March 2010 – Column: Rick Petry

Painting the Town Red

Those who questioned the decision to move ERA’s mid-winter gathering–now known as The Great Ideas Summit–from Miami to New Orleans after many years, may not realize that the call for change was made within months of Hurricane Katrina, when the world’s collective sense of duty to the ravaged region was fresh and acute. It’s hard to believe that the disaster occurred well over four years ago and as the industry gathered, news of Haiti’s crushing earthquake brought back memories of Katrina–and stark reminders that life has been anything but easy in the Big Easy.

But to the industry’s credit, more than 50 colleagues gathered together on the Sunday before the conference in concert with the Beacon of Hope Resource Center, a New Orleans grassroots nonprofit organization aimed at helping areas impacted by Katrina. Together, an army of direct marketing professionals weathered near-freezing temperatures and painted hundreds of yards of fence in a public park that was once flooded. There was the sales guy, slopping as much paint on as quickly as possible and calculating his net contribution in terms of square footage; partners working in unison and others wandering apart; and, of course, the anal-retentive COO trailing some 20 feet behind everyone else to ensure that no spot was left unfilled. It was a veritable blender of work styles, impulses and predispositions, yet unified by a common purpose.

Afterward, local residents shared some first-hand stories of their Katrina experience: Possessions left water-logged, unrecoverable or lost forever; the rescue of pets that had survived for days on nothing but pluck; and the sense of dread upon returning to what was once their homes. They shared a final sentiment: gratitude–gratitude that strangers from all parts of the country and the globe would take time out of their weekend to lend helping hands, hands numbed by frost, yet thawed by good humor and a spirit of camaraderie.

That experience set the tone for the rest of the NOLA experience. It was a vivid reminder of what is unique about New Orleans–its people, genteel and gracious and the finest of hosts; its culture, a strange gumbo of southern, Cajun, voodoo and swamp; its music that runs the gamut from jazz to blues to zydeco; and perhaps most of all, its cuisine, delectable beyond reason, although containing more calories than you can work off in a P90X sweat fest. The nightlife? Let’s just say it’s the X-Games of Excess. In short, all of the reasons why New Orleans is worth restoring to its fullest vitality, and the perfect spot for the direct response industry to gather, do business, network and collaborate.

So, while some may have lamented the lack of sun, New Orleans generated its own kind of heat ignited by the flicker of gas lamps, the glow of new faces and sparks borne of novel, exciting experience. As one Ellen Glasgow once commented, “The only difference between a rut and a grave is the dimensions.” If the direct marketing industry has learned anything over the past many years, it’s that embracing change is imperative. So, while one might not want to make a regular diet out of deep-fried alligator, hopefully everyone can agree that without the likes of such risky fare once in awhile, reality would bite.

Rick Petry is a freelance writer who specializes in direct marketing and is a past chairman of ERA. He can be reached at (503) 740-9065 or online at rickpetry.com or www.twitter.com/thepetrydish.