Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/686649
60 SMT Magazine • June 2016 Goldman: And if your members are not there? Hasselmann: Then you can't complain. Goldman: That is also true; how do you complain about something if you didn't engage or take part? Hasselmann: That is the beauty of this. I'm a firm believer in petitioning the government, and under our Constitution, we have the ability to do that. Without their trade associations, the nurses, firefighters, engineers and CEOs aren't going to come to D.C. all the time, so we try to bring that opportunity to our members. Let me give you another example. We insti- tuted a program called "Meet the Policymak- ers," in which we bring them into the factories and facilities and let them see all the innova- tion that is happening and to meet the work- ers. In the last few years, we have done over 30 or 40 site visits with members of Congress and our member companies around the U.S., and we have done some with our members in China with Chinese officials as well. Goldman: So they get to meet the voters. Hasselmann: And the workers are their voters, exactly. It's a two-way street. When they see the factories they're just like, "Wow." Goldman: They probably can't even conceive of what goes on in there either. Hasselmann: They're usually very interested, and when we get the employees together, they are thrilled to be able to engage with them. We'll set up meet-and-greets or town hall meet- ings and just let them ask whatever they want, and that brings the advocacy opportunity to the employees, too. Goldman: If any IPC members called up and said, "Hey, can you arrange something with my con- gressman and help me get them into our factory?" That can actually happen? Hasselmann: Yes, we will do our best, no ques- tion. That's why we're here. But it's not all hap- pening here, it's really happening out there— all the work, the innovation, the R&D, and the jobs. We're just trying to make sure that policy- makers are educated and that the legal, regula- tory and legislative environment is conducive to continuing to grow our industry. We want to be at the table. We want to be able to debate the pros and cons of anything that may have a negative or positive impact on the industry. We want to be a stakeholder, and we're going to be that voice. We're making a lot of strides, and this event is really helping us to do that. Goldman: How many congressmen will you guys be seeing over the next few days? Hasselmann: It's a two-track approach. As a group, we have about ten key meetings with members of Congress and administration offi- cials. But then we also arrange individual meet- ings for our attendees with their representatives where they have facilities. So they can go in and establish those relationships and we facilitate that, and that allows us to spread the word even more. We probably have 30 to 40 of those individ- ual meetings, where it's an opportunity for that CEO or that executive to talk about very specific issues of concern to them and whatever they want to raise. The policymaker wants to know, "What's keeping them up at night? What can I do to be helpful? What do you need? What can I do to cut some red tape for you?" They want to do that in a heartbeat for businesses in their district. This is the opportunity for our members to talk about those very local issues, but also we're there to talk about some of the broader issues where we can come back and work with them " We're making a lot of strides, and this event is really helping us to do that. "