Managing Chapter Events

PMI Portland Chapter sponsors many events, such as Chapter meetings, workshops, classes, conferences, volunteer and networking events, etc.  There are a lot of moving pieces to making these events work, and the events involve people/groups from across the entire Chapter.  

The purpose of this web page is to provide complete information for the event coordinator and all Chapter staff, so that:

• You have the resources you need for event setup and marketing.
• Your event can appear on the website and in the web calendars.
• People can pay/register for the event.
• Your event can be advertised via email, social media, flyers, newsletter, etc.
• Our sponsors can receive the advertising for which they have paid.
• Volunteers can look up and export payment/registration information.
• You can manage registration issues.
• All volunteers can understand the Event Setup and Marketing processes and tools in place at this time.

Plan Ahead!  Marketing for events should begin 90 days before the event date.  

1.  Planning

We assume that you have already secured your presenter and venue, etc.

Get up to speed 

• Familiarize yourself with the Chapter website, calendars, registration system, email and social media marketing.
• Familiarize yourself with the "Who to Contact" list. 
• Review the Event Management Process Flow Chart.  
• Please read this entire web page before you begin.

Insurance

Events sponsored by PMI organizations may be covered under the general liability policy. An Events Checklist must be completed and submitted to the PMI Global Operations Center for approval at least thirty (30) days prior to the event so as to determine if the activity is covered. If additional coverage is required the chapter will be notified and presented with the applicable options to ensure that the event is properly insured.  If an event venue requires a certificate of insurance, complete the PMI Global Event Checklist.  Email the form to april.burton@pmi.org and she will generate the certificate of insurance (allow 7-10 days), also copy the Chapter Secretary.  

Speaker Contracts

Please update the Speaker Contract for your event. If your event has a paid speaker honorarium the signature must be the Chapter President. If there is not speaker honorarium that will be paid then your portfolio VP can sign off on the contract. Once you are done with updates send it to the speaker and have them send back a signed copy. Send back a countersigned copy to the speaker and save the signed copy in your team folder for future reference. 

Zoom

For virtual or hybrid events, you must set up your zoom link after you have your presenter's title, day and time. Set up the zoom link on the chapter's zoom account and send the link to your presenter in a calendar invite. Then send the zoom link to the marketing team in your event marketing request in section 2. See attached Zoom how to guide for more information on what steps to take.

PDUs

The secretary will apply to PMI GOC for PDUs and will assign a course number to be used by the students when reporting the PDUs.  Please allow two weeks for the PDU process. The Portfolio VP will be required to approve the code request, so be sure to inform and engage with the VP throughout the PDU process.  The Chapter Secretary will apply to PMI GOC for PDUs and will assign a course number to be used by the registrants when reporting the PDUs. Enter PDU information in the "CLICK HERE to provide event/speaker information." link below.

2.  Event Setup on the Website

Please complete the following two steps:  A) provide event/speaker information and B) request a registration/payment form.  Check your email frequently - you may be contacted for additional questions and will be asked to approve before these go live.  Event Management Process Flow Chart

Allow 3-5 days after A and B are complete for event setup.

A. Provide Event/Speaker Information

The information collected here will be used to create the event web page as well as for other marketing activity.  Please provide final, verified, complete information so that we can adequately market your event.   

CLICK HERE to provide event/speaker information.     

• If necessary, review the form submitted the last time this event occurred.  
• Provide any other materials that may be used to help market the event (flyers, URLs, brochures, etc.). (optional)
• Provide a headshot for the speaker and any additional graphical elements.  See Graphics Requirements below.
• Email all of the above to both VP of Marketing and Webmaster. 
• Save this form and store it centrally per your Portfolio standards.  
• If you need to make changes, update this form and resend to all concerned.  

Graphics Information

Graphics such as company logos and speaker photos can be used on web pages, eblasts, flyers, banners and social media.  

Graphics Requirements:

• Always send graphics as separate attachments.  Do not paste the graphic into Word documents or email.
• Send graphics in .jpg, .png, gif, or .pdf format only.  
• Minimum resolution 300 dpi.
• Slideshow image for the home page must be 800 px wide x 400 px high. See Slideshow information below.  Contact VP of Marketing.
  

Need Chapter Logos? Contact VP of Marketing.

Need Graphics? Contact VP of Marketing to have graphics created OR to have graphics you have created approved prior to use. 

B. Request Registration/Payment Form/Calendar Creation

The Web team will create an online form for your attendees to use to register/pay for your event.  This form accepts credit/debit cards and we use PayPal to process these payments (no PayPal account is required for the registrant).  

Calendars: For paid events, creating this form ALSO creates the web calendar entry.  If you want something to appear on our web calendar, we use the same application even if no one registers or pays (eg. roundtables, toastmaster, oregon food bank, etc).  Please fill out the form below as well.

Keep this info handy when filling out the form to help calculate pricing:  

1. Our system allows different pricing for these groups:  Non-members, Chapter Members, Chapter Student Members, Board and Directors.  You must provide a price for each group (can be same or different).   This is considered Regular pricing.
2. There are only 3 registration periods - regular (above), earlybird, and late.   We can apply one $discount during the earlybird pricing period and/or one $late fee during the late pricing period.  Both are optional.
3. The discount/late fees apply across the board to every group and cannot be different for different groups.  

(Optional) You may use this Pricing Worksheet to help you decide on pricing before using the online form.

• Be sure to save the email confirmation you receive for future reference for your team and your successors.  
• If you need to make changes, please update the Google form and resend to all concerned.  There is a link in the email confirmation allowing you to edit.

If this is a free, internal to PMI Portland Chapter, event, such as a party for volunteers, please consider using a Google Calendar invitation instead of having us create a registration form.  Why?  1) you don't need our system to take credit card payment information and 2) you are inviting specific people, not opening an event to the public.  If you do this, it will not appear on our web calendar, though.  

Request Discount Codes

See below. 

Calendar Only?

Creating a registration/payment form also causes your event to appear on the web calendar and under the Upcoming Events section of the web site.  If the event does NOT require registration on our site (no registration at all or registration is handled by third-party), fill out this form to get it on the calendar.  This will provide us the information we need in order to make the event appear on our calendars.

C.  Registration is Open!

When the web page and registration form are approved and LIVE, we consider the event to be "Open".  See 3.  Standard Marketing for what happens next.  

3.  Standard Marketing 

Marketing activity will begin automatically once your event is "Open", based on the information provided above in Step 2.  Please read the following information, and contact VP of Marketing with questions.  

Email

• Shortly after the event is open for registration, a single topic email will be sent out to our entire DB (5000+).  The content will be the same as the web page.  If this event should not be publicized to the entire DB (eg. to members only instead) notify Dir. of Distribution and Asst. Dir. of Communication before event is Open.
• Every Friday we send an email with one or two sentences about most upcoming events, especially near registration deadlines.  
• If you want additional email marketing outside of this schedule, please contact VP of Marketing.  See Escalation below. 

Social Media

The Chapter has an active presence on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.  Event Marketing Schedule:

1. Event may be announced before pricing is confirmed by Web Team.
2. After event is open for registration:

• 61-90 days out - Once a month announcement
• 31-60 days out - Every 2 weeks announcement
• 1-30 days out - Every week announcement

Contact VP of Marketing and Dir. of Distribution.

Monthly Chapter Newsletter  

A newsletter is emailed to everyone in our DB one week before each Chapter meeting. Please see this example.  Every upcoming event will appear in the newsletter, with a link to the existing event webpage.  If you want to provide another article of some sort, send the content to the Dir. of Content Marketing by published deadlines.   

At Chapter Meetings

• Flyers can be distributed at the monthly Chapter Meetings. Contact VP of Marketing, who will engage a designer to create the flyers.  Marketing will work with Programs to have the flyers distributed during the Chapter meetings.
• All upcoming events are displayed on the Chapter Meeting PowerPoint presentation each month. Contact the Dir. of Program Support for questions. 

Web Home Page Slideshow (opt)

On the Chapter website home page is a rotating ad space (or slideshow) where we occasionally add images to promote certain events. The image must be 800 px wide by 400 px high, at least 300 dpi.  If you are interested in using this space, contact VP of Marketing.  See also Graphics Information, above.

Escalation 

If you require additional or different event marketing, contact VP of Marketing.

4.  During the Registration Period

Registration Issues, Refunds, Cancellations

The Event Coordinator must respond to issues and questions regarding registration.  Therefore, it is very important that you understand this information so that you are prepared, and so that we treat all event registrants fairly and consistently across the Chapter.

• Information about registration policies and procedures are here.  
• Please read the boilerplate information on your event webpage and your registration form.
• Be sure you are familiar with our refund and cancellation policy.  You are responsible for responding to requests and for approving any refunds, per Chapter policies.  
• Technical issues with the website?  Contact Webmaster.  
• Issues with payment/credit card/PayPal?  Contact VP of Finance. 

Managing Event Changes

It is the responsibility of the Event Coordinator to monitor registration and take any needed action based on registration numbers.  For example:

• If numbers are low, see Escalation
• If the event is cancelled, see Event Cancellation
• If the event sells out early, see Sold Out Events
• Keep Us Informed!

Attendee Information

Directors and Board members all have access to Event Management in order to:

• Look up a single person's registration
• Resend a registrant's confirmation email
• Manage an event Waiting List
• Mark attendance
• Export the roster for an entire event

 Log in > Board menu > Registration Management Apps

• EB Registration Management Documentation
• EB Registration management  (Records, Export, Email Registrants)

Coupon Codes

We can create Coupon Codes to be used during registration.  This code will allow someone to register at a % or $ discount from the established pricing, or for free.  These can be used as gifts, or to give a discount to an organization, or to allow certain volunteers a reduced price, etc.

• Click here to request a Coupon Code. 
• Be sure to save the email confirmation you receive in case you want to edit the form, and for future reference for your team and your successors.  

Sold out Events

If your event sells out early, the following will happen:

• (If Waiting List is enabled)  The Register Now button will still appear on the web page, but users will see a message saying the event is sold out, do they want to get on the Waiting List? when they go to register.  See Registration Management documentation above.
• (If Waiting List in NOT enabled, eg. group registrations).  The Register Now button will disappear from the web page when the event is sold out, but the event will continue to appear on calendars, etc.
• Keep us informed.  

Event Cancellation

If an event must be cancelled for any reason, please do the following:

1.  Notify Webmaster, VP of Finance, VP of Marketing and any other affected people.  Provide the following info:

• The registration form will be immediately closed - Do you want the web PAGE shut down or just add info about the cancellation?
• If adding text to the web page, send exact content - dates, refunds or anything else. 
• If info is to go out in social media/eblasts, send exact content and other instructions. 
• VP of Finance will issue refunds - provide refund info (assume full refund?).

2.  Update the 2 setup forms (Form A and Form B) for future reference.  

Keep us informed! 

It is the event coordinator’s responsibility to keep the entire team informed if changes need to be made.  One change probably affects multiple people who are supporting your event.  For example, changing the date for registration to close, need for more marketing (or less), pricing changes, speaker bio updates, special offers, etc.  If the event sells out early  you may want to put "sold out" on the web page, etc.  Update the 2 setup forms (Form A and Form B) for future reference.  See Who to Contact, below. 

5.  After the Event

• Be sure to pull the attendance list from Zoom and batch check in for attendees in the event registration system. hyperlink to the how to video: https://vimeo.com/544338540/0e796431b2
• Your event web page will be archived the day after your event is over.  
• Your event registration form will be archived about 1 month after the event is over.  If this has been archived and you can't get to your records: The web team will export your roster and save it to this Google Drive:  https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B3rA_3swfPVyV1RBa0dPb2tPNjQ 

6.  Who to Contact

This is a "living document" - please send edits/questions/additions to webmaster@pmi-portland.org.  

Contact Information

Contact List of current and past volunteers is found in Track It Forward

Email all Board members boardlist@pmi-portland.org

Email all Directors directorlist@pmi-portland.org

Leadership web page

Contact web page

Region 1 contacts (06/17/2013)Toggle fullscreen mode

Advisory Council (10/1/2011)

Vendor List (10/3/2011)

Chapter Email & Collaboration Tools

A suite of google apps including gmail, google docs, calendar, hangouts, and file sharing is provided to elected Board members and appointed Directors for the duration of their service with the PMI Portland Chapter. Check with your VP for standards in your team.

New accounts are created as a part of the Volunteer Hiring Process.  This webpage covers access, setup and usage guidelines for new google accounts. 

For additional help, configuration and training information, visit the Gmail Help center page.  Forgot/Reset your password?  Or contact Asst. Dir of Technology.

Accessing Gmail

URL: https://admin.google.com/pmi-portland.org

Username: Full Email Address (eg. portfolio@pmi-portland.org)

Password: Provided separately

You will always automatically send email as XXX@pmi-portland.org.

Setting up Gmail with other mail clients

Click here to learn how to setup your gmail account with other external mail clients.

You can add your gmail account to your Android or iPhone.

Basic Gmail Setup Steps

Please set up your gmail account immediately as follows:

1. Change your Password

1. Login to your gmail account
2. In the "Sign-in & security" section, select Signing in to Google.
3. Choose Password.
4. Enter your new password information, then select Change Password.

For further information on changing/resetting your account, click here.

2. Edit your account information

You can edit information like your Volunteer Title and the email and phone number associated with your account. This basic information is used to help others get in touch with you more easily in products like Hangouts, Gmail, and Maps. Please note that this email account will be passed on to the next volunteer so keeping your volunteer account separate from your personal account will allow for a smoother transition. Refer to ‘Keeping you Inbox Email Clean’ for more information.

1. Sign in to your gmail account
2. In the "Personal info & privacy" section, select Your personal info.
3. Choose the information you want to edit and follow the onscreen instructions.
4. Enter your title, i.e. PMI Portland Webmaster.

For more information on editing your account click here.

3. Create an Automatic Signature

Signatures are important in order to create a professional image, as well as to prevent messages from being marked as spam.

1. On a computer, open gmail
2. At the top right, click the settings icon
3. Select Settings
4. Scroll down to the "Signature" section and enter your new signature text in the box.
5. Optional: Format your text using the buttons above the text box.
6. At the bottom of the page, click Save Changes.

For more information on setting up your signature on your mobile device such as Android, iPhone, or iPad, click here.

The recommended Chapter signature is:

If you use an external email client, also set up a signature there.

4. Add *pmi-portland.org as a Trusted Address

1. Go to Preferences > Trusted Addresses page.
2. Enter *.pmi-portland.org.
3. Click Add.
4. Click Save.

Recommended Account Usage

PMI Portland Email Usage Expectations

The PMI Portland chapter relies heavily on email communication. NOTE: 2010-11 Board agreement includes the following:

1. Check your email frequently and respond promptly. All users of PMI Portland email will check and respond to email messages AT LEAST every 2 days.
2. At least reply that "the message has been received."
3. Put deadlines in the Subject line, and change the Subject line to be relevant to the topic if the thread is long.  
4. Use the Out of Office message feature if you will be away for any period of time.
5. Use your PMI account when doing PMI business, instead of your personal email account.
6. Keep your email cleaned up, as we have limited space, and you will pass your account on to your successor next year.
7. Use a PMI Portland signature in all PMI related email, no matter which client you are using.

Forwarding Messages

Volunteers are encouraged to use the Forwarding feature to be sure you (or your delegates) receive important messages. Use this if you want email to be sent to another Chapter officer while you are on vacation. Or, your VP may also want to receive your PMI email. You can forward email to internal and/or external email addresses.

See Gmail User documentation regarding forwarding messages.

Out of Office Messages

Volunteers are encouraged to use the Out of Office feature if you cannot monitor your email at least every 2 days. You can set a timeframe for the out of office message, and can set different messages for messages from inside or outside our domain.

See Gmail User documentation regarding out of office messages.

Keeping your Email Inbox Clean

The collaboration tools are intended for PMI Portland Chapter use only, and will be passed on to the next volunteer after election each year. Therefore, it is the current volunteer's responsibility to organize and maintain the account with a view to passing on pertinent information to their successor.

If you use the Webmail client exclusively, or if you use certain external email client setups, you will need to access the webmail client to clean up messages.  Be sure to log in every month or so and clean up messages. Depending upon the type of setup you have, deleting message on the webmail server may also delete messages on your external mail system, so be careful!

Additional Support

Visit the Gmail Help Center

Forgot/Reset your password?

Visit Gmail’s YouTube Channel for instructional videos

Visit Google’s App Learning Center to learn about all the apps google has to offer such as Hangouts, Docs, Sheets, Drive, Calendar, Groups, etc.

If you need additional assistance, contact Asst Dir of Technology at asst_tech@pmi-portland.org.

Mission, Vision and Bylaws

Mission

To promote the profession of Project Management by creating a culture and community that facilitates professional growth through education and volunteerism.

Vision

To be the innovative leader in the region for advancing project management, making individuals and organizations more successful. We are a responsive and collaborative center of excellence promoting ethics, quality, knowledge, skills, integrity and leadership.

Chapter Bylaws

Click link to open the Current Bylaws (2020-04-15).