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NPSS/IEEE-MCM Partnership Update & Conference Financial Programs Review. Sherry Russ Sills Director, IEEE Meeting & Conference Management Thomas Lynch Staff Director, IEEE Financial Services 2 March 2012 NPSS AdCom Santa Fe, NM. Discussion Items. Refresher on Organizer Challenges
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NPSS/IEEE-MCM Partnership Update&Conference Financial Programs Review Sherry Russ Sills Director, IEEE Meeting & Conference Management Thomas Lynch Staff Director, IEEE Financial Services 2 March 2012 NPSS AdCom Santa Fe, NM
Discussion Items • Refresher on Organizer Challenges • Partnership Goals • Partnership successes to date • New model of approach with PSAC • PPC 2011 Recap and discussion • Conference Financial Programs • Credit Card Processing Automation Project (New for 2012) • Next steps for consideration
What You Told Us • Increasingly difficult for a group of new volunteers to run a conference • Requirements of the role not clearly defined as well as length of time committed (<1 year) • Time constraints against ‘real’ jobs • Lack of available resources/expertise/tools • IEEE compliance requirements/paperwork • Historical documentation capture and handoff • Consistency in how the event is managed • Management of the financial process (budget tracking, payments, reporting) Pool of willing and competent volunteers is small
Partnership Goal for MCMBecome the NPSS conference expert • Demonstrate the value-add a professional conference organizer can bring • Expertise • Consistent tools • Cost-reduction/risk management • Time savings for organizers • Leverage IEEE supplier networks for increased savings • Provide historical documentation and new organizer orientation
Conference Partnerships to Date General guidance and/or contract review 2009-2013 NSS/MIC contract review 2012 ICOPS contract review and guidance 2015 ICOPS NPSS AdCom • Full Event Management • 2009, 2011 PPC • 2009, 2011 ICOPS/SOFE • 2010, 2014 ICOPS • 2013 PPPS • Site Selection & Contract Negotiation • SOFE 2013 • PPC 2015
Partnership ROI Realized Since Inception $404K Return on Investment
Building a New Model – PSAC MSA • Jointly developed and delivered a master service agreement for PSAC sponsored conferences • All inclusive pre-event/onsite mgmt. flat-fee structure for ICOPS stand-alone and ICOPS/SOFE • Optional payment scenario; 10% Hotel commission as payment for flat fee offering • MCM rate lock for duration of MSA • Significantly reduced cost for registration services when selected for full event management • Maintain historical repository of conference year over year and provide orientation to new organizers • Coordinate all IEEE compliance requirements • Attendance at one PSAC ExCom annually at no cost
Building a New Model-PSAC MSAHighlights of Service Offering Inclusions • Location and venue(s) search, summation, negotiations, and contracting • Coordination of IEEE compliance requirements • Timeline management • Pre-event management (planning & logistics) • Vendor management • Exhibit management • Financial management • Onsite management (exclusive of Travel &Living expenses) • Vendor invoice reconciliation/payment • Post conference reporting
PPC 2011 Discussion • Conference final financials not yet realized due to • Reconciliation of expenses • Conference Organizer position is that MCM owes conference US$23K due to loss of deposit from locally hired supplier for social events • Supplier went out of business prior to conference and filed for bankruptcy after twelve years in operation • Two vendors yet to be paid in full • Network Shop approx. US$12K • MCM remaining mgmt. fee US$28K • Conference concentration bank account has insufficient funds to make payment
2011 PPC Financial Summation • Conference Financial Records indicate an overall deficit of approx. $69k from operations
Next Steps for Consideration • Transparency of strategy for the conference long term to help direct • Guidance on future direction/vision • Location and budget should be set prior to Conference Chair selection • Establish clear job description with criteria for appointment to help guide selection process • Chairs need some parameters to work within (do’s and don’ts) to drive behavior • Establish approval hierarchy to spend money or change the conference structure at the ExCom level • Require quarterly forecasting submission to AdCom with clear transparency of variations
Conference Financial Programs • Concentration Banking Program • Business checking account with the following features: • Online statements – check images, Excel download. • CB Card for payments – accepted wherever Master Card is accepted. • Accounts available for USD and CAD activity. • Auto Posting project implementation will allow interface with IEEE Merchant accounts for daily deposits of credit card receipts. • Visibility to activity will enable Conference Finance and Audit to assist in conference closing and audit process.
Credit Card Transaction Auto-Posting Project (US Currency) • Project Goal: Automate posting of credit card transactions daily in a lump sum to the conference concentration banking account • Project should alleviate concerns/issues raised regarding timing delays of funds and difficulty in reconciling activity • Project milestones • QA testing completed January 2012 • Launch of pilot 12 March 2012 • Institute-wide launch targeted for June 2012 • Canadian currency merchant lending program under development (Targeted Q3-4 2012)
Credit Card Processing (Future State) • Any IEEE conference who wishes to process in US currency must utilize the ML and CB Program jointly to automate transfer of credit card transactions daily • Daily posting of revenue received to CB account should make reconciliation of the registration payments easier • Unless conference utilizes MCM for registration, reconciliation is still the responsibility of the organizer and/or hired management company • IEEE staff do not have access to the registration detail to provide assistance with reconciliation • IEEE staff will be available to address questions and/or provide guidance as SMEs • Clear and easy to follow instructions will be provided • Service will be transparent and processes/coordination behind the scenes will be seamless
Credit Card Processing Limitations (Future State) • Automation only available to conferences who open a concentration banking account and use IEEE merchant account (restricted to US & Canada only) • Manual transfer process for all others who wish to use IEEE merchant account without CB account • Existing known issues will remain • Frustration levels surrounding reconciliation may still exist • Person assigned to perform reconciliation may not have access to CB account • Registration tool may not provide robust reporting to reconcile with ease