CHAPTER NETWORK
Alternative Venues for Chapter
Meetings, Statewides
By Cynthia Cichosz, CPP
Location, location, location!
As chapter members, we all know firsthand how important the
location of a chapter meeting or a conference can be. During the 2008 APA Summer Board
Meeting, your Board of Advisors researched, discussed, and found alternative locations to
using hotels for your local chapter meetings and statewide conferences.
We first created a list of potential locations for the events. When deciding on where to host a
chapter meeting, we knew it needed to be cost-effective, or even free. Here are some
potential locations to consider for your chapter meetings:
* A chapter member's place of business
* Educational facilities, such as libraries or schools
* Museums
* Non-profit outreach centers
* Adult education facilities
* Local government buildings
* VFW/Moose/Elk lodges
* Indoor or outdoor recreation facilities
* Community rooms at shopping malls, banks, utilities, or medical centers
* Banquet halls/meeting rooms in restaurants
Locations for statewide or regional conferences require much larger venues, but still must be
cost-effective. Alternative venues worth considering are:
* A chapter member's place of business (if employed by a large employer)
* Colleges or universities
* VFW/Moose/Elk lodges
* Convention centers
Some venues, like universities, are an appropriate setting for both chapter meetings and
statewide conferences. Helpful sources like Unique Venues are great resource tools when
searching for adequate locations in your area that will accommodate your needs and
requirements.
Helpful Tips
When contacting local colleges or universities, it can be difficult to find the right point of
contact. Try the college of business or corporate service departments. Better yet, tap into your
membership. There is usually someone who has a connection within their company or alumni
association.
* Be sure to look into parking and space for vendors. Extra costs and charges are not always
presented up-front.
* You lose the one-stop-shop convenience of a conference/banquet coordinator that a hotel
or conference center provides, but the overall savings may be worthwhile.
* When using a chapter member's place of business, you need to be cautious regarding
scheduling issues; you can be bumped by the needs of the company.
* It can potentially be less costly to use a university culinary department or the catering
department of a large chapter member's company.
* Other venues, such as universities or larger corporations, will usually feature the technology
necessary for statewide conferences.
* Local government buildings and universities can also be a resource to find speakers.
* Remember to mention your non-profit status, as this could help lower the rates or aid in
price negotiation.
•In Las Vegas, APA has had a very successful relationship with The University of Nevada, Las
Vegas. APA discovered that working with a local university was the perfect alternative
location for its payroll training classes while the new MEET building was still under
construction.
Think outside the box, and look at other venues for your chapter meetings and conferences
instead of spending your valuable chapter dollars on restaurants or paying fees for a hall or a
room (see below for a real life example).
Greater Milwaukee Chapter and
Briggs & Stratton Corporation: A
Success Story
Briggs & Stratton Corporation hosted the Greater
Milwaukee Chapter's Wisconsin Statewide Payroll
Conference in 2005 and 2007. Both conferences were
extremely successful, well-attended, and generated
revenue for our chapter. Briggs & Stratton donated its
location, complete with breakout rooms, and an
auditorium for two days, which was a huge cost savings
for our chapter.
One of the best features at Briggs is its beautiful
auditorium with all the latest technology. In 2005, we
used this technology to open the conference with APA Executive Director Dan Maddux's live
teleconference video to all of our attendees. In 2007, we were very happy to have Dan join us
in Milwaukee as our conference keynote speaker. Dan was very impressed with the Briggs &
Stratton location and the company's dedication to Wisconsin's payroll professionals.
We have also had many chapter meetings at the Briggs location. As a chapter, we are always
sure to honor Briggs & Stratton during our conferences--we presented Briggs with a "Thank
You" plaque for its continued support at each conference. This corporate partnership works
exceptionally well for our chapter. This success would not have been possible without support
from my fellow executive board members--Michelle Ganzer, CPP, Payroll Manager and
Claire Wojtak, CPP, Payroll Specialist--and the commitment of the Briggs & Stratton payroll
team.
For more than 14 years, the Greater Milwaukee Chapter has used member locations for most
of our monthly chapter meetings--with great results! At the beginning of our chapter year, we
poll our members, asking them to sponsor our meetings at their locations. Depending on the
size of the room we need, most companies have a meeting room or cafeteria that can
accommodate a large group. A majority of our member companies will provide us with a
room and usually coffee, water, and soft drinks. Many also provide us with food for the
meeting, or the chapter will pay for subs, pizza, etc. At our year-end meeting, we honor these
companies and our members with framed certificates for their sponsorship of a meeting
location.
Think outside the box, and look at other locations for your chapter meetings and conferences
instead of spending your chapter dollars on restaurants or paying fees for a hall or a room. It
can provide great cost savings for your chapter and an outstanding opportunity to build
positive relationships with your chapter members' companies.
Cynthia Cichosz, CPP, is the Payroll Manager for Times Printing Co, Inc., in Random Lake,
Wis. and the member of APA's Board of Advisors representing Region 4.
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