Some things to consider

Our chapter will be electing a new board that will serve a two-year term, beginning July 1, 2012 and ending June 30, 2014.  Patricia Everitt, Committee Chair for the Nominations and Election Committee,   is working with her committee to complete this process in the timeline presented by SGMP National Headquarters.  Please look for an email about chapter elections and more importantly, open and read this information.  The chapter election process is very important to the continuing success of the Rocket City Alabama Chapter, so please participate. 

The National Education Conference will be May 16-19, 2012 at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana.  The link for hotel reservations is already available on the website.  Registration for exhibitors is also open on the http://www.sgmp.org/ website.  Conference attendees may register beginning January 27, 2012. 

The Southeast Regional Education Conference will be September 16-19, 2012 at the Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel in Mobile, Alabama.  Rocket City Alabama Chapter is the host chapter for this conference and will be working with Florida Capital, Central Florida, Georgia Peach and the Tennessee Chapters of SGMP to plan and execute all the details required to coordinate and execute the conference activities. 

In closing, please make every effort to meet the RSVP deadline published for the monthly chapter meetings.  As planners and suppliers, we deal with RSVP protocol on a continuing basis and certainly understand the importance of meeting deadlines.

 Patty Barron, Chapter President

The 2^nd Annual Recognition Banquet was held on October 25^th at the Von Braun Center.  Our Master of Ceremonies was Jonathan McKinney with the Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa.  The silent auction held in conjunction with the Recognition Banquet each year was a “big” success, raising over $1,200 to help support our chapter. 

 AND THE WINNERS ARE......

Planner of the Year                         Barbie Baugh, AMCOM Protocol

Supplier of the Year                        Jonathan McKinney, Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa

President’s Award                           Convonta Stone, LBJ Properties

Program of the Year                        Protocol Poker

Silver Spoon Award                         Von Braun Center

“Request for Proposals – A View from All Sides” was the November 15, 2011 educational program presented at the Hilton Perimeter Park in Birmingham.  Brent Cotton, National Sales Manager for the Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau was the moderator for this program and introduced all the participants before beginning the program.  Julia Valley, National Account Manager at the Sheraton Birmingham, addressed some of the information most helpful to the hotels.  These included the group’s demographics, scheduling flexibility, preference for more rooms with king beds, or double beds, method of reservations for the function, and audiovisual requirements.  It is also important for the facility to know when the decision will be made to accept one of the proposals and who will be making this decision.

 The panelists were Gregory Douglass, Senior Sales Manager, Hilton Perimeter Park Hotel, Beth Bucholz, CGMP, Department of Veterans Affairs, Amy Hudson, State Association Consultant, Greater Birmingham CVB,  and Linda Starks, CGMP, from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Employee Education System.

Consider the Request for Proposal (RFP) the blueprint for a successful meeting.  The panelists reminded the audience that the facility must be on the Central Contracting Registration (CCR) Site for government organizations to consider having their function at their facility.  The CCR must be renewed annually.  There is also a requirement that the hotel be included on the national list of approved accommodations maintained by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).  The Hotel-Motel National Master List is available at http://www.usfa.fema.gov/applicaitons/hotel/.  This FEMA registration is a one-time process.

As the blueprint for a successful meeting, the details planners provide to the suppliers in the RFP is a key factor in the quality of the proposal received from the suppliers.  It is important for planners to clearly evaluate their needs and provide reasonable estimates.  It is important for suppliers to take the time to review the RFP thoroughly and provide a proposal that addresses everything included in the RFP. 

We welcome the newest Director to the Chapter Board,Peyton Jordan, CHSP.  She has been a supplier member with the Rocket City Chapter of SGMP since 2009. She will serve on the board from December 2011 until her term expires on June 30, 2012.

Peyton has worked as a Sales Manager at The Westin Huntsville since February 2009. She handles the Government and Leisure Group Markets.

Peyton is married to Caleb Jordan and they have two furry babies, Lizzie and Bo Jordan who are both miniature dachshunds. They live in Hazel Green,AL.

Peyton has gained a lot of knowledge of the government market and procedures during her SGMP membership and she looks forward to serving you as a member of the Chapter Board.

Mclean, Virginia…Barbie Baugh was recently trained and certified as a Protocol Officer by The Protocol School of Washington.  The training was held at the Ritz Carlton, Tysons Corner, McLean, Virginia.

 Protocol Officer Training is a comprehensive training designed to broaden participants understanding of functional business, government, and international protocol, as well as the expertise to confidently and appropriately apply protocol formulas in the most complex situations.  Graduates obtain the skills to facilitate events for people of different cultures to find common purpose, engage strategic and sensitive issues, and create relationships and memories of a lifetime.

 Celebrating more than two decades as the global leader in business etiquette, image and international protocol training, the Protocol School of Washington is recognized worldwide as the most trusted name in the industry.   The School has trained more than 3,500 men and women from 58 countries.  The Protocol School of Washington is accredited by the Accrediting Council of Continuing Education & Training (ACCET) as the first and only nationally accredited school of its kind.  ACCET is officially recognized by the US Department of Education.  

This year the Rocket City Alabama Chapter kicked off a new program called “Member Minute”.   Each month a member is selected by a random drawing to “Highlight” their property or organization.  The member is then “Spotlighted” all month on the website. 

Members Spotlighted this past quarter were…..

  September/October

Trey Hodge

Logistics Consultant

Team Worldwide

www.teamww.com

 November/December

Robb Strommen

Account Executive

Marriott International

www.marriott.com

Over a 14% increase in Membership was achieved by the Rocket City Alabama Chapter of SGMP during the Membership drive which kicked off on September 27th and ran through December 8th.

Congratulations to the Winners!!!!

1st Place                    Debora Nielson

One night stay at the Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa with Breakfast for Two        

2nd Place                   Sherry Hilley

Dinner for two at the 360 Restaurant in Florence

3rd Place                    Bennie Jacks

Blue Jean Rocket City Alabama Chapter of SGMP Shirt

Members of the Rocket City Alabama Chapter of SGMP enjoyed the Team Redstone Holiday Ball on December 9th on the Redstone Arsenal.  A great time was had by all who attended!!!

   Pictured:  Eddie Kidd, AMCOM Protocol; Barbie Baugh, AMCOM Protocol; Marie Arighi, Von Braun Center; Liz Blackmon, AMCOM Protocol; Jo Seay, Huntsville/Madison County Convention & Visitors Bureau; Kristy McKinney; Jonathan McKinney, Marriott Shoals Hotel & Spa

 Each month at the chapter meeting there is a "Rocket Bank" available for your "Loose Change". 

The money will be tallied before the annual conference and donated to the charity chosen for the 2012 National Education Conference.   

So remember every penny counts......