5-Fact Friday – June 15, 2018 Issue

June 15, 2018 Issue: Call for Articles, New on the Blog, Happy Father’s Day, B&P Resources, MAC Save the Date

Call for Articles! The Fall eZine

Are you an expert in “Proposal Innovations?” Consider submitting to the Fall issue of our Chapter eZine, Executive Summary. You’ll gain exposure to over 1,500 of our members! Share your experience, inspire others in our industry, and submit an article today.

Download Current eZine >

View Submission Guidelines

 

New on the Blog: The President’s Press, Q2

This post from our President, Rebecca Link is a quick summary of what we’ve accomplished during Q2 and what’s coming. Hear about our Chapter at Bid & Proposal Con, the announcement of “Coffee Talks”, the Women in the Workforce Dinner, an update on our website and our ramp-up activities for this year’s Mid-Atlantic Conference.

Read the blog >

Happy Father’s Day!

To all the warm, weird and wonderful Dads out there – thanks for knowing exactly when to stop holding our hand and begin watching our back. Enjoy Father’s Day this Sunday along with your families!

 

 

Resources: Presentations from Bid & Proposal Con

Missed the event and want to get up to speed? Attended but want to supplement your notes? The presentation documents and photos from Bid & Proposal Con are now available!

Save the Date: #WinningatMAC

Date: October 10th (certification day) and 11th (conference day)
Location: Westin Tyson’s Corner
Theme: Competing and Winning in a Changing Marketplace

Speakers selected mid-June and keynote speakers announced soon. Early bird registration is right around the corner!

Chapter Discussion: Working with your SME’s
We want to hear from you! Send us your feedback.

Chapter Chatter – The President’s Press

What a great time at Bid and Proposal Con in San Diego! I love this event because it really does have something for everyone. If you are looking to learn skills, get information, become involved in the APMP community, or grow your network, this conference is the place to be. I love seeing people from around the world and making those connections. Our chapter had many award recipients and received an award ourselves for all of the offerings and support we give our members. APMP International announced a new scholarship that they will be awarding – the Charlie Devine Scholarship which will pay for a member to get their next level of certification. Within our chapter, an exciting new member benefit that we will be adding in the month of July is our “Coffee Talks”. This will be a monthly phone call for any member to attend and we will discuss a different topic each call. It is unscripted, free-form conversation so we are asking people bring their opinions, advice, questions, and insights to share with others! The list of monthly topics will be shared on our website and 5-Fact Friday emails so stay tuned!

This week is our Women in the Workforce Dinner event. This event is shaping up to be one of the most exciting evenings for our chapter this year as we explore the unique challenges that women face in the workplace and how we can empower ourselves and one another to succeed. Dreamed up based on the current climate of our society, we are proud to offer such a forward-thinking event to support our strong women in the industry and beyond. Each speaker will deliver information and tips for success and all of the vendors will be offering goods and services specifically for women. The raffle prizes will be exciting and the dinner delicious. We truly hope you will join us for this unprecedented event.

Whether you have noticed or not, our website has undergone A LOT of transition and change this year. I wrote about it in my blog last quarter but wanted to follow up and give everyone an update. We have finally worked out all the kinks and believe we are almost “show ready”! The last item is renaming all 300+ files that have been stored in our Body of Knowledge to give them all the same naming convention which should help for search purposes. This is taking quite a bit of time as you can imagine! We will get there, and you will begin to see all of the events and everything else back on the site in the near future. None of this would have been possible without our superhero Logistic Chair, Neal Levene, stepping in to handle the nitty gritty tasks of managing this new hosting platform. With the changes we have made, you can expect to see more invested back in to you, the member.

Lastly, we are ramping up our efforts for the Mid-Atlantic Conference and Expo (MAC). Kevin Switaj and Nicole Tripodi have been busy collecting abstracts from people who are interested in presenting and are now combing through 41 responses with their team! We always look forward to this event and try to make it bigger and better each year. Your feedback is always greatly appreciated and we sincerely hope to see you at this years’ event.

A few other things to look out for: a webinar in July, a Happy Hour in August, and the Capture Breakfast in September.

You are always welcome to attend our board meetings by phone – we value your feedback!

Respectfully,
Rebecca Link, President APMP-NCA

5-Fact Friday – June 8, 2018 Issue

June 8, 2018 Issue: Last chance to Register for Women in the Workforce Dinner, Summer eZine Available, Fall eZine Call for Articles, MAC logo and Save the Date, Sponsorships

THIS IS IT! Register for the Women in the Workforce Dinner before Wednesday at noon!


Join APMP-NCA Chapter for our inaugural Women in the Workforce Dinner Event! We’re celebrating smart, savvy women with a glitzy, glamorous, and engaging evening packed with purpose. This evening is all about creating your personal brand, building your confidence, facing challenges unique to working women, and finding balance at work and at home (this is possible – we promise!).

Start the evening by walking our red carpet – pose for a professional photograph by Dayton Mitchell Photography. Network with other successful women and browse vendors including WorkAway Solutions, Willing Beauty, Agnes and Dora, Isogenics, and doTerra! All who attend will be entered into our raffle for TONS of fun prizes like cupcakes, yoga classes, jewelry, health products, and clothing! Plus the first 60 guests will receive complimentary SWAG bags filled with goodies!

Grab a free drink at the bar before sitting down for a three-course plated dinner. During dinner, enjoy THREE presentations from amazing women in the workforce: Tassey Russo, President of Level Up Solutions; Deb Hurley, President of Hurley Group Consulting (HGC); and Rebecca Link, Senior Proposal Manager at American Systems and President of APMP-NCA Chapter. Learn how to become more valued at work, grow your voice and confidence, and become victorious both at home and in the workplace.

Meet and support other women in the workforce at our very first Women in the Workforce Dinner event! Join us at the Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park on Thursday, June 14th starting at 5:30pm.

Get Tickets

Summer 2018 eZine: Leadership & Professional Development

Each quarter our Chapter publishes a digital magazine (eZine): Executive Summary. The Summer 2018 Issue is now available! Our quarterly digital magazine features proposal best practices, tips & tricks, industry news and Chapter opportunities.

Download the eZine

Announcement: Save the Date for the Mid-Atlantic Conference!

Date: October 10th (certification day) and 11th (conference day)
Location: Westin Tyson’s Corner
Theme: Competing and Winning in a Changing Marketplace

Speakers will be selected the middle of June. Keynote speakers announced soon!

Announcement: Call for Articles! Due July 20

The theme for the APMP-NCA Fall Executive Summary eZine is “Proposal Innovations”. The Executive Summary eZine is getting a new format! Going forward, the publication will be an actual electronic magazine with interactive features. Be a part of this exciting new phase of our eZine, and share your thoughts and ideas on other innovations in the proposal industry.

Email ezine@apmpnca.org for details!

Limited availability!

APMP-NCA Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC): Sponsorships

If you want to get in front of hundreds of proposal professionals in the Capital Region, there is literally NO better opportunity! Email partners@apmpnca.org to become a sponsor!

Available opportunities

5-Fact Friday – June 1, 2018 Issue

June 1, 2018 Issue: Women in the Workforce Dinner, Summer eZine Available, Sponsorships for MAC, Liberty Chapter Webinar, WinningtheBiz.com

Register for the Women in the Workforce Dinner Event

Join APMP-NCA Chapter for our inaugural Women in the Workforce Dinner Event! We’re celebrating smart, savvy women with a glitzy, glamorous, and engaging evening packed with purpose. This evening is all about creating your personal brand, building your confidence, facing challenges unique to working women, and finding balance at work and at home (this is possible – we promise!).

Start the evening by walking our red carpet – pose for a professional photograph by Dayton Mitchell Photography. Network with other successful women and browse vendors including WorkAway Solutions, Willing Beauty, Agnes and Dora, Isogenics, and doTerra! All who attend will be entered into our raffle for TONS of fun prizes like cupcakes, yoga classes, jewelry, health products, and clothing! Plus the first 60 guests will receive complimentary SWAG bags filled with goodies!

Grab a free drink at the bar before sitting down for a three-course plated dinner. During dinner, enjoy THREE presentations from amazing women in the workforce: Tassey Russo, President of Level Up Solutions; Deb Hurley, President of Hurley Group Consulting (HGC); and Rebecca Link, Senior Proposal Manager at American Systems and President of APMP-NCA Chapter. Learn how to become more valued at work, grow your voice and confidence, and become victorious both at home and in the workplace.

Meet and support other women in the workforce at our very first Women in the Workforce Dinner event! Join us at the Falls Church Marriott Fairview Park on Thursday, June 14th starting at 5:30pm.

Get Tickets

Announcement: Featured eZine Story

Featured eZine Story: Career Tools: Mentor, Advocate, Or? by Tara Rethore, CEO of M. Beacon Enterprises LLC. Read this quarter’s featured article in the Sprint 2018 eZine! Download the Summer 2018 issue: “Leadership and Professional Development.”

Download the eZine

Limited availability!

APMP-NCA Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC): Sponsorships

If you want to get in front of hundreds of proposal professionals in the Capital Region, there is literally NO better opportunity! This year’s APMP-NCA Mid-Atlantic Conference is being held October 10th and 11th at the Westin Tysons Corner. Email partners@apmpnca.org to become a sponsor!

Available opportunities

Webinar: Secrets to Winning More Recompetes

Our sister Chapter, APMP Liberty, is hosting an interactive workshop on Wednesday June 20th at 12pm. This webinar will go through proven processes that anyone can use to win more recompetes. You will learn how to avoid the errors and plan, organize, lead, support, and execute recompetes with better results than ever before!

Register

Announcement: Introducing Winning the Business by APMP

APMP has just launched “Winning the Business,” a new APMP website that houses a collection of articles, research summaries, and case studies in every phase of the bid/proposal life cycle. There is some great content available; our favorite this week is: From Favor-Doers to Proactive Partners: 5 ways to transform your SME relationships

Your weekly news update: January 15, 2018

Get published in our eZine: Call for articles

The theme for the APMP-NCA Winter Executive Summary eZine is “Winning Orals”. This issue will cover all aspects of orals, from graphics to presentation to coaching, to name a few.

Your submission to the eZine helps you and your company gain exposure to more than 1,200 readers, and demonstrates your thought leadership. Circulate your ideas for topics with our LinkedIn Group before you start writing!

Submission Guidelines:

Font: 12 point, Times New Roman, single-space
Word Count: strictly 975 words or less
Graphics are encouraged; please ensure any graphics are free of copyright violations
Adhere to the theme as much as possible
Thoroughly proofread your article
Include a short bio (strictly 75 words or less) and picture

Submitting an article doesn’t guarantee publication, but will typically be published within the next few issues if not included in our Winter issue.

The deadline for submission is February 28, 2018. Send your article to our Editor Candy Jenkins at ezine@apmpnca.org.

Join the Kickoff for our Annual Conference

Planning for the Mid-Atlantic Conference (MAC) & Expo will kickoff on Sunday, January 28 from 1-4pm at EMD Strategies, 1621 N. Kent Street, Suite 1100, Arlington, VA 22209 or 888-985-9153, #19765. Join us to discuss goals, team structure, and contribute to our Chapter’s flagship event.

Email questions or your RSVP to conference@apmpnca.org.

Get Involved with APMP-NCA: Become a Mentor

We need experienced professionals to mentor other NCA members! Mentors and protégés meet as schedules’ permit, whether it’s virtually, over coffee, or at Chapter events. Work with a protégé 5-10 hours/month, meet other members, and become a local industry influencer.

Apply here to become a mentor!

2018 Strategic Planning: Debrief

Our thanks to everyone who contributed feedback! Our 2018 goal is to engage more with our members and hear directly from you what’s valuable. We’re increasing the use of our Discussion Group on LinkedIn, launching a new website (more info coming soon!), distributing short polls, and developing new networking opportunities.

Members Only: Our Body of Knowledge

Members can tap into our Chapter Body of Knowledge for more than a decade’s worth of educational presentation notes, our Executive Summary eZine, and APMP publications.

Become a member 
Review our Body of Knowledge

We want to hear from you – send us your feedback.

Passing of the Torch

At the final Board of Directors meeting for the APMP-NCA Chapter, we welcomed the new Board and said farewell to the outgoing Board Members, including President Lisa Pafe. Lisa served on the Board for six years and was active for several years even before serving on the Board.  The NCA Chapter appreciates all she has done and wishes her well as she moves forward.  Of course, we do plan to keep her around in some capacity!!

Beginning in January, look for introductions and profiles of new Board members.

Now Enlisting Volunteers for 2018 Mid-Atlantic Conference & Expo

Gearing up for next year!

Putting together a great conference like our annual MAC takes a lot of time and a lot of people, so now is the time to get involved!  We are looking for volunteers for our 2018 MAC in multiple areas, such as logistics, marketing, programs, speaker buddies, day-of volunteers, and more!  If you are interested in participating in any way, reach out to events@apmpnca.org.

7 Key Pre-solicitation Activities for Proposal Management Input

Capture, marketing and proposal staff must perform key pre-RFP release activities to enhance proposal management and content as follows:

1. Perform Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for previous contracts, deliverables, SOPs and customer five-year plan to gauge previous contract activity, issues and initiatives
2. Obtain customer phone listing, e-mail addresses, and location addresses, organization chart, mission statements, operational platforms, toolsets and interface requirements
3. Find out Customer desires, needs, hot buttons, budget, problem areas, politics, decision makers, and partnering ideas
4. Determine makeup of customer evaluation team as to personalities, prejudices, and preferences.
5. Obtain success and failure information on contractors doing business there and form teaming agreements with those the customer likes.
6. Determine/obtain key personnel to be proposed prior to RFP release
7. Have your key personnel make a presentation of your team experience and capabilities to the customer

These steps will better position your team for the win by enabling you to help shape your proposal content based on the customer knowledge and information you obtained.