues critical to marketers' futures followed by the List Leader of the Year Awards dinner. A long but very productive day.

I urge every list marketing company to make the effort to attend next years Fast Forward event. It really is worth every penny.

Actually, the tone of their message is so patronizing it's almost transparent. For decades brilliant direct marketing companies have spent millions of their own dollars developing systems to better market and communicate with their customers and potential customers. They have developed state of the art computer systems to cut waste and increase ROI. It's an insult to our industry to say that they know our business better and can do a better job for the consumer. I wonder if they have read this months issue of Target Marketing where the cover story outlines how Consumers' Union's mission of going "Green" is from the grassroots to the top organizationally?

We have a few new faces here at RMI that I'd like to officially welcome. Kathy Duggan-Josephs and her group from DJ Associates have joined us as of June 2, 2008.

The move compliments both companies as we have different business concentrations. Direct marketing has changed over the past few years, as we all have noticed. As stewards of service, its incumbent on us to make sure that we constantly monitor what new services our clients need. Both Kathy and I believe this will provide another avenue of information to be utilized by our clients. You'll be hearing more about what those service are in the near future.

As a side note: at RMI, multi-channel apparently equates to multi-talented... Across the board these newcomers have interests spreading from family and pets to, arts, music, English literature, hiking, swimming, singing, down hill skiing, bicycling, gardening, traveling, boating, food, knitting/crocheting, baseball, fly fishing, and pool. And not to mention a combined total of nearly 150 years of industry experience!

So welcome everyone. Your experience and expertise is a great asset to all and we're glad to have you aboard!

(From left to right: Darcy Duggan, Sanja Vanjur, Kathy Duggan-Josephs, Janis Jackson, Alicia Gallagher. Missing from picture: Alexa Kimberley-Bryant, Lori Quint, Mark Eubanks)