Scheduling Your Meetings on Capitol Hill

We Are Stronger Together

Now is the time for all of us to come together: schools, partners, and students to advocate for our institutions! Join us for the 2023 Congressional Summit and Hill Day, where together we can hear from Washington insiders and professionals on the challenges facing cosmetology schools and the vital education we provide to our students.

Let’s work together to create key messages that advance our mission and vision for the Beauty and Wellness education sector. Bring students, faculty, and staff to share their success stories. They are the true advocates we need.

The culmination of the 2023 Government Relations Summit will be a day spent on Capitol Hill where we will meet with Members of Congress and Congressional staff to discuss the critical issues facing our students and the schools that serve them. We are stronger together!

To help you schedule meetings with your Congressional delegation while you’re in Washington, D.C., we’ve compiled the following tips and tools you can use to easily contact your elected officials.

Step 1: Requesting your Meetings

We are empowering you to make your appointments for the 2023 AACS Fly-In. Please follow this link to the AACS Voter Voice page.

Input your name and address into the Info section. The page will pull up your two Senators and your House member. A pre-loaded letter has been included into the template box to request your meetings. Feel free to customize the language before you submit. We have provided some suggestions on the page regarding information you may want to include. You will need to follow up directly with the Congressional offices after submission to confirm your appointment. Please note: submitting on the link DOES NOT mean your appointment is confirmed. You might need to follow up multiple times to confirm your appointment directly with a staffer from your Representative’s and Senator’s offices.

Step 2: Notify AACS of your schedule

AACS needs to track your meetings so all of the appointments can be properly coordinated. Once you have submitted your request, please follow this link to complete the AACS Hill Day Appointment Form.

Step 3: Get Prepared

AACS will be offering a pre-event webinar to help you get prepared for your meetings on Capitol Hill as well as sharing talking points prior to the event.

Webinar 1: Final Preparations for Hill Day 2023

Date: TBD

Your AACS Hill Day Pre- Departure Checklist

The AACS Board of Directors, Government Relations Committee, and the AACS staff wants to thank you for registering for to participate in the 2020 Government Relations Summit and Capitol Hill Day! As you prepare to come to Washington, we thought it might be helpful to provide you with a Checklist to prepare for the Summit and your meetings.

1. Registration and Travel

Have you completed your event registration?
Complete your travel arrangements and your hotel? Deadline for the AACS group rate is March .

1. Congressional Appointment Itinerary

Make sure you have a list of the date, time, location, and names, email addresses, and numbers of the Member’s offices and staff with whom you have spoken.
Make sure to complete the AACS Hill Day Appointment Report.

2. Know Your School and Your Community

Institutional Data & Student Success Stories – Nothing paints a more vivid image of your institution than the stories of your students and your outcomes data. Be prepared to either provide your elected officials with one or two very brief handouts with information on your students and outcomes and/or prepared to share this information at the drop of a hat when discussing your school(s) with pride!
Your Community – Be able to explain briefly and concisely the needs of the community, how your community is changing, and how the school is responding to these changes. Remember both you and the Member SHARE this community!

3. Know Your Legislators

Background Information – It never hurts to take just a few minutes to review the website bio for each of your elected officials. Is there a link between you and the member from your collective past? Are there issues highlighted on the site that you can use as a conversation starter?
Previous Contact – Don’t forget to highlight past meetings, visits, or outreach you have provided to the Members’ offices.
Stance on Our Issues – AACS will be providing attendees the Hill Day talking points prior to arrival at the event. Please make sure to read and understand these. You will have time to ask questions and learn more regarding the talking points on the first day of the Congressional Summit.

4. Getting Down to Business

Business Cards – Don’t forget to pack an ample supply of business cards. Whether you are meeting your elected officials or their staff for the first time, or have an established rapport with them already, it is always important to make sure that they have a way to reach you.
Business Attire – We know that you know how to dress to impress, but please don’t go overboard. Being too fashionable with designer apparel and your most expensive jewelry is great for an evening out, but not a day on the Hill. Impressions matter. Don’t give our friends or our critics any cause for critiques.
Sensible Shoes – No, this isn’t a belated April Fool’s joke. Walking the halls of the House and Senate office buildings can be more than a bit hard on your feet. Wearing comfortable dress shoes can help alleviate some of the discomfort of a long day hurrying from meeting to meeting. Trust us, you and your feet will thank us by the end of the day.

5. Be Memorable

Videos – If you can’t bring a student to your appointments can you have some video testimonials on your phone or an iPad you can show the Members? These leave lasting impressions.
Student – If you can bring a student, are they prepared to tell their story during the meetings? Help prep them to make a lasting impact.
Invite a Partner – Some of the best AACS meetings include AACS Partner Members who can talk about how they support schools. Use them to help advocate for you.
One-Pager – Be prepared to leave a one-page document at each appointment. This should include information about your school and data about your outcomes. Make it simple to read and include photos or pull out testimonials. Include information on scheduling a site visit.