The DLC's National Conversation is not just the meeting of the year for New Democrats -- it has fast become one of the nation's premier political and policy events. Few political events short of the quadrennial national nominating conventions rival it for impact and attention.

That's why more than 300 elected officials joined hundreds of business and civic leaders at the 2002 National Conversation in New York City, and why Senators Tom Daschle, Joe Lieberman, John Kerry, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John Edwards and Congressman Dick Gephardt addressed the participants. It is why CNN's Inside Politics deemed it important enough to broadcast on location in New York. And why major news outlets dispatched reporters and crews to cover it.

And it's why the 2003 National Conversation in Philadelphia is not to be missed by anyone who cares about what's next in American politics and policy.

Rising political stars from every corner of America will converge on Philadelphia to hear from leading national voices and discuss the ideas that will shape tomorrow. They will come from city halls, county courthouses, and state houses. In workshops and hallway conversations they will hatch the ideas and strategies that will leap from city to city, county to county, and state to state, through the DLC's formidable political network.

After the 2001 National Conversation in Indianapolis, The Washington Post's David Broder called the 650 attendees "an impressive lot" and wrote that the future of the New Democrat movement "lies more in the hands of its emerging state and local leaders. The Democratic left -- the Old Democrats -- has nothing to match that network."

The Indianapolis event is indicative of why the savvy attend this event to see what tomorrow will bring. One panel alone featured a state attorney general and an insurance commissioner who are now, respectively, Governors Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas.

As you know, the DLC was founded in 1985 to reverse the course of policies and strategies that separated Democrats from the political mainstream and generate a new debate about America's future. Its continuing mission is to modernize progressive politics and the nation's governing agenda, to cultivate new leaders and new ideas, and to reinforce fundamental progressive values by demonstrating innovative ideas and modern means to advance them.

The 2003 National Conversation is where the DLC and the New Democrat movement's next steps will take shape, and we invite you to join us in this important event.

The DLC leadership team includes CEO and Founder Al From and President Bruce Reed. Its political leadership includes DLC Chairman Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana; Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher of California as Vice Chair and Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware as Chair for Best Practices. Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell is our honorable host of the 2003 National Conversation.

If you are interested in joining the DLC and attending the 2003 National Conversation please contact our development department at (202) 546-0007.