o 8 – 12 weeks prior: Notify your society members of the event several months in advance. Decide whether you are inviting spouses or not. Typically most societies include spouses because they can be politically effective too. Explain the purpose of the event & the importance of them attending. Include notices in your newsletter. NCDS can provide your members with “talking points” describing the latest dental issues. It is vital that you distribute these at the meeting prior to your event. This will help dentists feel more comfortable talking about the issues and gives them time to ask questions before the event. Contact me if you would like talking points. Encourage dentists to introduce themselves to the legislators.
o 6- 8 weeks prior: Reserve facility for dinner and determine the menu. Set-up for dinner is best with round tables for 6 – 10 people (depending on the size of the function). Sit a legislator at each table. Usually local societies have a 30-minute “cocktail” time prior to dinner so legislators and dentists can “meet & greet”.
o 6 – 8 weeks prior: Call the contact dentist for each legislator. NCDS will provide you the list of contact dentists. Please ask the contact dentist to call their legislator to personally invite him/her to attend the event. NCDS will follow up with a written invitation. Please ask the contact dentist to serve as the legislator’s “host” during the event. The host should buy him/her drinks (if they are not provided at no charge) and introduce him/her to other dentists. If the contact dentist can not attend, it is important to find someone else to host.
o 4 – 6 weeks prior: Send written invitations to legislators. NCDS will do this for you if needed. Please contact me with the event location, time and who they should RSVP and by what date.
o 4 – 6 weeks prior: Send written invitations to your local society members. NCDS will do this for you if needed. Please send me your society mailing list to pallen@ncdental.org or fax it to 919-677-1397. Include who they should RSVP and by what date.
o 1 week prior: Decide whether you or another local society member will introduce the legislators or if you would prefer that a NCDS representative do it. Contact me if you prefer NCDS do this.
o Week of event: Make name badges for each dental society member, spouse and legislators. NCDS can provide these if you supply the list of attendees. It is preferred that a different color be use for legislators.
o On-site: Arrive 30 minutes early to make sure set-up is correct. I will also arrive early to assist you.
o On-site: Inform the contact dentists when their legislator arrives. If the legislator arrives before the contact dentist, you should serve as host until s/he arrives. At this time, we will give the legislator and his/her spouse a name badge and ask them if they would like a beverage.
o On-site: After a 30 minute “meet & greet”, please make an announcement that dinner is ready to be served. Make sure the contact dentists sit legislators at separate tables and that the dentists fill up each legislator’s table. Invite the legislator’s to go through the buffet line first.
o After event: Mail receipts to Prissy Allen at the NCDS. NCDS will reimburse the local dental society (check will be payable to the local society) up to $2,500. Please submit (fax: 919-677-1397) receipts before December 1 of the year the event is held. Receipts received after this date will not be reimbursed.
