ABI Regional Meetings This Week - Monday Memo 6/8/20
June 8, 2020
This Week: Virtual ABI Regional Meetings
Tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday, ABI is hosting five regional meetings. All ABI members are invited to participate in these meetings, which will be held using Zoom.
During the meetings, you’ll receive meaningful information and assistance related to managing the COVD-19 pandemic and its impact on your business and your employees. And you will have an opportunity to share what your company is experiencing.
As you may recall, the five ABI regions are generally the northeast quadrant of Iowa, the southeast, the southwest, and the northeast. Polk County, due to its density of membership, is its own region. Members in each region should have received an email message with information about when and how to register for and participate in their regional meeting. Or, go online and register now here: https://www.iowaabi.org/events/.
Each meeting will include a review of ABI and ABI Foundation activities, as well as an update with the very latest legislative and congressional news. The highlight of each meeting will be an opportunity for ABI members to share comments regarding operations and business projections. Please plan on participating in the meeting for your region.
ABI Priority Advances at the Statehouse
Thanks in many cases to your support, ABI’s number one priority advanced towards passage at the Statehouse last week. A few minutes before midnight on Friday, the Iowa House of Representatives passed substantive and important liability protection for businesses related to COVID-19. The common-sense protections outlined in the bill ensure that businesses can get back into full operation without fear of facing an explosion of lawsuits. Because the House amended a Senate bill, it now returns to the Senate. It is expected that the Senate will concur with the amendment and send the bill to the Governor.
Watch Thursday’s ABI Legislative News for more information. In the meantime, thank you again for your support and action.
Primary Election Over, EPIC Interviews Being Scheduled
Now that Iowa’s primary election is behind us, it is time for EPIC candidate interviews to be scheduled. You will recall that Economic Progress for Iowa's Citizens (EPIC) is a coalition of business organizations that seeks to identify and promote pro-business candidates for state office. ABI serves as the coordinating organization for the coalition.
One key function of EPIC is to invite all candidates for open seats, regardless of party, to introduce themselves to EPIC members in an informal interview setting. The first round of interviews for the 2020 election cycle will be held soon at ABI. Watch for more information about this and upcoming EPIC sessions in the coming weeks.
Leadership Iowa Class Meets Wednesday, Thursday
The ABI Foundation’s Leadership Iowa program has had to pivot to an all on-line experience for the current year’s class. The good news is that class members have embraced the virtual meetings and are still active and engaged.
The class will hold its final session (except for a graduation session, which will be held in the future) this week. Class members will meet Wednesday and Thursday for a session focused on healthcare. Congratulations to all involved.
Third Quarter ABI Iowa Business Survey to be Conducted
Later today, you will receive the ABI Board of Directors Third-Quarter Economic Survey. The survey message will arrive in your in-box this afternoon and I hope you will act on it quickly.
When you click on the survey link that will be a part of the message, you will find a very simple and easy to complete survey. Please complete the survey as soon as possible and look for the results to be shared with you next week.
Latest Edition of Business Record Iowa Published Last Week
ABI members around Iowa have shared with us that they enjoy the new Business Record Iowa publication that ABI produces in conjunction with the Des Moines Business Record. This newsprint product is produced monthly (as opposed to quarterly with the ABI's previous publication) and goes to a much wider distribution list.
The June edition of Business Record Iowa should have hit your mailbox last week. It is inside the Business Record - look for the cover photo of ABI Board Member Molly Varangkounh (Hy-Capacity, Humboldt). If you did not receive a copy of the latest BR Iowa, reply to this memo and we'll get a copy to you.
Register Now for ABI Executive Open
This year’s ABI Executive Open will be held at Des Moines Golf and Country Club on Monday, August 31. Des Moines Golf is one of the Midwest’s finest and most beautiful private clubs. Learn more about it here: https://www.dmgcc.org/. As always, even though the course is fantastic, the real reason the event is so popular is because of the terrific networking and fun that are a part of it.
Register now by clicking on this link: https://web.cvent.com/event/096af229-a2f3-4913-9947-10fd65dce17f/summary. You can register yourself or as part of a foursome. And, even you don’t golf, join the crowd for the reception that caps the afternoon. See you at Des Moines Golf in August!
Episode 23 of Iowa Business Report Radio Program Broadcast across Iowa
The Iowa Business Report radio program’s 23rd edition was broadcast statewide over the weekend. ABI is proud to sponsor this terrific program. Click here to listen for yourself: http://iowabusinessreport.buzzsprout.com/. Links can also be found on the ABI website at https://www.iowaabi.org/news/iowa-business-report/. The show is produced by well-known Iowa broadcaster Jeff Stein.
This week’s episode has an interesting interview about the Leadership Iowa program with the ABI Foundation’s Jessi McQuerry and some good economic and jobs data from Jeff Stein. The final segment features ABI member company CEO Gabriel Glynn (MakuSafe, Ankeny).
The Business of ABI: Convention Edition
If today happened as we planned it, we would be closing the ABI office and heading to Cedar Rapids for the 2020 ABI Taking Care of Business Conference, ABI’s 117th annual convention. There would be a lot of excitement in the air and a lot of folks converging on Iowa’s second largest city.
Not holding the conference is disappointing for many reasons, not the least of which is because advance registrations were running ahead at a record pace. Terrific speakers were planned. Fabulous venues were lined-up. Everything was in place to make the 2020 event ABI’s best ever. It would have been great to have ABI Chair Cindy Dietz (Collins Aerospace, Cedar Rapids) welcome us to her town. That of course, is not to be.
As you know, the annual convention is important to ABI for several reasons. While the revenue raised by the convention is one of those, even more important is the event’s value as a source of programming and information for members. And even more important than that, the annual convention helps continue ABI’s momentum and provides members and sponsors with the very best business networking in Iowa.
All of that will be on tap NEXT year, at the 2021 Annual Conference. So, we look to the future with anticipation. See you back in Iowa City/Coralville next June!