Niagara Bottling, LLC President and CEO Andy Peykoff, II (left); Ohio Governor John Kasich (center); and Niagara Bottling Founder and Chairman Andrew D. Peykoff, Sr.
HOME SWEET HOME:
Meetings on Familiar Turf By James Toner, IBWA Director of Government Relations
Home cooking. Home field advantage. Home is where the heart is. Home— there’s no place like it—and when we can use it to our political advantage, all the better. When you’re trying to convey important industry messaging to elected officials, where do you think you’d be most comfortable conversing about those issues? It’s natural to feel more comfortable and at ease when you have those discussions at a place you consider “home turf.” In recent Government Relations columns, we’ve stressed the importance of meeting with your state and federal 22
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legislators. But we’ve also conceded that traveling to Washington, DC, or a state capital can be a stressful experience—not to mention the time and cost involved. What if we were to flip the paradigm? How would you feel about hosting elected officials at your place— where you are more at ease? Envision the two scenarios: You travel to Washington, DC, in your best suit to meet with your member of Congress (if you are lucky) and his or her staff, while lobbyists and other industry professionals hover around also trying to get time with the lawmaker—or you make your
way over to the hometown coffee shop for a planned meeting with your elected official surrounded by friends, family, and coworkers. Which scene offers the best opportunity for you to speak your mind? Which meeting would be more conducive to an open discussion? We sometimes forget that elected officials come from all walks of life, and they too have a place they call “home.” Lawmakers usually spend a good amount of time back in their home districts. When your government representatives are at home, they aren’t off the clock; they’re always working for