Let's Dance Stamps

An electronic version of this Let's Dance/Bailemos commemorative stamps publicity kit is available on the Postal Bulletin Web site:

• Go to http://blue.usps.gov.

• Under "Essential Links" in the left-hand column, click References.

• Under "References" in the right-hand column, click Postal Bulletin.

(The direct URL is http://www.usps.com/cpim/ftp/bulletin/pb.htm.)

The electronic version makes it easy to complete the fill- in-the-blank materials included in the kit.

Publicity Ideas to Interest Media

There are many ways to interest your local media about an unveiling prior to the stamp issuance or the Let's Dance/Bailemos commemorative stamp dedication events. Here are some suggestions to capture media attention.

• Look for Latin American events, festivals, and celebrations already planned. If there is a large event in your area prior to the first day of issue, contact the organization and offer cross-promotional opportunities for an unveiling. If the event is after September 17^th, offer opportunities for a second-day-of-sale event.

• Hold salsa, merengue, cha-cha-ch, and/or mambo dance classes/sessions to encourage employees and their families to learn more about Hispanic- American heritage and culture. Encourage any employees with dance knowledge to share it with their colleagues.

• National Hispanic Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15. Throughout this time, tune into radio stations playing Latin American dance music in local Post OfficesTM to strike interest and get people talking about the upcoming stamps. Also don't forget Hispanic-American holidays throughout the year (i.e., Cinco de Mayo).

• Hold dance (salsa, cha-cha-ch, mambo, and merengue) classes/contests.

• Host a cook-off or potluck meal with various Hispanic-American dishes.

• Honor a different stamp each week of Hispanic Heritage month, September 15 through October 15 (i.e., week one honor salsa, week two honor merengue, etc.), and, if possible, invite a well-known Hispanic- American figure (singer, dancer, actress, etc.) to participate.

• Encourage writing contests for school-age children (i.e., "What Singing/Dancing Means to Me").

• Use a dance studio to hold an event and incorporate dancers into the program.

• Look for opportunities to partner with local dance schools to showcase stamps and products.

• Look for opportunities to partner with local philatelic organizations that may be sponsoring exhibits or other events. Contact the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the World Salsa Federation (WSF), the Association of Hispanic Arts, and the Salsa Congress (see list on page 5). Offer to speak, conduct workshops, or organize volunteers from your staff to help.

• Inform customers that passports will be necessary when traveling to and from the Caribbean, effective January 2006. Show customers how easy it is to apply for a passport at the Postal ServiceTM.

• Help after-school programs set up stamp collecting clubs and share Hispanic-American history. Ask local stamp collectors to set up a display of stamp collecting tools and philatelic materials, such as tongs, magnifier, perforation gauge, albums, first-day covers, and so on. Go to the American Philatelic Society's Web site at www.stamps.org to find local chapters.

• Promote the Postal Service's "Sure Money" program, branded in retail as Dinero Seguro®, available in select retail locations since 1996. It's a quick, economic, convenient, and safe way for customers to wire money internationally, especially to family members. This service is available in Latin America, Argentina, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Peru, and Mexico. For more information, from the blue page, visit: http://blue.usps.gov/marketing/retail/suremoney/welcome.htm.

• Order Publication 295, Honoring Latin American Culture and History.

You can order Publication 295 from the Material Distribution Center (MDC) and use touch-tone order entry (TTOE): Call 800-332-0317, option 2.

Note: You must be registered to use TTOE. To register, call 800-332-0317, option 1, extension 2925, and follow the prompts to leave a message. (Wait 48 hours after registering before placing your first order.)

Use the following information to order Publication 295:

PSIN: PUB295
NSN: 7610-03-000-9507
Unit of Measure: EA
Minimum Order Quantity: 1
Bulk Pack Quantity: 200
Quick Pick Number: N/A
Price: $0.5636
Edition Date: 09/03

• Send information to both English and Spanish media channels and have materials translated into Spanish as well.

Implement any of these ideas, combine them, or brainstorm with your employees and come up with ideas of your own. Using the publicity materials in this kit, be sure to publicize each and every event to your local newspaper, radio and television stations via press releases, media advisories, and letters. Don't forget to make follow-up telephone calls.

Let's Dance Throughout the Year! Hispanic- American Events to Promote USPS Let's Dance Commemorative Stamp and Consumer Products

Listed below are a number of events taking place across the United States. Please check your local entertainment calendars for more event listings and information, as some organizations have not confirmed dates or locations.

Please note the number in parentheses is the expected attendance.

August:

• Carifete Caribbean American Festival, Chicago, IL

• Festival Puertorriqueno de Boston, Aug. 5-7, Boston, MA

• 4^th Annual International Miami Salsa Congress, Aug. 18-21, Miami, FL

• Caribbean American Festival, Aug. 20, Chicago, IL

• Peachtree Latino Festival, Aug. 28, Atlanta, GA

• Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival, Aug. 28-29, (160K+), Chicago, IL

September:

• Hispanic Heritage Festival, ALL month, (150K+), Miami, FL

• Fiesta de Septiembre, Los Angeles, CA

• New York Salsa Congress, Sept. 2-4

• Diez y Seis celebration, Sept. 4, San Antonio, TX

• Expo Tu Casa (Agile events), Sept. 9-11, Houston, TX

• Fiestas Patrias California Santa Ana, Sept. 10-11, (50K+), Santa Ana, CA

• LA Fiesta del Pueblo, Sept. 10-19, (50K+), Raleigh, NC

• Mexican Independence Day Parade, Sept. 11 (300K+), Chicago, IL

• U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 26^th Annual National Convention and Business Expo, Sept. 14-17, Milwaukee, WI

• Boston Salsa Congress, Sept. 15-17

• World Music Festival: Chicago 2005, Sept. 16-21, Chicago, IL

• Seattle Fiestas Patrias, Sept. 17-18, (100K+), Seattle, WA.

• Fiestas Patrias Parade and Festival, Sept. 17-18, (200K+), Houston, TX

• Fiestas Indianapolis, Sept. 18, Indianapolis, IN

• Viva la Musica, Sept. 25-26, Orlando, FL

• Houston Salsa Congress, Sept. 29-Oct. 1

• Hispanic Heritage Festival, Sept. 29, Miami, FL

October:

• Off the Main Art Festival, Oct. 6-9, New York, NY

• Mensaje Latin Festival, Oct. 14-16 and Oct. 21-23, New Orleans, LA

• Latino History Parade, Oct. 15, Pasadena, CA

• Atlanta Salsa Congress, Oct. 21-23

• Latino Book and Family Festival, Oct. 22-23, Los Angeles, CA

• Festival Calle Orange, Oct. 24, (100K+), Orlando, FL

• WSF World Salsa Championships, Oct. 28, Miami, FL

November:

• Latin Grammies, Nov. 3, Miami, FL

• Los Angeles International Tamale Festival and Carnival, Nov. 11-13, Los Angeles, CA

• 3^rd National Summit of Hispanic State Legislators, Nov. 11-13, Washington, DC

• Cuatro Festival Puerto Rico 2005, Nov. 11, Chicago, IL

• San Francisco Salsa Congress, Nov. 18-20

Suggested Participating Organizations and Contact Information

The information below is a suggested listing of participants for Let's Dance commemorative stamp dedications.

LEAGUE OF UNITED LATIN AMERICAN CITIZENS NATIONAL OFFICE (LULAC)
2000 L ST NW STE 610
WASHINGTON DC 20036-4917

Telephone: 202-833-6130
www.lulac.org

WORLD SALSA FEDERATION INC
8080 SW 81 DR
MIAMI FL 33143-6609

Telephone: 305-271-0606/ 888-825-7768
www.worldsalsafederation.com

ASSOCIATION OF HISPANIC ARTS
250 W 26TH ST 4TH FL
NEW YORK NY 10001-6737

Telephone: 212-727-7227
www.latinoarts.org

EL MUSEO LATINO
4701 S 25TH ST
OMAHA NE 68107-2728

Telephone: 402-731-1137
www.elmuseolatino.org

CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS
WASHINGTON DC OFFICE
328 CANNON HOUSE OFFICE BLDG
WASHINGTON DC 20515-0001

Telephone: 202-225-6161
www.chci.org

DANCE ART MUSEUMS OF THE AMERICAS
BOX 118
SANTA FE NM 87504-0118

Telephone: 505-466-2891
www.danceartmuseum.com

HISPANIC SOCIETY OF AMERICA
AUDUBON TERRACE
613 W 155TH ST
NEW YORK NY 10032-7501

Telephone: 212-926-2234
www.hispanicsociety.org

CUBAN AMERICAN NATIONAL COUNCIL
WASHINGTON DC OFFICE
1444 I ST NW STE 800
WASHINGTON DC 20005-6543

Telephone: 202-898-4880
www.cnc.org

US HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
2175 K ST NW STE 100
WASHINGTON DC 20037-1863

Telephone: 202-842-1212
www.ushcc.com

NATIONAL COUNCIL OF LA RAZA (NCLR)
1126 16TH ST NW 6TH FL
WASHINGTON DC 20036-4804

Telephone: 202-785-1670
www.nclr.org

HISPANIC YEARBOOK
6718 WHITTIER AVE STE 130
MCLEAN VA 22101-4531

Telephone: 703-734-1632
www.anuariohispano.com
(for Hispanic media, organizations, federal agencies, embassies, and consulates in your district)

You may also contact your local public libraries, schools of dance, and Latin American bookstores for participation in the events.

Event Planning Checklist

When planning the Let's Dance/Bailemos commemorative stamp events, keep the following suggestions in mind:

• Begin planning immediately.

• Contact your nearest Hispanic-American organizations such as the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), the World Salsa Federation (WSF), the Association of Hispanic Arts, the Salsa Congress, dance studios, etc.

• Set a date.

• Secure participants.

• Order enlargements of the stamp image, flyers, and other supplies for the event.

• Prepare a special pictorial postmark, if applicable (announcement form on page 7).

• Secure staging and sound equipment, if applicable.

• Plan signage, including a podium sign and banners.

• Launch a local publicity campaign using the materials in this kit.

• Draft a sequence-of-events agenda and speaker remarks.

• Plan retail opportunities (booth, bag stuffers, etc.).

• Prepare ceremony programs and invitations.

• Contact your district Diversity Development and Hispanic program specialists (http://blue.usps.gov/diversitynet/dir.htm).

Pictorial Postmarks

As a pictorial postmark has not been produced at the national level, Post Offices planning events may design their own special pictorial postmark. As a reminder, the Postal Service must endeavor to make all unusual postmarking services widely known to collectors through advance publicity to avoid limiting the availability of these postmarks. Therefore, all pictorial postmarks must be reported to Stamp Development 3 weeks prior to local events. Please use the announcement form on the following page to report your use of a postmark.

Guidelines for Finalizing Let's Dance/Bailemos Commemorative Stamps Pictorial Postmark Art

To finalize the Let's Dance/Bailemos commemorative stamps pictorial postmark art, insert the date, city, state, and ZIP CodeTM of the physical location of your event adjacent to the stamp image. Overall dimensions of the pictorial postmark must not exceed 4 inches horizontally by 2 inches vertically. Collectors prefer the dimensions 3 1/2 inches by 1 inch.

Second-Day Postmarks

Second-day postmarks are pictorial postmarks and follow the same guidelines as above. The word Station or the abbreviation STA is required somewhere in the design, since it will be a temporary station.