HFTP Chapter Marketing Tips and Chapter Requirement Update

1. HFTP Chapter Marketing Tips and Chapter Requirement Update HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

2. Goals of Marketing • Any marketing piece should have a goal • Increase Chapter Awareness in Your Area • Get New Members • Increase Chapter Meeting Attendance • Encourage New Chapter Volunteers • Establish your goals before you begin to develop a marketing message HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

3. Create a Marketing Message • Think of your goal and keep it simple • GOAL: Get people to attend an upcoming chapter meeting • Why should they attend? • Because you receive the most focused finance (or tech depending on topic) education in the area • Now you have a message – Who should you tell? HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

4. Finding an Audience • Two major audiences: • Current Chapter Members • Potential Chapter Members • Each audience should receive slightly different messages • Current members: No Introduction Necessary • Keep it simple and direct • Potential members: An Introduction is a MUST • Explain who you are, what HFTP is, why you are talking to them HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

5. Different Ways to Send Your Message • Distribution is the way you are sending your marketing message • An Email • A Letter • A Phone Call • A Speech • A Chapter Meeting • An Advertisement • Any form of communication HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

6. Distribution • When you are sending something in writing, it should be more formal • Always remember that anything in writing has the potential to be read by someone else • Example: • “Attend the chapter meeting and learn how to get a new job” • “Free drinks” • Those particular message may not make an employer very happy to read and s/he may not want to support chapter participation; this is especially true for potential members • Personal interaction should be casual and friendly • You can tell someone the above in person HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

7. Email Marketing • Pros: • Cost effective – you can reach a lot of people for free • Instant – you can reach a lot of people immediately • Cons: • Spam filters! • Attachments and large images are easily caught in spam filters • Watch your subject line: Exclamation points and some words are flagged by spam filters (Sale, FREE, Sign Up Now are examples of words that are sometimes flagged) • Everyone receives TONS of email; the attention span is short • If you are sending to a new audience, be careful. Too much text can make a person close an email • People are busy - they feel like they don’t have time to read. HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

8. Email Marketing Pointers • Always keep email text short • Keep graphics to a minimum • Always remember that email is easy to forward • Be respectful of people’s email space • Don’t send huge emails • Never send attachments to a new audience (i.e. potential members) • It gets caught in the spam filter • They don’t know you and are skeptical of the email HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

9. General Marketing Tips • Contact people 3 times • This can include different distribution methods • 2 emails and a phone call • An advertisement, email and letter • Don’t re-invent the wheel • Repetition works best if it is consistent HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

10. Graphic Elements • Don’t get carried away • You don’t want people to remember the picture and nothing else • Be consistent • Should be eye-catching with a familiar element • Use fonts that are easy to read • some fonts are fun and eye-catching but can be difficult to read if there is a lot of text • Use an eye-catching font for headings only • Arial, Helvetica, Times, Verdana etc are best for text blocks HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

11. Door-Openers • “Door Openers” are any offer or promotion to get your audience in the door • Examples include door prizes, free meeting offers, discounts, etc. • Remember these only get people in the door • Once in the door you have to wow them HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

12. Questions HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

13. Chapter Funding Full Funding requirements: • Leadership Academy attendance • Chapter Affiliation Agreement Signature pages • Chapter Management Plan (Self-Evaluation Form) • Chapter Fiscal Year Financial Report • Updated Bylaws (If needed) DUE BY: November 30th HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

14. Chapter Funding Here are amounts the chapter receives: • Fully Funded Chapters will receive $500 USD annually, plus $50 USD Annual Affiliation Fee per member. Per member funding will occur as members join or renew. In the event a member chooses to affiliate with more than one chapter the additional affiliation fee will be paid to the applicable chapter as members join or renew. • Fully Funded Chapters will also receive additional funding based on the chapter membership counts as follows: • With less than or equal to 30 members, an additional $1,000 funding • With greater than 30 and less than or equal to 50 members, an additional $1,500 funding • With 51-75 members, an additional $2,000 funding • With 76-100 members, an additional $2,500 funding • With 101-125 members, an additional $3,000 funding • With 126-150 members, an additional $3,500 funding • Chapters will receive $500 for every increment of 25 members thereafter. HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

15. 08-09 Chapter Officer Calendar HFTP Fiscal Year: Nov 1 through Oct 31    Chapter of the Year Cycle: July 1 – June 30 Election cycle: Oct 1 through Sept 30 October 08 • 1 – Chapter Profiles Due • 16 – HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar – (Boston, MA) • 31 – Last day to post Articles for HFTP November InfoLine (Forward information to HFTP Communications Department) November 08 • 15 – $750 stipend due to Chapters for Leadership Attendance (face-to-face attendees only) • 30 – Chapter Financial Yearly Reports due. • 30 – Chapter Affiliation Agreement Checklist & Signature forms due • 30 – Chapter Management Plan Evaluation forms due • 30 - Last day to post Articles for HFTP December InfoLine (Forward information to HFTP Communications Department) December 09 • 7-9 – Caribbean Hospitality Finance & Technology Professionals Conference - (Rose Hall Resort & Spa, Montego Bay, Jamaica) • 30 - Last day to post Articles for HFTP January InfoLine (Forward information to HFTP Communications Department) January 09 • 1-31 - Chapter Recruitment planning • 15 - Chapter Relations Manager notifies chapter of funding status • 31 - Last day to post Articles for HFTP February InfoLine (Forward information to HFTP Communications Department) HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

16. 08-09 Chapter Officer Calendar February 09 • 2 – 4 – European Hospitality Technology Educational Conference (Hilton Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands) • 15 – Chapter Quarterly Reports Only due (November 1 thru January 31) • 20 – 21 – HFTP Carolinas Conference (Charleston, South Carolina) • 28 – Last day to post Articles for HFTP March InfoLine (Forward information to HFTP Communications Department) • 28 – Chapter Recruitment Campaign Potential Member Info due. March 09 • 1 – Notify all chapter members of upcoming Recruitment Campaign • 16-17 – HFTP Club & Hotel Controllers Conference - (The Westin Tampa Harbour Island, Tampa, FL) • 20 – Meeting information DUE to HFTP office for Recruitment Campaign • 27 – Chapters receives funding • 31 – Last day to post Article for HFTP April InfoLine (Forward information to HFTP Communications Department) April 09 • April – Chapter President appoints nominating committee. Nominating committee prepare letter of solicitation to members for future leader nominations. • April – Chapter invites colleagues to upcoming May or June meeting. HFTP Office supplies promotional material for meeting. • 28 – Last day to post Articles for HFTP May InfoLine (Forward information to HFTP Communications Department) May 09 • May – Nomination committee meets to discuss nominees. Slate officers announced at May meeting. Ballots are mailed or emailed at least 25 days before June meeting date. • 1 –Recruitment Campaign begins. • 15 – Chapter Quarterly Reports Only due. (Feb 1 thru April 30) • 31 – Last day post Article for HFTP June InfoLine (Forward information to HFTP Communications Department) HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

17. 08-09 Chapter Officer Calendar June 09 • June – Election results are announced. New officer list sent to international office. • 22-25 – HITEC 2009 – (Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA) • 23-24 – HFTP Club & Hotel Controllers Conference – (Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, CA) • 30 – Last day to post Articles for July InfoLine (Forward information to HFTP Communications Department) • 30 – Recruitment Campaign ends. July 09 • July – New officer’s select committees, begin planning. • 17 – Group Tax Exemption Form (U.S. Only) • 31 – Chapter of the Year Power point Presentation Due • 31 – Last day to post Articles for August InfoLine (Forward information to HFTP Communications Department) August 09 • August – Joint meeting with new and old officers to discuss the upcoming year. • August – First Friday of August, Paragon Award Nominations due • 15 – Chapter Quarterly Reports Only due. (May 1 thru July 31) • 31 – Last day to post Articles for September InfoLine (Forward information to HFTP Communications Department) September 09 • September – New officers installed. • 1 – Incoming officer’s chapter profile form due • 4 – Chapter Choice Entries due • 15-16 – HFTP Leadership Academy – (Green Valley Ranch, Las Vegas, NV) • 16-19 – HFTP Annual Convention & Tradeshow – (Green Valley Ranch, Las Vegas, NV) • 30 – Last day to post Articles for HFTP October InfoLine (Forward information to HFTP Communications Department) October 09 • 1 – Chapter Profiles Due • 31 – Last day to post Articles for HFTP November InfoLine (Forward information to HFTP Communications Department) HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

18. Questions HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar

19. Contact Information Fritz Johnson HFTP Chapter Relations Manager +1 (512) 249-5333 x19 (800) 646-4387 x19 Fritz.Johnson@hftp.org HFTP Regional Leadership Seminar