Purpose: Executive participation from Provider organizations is the single biggest key to achieving chapter success and sustainability. Having executive engagement establishes chapter credibility, provides a reliable financial base, provides educational guidance, improves member participation, and attracts supplier partners.

The Executive Round Table is an annual in-person dining event (lunch or dinner) that includes the executives in a chapter geography and the chapter board. It is the board’s opportunity to provide executives with the chapter vision, goals and upcoming calendar and receive executive feedback. Multiple events can be scheduled, including at a conference. Supplier partner executives can be included at the chapter discretion.

Creating the Executive Round Table

• Landscape: Map regional systems and ID senior leaders (CSO/VP/Supply Chain Exec).
• Marketing: Create a simple document that defines roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
• Outreach: Chapter Leadership (President, AHRMM Representative, and Executive Champion) extend personal invitations to attend an inaugural event with other executives and board.
• Events: Conduct at least one Executive Round table.

Executive Engagement Tips and Tricks

Don’t’ ask too much time of executives. Respect their time by having a clear definition of their roles and responsibilities.

Purpose: The financial health of a chapter is vital to its sustainability; therefore, it is critical that the board reviews and chooses a financial model prior to operation or developing events. The Playbook provides the two primary models employed in chapters today (Individual/Sponsorship and Institutional/Membership) and allows chapters to choose which model best suits them.

Revenue Models

• The Individual/Sponsorship (hereafter Sponsorship) model is used primarily by Legacy chapters and is based on a structure where individual memberships are nominal (often free) and the chapter board solicits supplier sponsorships for events to generate revenues.
• The Institutional/Membership (hereafter Institutional) model is designed around annual, recurring institutional memberships for both providers and suppliers and allow suppliers to contribute additional resources by sponsoring individualized or targeted events.

Providers pay an annual membership based on the size of their organization and receive a number memberships commensurate to their size and contribution. Suppliers pay the same annual membership fee as providers but they have opportunities to engage beyond membership, for example by providing speakers, hosting events or facility tours, sponsoring dinners, and partnering on educational programming.

Value Proposition: Sponsorship Model
The Individual/Sponsorship model allows individuals to participate as they see fit by charging a low fee, providing a low barrier to entry and allows suppliers to choose the level of contribution based on event involvement and marketing placement. It is a traditional model that has been utilized by both providers and suppliers for many years so it is familiar and is the choice of most Legacy chapters.

Value Proposition: Institutional Model
The Institutional/Membership Model emphasizes the value of partnership by charging providers and suppliers equally. It provides chapter sustainability by employing a predictable and reliable revenue stream and simplifies the financial collection process by reducing reliance on individual transactions and sponsorship sales. It simplifies the financial request process for both providers and suppliers by focusing on an annual predictable institutional contribution. It creates predictable chapter budgets, but also allows for more advanced educational programs since it provides choice for institutions to contribute additionally to programs they support.

Sponsorship Model- Recommended Pricing Anchors:

• Individual Membership: $0-$100
• Vendor Event Sponsorship Tiers: $300-$5000 (or more)
• Events: Fall and/or Spring Conferences
• Expo tables: Included in the Sponsorship Tiers

Institutional Model Pricing Anchors:

• System membership: $1,000
• Vendor membership: $1,000
• Events: $250-$5000
• Supplier partners can engage in or create events and activities such as hosting food at conferences, providing speakers, hosting virtual education, and partnering to create individually sponsored events.
• Expo tables: Included in membership.

Purpose: Give new chapters a realistic target for momentum, credibility and sustainability in the first 12 months. Use ranges provided based on market sizes.

A. Governance & Compliance

• Incorporation, EIN, bank account, and bylaws approved in 60 days.
• Adopt policies: Conflict of Interest, Financial Controls, Document Retention, Event Code of Conduct (templates in (Appendix).
• Insurance bound prior to first in‑person event.

B. Program & Events (Year 1)

Cadence: Publish a calendar in December for the coming year; lock Conference dates to align with Academic Calendar; create placeholders for other events and set dates 90 days in advance.

Market Tier	Events/Year	Mix	Typical Attendance (avg)
Emerging/Rural	1-3	Education (virtual), Networking (in‑person)	20-40
Mid‑Market	2-5	Education (virtual/ hybrid) Networking (in-person) Facility tour	30-75
Large/Metro	4-8	Education (virtual/ hybrid) Networking (in-person) Facility tour	60-150

C. Year‑1 Budget Ranges (USD)

(Assumes free individual membership; revenue from sponsors, system memberships, and event fees as appropriate.)

Cost Estimates

• Venue/catering per in‑person event: $500–$5,000 (size and AV dependent)
• Virtual platform & tools (Zoom, AMS tier, email): $300–$2,000/year
• Insurance (GL + D&O): $800–$2,500/year
• Marketing/creative, photo, printing: $250–$1,500/year
• AMS/Website (e.g., Wild Apricot) + payment fees: $600–$2,400/year

Revenue Estimates

• System membership(s): $1,000 each
• Vendor membership(s): $1,000 each
• Event sponsors: $500–$5,000 per event depending on tier and deliverables
• Expo tables (mini‑expo): $500–$1,500/table (10–30 tables at flagship)

Revenue Estimates

• System membership(s): $1,000 each
• Vendor membership(s): $1,000 each
• Event sponsors: $500–$5,000 per event depending on tier and deliverables
• Expo tables (mini‑expo): $500–$1,500/table (10–30 tables at flagship)

Year‑1 Targets

• Reserve goal by year‑end: $5,000–$20,000 (≥ one year of baseline fixed costs for small chapters)
• Sponsors secured: 6–20 across tiers
• Average event satisfaction: ≥ 4.3/5 (post‑event survey)
• Email list growth: +25–100% (depending on baseline)

D. Sample Starter Event Calendar (Year 1)

• Q1: Virtual education webinar (hot topic) + networking social (metro)
• Q2: Hybrid education + facility tour (provider site)
• Q3: Virtual Executive Roundtable briefing (exec only) + summer social (regional)
• Q4: Flagship half‑day summit + vendor mini‑expo (in‑person)

Purpose: Provide a comprehensive perspective on the various technologies that are necessary for chapter operations and management.

Core

• AMS/website (e.g., Wild Apricot)
• Payment gateway
• Email marketing platform
• Shared drive (Google Drive/OneDrive)
• Project chat (Slack/Teams)
• Virtual event platform (Zoom/Teams)

Website & CMS

Historically, chapters employed websites that provided the visual elements needed to advertise events but lacked functionality such as membership management, financial operations, and event communications. Many chapters have upgraded to a more effective web presence with an integrated AMS + website platform.

Wild Apricot is the platform used by most chapters.

Some chapters have formed collaborations of Communications and Technology Chairs to provide educational opportunities with other such as templates, how tos, and peer support.

The West Region AHRMM (WAHRMM) has developed a relationship with a vetted and experienced third-party specific to the association management industry who has provided assistance with website design and build, and ongoing management (content structure, events, payments, member portal) to several chapters using a standard template. Referrals can be provided.

Data Tracked

• Website: Membership (joins/retention), event registrations/attendance, sponsor pipeline and fulfillment, email engagement, financial records.
• Chapter Continuity: Shared credentials in a password manager; documented SOPs in the drive; role based access.

Purpose: Provide a guide on when and how to use AHRMM identifiers, develop marketing cadences, and collaborate with the AHRMM to promote your Chapter.

Branding: Use AHRMM‑approved identifiers; standard fonts/colors; “Independent Chapter of AHRMM” language.

Cadence

• Event emails: announce (6–4 weeks), reminder (2 weeks), last call (3–2 days)
• Newsletter: monthly or quarterly; include President’s note, upcoming events, recaps/photos, sponsor spotlights
• LinkedIn: 1–3 posts/week around events, milestones, curated insights
Personal outreach: Board call‑downs for key audiences before each event.

Timeline

T‑90: define objectives, format, date; secure speakers/venue; draft budget

T‑60: launch registration and campaign; secure sponsors; publish agenda outline

T‑30: confirm run‑of‑show, assign day‑of roles; push final promos

Day‑of: arrive early, run check‑in, recognize sponsors, capture photos

T+2 days: thank‑you emails; share recap/photos; board debrief

Formats: webinars; panels; facility tours; networking; flagship summit + vendor expo; hybrid micro‑events.

Membership

• Total active member count
• Retention (target 75–85%)
• New joins/quarter

Events

• Registrations vs. Attendance
• Attendee mix (provider/supplier/student)
• CECs issued
• Satisfaction score

Financials

• Sponsorship revenue
• Event profitability
• Unrestricted reserves (≥ 1 year of fixed costs as a mature target)

Engagement

• Volunteers active
• Email open/click rates
• LinkedIn reach metrics
• Tools: Maintain a one‑page dashboard reviewed quarterly by the board and shared with the Executive Roundtable.

Purpose: Once the basics are humming, expand impact with these programs:

AHRMM Chapter Scholarship Program
The AHRMM Chapter Scholarship Program provides financial support to AHRMM Chapters to assist with educational opportunities, including conference attendance, webinars, and other professional development resources. This program aims to help alleviate financial barriers and help chapters deliver more value to their members.

• Scholarship Process Webinar
• Scholar Overview Presentation
• Chapter Scholarship Process
• Chapter Scholarship Model

Chapter Scholarship Recommendations

• Define purpose & criteria (e.g., certification fees, conference travel, tuition assistance).
• Create an application & review rubric; publish deadlines aligned to academic calendars.
• Fund through earmarked sponsorship tiers; recognize recipients publicly.

Student Outreach & Case Competition

• Partner with universities (HCM, supply chain, industrial engineering, business).
• Recruit faculty champions; provide case packets and timelines (qualifiers → state → national).
• Offer judges from providers and industry; award scholarships and internships.

Independent Link Coalition

• Form a regional coalition with peer associations to co‑host programs and share calendars.
• Pilot cross‑chapter passes and joint vendor expos to expand reach and value.
• Create shared standards for ethics and provider‑led content.

Purpose: Reach members beyond the geographic center by blending both in‑person and virtual formats.

• Hub‑and‑spoke planning: rotate in‑person events among sub‑regions; publish an annual map of locations.
• Hybrid micro‑events: satellite watch‑parties with hosted discussions and local facilitators.
• Virtual equity: every quarter include at least one high‑value virtual education program.
• Travel‑light roles: offer volunteer slots (moderator, chat host) that can be done remotely.
• Data‑driven siting: use member ZIPs and past attendance to choose accessible venues.

• Adopt and annually review: COI policy, Event Code of Conduct, Financial Controls, Data Privacy statement.
• Banking controls: two signers; monthly reconciliation; board‑level quarterly financial review.
• Insurance: verify GL and D&O are active before major events; hold harmless and vendor COIs on file.
• Crisis playbook: point‑of‑contact tree; adverse weather/virtual pivot plan; statement templates.
• Succession: President‑Elect pipeline; role charters; 60‑day transition checklist and credential hand‑off.