Executive vice president’s report — summer 2018

We Keep Asking!

We’ve inundated you in the past few weeks with a few surveys, and while I’m sure you’d rather hear me say “we’re done,” we’re not.  There are so many things we’d like to do, but we need your opinion, counsel, guidance and support to make them happen, so we’re going to ask – and keep asking – so we can be certain what we’re doing meets a need.

We’ve got two surveys circulating currently – the first is to learn more about the philanthropic efforts your company engages in.  NAFEM is now at a point in its existence where the board is comfortable with exploring a philanthropic arm.  It will be industry related, but what a great opportunity to give back to our industry.  In the meantime, we’d love to raise a glass, so to speak, to the efforts our members already support, and feature those incredible stories on our website and in our public relations efforts.  Please share your stores with us and complete that survey.

The second survey currently in your inbox is to gather information on whether a group health insurance program would be of interest and/or value to you.  In the past, NAFEM has not been able to gather the collective buying power to make these programs work, but, that was then, and now, group insurance programs are more flexible and more far-reaching (meaning they touch all parts of the country with equal savings).  Help us learn more.

Within the next 30 days, we’re rolling out our new committee structure and we’ll be asking members, once again, to get engaged and participate.  We’ve moved away from standard committees to those that are more adhoc in nature, focusing on a project or program underway.  It will give all of you who so generously volunteer your time with a more substantive way to participate.  Once the project is complete, you’ll get to move on to something different, or, the next phase of a program or service, so there will always be something to do and some way to engage and have us picking your brain.

All the recent buzz is about a show – as we’re rockin’ and rollin’ on The NAFEM Show.  As you know, exhibit sales opened on June 4, and contracts and 50% deposits received by July 25 (which is tomorrow), allow you to select your space during the August space selection.  After July 25, contracts received are assigned space after space selection in the order they were received.  Once your contract is in, you’ve got access to housing, so get those contracts in!  Attendee registration opened June 25 and Feb. 7, 2019, will be here before we know it.  Watch NAFEM online for important dates to remember, participate in our informative show webinar series, and help us make the 2019 show the best ever.  Reminder –  the NAFEM Party has moved to Friday night from Saturday night, and no, I can’t tell you who the entertainment is – yet – but it’s going to be one heck of a party, so plan to use the NAFEM Party as a key networking event in your show plans!

Lastly, NAFEM HQ is undergoing a renovation of its own.  Our physical space at 161 N. Clark St. in Chicago is getting reconfigured, and hard hats are in place.  We relocated right next door to some temporary space, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on our construction elves as the space is transformed.  The estimated completion date is Oct. 1.  In the interim, nothing has changed other than the door and our temporary desks…our phone numbers, email addresses and mailing address for the small amount of snail mail we get, stays the same.  We’ll post a photo or two once demo starts (estimated in two weeks), to keep you in the loop.

As always, we love hearing from you and learning how the association can help you!

Deirdre T. Flynn, CFSP
NAFEM Executive Vice President