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Eventia Board Election Process

The company’s articles require one half of Eventia’s elected Board directors who are subject to rotation to stand down annually. The system provides for an element of continuity as well as the injection of new ideas and energy from incoming Board members.

The Board members who are standing down in June 2011 are:

Agency Members – 2 places:
Mark Taylor - BI Worldwide

PLUS
Andrew Wright - FAB! (co-opted for one year)

Partner Members – 2 places:
Stephan Roberge – Monacco Tourist Authority & Convention Bureau
Matt Storey – Gallowglass

PLUS
Alison Ayling – DeVere Venues (co-opted for one year)
Ruth Robinson – Lancashire & Blackpool Conferences (co-opted for one year)

CAPS Members – 2 places:
Simon Hughes – COI (co-opted for one year)

The Board would like to thank these members for their time, dedication and energy in supporting Eventia. We very much appreciate their efforts and the personal commitment they have given. Please note that according to our Constitution any of these Board members are entitled to re-stand in these elections.

Remaining Board Members are:

Agency Members:
Rob Allen – TRO
Mark Saxby – Universal WorldEvents
Alan Newton – Grass Roots Group UK
Karen Rice – Banks Sadler
Rick Stainton - Smyle

Partner Members:
Brian Kirsch - EventAssured
Mark Sale – AirPartner
Mike Jackson – Stage Electrics

Board Composition:

The maximum number of Board Directors is 20. These will include 14 elected directors who will be entitled to vote on Board resolutions. Of the 14 elected directors, 7 shall be the elected representatives of International Agency Members and UK Agency Members, 2 shall be the elected representatives of Corporate, Association and Public Sector Members and 5 shall be the elected representatives of Partner Members. Overseas Partner, Affiliate and Honorary Members will not be entitled to stand for election to the Board of Directors. In addition to the 14 elected directors, the Board will have the discretionary power to appoint a maximum of 4 additional directors who will not be entitled to vote on Board resolutions. The CEO and the Treasurer of the Company will also be Board Directors in a non-voting capacity, by virtue of their office.

What are the Board member Benefits?

This is a unique and valuable means of sharing knowledge with senior industry colleagues to discuss prevailing issues and opportunities. From the very heart of the events industry, you will have access to information and contacts that will enable you to influence the way in which our industry is perceived and treated externally. You will be able to initiate the creation of benefits that will be of direct value to your own company or organisation, as well as to other members. As an Eventia board member you are in a privileged position of helping to shape the association over a period of 2 years, thus raising your and your company’s profile as industry leaders.

What are the Board Member commitments?

With these benefits comes a certain level of commitment both in attending board meetings (approx 6-weekly) and managing projects in between times. You will be responsible to either head up or work on a committee that you are personally interested in moving forward such as Education, Regulatory/legislative, Awards, Membership, Corporate Responsibility, Research. These committees will discuss and recommend future initiatives which, subject to approval from the main board, they will then be empowered to deliver with appropriate support from the Management office.

The time commitment will vary, however, you can expect an average of 2 days per month, including board meetings. You will also be encouraged actively to recruit committee members to assist on your projects from within the membership base.

The Election Process:

Phase One – Nomination of Candidates

The election of the Board of Directors will be undertaken by ballot in two stages, the first stage being the nomination of candidates.

If you would like to become a candidate for election or, alternatively, if you know of another Eventia member who you believe would be a suitable candidate for the Board, then please follow the instructions below.

To Nominate yourself

Complete and return the “Self Nomination” and “Willingness to Stand” forms attached. You will also need to submit a brief biography including an intention statement of what you would like to achieve by being an active member of the board (200 words maximum). Please also include a recent photograph.

This information will be posted on the website and circulated to the membership as part of the election procedure.

To Nominate another member

Complete the “Member Nomination Form” attached, enter their details and send to us for follow up.

DEADLINE FOR RESPONSE: Tuesday 10th May 2011
Respond to:
Fax: 0121 212 3131
Email: elections@eventia.org.uk

Please note that, under the Constitution, you can only nominate members from your own category of membership. You will, however, be able to vote for all election candidates should there be need for a vote, when the ballot papers are circulated. If we receive the same number of nominations as board places then a vote will not be deemed necessary.

For the avoidance of doubt Overseas, Affiliate, Freelance and Honorary Members are not entitled to be appointed as directors.

Those currently serving on the Board are listed on the Eventia website, as are details of our Member companies (which will enable you to check that your chosen candidate is indeed a representative of an Eventia Member company) – www.eventia.org.uk

Phase Two – Voting

The voting process

Should a vote be required, the elections are carried out by postal ballot. All Members vote in both classes of election, i.e. the successful Event Organiser and Partner Member candidates will be elected by the entire membership constituency.

Can I/should I lobby for votes?

Yes, of course you can lobby your industry colleagues. There is no set requirement or expectation for candidates to lobby, however, if you want to make an impact on the association then active lobbying is completely acceptable. The Association’s aim is that its Board should be a representative sample of member companies and organisations, and industry sectors. The size of your company or organisation should not in any way affect your chances of election. If you provide your reasons for wanting to join the Board and express your areas of interest that you will commit to driving forward, then you can communicate this message out to the membership in whichever way you would like to. The membership will receive ballot papers listing all election candidates with full intention statements and biographies and they will be asked to rank candidates in each of the two classes in order of preference.

Is the number of votes for each candidate publicised?

No. The Company Secretary will count the votes before disinterested witnesses and the vacant seats will be filled by those candidates in each of the two classes who have received the greatest number of votes.

Results - When do we find out?

The names of the successful candidates will be announced at the Association’s Annual General Meeting taking place on Wednesday 8 June 2011.