Business cards are great for face to face meetings. When you hand out your card you are extending an invitation for a future contact. This small device that contains important contact information for developing relationships has become a main stay in business and social circles. Many hams use business cards or "eyeball" cards to exchange information when they meet each other at meetings or events.

For those times when you can't be there in person, some ham clubs are using information cards that welcome hams and non-hams alike to the area. The information card is a larger and has more information on it than your typical business card. Information cards often contain local contact information as well as an invitation to visit the club or to use the local repeaters.

Some ARRL Affiliated Clubs are placing these cards in areas where travelers generally look for local information or attractions, such as in hotel lobbies or tourist information centers.

United Radio Amateur Club, K6AA, uses this attractive full color information card to invite visitors to visit their club station located at the Los Angeles Maritime Museum.

The United Radio Amateur Club, K6AA, uses a slick vertical post card that can be placed in the information holders at hotels and other areas where a visiting ham may find it. The full color card is printed on both sides and has a nice photo of Los Angeles Harbor along with contact information, website and an invitation with directions to their club station.

This simple and clean layout is easily noticed by travelers visiting the Cape Cod, MA area. Genesis Amateur Radio Society provides these at various tourist information centers.

The Genesis Amateur Radio Society, N1ZIZ, of Plymouth, MA, also prints multiple cards on a page. Their design prints three long cards on a page that when cut measure 3 ½" x 8 ½". GARS places these cards at tourist information centers so that hams visiting the Cape Cod area can get useful information. Along with the usual repeater and net information visitors are provided with an IRLP node and an open invitation to attend the monthly club meeting held at the easily accessible Plymouth Airport.

Southern Florida Section Manager, Sheri Brower, W4STB, has designed an information card that provides information on SFL section and ARRL. This card is available on the SM webpage for other SMs to use by replacing the SFL information with their own.

Sheri's design allows four cards to be printed on one page and then cut afterwards.

It should be noted that before you place any materials on public or private property, you should obtain permission, preferably in writing, to do so. When asking for permission it should be clear as to who is going to maintain information in the rack; will your club just supply materials that the host will display as needed or will you also have to maintain and replenish the inventory on display on a regular basis.

Section Managers can use this card designed by SFL SM Sheri Brower, W4STB, to promote Amateur Radio.

Contact information is important. Cards and leaflets should be uncluttered and arranged in a way that is attractive and gets the visitor's attention. Present the information in bullets so that it is quickly noticed. Provide complete contact information including area codes or e-mail addresses. With many travelers having access to the World Wide Web, webpage and e-mail information is a big help.

For new hams and visitors to a club, some organizations have made information packets that can be presented to their guests or potential members. These packets contain even more information about the club and ham radio in the area than a card or flyer. A well organized information packet that contains contact information and operating guides can often be a great resource to a new ham.

Information packets handed out at club meetings should be more complete and can contain a lot more information than a standard post card. These packets are usually given to new club members and new hams as a way of welcoming them to your club and to ham radio.

One club in particular that has designed a super information packed hand out is the Mt Baker ARC, K7SKW, in Western Washington.

MBARC has a great training and mentoring program. This active club is always looking for new ways to introduce ham radio to new people provide guidance to the new hams that come to their organization.

ARRL is committed to support Affiliated Clubs in their efforts to mentor new hams. [Full Story]

Their handout is so complete and informative that many clubs have asked about using it themselves. Because of these requests, the Mt. Baker folks have allowed ARRL to provide a downloadable version to use. This .PDF file has provisions for clubs to insert their own contact information as well as local repeater directories and other local information. If you do use this packet, please be sure to thank the Mt. Baker Amateur Radio Club for the super job that they have done with it.

Welcoming new hams or inviting traveling hams to your club is a nice gesture and reinforces the friendship of ham radio. By providing contact and other local information you are letting other hams know that as long as they have Amateur Radio they are never a stranger and they are always welcome wherever they are.

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