IMBA's 24 Hours of Washington, D.C.

April 7, 2005

IMBA asks mountain bikers everywhere to join the newest 24-hour event - the 24 Hours of Washington, D.C. It's your chance to give something back to the sport. The marathon will take place April 6-7, 2005 in our nation's capital. The goal is simple: raise awareness of access and recreation issues and convince them that mountain biking deserves their support. The fun begins with a party Wednesday, April 6 at 7 p.m. where IMBA staff will equip participants with talking points, handouts and lobbying advice. The next morning, we'll hit the halls of Congress and talk to our elected representatives and staff about key legislation and how it impacts mountain biking. Finally, we'll celebrate our success with a Thursday evening shindig. IMBA is dedicated to making the trip easy and affordable. We'll schedule all your congressional meetings, educate you about lobbying techniques and provide plenty of free food and drink. You or your club will need to cover transportation and lodging costs. For more info visit imba.com.

Registration
Travel Planning and Lodging - Deadline for Special IMBA Hotel Rate March 7
Tentative Agenda
Preparing for Lobbying in D.C.

No Mountain Biker Left Behind

-- Can't make IMBA's Lobby Day? Schedule a meeting April 7 with congressional staff in your state

If you can't make IMBA's 24 Hours of Washington, D.C., use the national lobby day as an excuse to schedule a meeting with congressional district staff. Members of Congress have multiple constituent offices scattered around your state and you can use the same talking points we are using in D.C. Making the connection with your local offices is just as important as in Washington and sets the stage for inviting your member of Congress to a trail ground-breaking session or establishing a relationship for when your next access issue looms. For more info on how to schedule a meeting, what to say and bring read on or feel free to call any member of IMBA's advocacy staff at 1-888-442-4622.

Lodging Information - Deadline for Special IMBA Hotel Rate March 7

The host hotel for the 24 Hours of DC is the Holiday Inn Select in Old Town Alexandria.

Call 703-549-6080 and ask for internal reservations and book a room reserved under the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA).

$169 per night/ double occupancy

If you'd like to save costs and share a room with another 24 Hours of DC attendee, please email: tawnya@imba.com and she will send you contact information of another person looking to share a room.

Host Hotel Information

Holiday Inn Select - Old Town Alexandria
480 King St.
Alexandria, VA 22314

Tel: 1-703-549-6080
Fax: 1-703-684-6508
Email: hibusctr@oldtownhis.com
Check-In Time: 3:00 PM
Check-Out Time: 12:00 PM

For more hotel information visit: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/hd/AXEOT

There are plenty of other housing options in the area. To learn more visit: http://www.funside.com/

Travel Information

Airports

Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is the closest airport to the Holiday Inn Select: http://www.metwashairports.com/National/

Call the Holiday Inn Select to arrange for a shuttle from National Airport to the hotel.

Two other airports that serve the Washington, D.C. area:

Washington/Dulles International Airport http://www.metwashairports.com/Dulles/

Baltimore Washington International Airport: http://www.bwiairport.com

Contact the hotel to inquire about the best way to get there from these two airports.

Metro/Subway

The Metro is the easiest way to navigate the city. It is inexpensive, safe and serves National Airport. The closest metro stop to the Holiday Inn Select in Old Town Alexandria is the King Street stop. Call the Holiday Inn Select to arrange for a shuttle from the King Street Metro to the hotel.

Metro info can be found at: http://www.wmata.com/default.cfm

Tentative Agenda

Wednesday, April 6, 2005

6:00 p.m. IMBA Dinner and Hill Briefing
(dinner starts at 7:00 p.m., briefing after)

PAT TROY'S IRELAND'S OWN RESTAURANT AND PUB
(Across the street from Holiday Inn)
111 North Pitt Street
Alexandria, Virginia
http://www.pattroysirishpub.com/
(703) 549-4535
Directions:
http://www.pattroysirishpub.com/where.htm

Thursday, April 7, 2005

9:00 a.m. IMBA Group Picture
Garfield Circle (all participants meet on steps near Garfield Circle for a quick group picture.)
Garfield Circle Location

9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Meetings on Capitol Hill
(lunch on your own)

4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Wrap-Up Party
(free beer and snacks)

Capitol Hill Bikes
709 8th Street SE
Washington, DC 20003
http://www.capitolhillbikes.com
(202) 544-4234
Store location and directions at:
http://capitolhillbikes.com/site/page.cfm?PageID=82

6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Dinner
(free food - beer on your own)

Hawk and Dove
329 Pennsylvania Ave SE
Washington, DC 20003
http://www.hawkanddoveonline.com/
(202) 543-3300
Mapquest link to location and directions:
http://www.hawkanddoveonline.com/directions.asp

Preparing for Lobbying in D.C.

IMBA will Schedule Your Meetings
IMBA will schedule your meetings with your two U.S. Senators and your member of the House of Representatives. Again, you will travel as a team with other delegates from your state to each meeting. We will use your zip code to determine your member of Congress so please make sure you register using your home address.

Senate and House Districts/Who You Should Meet With
Your state has two U.S. senators who represent the entire state and depending on your state's population, anywhere from one U.S. representative (like North Dakota) to 53 (like California). Representative districts do not overlap so you have three people in Congress representing where you live. IMBA will schedule your meetings with these three offices. Go to http://www.congress.org and type in your zip code to learn the names of these three people.

On Thursday, you will team up with the other IMBA members from your state. If you are your state's sole representative, we will try to have a member of IMBA's staff or board go with you.

Your Homework
It is important to learn the backgrounds of the elected officials you are meeting with - what committees they serve on, what legislation they have introduced. Read their bios/websites at:
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Senate

What to Bring
Less is more. Elected officials and their staff are overwhelmed with handouts and reading material, and half of what they receive is immediately discarded. Resist the urge to bring them too much information (they probably won't read it). A copy of your club's most recent newsletter or a one-page handout that summarizes state issues is appropriate. Also, if you have a specific local schwag item (like a T-shirt, socks, or a hat) it is nice (but not necessary) to bring an item along.

What to Wear
Congressional staffers dress professionally. Most wear suits or dress slacks and ties. We suggest you wear similar clothing but certainly don't rush out and buy a suit if you don't have one. Dress pants, dress shoes, a button down shirt and a tie will work just fine. Women will want dress pants or a skirt. Iron your shirt, polish your shoes - first impressions make a difference.

Schedule Meetings Back Home in March -- Reach out to local offices of the federal, state and local land managers
You will meet with the staffs of your state's two U.S. senators and your one U.S. representative. Besides generally introducing them to IMBA and your affiliated club, you will help advance IMBA's federal mountain bike access agenda and have a unique opportunity to talk to them about your state's access, recreation and public lands issues.

You play an important role in D.C. for your local land managers. Government employees cannot lobby on behalf of their budget or issues pertaining to their recreation and resource issues. But you can. You can ask your congressional delegation to weigh in on important issues for your local land managers.

Reach Out to Federal Public Land Management Agencies
Show land managers that local mountain bikers not only help with trail maintenance, they advocate for federal and state policy issues as well. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and other federal land agencies have hundreds of units from coast-to-coast and some may be in your back yard.

Schedule a meeting with the lead local official in March to learn about their issues and see if there is anything you can do to help. Do they have a pending appropriations request for a new trail system, dam, dock, research study, visitor center or something else that you can help with? They will appreciate your reaching out to help. They can also give you supporting handouts to fully apprise you and the congressional staff you meet with on the issue.

Examples of state issues could be:

Funding for park infrastructure
State or local open space initiatives
Funding cuts that affect visitor hours, park and forest staffing
USACE, BLM, USFS site-specific issues
State environmental laws

Congressional staffs are motivated to improve conditions for their home state and they genuinely want to see where they can help. Often, they make phone calls, write letters and even go so far as to suggest legislation to help advance issues for their home state. They are interested in what is happening back at home and will appreciate the update.

Controversial Access Issues
Unless you have exhausted all other state and local discussions, we would caution you against discussing controversial access issues where user groups are fighting or where you disagree with your local land management agency. You are talking to the staff of your member of Congress - the highest authority on federal issues in your state. The first question staff will ask is: have you talked to your local land managers, other user groups and local elected officials? Unless you have reached out to the appropriate stakeholders and exhausted all normal channels, it may be premature to ask members of Congress to weigh in. If you are to the point where all other avenues have been pursued, asking for a letter of support or a phone call on your issue may be appropriate. If you are in doubt, call Jenn Dice at IMBA 1-888-442-4622 or Kirk Bailey (IMBA's DC-based Public Affairs Advisor) at 202-835-0740.

Help | Site Map | Copyright



	IMBA's 24 Hours of Washington, D.C. April 7, 2005 IMBA asks mountain bikers everywhere to join the newest 24-hour event - the 24 Hours of Washington, D.C. It's your chance to give something back to the sport. The marathon will take place April 6-7, 2005 in our nation's capital. The goal is simple: raise awareness of access and recreation issues and convince them that mountain biking deserves their support. The fun begins with a party Wednesday, April 6 at 7 p.m. where IMBA staff will equip participants with talking points, handouts and lobbying advice. The next morning, we'll hit the halls of Congress and talk to our elected representatives and staff about key legislation and how it impacts mountain biking. Finally, we'll celebrate our success with a Thursday evening shindig. IMBA is dedicated to making the trip easy and affordable. We'll schedule all your congressional meetings, educate you about lobbying techniques and provide plenty of free food and drink. You or your club will need to cover transportation and lodging costs. For more info visit imba.com. Registration Travel Planning and Lodging - Deadline for Special IMBA Hotel Rate March 7 Tentative Agenda Preparing for Lobbying in D.C. Related Links No Mountain Biker Left Behind -- Can't make IMBA's lobby day, then schedule a meeting April 7 with state congressional staff Meeting with Elected Officials and Their Staff -- A primer on what to say, wear, bring, expect and how to follow-up Getting Political at the Local, State and National Levels -- Why your club needs to do more than trailbuilding 2004 IMBA Summit in Washingon, D.C. -- Get inspired from our last day on Capitol Hill IMBA Rides with Congressional Staff -- Capitol Hill mountain bikers in action No Mountain Biker Left Behind -- Can't make IMBA's Lobby Day? Schedule a meeting April 7 with congressional staff in your state If you can't make IMBA's 24 Hours of Washington, D.C., use the national lobby day as an excuse to schedule a meeting with congressional district staff. Members of Congress have multiple constituent offices scattered around your state and you can use the same talking points we are using in D.C. Making the connection with your local offices is just as important as in Washington and sets the stage for inviting your member of Congress to a trail ground-breaking session or establishing a relationship for when your next access issue looms. For more info on how to schedule a meeting, what to say and bring read on or feel free to call any member of IMBA's advocacy staff at 1-888-442-4622. Lodging Information - Deadline for Special IMBA Hotel Rate March 7 The host hotel for the 24 Hours of DC is the Holiday Inn Select in Old Town Alexandria. Call 703-549-6080 and ask for internal reservations and book a room reserved under the International Mountain Bicycling Association (IMBA). $169 per night/ double occupancy If you'd like to save costs and share a room with another 24 Hours of DC attendee, please email: tawnya@imba.com and she will send you contact information of another person looking to share a room. Host Hotel Information Holiday Inn Select - Old Town Alexandria 480 King St. Alexandria, VA 22314 Tel: 1-703-549-6080 Fax: 1-703-684-6508 Email: hibusctr@oldtownhis.com Check-In Time: 3:00 PM Check-Out Time: 12:00 PM For more hotel information visit: http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/hi/hd/AXEOT There are plenty of other housing options in the area. To learn more visit: http://www.funside.com/ Travel Information Airports Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is the closest airport to the Holiday Inn Select: http://www.metwashairports.com/National/ Call the Holiday Inn Select to arrange for a shuttle from National Airport to the hotel. Two other airports that serve the Washington, D.C. area: Washington/Dulles International Airport http://www.metwashairports.com/Dulles/ Baltimore Washington International Airport: http://www.bwiairport.com Contact the hotel to inquire about the best way to get there from these two airports. Metro/Subway The Metro is the easiest way to navigate the city. It is inexpensive, safe and serves National Airport. The closest metro stop to the Holiday Inn Select in Old Town Alexandria is the King Street stop. Call the Holiday Inn Select to arrange for a shuttle from the King Street Metro to the hotel. Metro info can be found at: http://www.wmata.com/default.cfm Tentative Agenda Wednesday, April 6, 2005 6:00 p.m. IMBA Dinner and Hill Briefing (dinner starts at 7:00 p.m., briefing after) PAT TROY'S IRELAND'S OWN RESTAURANT AND PUB (Across the street from Holiday Inn) 111 North Pitt Street Alexandria, Virginia http://www.pattroysirishpub.com/ (703) 549-4535 Directions: http://www.pattroysirishpub.com/where.htm Thursday, April 7, 2005 9:00 a.m. IMBA Group Picture Garfield Circle (all participants meet on steps near Garfield Circle for a quick group picture.) Garfield Circle Location 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Meetings on Capitol Hill (lunch on your own) 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Wrap-Up Party (free beer and snacks) Capitol Hill Bikes 709 8th Street SE Washington, DC 20003 http://www.capitolhillbikes.com (202) 544-4234 Store location and directions at: http://capitolhillbikes.com/site/page.cfm?PageID=82 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Dinner (free food - beer on your own) Hawk and Dove 329 Pennsylvania Ave SE Washington, DC 20003 http://www.hawkanddoveonline.com/ (202) 543-3300 Mapquest link to location and directions: http://www.hawkanddoveonline.com/directions.asp Preparing for Lobbying in D.C. IMBA will Schedule Your Meetings IMBA will schedule your meetings with your two U.S. Senators and your member of the House of Representatives. Again, you will travel as a team with other delegates from your state to each meeting. We will use your zip code to determine your member of Congress so please make sure you register using your home address. Senate and House Districts/Who You Should Meet With Your state has two U.S. senators who represent the entire state and depending on your state's population, anywhere from one U.S. representative (like North Dakota) to 53 (like California). Representative districts do not overlap so you have three people in Congress representing where you live. IMBA will schedule your meetings with these three offices. Go to http://www.congress.org and type in your zip code to learn the names of these three people. On Thursday, you will team up with the other IMBA members from your state. If you are your state's sole representative, we will try to have a member of IMBA's staff or board go with you. Your Homework It is important to learn the backgrounds of the elected officials you are meeting with - what committees they serve on, what legislation they have introduced. Read their bios/websites at: U.S. House of Representatives U.S. Senate What to Bring Less is more. Elected officials and their staff are overwhelmed with handouts and reading material, and half of what they receive is immediately discarded. Resist the urge to bring them too much information (they probably won't read it). A copy of your club's most recent newsletter or a one-page handout that summarizes state issues is appropriate. Also, if you have a specific local schwag item (like a T-shirt, socks, or a hat) it is nice (but not necessary) to bring an item along. What to Wear Congressional staffers dress professionally. Most wear suits or dress slacks and ties. We suggest you wear similar clothing but certainly don't rush out and buy a suit if you don't have one. Dress pants, dress shoes, a button down shirt and a tie will work just fine. Women will want dress pants or a skirt. Iron your shirt, polish your shoes - first impressions make a difference. Schedule Meetings Back Home in March -- Reach out to local offices of the federal, state and local land managers You will meet with the staffs of your state's two U.S. senators and your one U.S. representative. Besides generally introducing them to IMBA and your affiliated club, you will help advance IMBA's federal mountain bike access agenda and have a unique opportunity to talk to them about your state's access, recreation and public lands issues. You play an important role in D.C. for your local land managers. Government employees cannot lobby on behalf of their budget or issues pertaining to their recreation and resource issues. But you can. You can ask your congressional delegation to weigh in on important issues for your local land managers. Reach Out to Federal Public Land Management Agencies Show land managers that local mountain bikers not only help with trail maintenance, they advocate for federal and state policy issues as well. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service and other federal land agencies have hundreds of units from coast-to-coast and some may be in your back yard. Schedule a meeting with the lead local official in March to learn about their issues and see if there is anything you can do to help. Do they have a pending appropriations request for a new trail system, dam, dock, research study, visitor center or something else that you can help with? They will appreciate your reaching out to help. They can also give you supporting handouts to fully apprise you and the congressional staff you meet with on the issue. Examples of state issues could be: Funding for park infrastructure State or local open space initiatives Funding cuts that affect visitor hours, park and forest staffing USACE, BLM, USFS site-specific issues State environmental laws Congressional staffs are motivated to improve conditions for their home state and they genuinely want to see where they can help. Often, they make phone calls, write letters and even go so far as to suggest legislation to help advance issues for their home state. They are interested in what is happening back at home and will appreciate the update. Controversial Access Issues Unless you have exhausted all other state and local discussions, we would caution you against discussing controversial access issues where user groups are fighting or where you disagree with your local land management agency. You are talking to the staff of your member of Congress - the highest authority on federal issues in your state. The first question staff will ask is: have you talked to your local land managers, other user groups and local elected officials? Unless you have reached out to the appropriate stakeholders and exhausted all normal channels, it may be premature to ask members of Congress to weigh in. If you are to the point where all other avenues have been pursued, asking for a letter of support or a phone call on your issue may be appropriate. If you are in doubt, call Jenn Dice at IMBA 1-888-442-4622 or Kirk Bailey (IMBA's DC-based Public Affairs Advisor) at 202-835-0740.


Help \| Site Map \| Copyright