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For more information:
Gene Rose
Public Affairs Director
303-856-1518

Bill Wyatt
Public Affairs Manager
202-624-8667

NCSL 2003 Annual Meeting & Exhibition
San Francisco, California, July 21 - 25, 2003

Top 10 Reasons for Statehouse Reporter to Attend NCSL's Annual Meeting

The NCSL Public Affairs staff appreciates the fact that newsroom budgets are just as tight as state budgets so we've come up with the top 10 reasons a statehouse reporter needs to be at our Annual Meeting in San Francisco. After seeing this list, there's no way an editor could say no!

1. Story Ideas. After just a few days at NCSL's Annual Meeting, journalists will be inundated with story ideas. With state lawmakers from all 50 states and around the world sharing their public policy stories, reporters are bound to discover new ways of covering stories in their state capitols.
2. Sources, sources, sources. Pack an extra suitcase full of business cards to hand out. With more than 6,000 attendees, there will be plenty of opportunity to schmooze with policy experts, elected officials and legislative staff who might provide that key quote or nugget of information for your next story.
3. Laboratories of democracy. State legislatures are often referred to as the laboratories of democracy. What happens in the state legislature one year, Congress copies the following years. Welfare reform and education accountability are just a couple examples of successful programs that began at the state level. Don't miss out on tomorrow's trends today!
4. Connecting America. Connecting America is the theme of this year's meeting. More than 1,000 state legislators from around the country and their counterparts from across the globe will have an opportunity to share experiences on what works, what doesn't and what might be next in the queue.
5. San Francisco, the City by the Bay. San Frnacisco is more than just Rice-A-Roni. It has something to offer everyone. Alcatraz Island, Alamo Square (left), cable cars, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, the Golden Gate Bridge, PacBell Park and much more. It's all yours to enjoy, after you file your stories of course.
6. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed. If you're not completely satisfied that we've delivered what we've promised we will refund your registration fee -- no questions asked! (See reason #7)
7. The price is right. Credentialed journalists will have unbridled access to all the action absolutely free! Choose from more than 150 policy sessions. It's all yours for one low price. But wait, there's more. If you respond today, we'll thrown in several informative site visits, a tutorial on using NCSL's website and NCSL's exciting annual business meeting at no additional charge!
8. Don't get scooped. NCSL's Annual Meeting has been a great source of news in years past providing front page headlines and top-the-hour reports from such news sources as the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, CNN, National Public Radio and USA Today. Be on hand as NCSL releases the most up-to-date, 50 state policy reports on such timely topics as state budgets, homeland security, electronic commerce and many more.
9. Unsurpassed quality. NCSL's Annual Meeting is the premier meeting of state legislators, legislative staff and national and state policy experts. Don't settle for second-rate policy meetings. NCSL is the only bi-partisan organization that represents all of the nation's 7,382 state legislators and the more than 30,000 legislative staff. Unlike other organizations, NCSL goes to great lengths to ensure that all points of view are represented during policy sessions. As a result, lawmakers and staff gain a greater understanding of an issue and are better prepared to make informed decisions when they return home.
10. Access to decision makers. No matter what issue you're reporting on, chances are there is a state lawmaker who's been the pioneer behind the issue. However, tracking down a specific lawmaker in a sea of 6,000 people can be a daunting task. Take advantage of NCSL's Public Affairs staff's talent for finding needles in haystacks. They would be happy to help you identify and arrange an interview with just the right decision maker for your story.