ORIGINAL: hook57
Upper management tends to listen more in these instances because they are not as familiar with the ''front line'' of the industry under discussion. Unfortunately, notwithstanding the AMA perhaps, I've yet to see anything approaching a united front. But when it develops, it needs to know where to go to garnish attention. Rallies, unless in very, very large numbers, rarely garnishes national attention; however, it does often tend to attain local attention. That can filter upwards and attain wider attention; that is when the numbers of participants are really revealed/known.
hook
Our biggest problem as I see it is the more vocal we get the more the media will show us as a bunch of old guys that never grew out of playing with toy planes. I know it sounds cynical but that will sell better than the real story. Lets face it the general public views hobbies like racing, boating, fishing, hunting...etc. as manly and worthwhile, but flying "toy" airplanes as childish men fulfilling their flights of fancy and therefore not worthy of concern. Again I may be overly cynical, but I am rarely disappointed when I expect this type of reaction from the "public."