Access is not open to everyone in our industry. This listserver is reserved for the associations to exchange information, some of which may concern strategic planning and be confidential. Other information may be very sensitive since it may contain "rumours" on prospective legislation or international actions that have not yet been confirmed. Redistribution of information on this listserver should be limited only to key industry members, until it is agreed that general publication is appropriate. The rules will help us indicate on messages the confidentiality/sensitivity of the message content. For this process to be effective, each of us needs to comply with these goals and objectives.

Purposes

We are all busy people. Every one of us encounters problems and issues that affect many of the IPAC members on a daily basis. The listserver can be used to call on the global pool of experience and expertise to help you solve your members problems! It can also serve as a way of exchanging information and ideas; it can help us alert each other to emerging trends and new developments; it can be a way that we can help each other prepare positions and defend our industry against unfounded and unwarranted claims.

Many of us attend international meetings, have good contacts in a particular area of interest or have a particular expertise that can be shared with others around the world. None of us can follow all the issues all the time. By pooling our experience and expertise, surely we can better represent the pet industry globally and thus serve the industries we are employed to protect?

Campaigns against pet ownership and the pet industry can, and do, happen anywhere in the world. What happens in Australia today could be Belgium's (or the UK's, or the US's) problem tomorrow. Circulating information about current hostile campaigns will allow each of us to learn from other colleagues. Again making us more effective in promoting and protecting our own member's interests!

How to participate

If you are a pet industry trade association or organisation, and are interested in actively participating in exchanging information via the IPAC listserver please respond by emailing

list@intpac.org

with

subscribe

in the subject line of the email. Or if you do not wish to participate, please email with

unsubscribe

in the subject line of the email; you will be automatically removed from the list.

Final thoughts

Please read the rules or "netiquette" for participating on the listserver, especially the section concerning confidentiality. Provide the give the listserver manager feedback so we can improve it and use it to help protect the industry that employs all of us.

Thank you and we look forward to your active participation on the IPAC listserver.

Keith Davenport - Ornamental Aquatic Trade Association (OATA) info@oata.demon.co.uk
Marshall Meyers - Pet Industry Joint Advisory Council (PIJAC - USA) mmeyers@pijac.com