REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL
ASSOCIATION MANAGEMENT COMPANY or CHAPTER ADMINISTRATOR
Table of Contents
Overview ................................................................................................................................... 2
Terms Required ......................................................................................................................... 3
Association Summary ................................................................................................................ 4
Duties and Responsibilities ........................................................................................................ 6
Submission Requirements ....................................................................................................... 13
Proposal Submission ............................................................................................................... 14
Calendar of Events 2015/2016 ................................................................................................ 15
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OVERVIEW
Established in 1984, Meeting Professionals International, Gulf State Chapter is the largest association for
the meeting professional in the area with a membership exceeding 200. Our chapter encompasses a
large and diverse population including Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. Gulf States Chapter is the
leader in our industry in providing quality education, networking and business opportunities to our
members.
.
POSITION:
Chapter Administrator
Key Characteristics of our future partner:
 Focus on the need for “reengineering” processes and provide a strategic system increasing the
chapter’s effectiveness
 Respond to the chapter’s needs timely and with flexibility
 Leverage the value of membership in a volunteer driven association
 Embrace a true partnership
 Enhance the chapter’s image in a positive and professional light
Skills we expect:
 Expertise in working with an annually transitioning volunteer board
 Expertise in strategic planning/project management
 Expertise in administrative/operational tasks
 Expertise in financial/budget management
 Expertise in meetings and event management
 Expert communication skills
 Expertise in developing and implementing processes for efficiencies
 Software skills for applications already in use or suggestions on improved systems
 Demonstrated negotiation skills
 Demonstrated organizational skills
 Familiar/Efficient in Quickbooks
Behaviors we require:
 Highly ethical
 Prompt response and accessibility
 Diplomacy
 Patience
 Flexibility
 Accountability
 Assertiveness
 Realism
Position requires:
 10-15 hours of training to be scheduled during May & June 2015
 Estimated time commitment is 40-50 hours per month
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TERMS REQUIRED

Contract period to be no less than one year, not to exceed two years, to coincide with
Gulf States fiscal year of July 1 – June 30. The terms of the initial agreement will
commence on July 1, 2016.

Members of the chapter’s elected leadership are excluded from consideration for the
chapter administrator position. However, their company may submit a bid as long as the
Board Member from that company recuses themselves from any and all conversations
and votes involving the association management company.

Following selection as Gulf States Chapter association management company (AMC),
the company (or individual) selected must provide proof of insurance, including; bonding,
errors & omissions, general liability insurance, and evidence of compliance with
employment laws.

Performance reviews of the selected AMC will take place twice a year (September and
during annual contract review in April). Payment schedule will be split evenly between
the months of the contract based on the total agreed to contract.

Must be able to transport/carry event and registration materials to and from events.
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ASSOCIATION SUMMARY
Meeting Professionals International
Vision and Mission Statement
Vision: Build a rich global meeting industry community
Mission: Make our members successful by building human connections to: Knowledge/Ideas,
Relationships and Marketplaces
Profile
Meeting Professionals International, the global meetings industry community, is committed to
delivering success for its more than 22,000 worldwide members by providing innovative
knowledge and learning experiences, connecting people and ideas and creating rich
marketplace opportunities. Founded in 1972, the Dallas-based organization delivers global
human connections through its 68 chapters and clubs in 20 countries around the world. For
more information, visit www.mpiweb.org.
MPI Gulf States Chapter
Vision and Mission Statement
The mission of Gulf States MPI is to be the premier MPI chapter for the global meetings and
events industry
Gulf States MPI strives to be the pivotal force in Gulf Coast of United States in providing
meeting planners and suppliers superior educational, networking, and leadership development
opportunities while establishing and implementing our business plan to ensure membership
growth, retention, and future development of the Chapter and its leadership.
Profile
The Greater New Orleans Area is a premier conference and convention destination and our
membership is heavily supplier based. We continue to strengthen our ongoing relationships
across the three states through our annual regional conferences, joint monthly meetings and
joint board retreats. We have several other active hospitality associations in our area, including:
HSMAI, ISES and NACE. We have been successful and will continue to actively pursue
alliances with these associations for joint meetings and activities.
Vision
Build a rich global meeting industry community
Mission
Make our members successful by building connections to:
 Knowledge/Ideas
 Relationships
 Marketplaces
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MPI’s 2015-2016 - Strategic Imperatives
Build a Great Organization - Create a remarkable culture and structure
Evolve from Association to Global Community - Deploy programs, knowledge platforms and
brand architecture to align with vision
Reinvent Business Relationship with Chapters - Invest in chapters to create channel
partnerships around community results
Elevate the Member Conversation and Experience - Elevate programs and services to a higher
level of experience and business return
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DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES
 File necessary papers with the International office, State of Louisiana and the insurance
company. Work with current Board members to make sure this is accurate and timely.
 Assist the Board of Directors in ensuring that policies and procedures are followed, make
recommendations to the Board regarding policies and take a pro-active role in determining
the future course of the organization by providing advice and counsel.
 Participate in or have a suitable replacement pre-approved by the board for all scheduled
chapter programs & events, Board meetings, and Board retreats.
 Liaison with appropriate board members to make sure the nominations slate, the 6 month
educational program plans, the budget, taxes, board meeting minutes, business plan, bylaws, and policies & procedures are completed, approved and submitted to the Chapter
Business Manager (CBM) on or before their due dates.
 Provide continuity of information and direction for Board members year to year.
 Works with the Executive Committee and CBM to develop strategic thinking skills and
strategies for the chapter.
 Ability to attend MPI International education and leadership conferences (MeetDifferent,
Chapter Leadership Conference and World Education Conference) as chapter budget
allows.
 Ensure that branding guidelines from MPI International are adhered to for all chapter
communications.
 Work in conjunction with the Office of the President to maintain a working calendar for the
Board including but not limited to: deadlines from MPI International, Chapter Business
Plan, Committees, etc.
 Assist in planning of Board Retreats
 Familiar with Cloud Storage such as Google Docs & assist with maintaining Chapter
archives
 Be familiar with and provide guidance with regard to all Meeting Professionals
International compliance regulations, including but not limited to:
 Branding Guidelines
 Chapter Board Structure
 Minimum Bylaws
 Member Communications
 Timely submissions of all required documentation to International
 Chapter Policies & Procedures
 Roberts Rules of Order
 Dashboard Metrics
Representation of Gulf States Chapter
 Act professionally at all times, keeping the membership’s best interest in mind.
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Preferred Equipment Supplied by Chapter Administrator
 Personal computer with printer
 high speed internet access
 Email account that can be published to the membership (we have a GSMPI admin e-mail
address that we own with our website- perhaps we should transition to that)
 A dedicated Gulf States business telephone line with the ability to receive and send faxes
over the internet
 Scanner and/or fax
 Voicemail
 Software should be Microsoft Office, Adobe Acrobat, QuickBooks, and FileMaker
Board of Directors (BOD) Meetings
 Collect and post monthly Board Reports from Board
 Create BOD agenda and send out to the Board 10 days prior to BOD meeting for BOD
review – send out final BOD agenda 3 days before the BOD meeting
 Take minutes at the BOD meeting. Send minutes to President for approval then to the
Board and CBM. Post BOD meeting minutes to www.mpigulfstates.org
Chapter Business Plan
 Support the chapter and participate in the development and execution of the annual
Chapter Business Plan as directed by the Board.
 Update Business Plan yearly with the new metrics and action items provided by the Board.
Dashboard Metric Reports
 Prepare the following reports to the Board & CBM quarterly:
 Net Member Growth
 Overall Member Satisfaction
 Attendance at Monthly Programs (members, student members and guests)
 Number of Volunteers
 Satisfaction of Education Programs
 Gross Margin
 Education Ratio
 Financial Metrics
Chapter Records, Stock & Supplies
 Maintain records, files and provide storage for chapter archives (currently in Google Docs).
 Store chapter records electronically or by hard copies if electronic versions are not
available. (Electronic archiving and back up will be stored on the GSMPI external drive ,
with appropriate labeling)
 Minimal archiving requirements are as follows:
 Newsletters
 Audited financials – 7 years
 All board minutes – electronic 7 years
 All correspondences pertaining to chapter business – 7 years (note: potentially useful
for audit purposes)
 All invoices – 7 years
 All bank statements – 7 years
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Chapter Records, Stock & Supplies, contd.
 Store and maintain International and Chapter stock including:
 Raffle tickets
 Note cards
 Electronic letterhead to be generated if needed. Any International collateral shall have
affixed to it Gulf States address information labels or stamp.
 Maintain basic supplies needed for general operations.
 Provide an inventory list of collateral and chapter property to the Board annually at the
incoming Board retreat held in the spring.
 Assist the Board of Directors and members with requests for information, supplies such as
note cards and letterhead for committee functions, specific member lists, etc.
Isn’t this is a function of the VP of Membership and that committee?
– We don’t mail or sell our membership list and do not process mass mailers any longer
Registration (via Gulf States website)
 Provide online registration training to all new Board members as needed.
 Manage registration for all chapter programs & events
 Coordinate advance online website registrations for all educational seminars/monthly
programs in accordance with timeline agreed to by the BOD.
 Provide timely updates to BOD on attendance count for each month’s program - include
any food allergies with final head count numbers, identified by planner member, supplier
member, student member and guests (non-members).
 Provide the guest’s registration list both pre and post program/event to the BOD
 Provide registration list of new members to BOD prior to each monthly meeting as part of
the monthly board package
 Process payments and send receipts accordingly for pre-registration and on-site reg
Monthly Programs
 Track and process all payments, refunds and guest inquiries revolving around monthly
chapter meetings and special events.
 Track the member/non-member attendance and fees, ensuring that attendees are
paying the appropriate fee and that non-members are attending only 3 meetings per
year.
Onsite Registration
 Coordinate on-site registrations for each monthly program. Staff registration desk at
meetings and collect payments at door (cash, check and credit cards).
 Process payments and provide receipts with CEU information for meetings.
 Provide dietary tickets for attendees with special dietary requests.
Name Badges
 Prepare name badges with appropriate designations.
 Produce guest name badges and badges for membership changes (laser printed stock
encased in temporary plastic cover with/clip).
 Tag Board members, new members, guests, speakers, CMP’s, sponsors, committee
member, etc with the appropriate ribbons at each event.
 Have blanks with holders or self-adhesive write-in name badges available for walk-ins.
 Collect badges at conclusion of meeting; re-file into alpha file for reuse at future events.
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Awards
 Keep current stock of award supplies and produce as needed.
 Print certificates to bring to designated meetings along with the frames.
Monthly Programs
 Help create the agenda for each meeting (gathering agenda items from the board,
finalizing the agenda and distributing it to the Board in advance, etc.)
 Maintain meeting agenda each month.
 Work with designated volunteer or board member to provide any required handouts or
additional materials
Monthly Programs Promotion
 Be proactive in helping promote monthly programs and events.
 Coordinate communication between nearby chapters with regard to our program schedule
to promote and encourage more outside chapter involvement.
 Provide venue and speaking details to Communications Committee; act as the liaison
between Education and Communications to ensure all details are included in all
communications within and outside the chapter to promote attendance and revenue.
CMP Study Group
 Process CMP Study Group participant fees.
 Maintain a list of interested CMP Study Group participants throughout the year.
Member Database
 Keep the Gulf States membership database current.
 Work with the membership to update their personal profiles/data on the International
website at www.mpiweb.org.
Membership Assistance
 Assist all members in information and requests as needed.
 Respond and follow-up to all inquiries and referrals within 24-hours.
 Mail membership information as requested within 24 hours of request.
 Forward all mail to appropriate chapter officer(s).
Membership Audit
 Audit monthly membership roster printout from MPI headquarters against chapter records.
 Follow up on any discrepancies.
 Pull out new members not previously known.
 Follow through with new members processing on chapter level.
 Note changes and correct chapter records.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
 Maintain sponsor logos and photo gallery from events and monthly programs in
conjunction with Communications Committee.
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BUDGET / FINANCE / SPONSORSHIP
Additional Financial Management Duties
 Work in conjunction with the VP of Finance to assist the Board and committees with
budget preparation and oversee financial operations of chapter to ensure all involved
adhere to budgets.
 Oversee bank communications in conjunction with the VP of Finance.
 Update signature cards from the Board as required.
 Forward reconciled bank and merchant statements to the VP of Finance.
 Maintain financial coding system through QuickBooks in conjunction with VP of Finance.
 Upkeep of financials and coding of financials with check requests from board members.
 Update TED Data base at the close of each month to ensure accurate information is
maintained for final revenues and attendance,
 Acquire necessary information to provide to the accountant for taxes and the annual audit.
 Additional fulfillment duties as directed by the Director of Special Events and the VP of
Finance.
Accounts Receivables
 Handle all accounts receivable functions including issuing invoices as required for monies
received.
 Prepare and make deposits to the bank.
 Report deposits (including who, amount, and account for income to be applied) to the VP
of Finance.
 Follow up on monies from past due accounts.
 Invoice and monitor accounts receivables at 30/60/90 day intervals until payments are
received and processed. After 90 days, the VP of Finance is to be notified and will advise
the action to be take on past due accounts.
 Record and deposit all cash, credit card payments and checks within one (1) week of
receipt.
 Enter deposits, write checks for signature at the monthly chapter meetings, file back up
documentation, and provide a budget report for the monthly Board meetings.
 Work with the VP Finance to provide a budget report that includes the bank statement
reconciliation with QuickBooks on a monthly basis.
 Bill current meeting no-shows and accounts receivables within three (3) business days of
the meeting.
 Track online payments and process cash and check payments for all programs at monthly
chapter meetings.
Accounts Payable
 Process checks for speakers and venues when needed once the approved paperwork has
been received from the Director of Programs or the VP of Education.
 Process check requests from Board/Committee Members.
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SPONSORSHIP
 Oversee all sponsor tracking and maintenance of sponsor values in conjunction with the
assigned board member
 Update verbiage and graphics of sponsorship brochure as needed.
 Send thank you notes to all sponsors and make sure all sponsor benefits are followed up
with in conjunction with the VP of Communications, VP of Finance and VP of Special
Projects.
 Provide tax identification and W-9 information to organizations requesting information.
 Notify BOD of which sponsors are sponsoring which monthly programs.
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SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Company Information
Proposals must include complete responses to each question in the order presented below. We
invite you to deselect tasks that you may not be willing or able to support.
A. Company History
1. Years of experience in association management or MPI.
2. Years of experience, if any, specific to meeting management skills.
3. A description of your specific skills and resources relevant to the requirements listed
herein.
4. A description of the size of your organization.
5. A description of the company’s business history or personal work history.
6. At least three (3) client references with contact name, phone, and e-mail.
B. Location and Accessibility
1. Location from which services would be provided.
2. A description of how travel will be handled to support needed services.
C. Technology and Staff
1. Technology set-up, including volume capabilities (computers, internet, phones, scanner,
copiers, fax, etc).
2. Applicable software package that will be used to complete the tasks described herein.
3. Staff support available; clearly identify how services will be managed by you and/or your
staff.
4. Description, responsibilities, and bio’s of staff who will work on the account.
5. Description of any real or perceived conflict of interest in working with Gulf States
Chapter
D. Fees
1. Amounts based on time estimates of required services as listed in RFP.
2. Estimated travel, office and miscellaneous out of pocket expenses.
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PROPOSAL SUBMISSION
Questions
We invite you to submit questions, electronically only, by 5:00 p.m. (Central Standard Time) on
March 26, 2015 to Kristen Kain at Kristen.kain@eventproducers.com. Response to all
questions submitted will be provided to you by end of business, March 30, 2015.
Intent to Bid
Any interested candidate must submit a written confirmation of intent to bid by 5:00 p.m.(Central
Standard Time) on April 2, 2015
Submission Due Date
Proposals must include complete responses to each question in the order presented in this
RFP. We invite you to deselect tasks that you may not be willing or able to support. For
example, if you don’t feel like you have the skill set to manage the chapter’s newsletter, you can
exclude that task from your proposal.
All proposals must be submitted electronically by 5:00 p.m. (Central Standard Time) on April 10,
2015 to: Kristen Kain at Kristen.kain@eventproducers.com
Interviews
Final candidates will be invited to interviews which will be conducted the week of April 13th.
Notification Date
All candidates will be notified concerning the final decision of the Gulf States management
search committee by April 24, 2015.
New AMC to start working on July 1, 2015 with a training and transition period of May
and June
Timeline
March 26, 2015
March 30, 2015
April 2, 2015
April 10, 2015
Tuesday April 14
Questions Due from Bidders
Answers to All Questions Provided
Letter of Intent to Bid
Proposals Due
Committee Reviews Proposals & Determines Top Candidates to Interview
Committee Interview Top Candidates and Finalizes Recommendation
Executive Committee Review and Interviews of Recommendation
Review Final Recommendation for Board Approval
All Candidates Notified of Final Board Decision
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TENTATIVE CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2015/2016
July
Membership Appreciation
August
WEC in San Francisco- July 30-August 1- Chapter Business Summit
Board Meeting
Monthly Program
September
Monthly Program/Possible Special Event
Board Meeting
October
Monthly Program/ Special Event
Board Meeting
November
Monthly Program
Board Meeting
Mid-Year Board Retreat (1-2 days)
December
Joint Holiday Event
January
Monthly Program
Board Meeting
Possible Mid-Year Board of Director Retreat (1-2 days)
February
Monthly Program/Special Event
Board Meeting
March
Monthly Program
Board Meeting
April
Monthly Program
Board Meeting
Chapter Business Summit
May
Monthly Program/
Board Meeting
Board Retreat (1-2 days)
June
Annual Meeting & Board Installation Gala
Board Meeting
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