"Chapter Meetings" are dead

[Randy Parrish CPF]

I think we can learn a valuable lesson from Southeast chapter Sandra/Chickie/Wally's event, by not calling it a "Chapter Meeting" they are potentially opening up the event to framers who either are ignorant of the PPFA, stigmatized by old stereo types. My feedback gathered from vendors and framers is that PPFA lacks relevance and chapter meeting announcement or flyer to other nonmember shops might as well go in the delete folder.

I suggest we start calling our events anything other than a chapter meeting and whatever it's titles we put in small writing "sponsored by #ppfa chapter X.

Our next Great Lakes chapter meeting will be called "The Midwest Framing Workshop" hoping to attract more framers with press preleases in local news outlets and calling them up and letting them know about the event.

Thoughts?

I know many might not like it and your chapters may be fine, but in areas like ours something has to change.

 

[Robin Gentry MCPF]

I think you are on the right track.

Some people may feel if it is tagged as a PPFA event they are not welcomed. This is not true but it is the perception of some for reasons Randy mentioned. Having an event title then sponsored or hosted by PPFA Chapter xyz may be the way to get more people to check it out.

It is our job as PPFA Ambassadors to give PPFA relevance and make all framers/vendors feel welcome.

 

[Cathy Coggins]

We can always share "frame Fest". Our logo is super cool.

But seriously, when we set out to do this we knew that putting PPFA in small print would broaden our reach. We had no idea to what extent. It has been amazing the response we have gotten. However, we have also backed that up with our attitudes too. Welcoming, shop owners to shop owners, room for all, and the tag line "by framer for framers" has helped IMMENSELY too. Our intentions are clear, the bias is down, the welcome mat is out.

I am not by any means saying any of ya'll are not, if i offend that is so not my intention. Our Chapter, Florida as a whole was ravaged by the economic hard times. Our previous board were particularly hard hit. And PPFA just went by the wayside for many of us. We still have great work to do on a local level as far as relevance goes. The particularly noteworthy thing that "Frame Fest" affected was the vendor scope of us. Our stature became much bigger with this. And this could go way beyond what it is at this point, but not with JUST the merry band of a few in FL as it is now. We would need all of your help at your chapter levels. I am getting ahead of myself.

Decor, and WCAF.....they are what they are, and if I may be so bold, they are quite frankly just all we got. The difference is the focus. It has been said repeatedly that PFM, WCAF and perhaps Decor are vendor focused, where PPFA has remained heretofore framer focused. Frame Fest did something different, we focused on both. Let me spin the Decor, WCAF, PFM thing for a sec and lets look at them from a different angle, a framers angle.
You see, they aim to court the vendors, secure the space and build it and hope that we just support it and come. Some have been yelling that.

-Have they thought about us in location? It has been said 70% of population is east of Mississippi, dunno if that is true, but it has been West Coast a long time.
-Costs. After filling my shopping cart last year my classes and admission were in the tune of $500. Not including the long flight cost or hotel room.
-Timing. After not before the holiday season.
-And what about the way they are integrating PPFA, does it seem like a forefront or squeeze it in where it may.

But, mostly...mostly, do you feel like you as the small business owner, the potential delegate, are the one being wooed. I am new at this and do not know but what I perceive, the real power seemed to be in courting the vendors. The vendors can make all they want, we are the buyers.
PPFA is the Professional Picture Framers ASSOCIATION. That means me and my dues and you and your dues and everybody else banding together to make our voice louder. We should be courted not relegated to an after thought. And who's fault is that? OURS! For not being more united in what we are doing.

Some are saying "Support Decor! Support Decor! Support Decor!" I say loyalties should start here first. I do not pay my dues to get a sticker on my door, they aren't easy to get anyway. I did not join for the CPF designation to merely adorn my business card (if I pass on Saturday!) I did not join to have access to this really cool board and here other members support venture OTHER THAN the ones that are home grown. PPFA grown, to me that is INSULTING! I joined so that I, with Robin, and Randy, and Cliff, and Sarah, and Ellen, and Jim, and Greg, and Carol, and Wally,and Sondra, and other David, and David, and Mikki goodness my heart is beating fast and I don't know all 900+ of us...I joined so that we can make a difference. I joined so that I could help others join. I joined so that as framers, that as a band with a louder voice could make a better Members Advantage. THAT can only happen with increase relevance for PPFA. I joined to help make PPFA RELEVANT. Which in turn makes us as framers and business owners more powerful. Not alone. Not as mere attendees to a show for profit other than ours in mind. By Framers for Framers.

Randy, Robin, you are on to something....but friends you aren't seeing the picture all the way. It is much much bigger. But we have to stand together to take it all in.

Yes, for now our efforts are insinuated as not big as they are "table top". We have to start somewhere. For the record Frame Fest is "Table Top+" watch the PPFA news feed for this weekend and see what we accomplished with a starting budget of ZERO, some hard working idealists and some enthusiasm.
It's about the frames we make and the party we are throwing. A rather inspiring and professional one. With Chocolate Chip cookies which I am about to bake and you ain't gonna get at Decor or WCAF unless you are staying at a DoubleTree.

Sorry folks, I do get rather excited.
I am off to bake now!

I believe in ya'll,

Cathy the framer also know as Chickie!

 

[Rob Markoff]

Hold on there Chickie- what do you mean "off to bake?" Do you mean there will be your cookies at frameFest? I didn't see that little bit of information on the flyer Could have been the tipping point........Jay Goltz and Hugh Phibbs would have just been an "extra added attraction........."

 

[Rob Markoff]

-Costs. After filling my shopping cart last year my classes and admission were in the tune of $500. Not including the long flight cost or hotel room.

There is still time to get your round trip airfare, hotel and class costs for almost "nothing."

Seriously, it would have been better to "start" at the beginning of the summer, but there are some incredible deals out there that will give you enough points/miles for free round trip airfare and "statement credits" that could offset the $500 in your "cart".

For example: http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/e...tinum.jsp?anchorLocation=DirectURL&title=citi

No annual fee the first year and if you spend $1000 in the first 90 days, you earn 30,000 miles. That's more than enough for round trip airfare.

Or this one- one of my favorite cards: https://applynow.chase.com/FlexAppW...F525616076&jp_cmp=cc/307156/aff/3-10002210/na

No annual fee the first year. 50,000 chase points for spending $5,000 in the first 90 days. That's worth $500 CASH as a statement offset plus you get a MINIMUM of 5,000 points for the $5K spent (and even more if you use the "bonus" categories.) That could more than pay for your class expenses. And these points also "instantly" transfer to Southwest and United airlines.

Or this one- but there was just a 30,000 point offer that expired. This card is also one of my favorites. If you transfer the SPG points earned in 20,000 point increments to American Airlines, they bonus you 5,000 - so 20,000 points = free round trip airfare! No annual fee the first year. http://www262.americanexpress.com/l...160_F525616170&BUID=SBS&PSKU=SWB&CRTV=BSPGDLP

Seriously, there are many ways to leverage owning a small business to provide for FREE travel - just for PAYING YOUR EVRY DAY BILLS on the "right" credit card. Don't want to pay the annual fee at the end of the "free" period? Cancel the card!

 

[Cathy Coggins]

Yes, Mr Markoff, 7 dozen warm cookies sitting in my kitchen. 7 more tomorrow night, and the next, and the next.

I take hospitality very seriously.

As to the $500 that was not airfare darling, that was classes and registration fee. The flight was nothing compared to that.

I read your blogs on travel-i-ness. It is good stuff. Innovation at the volunteer level has made FF affordable. Decor and WCAF can not touch that. Nor do they bake.

Not to late to sign up sir, always room for one more, and there will be plenty of cookies for Hugh, Jay and yourself.

 

[Mike Labbe]

No one said there would be COOKIES. Now I'm even more anxious for Saturday to get here!

See ya soon
Mike

 

[Cliff Wilson MCPF]

I was thinking about (and talking to people here in NE) a FrameFest Northeast, but the Decor show being in September makes that problematic.

My idea was to locate in lower upstate NY (now NE chapter) which would facilitate a number of chapters and other framers being able to drive.

The numbers I'm hearing out of Florida are a little bit better than our normal chapter meetings up here, so I've got to believe we could pull numbers significantly into the 3 digit range with a multi-day session in upstate NY.

Although we tend to draw pretty well at our chapter meetings I think there is a lot to be said for "PPFA" being intimidating. Frankly, if you're not "in the know" then many of our regular instructors tend to be viewed on pedestals. A number of non-members I spoke with thought they had to be CPFs to join, or they had to meet some kind of performance standard. Some believe we would "police" their operation if they joined. Anything to reduce that intimidation factor is probably a good thing.

 

[Cathy Coggins]

Cliff, for what it is worth, I LOVE the idea of a Frame Fest North East. Especially as your PPFA influence is so well established; but tweaking it to have that broader reach, and high vendor focus vendor buffet set up.
You are bang on when it comes to that "pedestal" take. Many do believe that you would have to calls Hugh's agent to speak to him, not really but you know what I mean. Or that because their revenue is under half a million , or that they don't have "the letters", that the sum of their experience is not noteworthy. So not true. But I found out about that for myself after I was accepted into the fold. Jim, yourself, Wally, and many like you have never hung up the phone when I asked for help. For some reason people do not believe that, or they seem not too.

I would love to chat with more people about a Frame Fest Northeast, or Midwest, or Deep South, or whatever. Because we are principled, organized, and have volunteer innovation, it could be a lovely event system, and affordable, AND can help PPFA continue the membership number growth. But particularly, I would love to see it even more vendor benefit focused. Member Advantage could be a proper two way street. Building events that were affordable and relevant to vendors could make vendor membership more essential; therefore everybody wins. Also if this got big enough perhaps we can go beyond the diminishing "table top" designation. But not at the 5 digit range that some vendors spend at event like WCAF.

Which Committee deals with this Cliff? Is there one for event planning? Or would that be membership, or CRC?

 

[Cliff Wilson MCPF]

...

Which Committee deals with this Cliff? Is there one for event planning? Or would that be membership, or CRC?

It's not really in any committee's responsibility right now.
I'd say Education would be the closest, but they really have just about the right manpower to plan for Vegas.
Maybe Robin can jump in, but I would think a "sub-committee" of the Ed Committee, or a new committee could be formed?

But, why shouldn't it just be Chapter Leaders in the affected areas getting together?
I'm not sure we need a central committee?

 

[Cathy Coggins]

It's not really in any committee's responsibility right now.
I'd say Education would be the closest, but they really have just about the right manpower to plan for Vegas.
Maybe Robin can jump in, but I would think a "sub-committee" of the Ed Committee, or a new committee could be formed?

But, why shouldn't it just be Chapter Leaders in the affected areas getting together?
I'm not sure we need a central committee?

Education Committee, and a few others. Again I am getting ahead of myself. I have only recently come to realize what a "forward" thinker I tend to be. I don't look backwards except for a relevance reference and to glean info and move on. Not nostalgia or any other emotional fluff. Present is important, but I tend to look a t a thing a see what it could or should be. CLs is a start, but this needs guidance for bigness. CRC did a neato survey of CLs last year of what they needed most from PPFA more or less. The boxes to tick were board and the replies equally so. However, if you were to look at the sum of them, and discern what they really wanted, I am going out on a limb here as this is my perception, guidance. They all seemed indicative of wanting guidance on being the leader they ought, or how to do what they need to well for PPFA.

If these, regional "Frame Fest"s could be scheduled throughout the country, throughout the year, a framer could make a plan. If a negotiating committee went in with the experience to set up, and 'deal' with catering, AV, rooming projections, dates, floorspace, set up, they could make an impact throughout and have the strength of experience and the momentum of future event to add weight to their negotiating power. (these have been points that we have hit, and been hit hard with in planning FF)

Innovation is not as costly as it used to be. Anyone can learn to be an event planner if they were crazy enough to do it while running their business. But if it was done correctly, and with the benefiting of PPFA as a whole, in mind, perhaps the industry could have a proper shakeup.

Well, my brain is buzzing with ideas, but I have a couple of FF attendee spreadsheets I am avoiding. And a business to run. More after FF.

 

[Wally Fay CPF]

I was thinking about (and talking to people here in NE) a FrameFest Northeast, but the Decor show being in September makes that problematic.

Cliff, This is just me talking, not the voice of PPFASE.
I was thinking the same thoughts as I read the notice of Decor's intent to put on a show in Atlanta. We (PPFASE) have to decide, after Frame Fest SE is over, if there should be one in the works for 2015. I initially figured that FF might just be a one-off and we, as a Chapter, should work on other projects to build Chapter strength and attendance.
But there is a part of me that says we should stay the course and continue to plan for Framefest 2015. Maybe that plan could lead to Frame Fest NE 2015, and we could possibly look at rotating venues on an annual basis. I'm not quite ready to give up the foothold we have worked for over these past 6-8 months.
One way to strengthen our stand is to partner up with others for the old "strength in numbers" thing. Who better to form alliances with than those in the same organization? I think it is worth a serious conversation. This conversation needs to start now.

 

[Rob Markoff]

Anyone can learn to be an event planner if they were crazy enough to do it while running their business.

And, if the person learned/knew how to "benefit" from being an event planner he/she could leverage all the extra hard work into some incredible free travel!

Seriously, it is a lot of hard work and time. By understanding how the "relationship" between the organizer and hotel "works," the planner could get "credit" from the venue that could result in some "free" travel...........

 

[Randy Parrish CPF]

I wasn't saying that chapter meeting are literally dead, they do not have to be 3 day events, great if you can swing that. What I think most chapters should do is call it anything other than a chapter meeting to attract the most amount of people.

Many chapters have tried to have multi day/chapter events and the result has been a fiscal black hole sucking the chapter funds away.

I think it is very smart that SEPPFA has had a online website to register on, that they are not calling it a chapter meeting, even though its exactly what we do at meetings. And been very lucky in the people they have gotten to show up. The ultimate proof will be the end finical state they are in and the head count.

 

[Wally Fay CPF]

Of course Randy, but you could simply hide a Chapter business meeting within an event. The meetings required are more for compliance than anything else, and they can be conducted swiftly and relatively painlessly within the context of something a bit more creative and interesting.
It is true that all meetings don't need to be multiple day events. But if you look at the proposed geography of some of the chapters, travel is going to be a major consideration for some members, and having a better carrot to attract members will make the travel worthwhile. Plus, if you have something to draw non-members, you have the opportunity to demonstrate the advantages of belonging to the PPFA. It may not be a possibility for every Chapter, but it should be considered.

 

[Cliff Wilson MCPF]

I wasn't saying that chapter meeting are literally dead, they do not have to be 3 day events, great if you can swing that. What I think most chapters should do is call it anything other than a chapter meeting to attract the most amount of people.

Many chapters have tried to have multi day/chapter events and the result has been a fiscal black hole sucking the chapter funds away.

I think it is very smart that SEPPFA has had a online website to register on, that they are not calling it a chapter meeting, even though its exactly what we do at meetings. And been very lucky in the people they have gotten to show up. The ultimate proof will be the end finical state they are in and the head count.

I understood what you were saying and we've already discussed this at our board. We will probably try to incorporate the idea in to the future, but that doesn't preclude trying to leverage other ideas that work.

Plus, like a number of chapters, we in NE have new territory we have to accommodate in the future. Having a larger show might be a way to do that.

 

[Russ Wood]

I agree with most of the posts here. A couple of additional rambling thoughts.

1. Can someone (Cathy?) document all of the activities that were required for the current "event" in Florida? This would be a good starting point for all of the other chapters that are planning on doing something similar. If someone wants to send me a rough rambling problem, good / bad thoughts, I can try to put them together but I don't know who I would need to pass it on to. Then if another group did something similar, they could take the list, use and modify it for the next chapter, so it keeps getting better and more complete.

2. I don't know who at PPFA could / should be the "one" to keep this knowledge for others. Yes, it could be the education committee, or a sub-committee of that. The education committee does keep a list of possible speakers on all kinds of topics. While there current emphasis is on finalizing the classes for Las Vegas, they are also interested in other educational outlets, in addition to Las Vegas. (But Las Vegas does provide a source of income for PPFA, as I understand.)

3. We need to remember that basically, PPFA is an organization of volunteers. Sometimes us volunteers have more time at one time of the year, so it is seasonal. Volunteers are also the PPFA of the chapters / regions. And getting new speakers, new ideas, and new volunteers certainly creates new opportunities for excitement.

4. Boy, am I rambling. From my limited experience with the education committee, I have found that there are certain kinds of classes (eg. demo's / hands on) that are more appropriate for these "Regional Experiences". Because of the significant costs of meeting rooms in Las Vegas, and the need to make sure they are full, (and hands / on and some demo's take more space so less room for "students), and the difficulties of bringing in hands on materials, they are not very well suited for Las Vegas. However, these are, from my base point, one of the better methods for teaching and showing.

5. I really think these regional ones are the way to go!

 

[David Lantrip MCPF GCF]

Just a 30,000' level suggestion: Other chapters do and have produced two- or three-day events along the same lines as Frame Fest, such as the event that happens here in Texas every once in a while. Assuming the Frame Fest SE is a success (and all indications are that it will be) why don't we build some brand identity and call all of these events going forward by one name and have Frame Fest NE, Frame Fest TX, Frame Fest Midwest, and so on.

 

[Randy Parrish CPF]

We are having a one day. two classes meeting. with Hugh Phibbs at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Hugh's undergrad Alma Mater btw.

Not really a framefest, opted for experimenting with something else. We worked with Mike Labbe to create a similar web site as SEPPFA and NEPPFA.

I have tried to help SEPPFA as much as possible, they have really gotten a lot of support from everyone, something page every chapter can use. Some of our Facebook graphics have been picked up by the vendors and they are sharing them on their pages, which is a first!

We will be posting directly to the PPFA Facebook and Instagram pages from the event so check them out, next thing to being there, we hope.

 

[Wally Fay CPF]

Randy, You hit the nail on the head. We have stressed the partnership with the vendors to get them to help with the marketing of the event. After all it is they that benefit the most when lots of warm bodies show up. The primary problem we have faced in this regard is that many of our Vendors are intrenched in the old ways, and want us to deliver new customers to them. We counter that by positioning ourselves as the venue and the event as their opportunity. We provide the space and platform, and the Education with the folks that come with that. They need to promote to their customers, even at a risk of exposing them to their competitors.

Another point we just dealt with yesterday is the privacy of the people signing up for the event. One of the Vendors wanted to have the contact list and emails of those that signed up. We had no disclaimer in the sign up process, but feel it is our obligation to protect the information of the Attendees. They are welcome to ask for that information directly fromthe Attendee, but we are not at liberty to divulge.