ABC Membership Plan

1
ABC Membership Plan

• Prepared by Elise Enloe, MBC
• Association of Bridal Consultants
• Acting Director of Education

2
Goals

• The goals of the membership revision are
• to streamline membership and education membership
  "tracks"
• to "raise the bar" so that novices need to do
  more than just complete the PDP to advance to
  Professional Bridal Consultant designation
• to allow long-standing, experienced members an
  opportunity to advance to PBC, ABC, and MBC
  without "backing up" to complete the PDP
• to recognize industry experience, leadership, and
  professional industry contributions as part of
  ABC membership designations

3
Points
Essays and event portfolio will be
required for Accredited level. Essays, event
portfolio, and panel presentation will be
required for Master leve l.
4
5 Point Categories

• Education and Professional Development
• Professional Industry Experience
• Leadership/Participation
• Professional Industry Contributions
• Related Activities

5
Education and Professional Development

• What counts
• ABCs Professional Development Program (PDP)
• ABCs Weddings as a Business, graded
• ABCs New Horizons, Expanding Horizons, Cultural
  Horizons, Far Horizons, and/or Global Horizons
• ABCs Annual Conference
• Regional/state meetings or workshops (minimum of
  6 hours)
• An Associate, Bachelors, Masters or PhD degree
  (only highest one applies)
• Other business/industry-related courses,
  seminars, conferences

6
Professional Industry Experience

• What counts
• Internship/apprenticeship with recommendation
  from supervising ABC member(s)
• Experience in wedding industry years of
  experience as evidenced by business records
• Planned, coordinated, directed, and/or provided
  your product or service to weddings

7
Leadership/Participation

• What counts
• ABC Membership
• Mentor/Apprentice Supervisor
• PBC/PWV or ABC/AWV
• State Coordinator, LNG Co-Director
• Other earned professional designations (CMP,
  CSEP, etc.)
• Other appointed ABC position or participation on
  ABC committee (local or national)

8
Professional Industry Contributions

• What counts
• Published articles, chapters, or books (author,
  co-author, contributor)
• Teaching industry-related college courses
• Industry-related presentations, guest speaker,
  panelist, roundtable participant
• Industry-related audiovisuals (author)

9
Related Activities

• What counts
• Membership in other industry-related
  associations/organizations (ISES, NACE, MPI,
  WEVA, ADJA, PPA, local wedding organizations,
  etc.)
• Officer/board member in industry-related
  associations/organizations
• Industry award nomination/award
• Community Service projects/contributions

10
Professional Bridal Consultant Sample Points
Scenario
11
Common Questions and Concerns

• How will it work?
• Is the PDP mandatory for new members?
• How do I get all my documentation?
• What if I've done something not listed?

12
Q. How will it work?

• A. You track your accomplishments/points.
• Submit your request for designation with COPIES
  of supporting documentation.
• BOTH current designation and new system OPTIONAL
  through July 31,2008.
• NO ONE goes backwards. Members who currently
  dont meet the points for their advanced
  (PBC/PWV/ABC/AWV) level of membership have three
  years from the date of their appointment to
  provide evidence to maintain their current
  designation.

13
Q. Is the PDP mandatory for new members?

• A. ABC recognizes that there are many ways to
  transition into the wedding industry. Most will
  join at the novice or consultant/vendor level.
• ABC stopped just short of making the PDP
  mandatory, but for new members, taking the PDP
  will be necessary to advance to consultant or
  vendor member in the least amount of time.
  Completing the PDP with Exam accrues 8.5 points
  completion of Weddings as a Business accrues
  another 1.5 points for the minimum 10
  Education/Professional Development points for
  consultant/vendor membership.  
• Tenured members who have attended other ABC
  seminars and multiple annual conferences could
  acquire their required 10 education points via
  these methods without completing the PDP, but it
  takes longer.

14
Q. How will this impact PDP completion?

• ALL members need a minimum of 10 education points
  to advance to consultant/vendor member.
• New members without other educational
  credentials will have to complete the
  Professional Development Program (PDP) and
  Weddings as a Business to acquire the minimum 10
  points in the education area.
• New vendor members may need to join as novices
  and complete portions of the PDP or attend an ABC
  seminars or state meetings in addition to other
  educational credentials to accrue their minimum
  10 points for full vendor membership.
•    

15
Q. Can someone join directly as an Accredited
Bridal Consultant?

• ABC recognizes that there are many ways to
  transition into the wedding industry. Most will
  join at the novice or consultant/vendor level. 
  With removal of time limits, it is theoretical,
  but nearly impossible for someone to join
  directly as an PBC/PWV or even ABC/AWV. ALL
  members need a minimum of 10 education points to
  advance to consultant/vendor member.
• New members without other educational
  credentials will have to complete the
  Professional Development Program and Weddings as
  a Business to acquire the minimum 10 points in
  the education area.
• New vendor members may need to join as novices
  and complete portions of the PDP or attend an ABC
  seminars or state meetings to accrue their
  minimum 10 points for full vendor membership.     
   

16
Possible Scenario

• Given the scenario of an applicant with a
  Masters degree (3 pts) and significant
  professional and industry experience, they would
  still need some other educational participation
  to accrue the 10 point education minimum for
  consultant/vendor membership. They could
  accumulate the 7 additional points needed through
  completion of portions of the PDP(1.5 pt per
  course), or attending a combination of New
  Horizons (1 pt), Expanding Horizons (1 pt),
  State/Regional meetings (1 pt), and/or Annual
  Conference (2 pts), but except for the PDP most
  of those options arent offered even once a year
  in a given geographic area. So, while the time
  requirements have been eliminated, accumulated
  points for attending ABC seminars, meetings, and
  workshops over time (education), actual wedding
  experience (professional industry experience),
  industry contributions, leadership and related
  activities are all required to achieve the points
  required for advanced levels.   

17
Q. What if I.

• A.  While most situations are covered in an
  objective manner, a member can submit
  documentation for consideration/
  evaluation. (Sometimes it's okay to
  think/work outside the box). If you think it
  qualifies or deserves point credit, submit it
  with evidence/justification for consideration.
• However CAUTION!
• Sorting through a lot of wishful BS doesnt
  reflect a high level of professionalism.

18
Q. Do state meetings count? What about LNG
meetings?

• A. State/regional meetings with a minimum 6 hour
  educational content have been included for point
  credit. 
• Since most Local Networking Group Meetings are 2
  hours or less, that documentation should be
  provided as continuing education for membership
  renewal, but is not cumulative for advancement.

19
Q. How do I get all my documentation?

• Record keeping will take some time and effort -
  so organize those files, dig out those
  certificates, and develop your personal
  portfolio (if you haven't already).
• ABC is aware that most ABC certificates didn't
  specify what program/seminar were
  actually attended.  New certificates will be
  specific, but existing certificates can be
  confirmed by records at ABC HQ. 
• To minimize HQ paperwork and filing, only a copy
  of an applicant's "point sheet" will be retained
  in HQ files.

20
Q. How will this impact vendor members?

• The most noticeable difference will be that new
  vendor members will have to provide evidence of
  legitimate business not required for vendor
  membership in the past (i.e. business license,
  tax ID). 
• Some new vendor members may have to complete the
  PDP or other educational requirements to qualify
  for vendor membership to meet the 10 point
  education minimum for vendor membership - so an
  established vendor might be a novice member - at
  least temporarily, but it evens the requirements
  for membership between consultants and vendors.

21
Q.  What if I don't meet the current points for
my membership designation?

• No one will be "reverted" for at least 3 years.
  For example, members who are PBC/PWV
  consultant/vendor members who otherwise don't
  have 50 points required of a PBC/PWV, will retain
  their current designation for three years from
  the date of appointment. For all advanced
  designations, at that time, they will- submit
  points required to maintain their current
  designation OR - have the points required for
  advancement to the next level (Professional,
  Accredited or Master)- revert to
  consultant/vendor status. No one with an advance
  designation (PBC/PWV/ABC/AWV) will revert below
  consultant/vendor membership.

22
Q. What if I don't want to advance my membership?

• If you choose NOT to advance to a higher level of
  membership, you are still required to submit
  evidenceof at least 6 hours continuing education
  with your membership renewal for all levels.
  Consultant and vendor members may remain at your
  current designation without advancing as long as
  continuous membership (no lapses) and continuing
  education are maintained for renewal.
• Once the new system is completely implemented,
  time limits/requirements will no longer apply.
  Members can advance to the next designation level
  when ready and maintain that level with
  documented continuing education.

23
Q. What about time requirements for advancement?

• A. Once the new system is completely implemented,
  time limits/requirements will no longer apply.
  Members can advance to the next designation level
  when ready and maintain that level with
  documented continuing education.
• With the new system, some may advance more
  easily, and some may advance more slowly, but
  overall, the existing times to advance should
  stay close to what they are now
•         - 1 year novice to consultant
•         - 1 year as consultant
•         - 1-2 years as PBC/PWV
•         - 3 years as ABC/AWV

24
Q. How does this impact Master Wedding
Consultants/Master Wedding Vendors?

• A.  One of  the most frequent complaints the
  association hears from senior members is, "What's
  in it for me?"  A master is defined as- a
  person whose teachings others accept or follow-
  a person qualified to teach apprentices and to
  carry on a trade independently
• So, Masters must be willing to accept leadership
  and mentorship, and be the ambassadors for ABC. 
  Bill Gates probably doesn't attend IT
  conferences expecting to learn a whole lot he
  doesn't already know - but he attends to share
  his expertise....
• This requires a philosophical culture shift
  from, "What can I get?" to "How can I give back?"
  as members reach the mastery level.

25
Q. How long will it take for review of my request
to upgrade?

• A.  Receipt of your request for
  designation/upgrade will be acknowledged by
  e-mail only.
•      Most requests will be reviewed and evaluated
  in 2-4 weeks, however, please allow up to 8 weeks
  forthorough review and return of your
  materials.  During the transition period, where
  both types of membership applications and
  designations are being processed, requests may
  take a little longer. Please be patient as this
  requires some additional logistical
  changes/processing as well.
• Requests for Master Bridal Consultant/Master
  Wedding Vendor must be received by October 1st to
  be presented at the Master Panel at Annual
  Conference in November.

26
Other Questions?

• Questions that cant be answered here may be
  referred to Elise Enloe, MBC,
• ABCs Director of Education. Its best to
  contact her via e-mail EliseABCFL_at_aol.com or via
  phone at
• 407 977-9338.

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