The NPA; The Natural Products Association - www.naturalproductsassoc.org. - Who needs them?

If you make your living manufacturing, distributing, representing or retailing natural products, you do!

If you eat organic foods or take supplements, you do, too!

Led by Executive Director David Seckman, this association is involved in advocacy, awareness and lobbying efforts that keep the natural products that we use and enjoy available for us and our families. Supporting the work of the NPA is something that every industry member - and every person who uses natural products - should do.

They have two easy to use, on-line links that will help you communicate with your representatives in Congress about legislation that would affect our ability to access natural products in retail stores. One asks for your Zip Code; the other asks for your e-mail address. (The one that asks for your e-mail is "safe" - I've never received anything from them other than updates about legislative issues.)

Those of us in the industry, ought to be convening in Las Vegas later this month for the NPA's Natural Marketplace 2008 Show - www.NaturalProductsAssoc.org/tradeshow. It will be their 71st show!

As many of you know, starting in 2009, New Hope Natural Media will be managing this show for the NPA. There is a great partnership in place that allows New Hope's expertise in trade shows to come into play and to help grow this vital industry event. It also frees a lot of time for David and the NPA staff to focus on their primary mission, rather than running a trade show. I am quite exited that the management team at New Hope, and at Penton Media, saw the great potential for this partnership!

I had a delightful dinner the other day with Mike Pelton. Mike is the owner of Inner Circle Sales and one of the true "good guys" in the industry. (He ought to be required to wear a white hat, in fact!) Mike is also on the board of the East Region of the NPA - www.nnfaeast.org/.) When our converation turned to the NPA, Mike said that membership dues in the NPA were the best business-continuation insurance policy that you can buy.

What a great way to say it - supporting the NPA assures that natural products remain on the shelf for consumers and all of us that are priveleged to work in this great industry can continue to do so for years to come!

A lot of great work is also done by the NPA Regional Associations. I am privileged to attend most, if not al,l of their regional shows each year and have got to see first hand the great work that they do to support the cause of natural products in state legislatures. Be sure to check out your regional chapter - a link for each chapter is found on the NPA site - www.naturalproductsassoc.org/site/PageServer - and be sure to put your regional trade show on your calendar!