'Content is King' as NACD Members Pivot to Virtual Site Visits

If the last 18 months have taught us anything, it is to expect and prepare for the unexpected. Just as chemical distributors continue to safely process, formulate, blend, re-package, transport, and market chemical products throughout the pandemic, NACD continues advancing important legislative affairs work on behalf of the industry. Met with the unexpected, our industry doesn’t stall out. We pivot.

This has been particularly true in connecting with our federal representatives over the last year. Earlier this summer I wrote about the return to in-person site visits. While several in-person site visits have been successfully implemented this year, I want to remind members of two things:

• There is still plenty of time left while Congress is in recess to schedule and host a site visit and enter the “50 for 50” member challenge; and
• Virtual site visits remain a viable option for connecting with elected officials.

Virtual site visits may require a bit more creativity but can accomplish many of the same objectives as an in-person visit. Not only do they offer a great forum to enhance an elected official’s understanding of your operations and showcase your employees in a more intimate setting, they also provide the essential opportunity to develop interpersonal relationships with your local representatives. Virtual site visits can also be easier to coordinate with Members of Congress because they require less time and travel commitments.

Dwayne Roark, Head of Global Communications at Univar Solutions, has facilitated several in-person and virtual NACD site visits. He shared, “While nothing can replace face-to-face interactions, you can get to the heart of the matter much sooner during virtual meetings because there’s frankly less time. We focus on the content rather than the medium. Content is king to providing a meaningful experience no matter where you are.”    

We also chatted with Richard Erstad at Hawkins, Inc., about his experience hosting a virtual NACD site visit. He said, “Any positive connection that we can make with our Members of Congress is invaluable, given the regulatory environment we find ourselves in. Virtual meetings offer great opportunities for our employees to explain the value of their work in their own words, and we plan to do more of them.”

If you’d like to set up a virtual or in-person facility visit today:

1. Let NACD staff know your interest and availability to host a site visit by completing this form or calling (703) 527-6223.
2. NACD staff will reach out to your Member of Congress’ office directly to coordinate schedules.
3. Once a day and time are confirmed, NACD staff will email you briefing materials and talk to you personally about the government affairs issues relevant to the site visit.
4. If you’re scheduling an in-person visit, give the Member of Congress a brief tour of your facility, followed by a meeting on the government affairs issues. NACD staff is prepared to be on-hand to help.
5. Take pictures of your visit with the Member of Congress, and report the details of your visit back to NACD staff.