Building a Return of Value Operating Principle

This time will be remembered as the most challenging period of our careers and our industry. But, we will get through it. What we are learning and experiencing now will forever change our business to a focus on delivering value – planners to our company owners and constituents, suppliers to planners – all of us working on delivering the best experience we can to our event participants, acting as exceptional stewards of our precious financial resources.

There are two aspects to return of value. One has to do with how event planning departments operate inside their own organizations:

· Creating a professional event planning process that focuses on delivering the best meeting and event outcome.
· Communicating that process to senior corporate executives, thereby positioning the corporate event planning department as a key resource inside the company.
· Ensuring that no event or meeting is developed or launched without a clear set of objectives and outcomes that can be measured.
· Tracking and reporting meeting budget and expenses, and reporting that directly to the company’s chief financial officer.
· Evaluating event ROO or ROI and reporting those results to the CFO and key corporate executives.
· Positioning the event planning department not as an expense, but a source of value and revenue to the organization.

The companion aspect of return of value focuses on the relationship between the planner and the supplier. Doing less with less is the new normal for most planners. Events and event spend are being scrutinized like never before. Planners are under pressure to not only reduce expenses, but to do it in a way that does not diminish the experience for the attendees, especially those who earned an incentive conference experience through hard earned sales results.

Planners need to work with suppliers who understand this – every event dollar we spend must show value in the eyes of the attendee. This means suppliers must work in partnership with planners like never before. Suppliers who do that will reap the rewards of repeat business, referral business, positive evaluations on the FICP Online Exchange, and become true partners in the BUY FICP initiative.

The best outcome of this new way of doing business, focusing on return of value, will be planners keeping their jobs, and hospitality partners reaching their goals.

Regards,



Dan Young, CMP, CLU, ChFC, LLIF
FICP President

Association News

Young Becomes President, New Board Members Appointed

At the Annual Conference, 2009 President Cindy Wheaton, CMP, passed the gavel and all presidential duties to Dan Young, CMP, CLU, ChFC, LLIF. Young will now serve as president until the 2010 Annual Conference. Todd Zint, CMP, CMM, became the new President-Elect and will automatically become FICP President at next year's Annual Conference. In addition, three new board members were elected:

· Florine Edwards, CMP, CMM, will serve as Vice President, Regions
· Koleen Roach will serve as Vice President, Finance
· Jana Stern will serve as Vice President, Education

Exiting were the following board members whose terms expired:

· Kim Boriin, CMP, who served as the Vice President, Education
· Morgan Murphy, CMP, who served as Vice President, Finance
· Patricia Kerr, CMP, who served as the Immediate Past President and Chair of the 2009 Annual Conference Design Team

For further details, please see the related press release.

New Corporate Discount for FICP Planner Members

For the first time, FICP will be offering a $50 discount on each individual's membership dues for those companies with five or more members. This discount will be automatically applied to your membership dues upon logging into the FICP Web site. Information regarding the 2010 FICP membership process will be available shortly, so watch your e-mail for further communication.

Annual Conference Board Presentation

The FICP Board of Directors gave a presentation at this year's Annual Conference that outlined the strategies, actions and accomplishments of the association as well as financial information and goals for 2010. If you were unable to attend the conference, you can view the slides from this presentation here.

Silent Auction a Success!

The funds raised through this year's silent auction totaled $60,501 and allowed FICP to purchase 1,071 STORMTECH jackets for "Coats for Kids," a program run through the Salvation Army. In addition, FICP collected 154 new and gently-used coats from attendees at the Annual Conference. Visit the FICP Web site for more information.

CIC Launches Communication Campaign and Engages in Economic Significance Study

Earlier this week, the Convention Industry Council (CIC) announced its plans to launch a grassroots communications effort to demonstrate the value of meeting face to face. To compliment these communications, the CIC is engaging in an Economic Significance Study to gain relevant data on our industry. As a CIC member, FICP will keep you informed of these initiatives.

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

Event News

Annual Conference Offered Unlimited Opportunities

The 2009 Annual Conference offered attendees a plethora of top-notch learning and networking opportunities. For a full wrap-up, including links to event photos and session receipts, please visit the FICP Web site.

Also, FICP thanks all of our generous Annual Conference sponsors, without whom, this event could not have happened.

Regional Meetings

Northeast Regional Winter Meeting
Sunday, January 24 - Tuesday, January 26
Tarrytown House, Tarrytown, NY
Registration will open soon

Southeast Regional Meeting
Thursday, March 18 - Friday, March 19
Intercontinental Buckhead, Atlanta, Georgia
More information TBA

Upcoming Events

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

FICP Welcomes New Members

The following people joined FICP in late November and early December:

David McDonald, BMO Life Assurance Company, Toronto, ON, Canada
Deborah Schroeder, Aviva Canada Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada

HPC News

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

2010 Hospitality Partner Committee Announced

Brent Centlivre of Disney Resort Destinations, was named Chairperson of the HPC for 2010. The 2009 Chair, Bill Hopkins, Hopkins Entertainment, will now serve as Past Chairperson.

The HPC welcomed three new committee members for 2010:

· Bob Beach, CMP, Destination Hotels and Resorts, Chicago, Illinois
· Colleen Brzozowski, Grand Traverse Resort and Spa, Acme, Michigan
· Katy Gettinger, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

Kathy Fort Carty, CMP, Destination Services Corporation and Dan Tavrytzky, Southwest Conference Planners Inc. will continue on the committee. Jessica Phillips, Hyatt Hotels Corporation and Jack Gage, CMP, The Broadmoor will depart.

Regional Meeting RFPs

FICP is currently accepting RFPs for the 2010 Midwest/Great Lakes and West Coast Regional Meetings.

2010 Sponsorship Opportunities Available Soon

All 2010 sponsorship opportunities will be available for viewing on the FICP Web site in January. Sponsorships will go on sale on Wednesday, February 10th at 1:00 p.m. CST.

Watch for information on sponsorship eligibility and be prepared to "Stand Up and Make It Happen" in Miami! Details coming soon.

Patron Sponsorship Replaces Lottery

It was announced earlier this year that the lottery will be eliminated for 2010 in an effort to maintain the integrity of our sponsorship program and recognize its most loyal partners. In place of the lottery, FICP is excited to announce the Patron Sponsorship for 2010. For a $3,500 investment your company can become a Patron Sponsor and receive a spot at the Annual Conference. Please note: Patron Sponsorships will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis, registration rates will still apply and the number of Patron Sponsors will vary each year to maintain our desired meeting planner to hospitality partner ratio.

Hosted Partner Program to Return in 2010

FICP is thrilled to announce that the Hosted Partner Program, launched at the 2009 Annual Conference, will be returning in 2010. The program was designed to invite a targeted group of meeting planner members who are first-time attendees, or have not attended the FICP Annual Conference in five or more years, to return to the event so they could experience the value the Annual Conference has to offer. Each invitee was carefully selected by the board using set protocol and each received complimentary airfare, housing and registration for the event. As a participant noted below, the new program was a success in 2009 and is sure to be an even bigger hit in 2010!

"I just wanted to say thank you once again for the opportunity to attend the 2009 FICP Annual Conference. It was definitely a worthwhile experience. This is a great organization and one that I believe will be a good benefit for my team to participate in. I truly appreciated your hospitality and willingness to introduce me to so many remarkable people. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun while I was there."
-Andrea Descoteaux, UNUM, Portland, ME

Recent Additions to the HP Community:

Meredith Alaimo, CHSP, Dolce Atlanta-Peachtree, Peachtree City, GA
Joyce Morocco, CSEP, Niagara Falls Tourism, Niagara Falls, ON, Canada

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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