2010 Annual Conference Is "Standing Up and Making It Happen"

Well, I think we are getting back on track. We persevered in 2009 and the outlook for 2010 is encouraging. As we embark on this new age of meeting planning, we are challenged with how to better spend our company’s money and time. This year’s Design Team focused on delivering a program to help you do just that.

On behalf of the FICP Board of Directors and this year’s Design Team, we invite you to join us at the beautiful Fontainebleau Miami Beach, November 17-20. We took the theme this year, “Stand Up. Make It Happen” very seriously. The Design Team wanted to offer education sessions that will make a difference in your everyday job and help you bring value to your company.

New for 2010:

• For the first time, the pattern of the conference is changing to a Wednesday-Saturday pattern.
• We have renamed the “Marketplace” to “The Network.” Along with the name change, it has moved to the arrival day prior to the opening dinner. This allows our HP community to connect with planners earlier in the conference and provides more education session time on subsequent days.
• The Speaker Showcase is expanded to offer more keynote-level speakers.
• A new track of education sessions, “Behind the Scenes,” will give attendees an exclusive look behind the scenes of a day in the life of areas such as housekeeping and production to learn more about what it takes to keep your meeting on target.
• Not necessarily new, but back by popular demand, the one-day pass is available to planners unable to attend the full conference – providing the opportunity to attend Thursday, Friday or Saturday sessions.

Take a look at the Advance Program to get a head start on which sessions you want to attend and view the schedule for the four days.

Register today to secure your spot at this year’s Annual. Registration is $425 for planner members, $525 for prospective members and $1,350 for qualified hospitality partners if made by October 15.

I am looking forward to seeing you in November.

Cordially,



Cindy Wheaton, CMP
FICP Immediate Past President and 2010 Annual Conference Chair

Association News

FICP Mourns Loss of Member

FICP extends its condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of FICP Member Allison Mercer, who passed away on June 28. His many accomplishments and contributions to the insurance industry, Army and civil endeavors can be found here.

Call for FICP Board of Directors Nominations

Interested in Serving on the FICP Board of Directors?

FICP is seeking candidates interested in serving on the association's board of directors for 2011. If you, or someone you know, may be interested in serving on the board, please complete the Nomination Application by August 1. This deadline is necessary to give the Nominating Committee ample opportunity to consider the slate of candidates before the election.

To be considered for board service, a candidate must:

1. Be an FICP member in good standing for a minimum continuous two-year period (membership application approved by the board; dues fully paid).
2. Be able to maintain their corporate and/or meeting planning responsibilities as well as their FICP Board member responsibilities.
3. Be a strategic thinker focused on the big picture and the future.
4. Have the full support of their company's management, since an FICP Board position requires additional work and occasional travel.
5. Have a total of five years of work experience in the meeting planning industry.

Director terms are for three years and usually include the additional responsibility of serving as chair of an FICP committee.

To apply, please consider the items in our “Before You Say Yes” checklist and complete the Nomination Application by August 1, 2010.

For more information about the association, refer to FICP's Bylaws, Code of Ethics, or contact headquarters at (312) 245-1023 or info@ficpnet.com.

Survey Provides Snapshot of Member Needs/Economic Outlook

FICP recently conducted a survey with our planner members to gauge their needs and align them with the association’s 2011 strategic objectives. The survey also offered an opportunity for sr. planners to provide updated economic outlook data for their current and future meetings.

A summary of survey results, as well as benchmarks against previous studies, are available on the FICP Web site for planner member and HP reference. These results represent responses from a sampling of our membership. Please note: You will need to log into the Web site to access this presentation once you navigate to the link above.

Thank you to all those that participated in the survey.

CMI Salary Survey Released

Corporate Meetings & Incentives just released their Salary Study for sr. meeting planners/directors. FICP planner members can visit the FICP Web site to access the results. Please note: After clicking on the link, you must log into the Web site to view the survey results.

Start Networking Today

The 2010 FICP Membership Directories were mailed last month. An electronic version is available through the FICP Web site here.

Planning your future events? Don't forget to support those who support you!

Event News

Expand Your Network and Gain Valuable Education in Miami This November

Registration for the 2010 FICP Annual Conference is now open. The program, taking place November 17-20 at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, includes more than 25 education sessions, eight keynote-level speakers, numerous networking opportunities and the revamped tradeshow format (The Network).

Visit the registration site to view the Advance Program, download permission-to-attend templates, access travel information and register.

FICP Education Forum a Success

Attendees at last month’s Education Forum in St. Louis experienced three days of high-quality education, networking and a giveback activity that raised more than $2,000 for Our Little Haven charity. To view a conference recap and access session content, click here.

Save the date for next year’s Forum, June 15-17 at the Grand Del Mar in San Diego, CA.

Thank You Sponsors and Partners

Thank you to the 2010 Education Forum Sponsors and Strategic Partners for your continued support of FICP. Your contributions resulted in a successful event and valuable return on investment for attendees.

Upcoming Regional Events

Attend an FICP Regional meeting and expand your network! We have planned exciting, fast-paced education sessions that address current hot topics, provide networking opportunities with colleagues and hospitality partners and an informal exchange in which to share ideas and industry best practices. We encourage all FICP planner members and non-member financial or insurance planners to attend – there's something for all levels of planning experience.


2010 Northeast Regional Summer Meeting
July 25-27
Hyatt Newport on Goat Island
Newport, RI

2010 West Regional Meeting
August 15-17
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel
Dana Point, CA

2010 Canadian Regional Meeting
August 19-21
Fairmont Tremblant, Quebec
Mont Tremblant, QC

Upcoming Events

Please click here to view our Calendar of Events, which includes industry events, CMP Exams and additional programs.

FICP Welcomes New Members

The following people joined FICP in late June and early July:

Michelle Noyes, Great American Insurance Group, Cincinnati, OH
Shelia Cleary, National Life Group, Montpelier, VT

HPC News

Remember, the HPC is your voice to the association, and your comments or suggestions are always welcome!

Call for Hospitality Partner Committee (HPC) Nominations

Interested in Serving on the FICP Hospitality Partner Committee?

FICP is seeking candidates interested in serving on the association's Hospitality Partner Committee (HPC). If you, or someone you know, may be interested in serving on the HPC, please submit the formal HPC application to FICP Headquarters by August 1, 2010. This deadline is necessary to give the current HPC ample opportunity to consider the slate of candidates for board approval in October.

To be considered for HPC service, a candidate must:

1. Be an FICP Hospitality Partner in good standing for a minimum continuous two-year period (application approved by the board; dues fully paid).
2. Be a strategic thinker focused on the big picture and the future.
3. Have attended at least three FICP Annual Conferences.
4. Have at least 50% of their sales efforts within the insurance and financial services market segments.
5. Be able to make the financial commitment to attend all FICP Board meetings and the Annual Conference at their own expense each year. Please note: Most board meetings are held in conjunction with either an association event or an industry event.
6. Have not served on the HPC in the previous two years.

Each HPC term is for three years. To apply, please consider the full HPC criteria/responsibilities and complete the nomination application by August 1, 2010.

For more information about the association, refer to FICP's Bylaws, Code of Ethics, or contact headquarters at (312) 245-1023 or info@ficpnet.com.

Change in Hospitality Partner Fees

At their June meeting, the FICP Board of Directors unanimously approved an increase in hospitality partner list fees from $250 in 2010 to $350 in 2011. Hospitality partner fees and conference registration have not increased in several years, and conference registration fees will remain stable in 2011. The increase in list fees will allow FICP to continue providing increased value to hospitality partners through the BUY FICP program, advocacy efforts, industry communications, research and the introduction of the Online Exchange.

Recent Additions to the HP Community:

Minna Mäkelä, Rome Cavalieri, The Waldorf Astoria Collection, Rome, Italy
Christine Ptack, Q Center, Saint Charles, IL
Lori Frino, The Ritz-Carlton Resorts of Naples, FL, Naples, FL
Liz Akey, EMA Marketing Ltd, Oakville, ON, Canada
Paula Seibezzi, Toronto Marriott Bloor Yorkville, Toronto, ON, Canada
Jennifer Miller, ACCESS Destination Services, Long Beach, CA
Kyla Knudson, Travel Alberta, Fairfax, VA
Jon Young, Heroic Productions, Inc., Minneapolis, MN
Scott Shivner, The Irvine Company Resort Properties, Newport Coast, CA
Christopher Justice, Sparksight, Inc., Austin, TX
Kathleen Landry, Destination Partners, a DMC Network Company, Amesbury, MA

FICP Brand Positioning Statement

FICP provides high-quality information, education and networking to financial and insurance meeting professionals, increasing their success and strategic value. We maintain a balanced planner to hospitality partner ratio at all times, resulting in a unique business environment.

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