Special report explores how groups are boosting advocacy away from Capitol Hill

Many of the same skills and strategies associations use to sway Congress are also key to winning battles in other arenas. Associations ask their members to tell compelling stories in face-to-face meetings with regulators. They collaborate with coalitions in multiple states. And when that fails to move the needle in Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, more groups are turning to legal challenges.

In this special report, CEO Update looks at how associations are fine-tuning and ratcheting up advocacy efforts in three venues beyond Capitol Hill.

Making change happen—or stopping it—one state at a time
TechNet's "boots on the ground" have a lot of territory to cover.

Five people in four offices handle state government relations for the entire U.S., so prioritizing key states and issues is critical, said John Doherty, TechNet's vice president of state policy and politics, and general counsel.

"In the state capitals, every year, thousands and thousands of bills live or die, and become law," Doherty said. "That process is not something the industry can afford to ignore." FULL STORY

Tell the story right to get on the same page with regulators
The National Association of Chemical Distributors added a new component to its annual fly-in in 2013. In addition to visiting congressional offices, NACD members sit down with some of the unelected officials who have a great impact on their businesses.

"Regulatory issues are really front and center" for NACD members, said Jennifer Gibson, vice president of regulatory affairs. "Handling chemicals brings numerous regulatory requirements from the whole alphabet soup of agencies—EPA, OSHA, DOT, DHS, DEA. The list goes on and on." FULL STORY

Trade groups find road to influence goes through court
Associations are increasingly saying, "See you in court."

As other avenues of advocacy became blocked in recent years, trade groups in particular increased their traffic on the legal route. They have driven all the way to the Supreme Court on issues ranging from the Affordable Care Act to presidential recess appointments—and succeeded in some key constitutional cases. FULL STORY