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Professional Development on the Homefront Secrets to Hosting Successful Chapter Meetings


By Nick Zazal, CVP, & Alexis Berggren


 meet and engage with our national and international colleagues. We discuss industry trends and ways to adapt. We have broad discussions about the future of our chosen profession. We experience the way live events impact our respective conference host cities and take in the sights. However, how well do we know our neighbors back at home? Who do we call to discuss the changing local city ordinance or state budget crisis? Who do we call to scout for the best talent in the area  down walls with competitors in our market to create meaningful and collaborative relationships? One answer is IAVM Chapter Meetings. IAVM Chapter Meetings help create the “grassroots” framework


           - proach to the invite list. Some chapter meetings are as broad as in-  Some chapters assemble a large planning committee, plan educa- tional content and even have guest speakers. Others simply provide a social opportunity for venue managers to meet and greet over a beverage and learn a bit more about their peers and the Association.   host a chapter meeting, and the Association is here to support you and help get you organized. Membership rosters can be provided to potential hosts as you pull together your prospective list of attendees, and a Chapter Meetings toolbox is available on the IAVM website to help you consider what content, if any, you’d like to program (iavm. org/regions/hosting-meeting). There are also examples to follow and tips that some of the most successful and established chapter meeting planners and leaders shared with us. Utah and Arizona have arguably two of the most organized and consistent chapter meeting programs in the country. We spoke with our colleagues from those areas about what makes their respective chapters successful and took away the following points of advice:


It takes a village Both the Arizona and Utah chapters have champions that help to or- ganize and plan, but they do not do it alone. A strong and well-con- nected network of general managers help guide chapter activities in Utah, and a group of committed volunteers, coordinated by a key chapter delegate, helps steer meeting plans in Arizona. Form a committee by asking for help from other members in your region and leaders in your community. Also, many regions have a


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board-elected Chapter Representative that can steer you toward people in your area that would be willing to help plan and execute a meeting. Also keep in mind that anyone can host! One of the largest obsta-


  allow for planning a conference. The last thing we want to do is take on the burden of running a planning committee and then falling behind because of our day job commitments. So, think outside the box! Do you have a manager or coordinator who has expressed inter- est in professional development and has meeting planning skills? Let    the BOK Center and Cox Business Center in Tulsa, OK. This not only provided the Region with a new unique event, but also gave that team meeting planning experience and a chance to put their name out there in front of their industry peers. That’s a precious opportu-  their moment to shine.


Plan your date conscientiously and be consistent The Arizona model consults not only the availability of the host ven- ue, but also local and regional major events and other professional conferences before a date is locked in to allow for maximum par- ticipation for their members. Utah, conversely, has successfully held their biannual meetings on the same day of the week each year (for instance, Winter Workshops are held every third Tuesday in Febru- ary), providing the opportunity for not only their members to plan ahead, but the organizers as well. In both cases, once you have your  to meet and try to stick to it. Twice a year? Annually? Biannually? Set an expectation so that people are looking for the invitation when that time comes.


Be inclusive when programming content Topics should be broad enough that they can speak to everyone. Town halls are important and give attendees a chance to be heard. You can poll your planning group or list of attendees for “hot topics” and then narrow down your focus from there. Keep in mind, also, that chapter meetings are a great way to en-


gage those employees who may not otherwise have an opportunity to participate in VenueConnect or other national conferences. Consider topics that speak to your supervisors and even entry-level employees. “Confessions of a Middle Manager” or hands-on practical courses, 


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