After the Financial & Insurance Conference Planners 2010 Annual Conference in November, the organization’s board members will drop their “vice president” titles, and while each will continue to chair a committee in a particular area, they will increase their emphasis on strategic leadership and leave day-to-day operations to be handled by staff at FICP headquarters.

FICP Northeast Region Co-Chairs Ali Ginnett, Independent Planner (left), and Sheryl Krongold, CMP, Senior Meeting Planner, Prudential, welcomed attendees to the Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel.

Meanwhile, FICP Executive Director Steve Bova will expand his relationship management role, both internally and externally. His focus will be on building and strengthening relationships with FICP’s hospitality partners as well as working on media relations, advocacy, and industry relations, in an effort to “elevate the stature of FICP throughout the meetings profession,” Bova told attendees at the FICP Northeast Region Summer Meeting, held at the Hyatt Regency Newport July 25–27. “This is my seventh year with FICP, and I’m excited to be expanding my role.

“FICP is unlike any other association in terms of how we interact with our hospitality partners,” he said, adding that the membership is thankful for the high level of sponsorship and participation in FICP events on the part of the organization’s HPers. To maintain FICP’s strength, Bova offered what he called a BHAG (that’s “big, hairy, audacious goal”): to get membership back to its peak level of 560 in 2008. Today, it stands at 440 members.

Board member Nancy Farmer, senior conference & travel specialist, The Hanover Insurance Group, announced the goal, noting that “the more planners we have, the more HPers who can participate, the more value we will be able to offer, and the more clout we will have in the industry.”

To help the organization reach its goal, Farmer announced that the board has agreed to dedicate more resources to recruitment and retention. In the headquarters office, FICP staffer Mark Swets will now take on the position of membership manager, and a customer service position will be added as well.

Farmer went on to remind attendees of the two recruitment contests under way, one for planners and one for suppliers, and of the discounted membership fees for multiple members from the same company.

Sweet spot: The 257-room Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel & Spa takes full advantage of its prime location on Goat Island, in Newport, R.I.

Members See FICP’s Value
In FICP’s recent member survey, the most popular reasons respondents cited for joining FICP were: connecting with peers, educational content, networking opportunities, and exposure to trends. Further, respondents feel that FICP is doing a good job delivering on those priorities, Bova noted, with 98 percent reporting that the association meets or exceeds expectations with regard to networking opportunities, 92 percent have their expectations met or exceeded with regard to connecting with peers, 82 percent have expectations met or exceeded with regard to exposure to trends, and 74 percent have expectations met or exceeded with regard to educational content. The FICP Web site has the full survey results, including data on member meetings.

The Northeast Region Summer Meeting drew nearly 100 planners and hospitality partners to the Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel & Spa. Read more about sessions on hotel negotiations, the myths of destination management companies and convention and visitors bureaus, and 12 tips for top-notch production (even without a producer).

Members of the design team for the FICP Northeast Region Summer Meeting were: Ivan Colon, Corporate Sales Manager, Preservation Society of Newport County; Ali Ginnett, Independent Contractor, Travelers Insurance; Sheryl Krongold, CMP, Senior Meeting Planner, Prudential; Lindsay Maloni, Conference Planner, Met Life; Jennifer Pitt, National Sales Manager, Newport and Bristol County Convention & Visitors Bureau; Randy Rovelto, Sales Manager, Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel & Spa; Jennifer Squeglia, CMP, Independent Contractor, Boston Private Wealth Management Group; and Cheryl Twiss, Director of Sales, Newport Hospitality, Inc. a DMC Network Company.