[vendtalk] BEA fly-in

[Kevan Worley]

Greetings,

 

The Blind Entrepreneurial Alliance, NFB and NABM are calling for immediate
action. We really need a few more blind vendors to support our Washington
fly-in. Can you come? Can you work to organize a group to help fund someone
who can come, but may not be able to afford it? There continues to be
pressure on Randolph-Sheppard and the various programs within our program;
post office, dept of defense, GSA, roadside rest, etc. We need blind
entrepreneurs to advocate for ourselves. Other organizations are making
friends in Congress and in the administration. We better be smart enough and
assertive enough to advocate for ourselves now. We need more vendors from
California, Missouri, Michigan, New York, Massachusetts and North Carolina.
These are some key states with some members of Congress which can be
critical for Randolph-Sheppard. We also need to increase our numbers
nationwide. Can you help? Will you? Please act now. Make your hotel
reservation, find the best plane fare you can, and join us. We'll also plan
to have a good time. Again, if you can't come, scrape up a few hundred
dollars from your pocket and from some of your friends and colleagues and
talk one of your colleagues into coming to Washington. Those of you on the
east coast, please work hard to get a few of your folks into DC for at least
one of the two days. We certainly need some extra people on Friday. Call the
Washington Court Hotel for your hotel reservations, (202) 628-2100. Tell
them you are reserving for the Blind Entrepreneurial Alliance (BEA) room
block. Fly in on the 20th, depart the afternoon of the 22nd. We will be
working on the Hill and conducting two luncheon briefings on the 21st and
22nd. The hotel rates are $298/night plus tax. Don't dismiss the notion of
sharing a room to bring down cost. The hotel is at 525 New Jersey Avenue NW.
We still have some stipends available, particularly for a blind vendor from
one of the states listed above. 

 

At Your Service, 

Kevan Worley

President

National Association of Blind Merchants

(866) 543-6808