Ambassador Guidelines, Policies & Procedures
Welcome to the Irvine Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors. These Guidelines provide information on
your duties and responsibilities as a member of this group. Please discuss any questions with the
Chairperson.
I. Purposes
A. Ambassadors actively promote the Irvine Chamber of Commerce in the business community,
actively refer prospective members to the Chamber for follow up and work with new Chamber
members to connect them to the organization and with existing members to help them remain
active and involved.
B. Ambassadors are the hosts at Chamber events and activities. They greet and introduce new
members and guests to Chamber members, answer questions about membership and
participation and assist with raffle sales, registration or other activities as requested.
C. Ambassadors deliver the official Chamber new-member packages and plaques, orienting
each new member about the various committees and ways in which they can become connected
and promote their business. Each Ambassador is expected to deliver and mentor at least one new
member each month, assuming sufficient new members are available, and call the member to
whom they delivered the previous month as a mentoring follow up.
D. Ambassadors represent the Chamber by attending the ribbon cuttings and grand opening
ceremonies for new members that are open to all members, and by attending as many other
Chamber events as possible.
II. Code of Conduct
All Ambassadors shall conduct themselves in accordance within the meaning and significance of the
title “Ambassador of the Irvine Chamber of Commerce.” They will at all times:
A. Consistently and positively promote the Irvine Chamber of Commerce.
B. Maintain a courteous and professional demeanor while representing the Chamber at all programs
and events. The Ambassadors have a profound effect on the Chamber membership, the City of
Irvine and the community at large. Maintaining a positive and helpful attitude is the key to growing
and maintaining a cohesive Chamber.
C. Respect your commitment to the Chamber. This includes prompt attendance at Ambassador
meetings and any events for which you have volunteered to work, and being responsible to find a
replacement for work assignments when you are unable to meet a commitment.
D. Display an appropriate image of the Irvine Chamber by wearing the official Ambassador badge and
professional business attire at mixers or wearing appropriate event-specific attire for special
Chamber events and activities.
E. Display the highest standards in communication and responsiveness by promptly returning calls
and e-mails to members, fellow Ambassadors and Chamber staff.
F. Help promote other Ambassadors and Chamber members when business opportunities present
themselves.
G. Make every effort to make guests and new members feel welcome at all Chamber events.
H. Report any negative comments or situations regarding the Irvine Chamber to an appropriate staff
liaison for prompt attention, and maintain such information in confidence.
I. Vote or make decisions regarding the Ambassadors that are based upon “the greater good,” not
upon individual interests, and abstain from voting in the event of a conflict of interest.
J. Speak only for yourself when asked your opinion while serving as an Ambassador (and make it
clear that it is your personal opinion, and not that of the Irvine Chamber of Commerce).
K. Maintain neutrality regarding political candidates when working as an Ambassador. Refrain from
wearing campaign buttons or displaying campaign literature while serving in an official
Ambassador capacity.
L. Direct any requests by the media for information relating to the Irvine Chamber of Commerce to
the Chamber’s President/CEO.
M. Support and adhere to decisions made by the Ambassador Committee or the Chamber’s
President/CEO, regardless of individual feelings or opinions.
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III. Ambassador Committee Structure
A. The Ambassador Executive Committee shall be comprised of the Board of Directors Vice
Chairperson of Membership, the Ambassador Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson.
B. The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson shall direct the overall business of the Ambassadors for a
term of one year. They shall also be responsible for keeping the necessary records and providing
proper reporting to the Vice-Chairperson of Membership.
C. The Vice-Chairperson shall be responsible for tracking attendance and participation points as part
of the continuing qualification process, and shall communicate with members in jeopardy of losing
status as an Ambassador. The Vice-Chairperson shall also keep an accurate list of all Ambassadors
in Training and their expected training completion date.
D. The current Ambassador Chairperson shall recommend his/her successor (along with a
recommended Vice-Chairperson) to the Vice-Chairperson of Membership by April 1st of each year.
E. Two Team Captains track Ambassador activity point sheets and conduct the Ambassador-inTraining program. They also assign Ambassadors to specific duties for upcoming events.
F. Ambassadors – Deliver new membership plaques, mentor new members on how they can become
involved and prosper as Chamber members, attend ribbon cuttings and grand openings for new
members, and participate in/contribute to various Chamber events.
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IV. Membership Rules
1) Membership in the Ambassador Committee shall be limited to those Chamber members who
continue to meet committee membership requirements.
2)
A member company may have no more than two representatives per location serving as
Ambassadors at the same time, but the member company may have only one vote on matters
within the committee.
3) Each Ambassador is expected to deliver at least one plaque each month and must earn and report at
least 200 points per quarter through completion of assignments to maintain their membership in the
Ambassador Committee. Point forms should be sent via fax to the appropriate Team Captain prior
to each meeting or delivered to the appropriate Captain at the meeting.
4) Each Ambassador is expected to attend all 11 monthly meetings (November and December
meetings are generally combined). If an Ambassador misses 3 of the 11 meetings or 2 consecutive
meetings without notification, he or she will be considered to have resigned from the Ambassador
Committee. Ambassadors should contact the Vice-Chairperson when absences are anticipated or
emergencies prevent attendance.
5) An Ambassador may be suspended or dismissed from the Ambassador Committee for:
a) Failure to comply with the code of conduct established in Section II.
b) Failure to meet the requirements established in Section IV.
c) Repeated failure to provide event support and coverage as previously volunteered without
arranging for a substitute.
6) If an Ambassador will be unable to participate for an extended period of time (for example, due to
medical or personal emergencies), he or she may request a leave of absence from the Executive
Committee. Approval/denial by the executive committee will be based upon the requestor’s prior
attendance and performance as an Ambassador.
7) Any Ambassador who is in jeopardy of being suspended or dismissed from the Ambassador
committee will be notified in writing and shall have the right to one written appeal to the Vice
President of Membership prior to dismissal, whose decision shall be final.
8) If an Ambassador is suspended from the Ambassador committee, they may requalify as
Ambassador by completing the training requirements as outlined in Section VII. However, if an
Ambassador is dismissed from the committee, they may not re-join.
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V. Ambassador Meeting
The fiscal year of the Ambassador Committee corresponds with the fiscal year of the Chamber, which
runs from July 1st through June 30th. Meetings are held on the 4th Thursday of each month, unless
determined otherwise. Generally the November and December meetings are combined to
accommodate the holiday dates. Meetings begin promptly at 7:45 AM and end promptly at 9:00 AM.
Ambassadors are encouraged to arrive at 7:30 AM to network prior to the meeting. Ambassadors and
guests are required to sign in upon arrival and collect information and lists. Any business that cannot
be completed before the 9:00AM will carry over to the next meeting unless otherwise agreed.
The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson will provide specifics for the meeting agenda to the Chamber
one week prior to the meeting and a meeting reminder will be e-mailed to all Ambassadors and
Ambassadors in Training no later than five days prior to the meeting date.
Each meeting will open with a call to order and opening remarks. Thereafter, the primary orders of
business are as follows:
1. Opening -- Chairperson
a. Review of the purpose of the Ambassadors
b. Welcome and Self-introductions
c. Ambassador in Training overview
d. Turn in point sheets to team captains
2. Old Business –Chairperson
a. Turn in all outstanding plaques
b. Review action items and assignments from previous meeting
3. New Business - Chairperson
a. Upcoming Events Calendar
b. Membership Concerns/Issues
4. Regular Business –Chairperson
a. New Ambassador recognition
b. Team point results
c. Ambassador of the month
d. Plaque delivery overview
 Deliver within 10 days
 Dress code
 Return to Chamber if not deliverable
 Fax completed checklist to Chamber
 Follow-up with new member inviting them to mixer or committee
 AIT’s- note plaque assignments to accompany them on delivery
e. Plaque delivery assignments “Plaque-O-Rama”
f. Ambassador of the Month Announcement and Commercial
g. Ambassador announcements (30 seconds max per person). Time permitting.
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VI. The Plaque Delivery Assignment and the Ambassador’s Mentoring Role
1) A significant part of the mentoring assignment is the delivery and presentation of membership
plaques and information packages to the new members. This should be completed within 10 days
of receiving the mentoring assignment (at the Ambassador meeting).
2) The following is the procedure for determining the plaque delivery/mentoring assignments:
a) Business cards of all attending and eligible Ambassadors are collected at the beginning of the
meeting.
b) Plaque delivery/mentoring assignments are determined by a random drawing of the cards.
c) The Ambassador whose card is drawn selects a company they would like to mentor from the
monthly new member list.
d) Once all the cards have been drawn, the process will repeat, until all new members have been
adopted.
e) The Chamber staff will provide new member packets, containing the new member plaque and
other materials to be reviewed with the new member.
3) Once a mentoring assignment has been received, it is the responsibility of the Ambassador to
ensure a prompt and proper delivery of the new member plaque. If, for reasons of illness or
emergency, an Ambassador is unable to conduct a mentoring assignment, it is their responsibility
to contact another Ambassador and request their assistance for completion of the assignment.
4) Ambassadors should limit their efforts to contact the new member for a plaque delivery to four (4)
attempts. If an Ambassador is unable to complete a delivery after four calls/e-mails, or the
Ambassador is unable to schedule a delivery before the next Ambassador meeting, then the plaque
must be returned to the Irvine Chamber office for delivery/mailing by the Chamber staff.
5) All attempts to contact the new member and any other correspondeance/efforts should be
documented on the Delivery Confimation Form.
6) The Ambassador must schedule the delivery meeting at the Chamber office or at a mutually
agreed-upon public meeting place away when the new member is home based.
7) The plaque delivery meeting is NOT an opportunity for the Ambassador to solicit business from
the new member. Attention should always be directed towards welcoming the new member and
offering the assistance of the Chamber.
8) Within 30 days of the plaque delivery, the Ambassador is expected to contact the new member at
least one more time and ensure connection to a Chamber activity is achieved.
9) Should an Ambassador lose or damage a plaque, it will be his or her responsibility to pay for its
replacement.
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When an Ambassador commits to a mentoring assignment, they are expected to use the Plaque
Delivery Confirmation Form as a procedural checklist:
After presenting the Membership Plaque, review the following with the new member:
1. Why did they become a Member? Referrals/Networking Information/Seminars
a. Other ________________________________________________________
2. Have they attended the Member Orientation meeting yet?
a. Inform them of the next orientation meeting date.
Y
Certificates
N
3. Have they received the Chamber Weekly e-newsletter from the Irvine Chamber Chairman? Y
N
4. Would there be others in the company who would attend events or join any chamber committees?
5. If yes, who are they? Should they receive the Chamber Weekly e-mail from the Chairman?
6. Name:
E-mail:
7. Review the list of committees and match one or more to member’s interest.
a. Inform them they may attend any of the meetings without committing to join.
8. Have they visited the Chamber’s web site? (www.irvinechamber.com) Verify their information.
9. Review the list of upcoming events and find out if there are any they would like to attend.
10. Review the Business Connection newspaper and advertising opportunities (space ad/flyer insert)
11. If they are a new business, ask if they are having an open house or ribbon-cutting event planned.
12. Is there any type of service or product that could be provided through referral to another chamber
member?
13. Show them the Member to Member Discount program and inform them about how they can save
money by using these services.
14. Have the person accepting the plaque sign their name and date the form.
15. Fax the form to the Chamber after the plaque has been delivered.
16. Call the member at least one more time (at about 30 days) to remind them about upcoming
mixers/events and encourage their attendance. If possible, meet the new member at the event(s) and
introduce the new member to other members at those events. Assess any needs or concerns of the
member and refer them to the appropriate Chamber contact person.
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VII: Ambassador-in-Training (AIT) Requirements
1) Potential Ambassadors must be members with good standing in the Irvine Chamber prior to joining
the Ambassador Committee. Potential Ambassadors must have the full support of their employer to
allow the flexibility required to effectively carry out the responsibilities of the Ambassador
position.
2) Potential Ambassadors must attend an orientation about what it expected from each Ambassador
before they begin working on fulfilling the Ambassador in Training requirements. At this time, the
potential Ambassador will learn about mentoring assignments and the new member plaque
delivery.
3) An Ambassador in Training Checklist must be completed within 90 days (or the third Ambassador
meeting after AIT work has begun) in order to be processed and accepted by the Ambassador
executive committee.
4) The Ambassador in training should complete the following tasks within the first 90 days:
a) Attend 3 consecutive monthly Ambassador meetings (every 4th Thursday from 7:45-9:00).
b) Attend 3 different ICC committee meetings- These include the Housing & Transportation, Go
Green, Governmental Affairs, Legislative Affairs, Technology, Education or International
committees.
c) With an Ambassador, attend the delivery of two (2) new member plaques as an observer.
d) Attend at least one (1) ribbon cutting event with an Ambassador.
e) Attend and participate in three (3) Chamber events by working a 30-minute shift at each event
(ie: working at the mixer hospitality table, be a greeter at a mixer or seminar, sell raffle tickets
at a mixer or help at a special event).
f) Greet new members and guests at a mixer and introduce them to other Chamber members.
5) Once an AIT has completed the required tasks, he or she must submit the training requirements
sheet to the Vice-Chair for verification. A check for $8.25 must accompany the completed
requirement sheet to cover the cost of the official Ambassador badge.
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VIII. Recognition
1) Ambassador of the Month—Awarded to the Ambassador who has earned the most points for
Chamber activities during the month. Recognition is given at monthly meetings and receives a
spotlight in the monthly newsletter. Stipulations are as follows:
a) Minimum point total is 250.
b) An individual cannot be Ambassador of the Month more than once in a 6-month period.
c) If there is a tie of points, both the Ambassadors will both be spotlighted in the monthly
newsletter.
2) Ambassador of the Year -- Awarded to the Ambassador who has earned the most points for
Chamber activities during the previous fiscal year. Recognition given at the Network Orange
County.
3) Length of Service Awards -- Special recognition for Ambassadors who have been members in
good standing for the following periods of time. Recognition given at Network Orange County.
a) Silver Ambassador -- 5 consecutive years as an Ambassador in good standing.
b) Gold Ambassador --10 consecutive years as an Ambassador in good standing.
c) Platinum Ambassador -- 15 consecutive years as an Ambassador.
d) Diamond Ambassador -- 20 consecutive years as an Ambassador.
4) Any other reward activities suggested by the members or executive committee and will be
implemented only after the approval of the Irvine Chamber of Commerce.
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