Did Anyone Check to See if Washington DC is a Junket?

by Ron Daly
 
Damn, the Governmental Affairs Conference is only a few days away. I’m not sure if anyone checked to see if a conference in Washington, D.C. is considered a junket? I live here, it’s February, there was snow and sleet today, so I’d vote “Heck no” but I don’t think my vote counts for much.

Anybody got the direct phone line for 20/20? Think I’m kidding? If you haven’t heard, our ex-friends over at ABC are running an expose on excessive credit union spending on their show 20/20 on Friday the 20th. Jeffry Pilcher at the Financial Brand can tell you more (link to his story). My take? Please think twice before spending any credit union marketing money on any ABC radio or television affiliate until they tell the real credit union story.

So the GAC, as it is affectionately known in these parts, is going to be a bit different this year. Here are a few new rules for attendees:

1. Please don’t use your private jets to travel to our wonderful city. The auto industry is here this week and the parking spaces at Reagan National and BWI are full (Read: "Have Planes, Will Travel")
2. If you love the Starbucks Coffee stand right there in the convention center, please bring white Dixie cups with you. You’ll want to transfer your $3 per cup coffee into a generic beverage holder to avoid being considered excessive as you walk to the meetings. 
3. When having dinner with your favorite industry vendor, please ask for a copy of their SAS70 and how much bailout money they have lined up. It’s good to know who is paying for your dinner and how safe your financial information is just in case. 
4. You might want to stay out of most of the restaurants in the area. They don’t have early bird specials to take advantage of, nor do they allow sharing a meal by more than two people.   
5. Politicians and regulators maybe observed in their natural surroundings. They are a bit nervous these days so please refrain from flash photography and poking them with a stick.   
6. Finally, don’t be fooled by reporters posing as newlyweds around the conference. What new bride would EVER come to DC on a honeymoon in February?!?   

Hope everyone enjoys the conference and if you happen to see me, please say hello or poke me with a stick.

Share your pre-GAC or post GAC comments please.

Comments

[CU Potential]

While I'm not attending GAC, I do see a potential dilemma: Eating. If a CU representative dines out and foots the bill, 20/20 may view it as an excessive expenditure. Conversely, if you allow a vendor to pick up the tab, you're running the risk of irreparably harming your credit union's independent spirit. If you counter by securing a hotel room with a kitchen, 20/20 will wonder how you could afford the excessive amenities. GAC attendees, it's probably best that you don't eat at all while in D.C., or at least travel to Alexandria or Baltimore to do so. :)

[SRG]

lol I found your rules hilarious, especially #5...to bad they're kinda true thanks to ABC (grr)

[Jeffry Pilcher]

Dang that's funny!!!

[Ron Daly]

Just stopped into the Spy Museum and picked up some of the cool disguise glasses with the nose and mustache. I have three CU conferences in the next two months... CUNA Marketing in San Diego, OSI in Las Vegas and NACUSO in Las Vegas where they will come in handy.

If you're still at GAC you go right by there on Wednesday on the way to lunch on Capital Hill if you want to pick some up!

[Denise Wymore]

Ron,

Let's not forget the CU Journal's Grow Show at the Hotel Del Coronado.....not exactly the Holiday Inn.

Did you get the fake nose and glasses for Diekmann?

I did like his ROI post - nicely done.

http://www.sourcemediaconferences.com/CUBP09/

[Ron Daly]

@Denise Don’t get me wrong here. My entire life revolves around credit unions from working in them, to president of CUSO, to the loans for my girls to go to college. I know the value CUs bring their members, what they do and how different the industry is from most of the bankers out there. I think that CU conferences are important educational and networking events that produce value to the attendees and as a CUSO we support them all. But it really doesn’t matter what we think, it’s the media that spins it.

I wrote this response this morning after watching NBC’s Lisa Meyers grill National Trust for taking their folks on trip to California after taking bailout money.

Also thanks for sharing the Grow Show’s ROI page I had not seen it before. I think this is an interesting approach to give folks the information they need to go fight for the money to attend. We provide our CU buyers ROI calculations for our digital communication tools when they need to go to management for approval. Looks like Frank has stolen a play from our playbook to get folks there.

[Bill]

If you cannot defend what you did then try to deflect by pointing fingers at others. As a CU board member I was ashamed of those in St. Kitts. Character is how you behaved if you think no one is watching. The CU Execs displayed NO CHARACTER!