Volunteer

The Board of Directors is the governing body of FICP. It exists to provide strategic direction, set policy, ensure the association’s financial viability, provide sufficient resource allocation and oversee the performance of the executive director.

Eligibility Requirements

• Be an FICP meetings professional member in good standing for two continuous years or more.
• Be able to maintain their company responsibilities as well as their FICP Director responsibilities.
• Have the full support of their company's management, since Board service requires additional work and occasional travel.
• Have at least five years of experience working in the meetings and events profession.
• Have served at least one year in a volunteer role for FICP.
• Have not served on the FICP Board of Directors in the previous two years.

Desired Attributes

Desired Board Member competencies and qualities include:

• Having a passion for and commitment to the mission, understanding of the association, and that serving on the board is a privilege
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills; emotional maturity; influence, presence and charisma
• Strategic planning abilities – ability to think strategically and critically
• Understanding of financial management
• Leadership experience
• Ability to collaborate and build relationships
• Industry knowledge/business acumen
• Knowledge of governance practices; oversight vs. supervision; forward-thinking (duty of foresight)
• Capacity to recruit and retain volunteers

Time Commitment

Serving on the FICP Board of Directors is a significant commitment. It requires dedication, time and a willingness to actively participate in meetings and discussions. The FICP Board of Directors usually meets in person three times per year: In the winter/spring (strategy), summer in conjunction with the FICP Education Forum (mid-year and goal setting) and December (orientation and team building). The Board meets virtually in the spring to approve the annual audit and in the fall to approve the slate of directors and the following year's annual budget. Additionally, each director is asked to serve as a liaison to at least one committee or event team, which requires additional virtual calls and, in some instances, travel.

View the FICP bylaws    View the current Board of Directors

The Governance Committee reviews the applications and makes a recommendation to the Board of Directors for the following year’s Board. Once approved, a slate of recommended directors is sent to all meetings professional members in October. Members can vote on the slate and the results are announced at the Annual Business Meeting in November. Board terms are for three years and are not renewable; officer terms are for one year.

Eligibility Requirements

• A demonstrated leader who is actively engaged in the hospitality partner community and has a proven track record for championing the following leadership behaviors:
  • Visionary thinking
  • Inclusive leadership
  • Professionalism in social situations
• Have been an FICP hospitality partner in good standing for three cumulative years or more.
• Have attended at least three in-person FICP events, two of which have been the Annual Conference.
• Have direct responsibility for sales efforts within the insurance and financial services market.
• Have their company's financial support to attend and participate in Board and HPAC meetings (two-to-three per year), as well as the Annual Conference, and pay sponsorship and registration fees.
• Have not served on the HPAC in the previous five years.
• There is one designated position for a Rising Professional. This position is for an individual who has been in the hospitality industry for 10 or fewer years at the time of appointment.

HPAC Purpose

The HPAC serves as a representative body for the hospitality partners of FICP. The purpose of the HPAC is threefold:

1. Advocacy for Inclusivity and Collaboration
   • Presents hospitality partner community ideas and concerns to the Board of Directors.
   • Ensures that hospitality partners are fully integrated into the broader FICP community, encouraging open dialogue and cooperation between hospitality partners and meetings professionals. This aligns with the One Community initiative's goal of creating a more connected and unified network.
2. Thought Leadership
   • Provides regular insights on industry trends and challenges to both the Board of Directors and association membership. Through thought leadership, the HPAC helps drive discussions that benefit all stakeholders, emphasizing shared goals and values. It also ensures that the hospitality partner community is involved in key strategic decisions.
3. Consultation on Sponsorship Program
   • Monitors the needs of hospitality partners, provides input on the sponsorship program's effectiveness and supports the process to ensure equitable representation and engagement across the community.

Time Commitment

Two to three hours per month; participation includes at least two in-person meetings with the FICP Board of Directors, committee calls (about eight per year) and designated committee tasks. Each HPAC member is asked to serve as a liaison to at least one committee or event team, which, in some instances, involves additional travel.

View the current HPAC

FICP has three standing committees, each one directly supports FICP's strategic plan:

Education Committee: Provides guidance and direction on the association’s education offerings and generates topic and speaker recommendations for the various education activities throughout the year, in-person and online. Ideal candidates should have an interest in adult learning theory and have a strong pulse on industry trends and the diverse needs of the financial services and insurance meetings professionals’ community. Committee members should be well-connected with experts and peers capable of speaking on such topics.

Influence Committee: Oversees successful execution of advocacy efforts that support three overarching goals: 1) elevating the perception of meetings professionals and the impact of events, 2) increasing the number of meetings professionals “at the table” with C-Suite executives in their own organization and 3) elevating the perception of FICP as the premier organization for meetings professionals and hospitality partners in the F&I industry. Ideal candidates are senior-level professionals familiar with FICP who also have insight on elevating the perception of meetings professionals.

Membership Committee: Supports the association’s initiatives to recruit new members and retain existing ones. Focuses on enhancing member engagement and ensuring a valuable onboarding experience for new members. Ideal candidates feel comfortable talking to strangers, are well-networked and can speak from the heart about why they are FICP members or hospitality partners — real ambassadors who can speak to the value of FICP to others.

The incoming FICP Chairperson, in conjunction with the Governance Committee, appoints committee chairs with the approval of the Board. The Committee Chairs, in collaboration with the Board Liaison and Staff Liaison, appoint committee members; the Governance Committee is consulted and the Board is informed. This process is completed by the end of the calendar year or earlier.

Eligibility Requirements

• Open to all meetings professional members and hospitality partners in good standing.
• Terms are for one calendar year and are renewable for another year.

Time Commitment

Education Committee: Two to three hours per month; participation includes monthly committee calls and, as necessary, completing pre-work and serving as a room monitor for in-person and/or virtual programs.

Influence Committee: One to two hours per month; participation includes virtual committee calls (about four times per year) and designated committee tasks.

Membership Committee: One to two hours per month; participation includes virtual committee calls (about eight times per year) and designated committee tasks.

View the current standing committee volunteers

FICP has an event team for most in-person events. The event teams advise on general session keynote(s) and educational content, provide input on incorporating local elements into the meeting, develop the event’s networking strategy and participate in “grassroots” marketing campaigns as needed.

The role of the Strategic Leaders Event Team is slightly different than other event teams. This team assists staff in determining the format for the in-person event, including serving as or selecting a facilitator, as well as generating discussion topics for educational content. In addition, the Event Team is responsible for facilitating approximately three virtual exchanges throughout the year.

In a typical year, FICP has the following event teams:

• Annual Conference Event Team
• Education Forum Event Team
• Strategic Leaders Event Team
• Fuel Forward Exchange Event Team

The Event Team Chair, in collaboration with the Board Liaison and Staff Liaison, appoint event team members; the Governance Committee is consulted and the Board is informed.

Eligibility Requirements

• Meetings professional members (hospitality partner spots are predetermined).
• Service period ranges from six months to a year and a half, depending on the event.

Time Commitment

Annual Conference Event Team: One to two hours per month; participation includes monthly virtual calls and designated Event Team tasks. May include one site visit, usually in the first quarter of the calendar year. Planning cycle is a year and a half.

Education Forum Event Team: One to two hours per month; participation includes monthly virtual calls and designated Event Team tasks. May include one site visit, usually in the first quarter of the calendar year. Planning cycle is one year.

Strategic Leaders Event Team: Up to three virtual exchanges held throughout the year; two hours each. Planning for the in-person event begins in the second half of the year; one to four hours per month pending need. Planning cycle is one year.

Fuel Forward Exchange Event Team: One to two hours per month; participation includes monthly virtual calls and designated Event Team tasks. Planning cycle is six months.

In addition to the Board of Directors, HPAC, Standing Committees and Event Teams, FICP has additional volunteer opportunities which include:

DEI Working Group: The DEI Working Group exists to provide leadership on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) for FICP and the profession. The group will identify opportunities, develop resources and promote best practices with regard to DEI for the FICP Community to position the association as an industry leader. This working group focuses on improving diversity and a sense of belonging within FICP.

Time Commitment: One to two hours per month; participation includes virtual working group calls (about four times per year) and designated working group tasks.

FICP Chat Facilitators: The FICP Chat Facilitators lead up to six online discussions throughout the year. Facilitators should encourage balanced participation, ensure respectful dialogue, facilitate discussions that include diverse viewpoints and manage biases that may arise. Content is advised by the Education Committee; facilitators develop the discussion topics. Meeting/discussion facilitation experience is preferred for this role.

Time Commitment: Approximately 10 hours throughout the year, spread across six virtual FICP Chats.

FICP In... Events Task Force: This task force assists staff in determining the dates and location for events to be held in areas of high FICP membership and potential membership density, based on knowledge of the local community and industry event landscape. Task Force members also recruit members and prospective members to attend the event.

Time Commitment: Two to three one-hour virtual meetings and optional attendance at the event.

Rising Professionals Community Co-Chairs: The Rising Professionals Community Co-Chairs advise on educational content for the online Rising Professionals Community and social activities for in-person events. They serve as a strategic resource to the FICP Board of Directors to ensure FICP is appropriately engaging the Rising Professionals persona. They also take on the role of facilitators for online and in-person Rising Professionals gatherings. These positions are for individuals who have been in the industry for 10 or fewer years.

Time Commitment: One to two hours per month.

Silent Auction Task Force: The Silent Auction Task Force is a subcommittee of the HPAC. Each year, the silent auction is hosted during our Annual Conference. Work alongside your FICP community members and partners to help secure donations and promote the Silent Auction for a great cause. With over a million dollars raised for incredible causes over the years, you'll have the opportunity to join a force of fundraising superheroes.

Time Commitment: Three virtual meetings; six hours of total commitment.