Vistors
FAQ's

Yes - anyone can attend (but non-members pay a higher fee). Effective immediately, PDMA now offers Corporate Memberships. Companies who want to sign up 3-to-6 employees receive a discounted membership fee per person of $100 (usually $110). If 7 or more members join, the fee is only $90 per person. The Company must provide the names of the individuals. The company may change these names at any time - just send written notice to PDMA. If you are an individual member ($110) and change companies, your membership moves with you. If you are a corporate member and change companies, you lose your membership.

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If I join today, will my membership run for one year?

PDMA memberships run from January 1st through December 31st. Dues are NOT pro-rated. However, if you join between July 1 and December 31 of any year, your membership will be good for the entire next year.

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What’s the quickest way to join?

Fill out our on-line Form.

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I’m looking for a supplier – copywriter, fulfillment house, lettershop, telemarketing agency. Can you direct me to one of your members?

Yes you can now search by industry on the PDMA Website by going to the search member directory. For now, the quickest way is to purchase our 126-page "2000 Membership Roster & Resource Guide" (with a 70-page supplier yellow pages) for $250. Call our office with your credit card number. (The guide is free to members. We expect the next issue to mail in late May, 2000. New members automatically receive the Resource Guide upon joining. )

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Can I get a membership directory if I’m not a member?

No but you can purchase the membership list on labels or on a disk for a one time use. The cost is $250. New members get a copy of the Resource Guide when they join.

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When are your meetings?

Our calendar has a format: From Sept. thru May, we typically meet for dinner at a local hotel on the 3rd Wednesday of the month, preceded by 4:30 PM Council meetings. This year, we've chosen the Korman Suites Hotel in downtown Philadelphia. Exceptions for the 1999-00 year: December, our holiday charity auction; May, our Benjamin Franklin Awards dinner; and July, our Golf Outing. Additionally, the PDMA Database Marketing Council hosts luncheon meetings on months when there is no PDMA dinner meeting (ex: Dec., June, July and August).

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I’m doing some research on direct marketing. What resources do you have to help me?

Feel free to come to our office and use our library resources, including the DMA’s Statistical Fact Guide, published annually. Members can borrow our library books and audio tapes, for a month, at no charge. Click here for a full list of our list of books and audio-tapes.

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What resources do you offer to college students?

Several! PDMA membership is FREE to full-time students (fax in your transcript with the membership application). We offer an internship program that provides summer and part-time jobs to students in approximately 15 Philadelphia area direct marketing companies. We’ll provide a list of possible speakers -- leading PDMA members who can speak to your college class or marketing club (catalog and Internet marketing experts are hot!). Send your request to: contact@the-pdma.com. And, we have a scholarship program, endowed by a gift from The Marcus Family Foundation, that sends college seniors to a week-long seminar sponsored by the Direct Marketing Educational Foundation. Efforts to increase our scholarship funding will begin during 1999. Click here for more information about our internship program, our scholarship program, and our library.

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How can I advertise my services to PDMA members?

Several possibilities: (1) Our monthly 16-page newsletter. (2) Our annual Membership Roster & Resource Guide (126 pages last year); (3) Our Fall Back-To-School education conference & trade show; (4) Our Spring DM Days Trade Show and conference program book; (4) Sponsor an event – a monthly meeting, the Benjamin Franklin Awards, our golf outing. For pricing, click here -- or, call the PDMA office.

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Do you sell your mailing list?

Sell, no. But, we do allow a "rental" – a one-time usage -- of our membership list for $250. We will provide names on labels or on diskette. Restrictions: (1) before approval, we require a sample mailing piece in advance; (2) your copy may NOT state that your product or service has been endorsed by the PDMA; (3) your copy may NOT state that you are providing a special discount for our members. For more information, call the PDMA office.

Tell me about your Job Bank?

An insert in our monthly newsletter -- posted twice/month on this web site -- contains Positions Available ($125 for 50 words or less, plus $1 per additional word) and Positions Sought (free to members). For the newsletter, the deadline is the 10th of the month. For more information, call the PDMA office.

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Do you sponsor any basic seminars on direct marketing?

Three possibilities for you: (1) At one monthly meeting, we typically offer a Roundtables night. We’ve drawn 100-to-170 attendees during our last four Roundtable sessions. Topics are offered in "tracks" such as creative, database marketing, Internet, production, targeted marketing and telemarketing. (2) At DM Days, we have offered approximately 20 Roundtables where you can sit down and exchange ideas with an industry expert and industry colleagues. (3) Once a year, we offer DM101 - a basic workshop on the fundamentals of direct marketing. The next session will be on September 20, 2000.

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How do I get involved in The PDMA?

Come to a monthly meeting – Council or our full membership. Come to DM Days. Or, join a PDMA Committee. Volunteers are always welcome on our 7 standing committees:

DM Days
(several sub-committees)

Education
(sub-committees - college liaison, internship, library, Roundtables, scholarship, seminars, speaker’s bureau)

Membership
(sub-committees - prospecting, retention)

Monthly Programs
(plan dinner meetings for Sept., Nov., Jan., Feb., April, June)

Communications
(sub-committees - newsletter, directory & resource guide, web site)

Special Events
(sub-committees - Benny Awards & Golf)

Volunteers & Awards
Volunteering lets you contribute your unique ideas – and lets industry colleagues get to know your special talents. Get involved now by e-mail to: contact@the-pdma.. We'll notify the appropriate committee chair of your interest!