Benefits of Membership

SGMP offers its membership numerous opportunities through:

• Encouraging and improving communication, understanding, and cooperation between planners and suppliers through regular meetings, discussions and conferences
• Expanding the knowledge and abilities of planners and suppliers by conducting formal education programs
• Aiding planners in locating and evaluating commercial meeting facilities and support services by operating a communications link
• Researching, analyzing and translating regulatory policies and legislative issues which affect governmental meetings
• Promoting an understanding in decision-making areas that directly or indirectly impact the scope of operations of the planner
• Maintaining liaison activities with other professional meeting planner and supplier groups
• Providing guidance and advice to planners on all phases of planning, executing, and evaluating meetings

Annual Education Conference

A national education conference is held annually. In addition to providing an opportunity to report on the business of the Society and to install newly elected officers, it provides an excellent educational forum for sharing the latest techniques in managing meetings.

Seminars on meeting management, negotiations, law and ethics and doing business with the government market are just some of the topics presented at the annual conference. The content is designed to provide educational tools to the novice and experienced government planner and the supplier of services.

SGMP educational programs at both the annual meeting and regular local meetings instruct on how to produce effective agency meetings that are conducted within budget allocations and per diem allowances. Shared are valuable tools that help sharpen planning skills so that public funds are spent economically and in a manner that produce results.

Membership Directory

Each member of the Society is presented with a comprehensive membership directory upon admission to SGMP. Each year a directory is printed and forwarded to members in good standing. Online access to the membership listing is available through the "Members Only" section of the national web site, www.sgmp.org

Newsletter

SGMP's national newsletter is available on the national web site six times a year. The "Government Meetings Advantage Magazine" is published and mailed to each member quarterly.

Chapter Affiliation

All membership is with the national organization. Affiliation with an SGMP chapter is available through national membership at no additional charge. While chapter affiliation is not mandatory, we strongly encourage you to do so.

As a member of SGMP you are welcome to attend meetings of any chapter. However, as a chapter member you are eligible to vote in chapter elections, you will receive local program announcements for educational and networking opportunities, and receive a chapter newsletter in addition to the national newsletter. Members may affiliate with the chapter of their choice.

Supplier members find it advantageous to affiliate with the chapter of their sales territory. Suppliers may hold multiple memberships which allow them to affiliate with more than one chapter. However, a planner application "match" must accompany each supplier membership application.