What to Expect at the Nlets Annual Business Meeting

Every June, Nlets hosts our Annual Business Meeting (ABM) to share recent breakthroughs, tackle current challenges, and determine our roadmap for a year of further growth and progress in law enforcement and public safety information sharing. While we have many attendees who have attended the event before, we always have first-time attendees as well. This article is intended to serve as a resource for those who have not attended before and for those who would like a refresher. Please note that most of the items in this article concern those who will be attending in-person, however, there is valuable information for virtual attendees as well.

Location

For Nlets 2022 ABM, we will be staying at the Radisson Hotel, located at 605 E. Broadway Ave. Bismarck, ND 58501. The nearest airport is the Bismarck International Airport (BIS), and you will be able to call the hotel to arrange shuttle service to the venue.

Each year, we work with the chosen hotel to obtain a discounted rate for our guests. It’s important to make your reservation well ahead of time to take advantage of the discounted rate, and to ensure that you get a room in the block. We recommend keeping a record of your confirmation number.

If you still need to reserve a hotel room for 2022, please use this link .

Per Diem

Nlets Representatives and proxies will receive a per diem for any meal that is not covered by Nlets. For the Bismarck meeting, it is $59 per day. The per diem is broken into four quarters: one for breakfast, one for lunch, and two for dinner. Remember, the per diem is not included if Nlets provides a meal, so, for example, since we are providing breakfast on Tuesday, you will receive one quarter for lunch and two quarters for dinner. On travel days, you will receive three quarters of the $59 per diem.

Travel

Nlets covers the travel day of Monday 6/20 and Friday 6/24 for Nlets Representatives and proxies. Some individuals choose to extend their trip beyond the approved travel days, but Nlets will not cover any additional hotel rooms/per diems if you choose to do so.

Guest Events

The Nlets ABM is a family-friendly event, so many of our attendees will bring guests with them. Guests typically attend Nlets sponsored events during the day on Tuesday and Thursday at no cost to them (In 2022, they can enjoy a river cruise, a trip to a water park, and to the zoo). Guests may also join you for buffet-style breakfast in the morning, and the Hospitality Suites in the evenings. Unfortunately, while the guest events during the day are super fun, Nlets Representatives and proxies will not be able to leave the meeting to join their guests during the workday.

Guests are also welcomed at the Thursday night banquet, however, Nlets only covers the cost of the banquet meal for Representatives; any additional attendees will need to pay for their dinner.

If you would like to add a guest to an existing registration, send an email to meeting@nlets.org to receive further instructions.

Nlets Proxy / New Rep 101

Every year, Nlets hosts a mandatory meeting for all new Nlets Representatives and proxies. 

In 2022, the meeting will be conducted over Microsoft Teams on June 16 at 10am PST / 1pm EST. If you have not yet received an invitation, contact meetings@nlets.org.

The meeting will start with the current Nlets President and Executive Director introducing themselves. You will then meet some Nlets staff, as well as your regional chairs, and have the chance to introduce yourself. The main point of the meeting is to network with your fellow first-time attendees and to meet some other familiar faces.

The meeting will also include an overview of the reimbursement process. As a reminder, since the ABM is a required meeting for Nlets Representatives, we reimburse every attendee for the costs associated with attending the meeting.

Finally, you will be provided a high-level overview of some of Nlets’ ongoing projects and initiatives and be offered the time to ask any additional questions that may have come up.

New Representative Breakfast

When you registered for the ABM, you should have had the opportunity to register for the New Rep and Proxy Breakfast on Tuesday morning. This breakfast occurs before the meeting begins and gives you a chance to network with proxies and other new reps and staff in an in-person space. You will also receive a reminder when you check in at registration and via calendar invite.

Meeting Sessions

The actual business meeting begins on Tuesday morning. You will see a name tent with your name on it that designates where you should sit. Tuesday will primarily consist of departmental updates, but there will be opportunities for networking and plenty of breaks. On Wednesday, most of the day consists of you being in your regional groups to discuss the topics on the regional agenda. This agenda will be provided to you by your regional chairperson when you break into your regional meetings. You will also vote on your region’s Chair and Vice Chair. During this time, you will have the opportunity to ask staff any remaining questions that come up and then provide your regional chairperson with any comments, questions, requests for motions, etc. that came out of the meeting.

On Wednesday afternoon, each region chair will provide an update to the council on any key items that came out of your meetings, and there will be a few additional presentations to the council. On Thursday, after the meeting adjourns in the afternoon, everyone will regroup for the evening banquet. The banquet is largely a time for networking, but there will be some awards presentations and longevity pins distributed as well as any closing remarks from the President and Executive Director.

Voting

Voting will be conducted through a link to a Microsoft Form. For those who are in person, you will access the link through your ABM App, and virtual attendees will receive the link in the chat.

Your membership type will determine your level of voting authority. Please see the chart at the conclusion of this article if you are unsure of your voting authority.

Each year you will vote on the location of future ABM’s, and, if it is a voting year for our President, 1^st Vice President, or 2^nd Vice President, you will be asked to cast your vote for one of the candidates for each of those leadership positions.

Expectations

We expect Nlets Representatives and proxies to participate in the conversations being had, whether that is in your regional meeting or during networking. We also expect you to vote on the items you are eligible to vote for. We also expect that you attend the entirety of the council and regional meetings and submit any reimbursement form requests within 30 days of the ABM.

App

Nlets provides an app for the meeting. It includes items like the meeting schedule, links to vote, and maps. There is also an icon to submit photos from the event for a slideshow that will be run during the Thursday night banquet, so we encourage you and your guests to submit photos!

To download the app, follow the following instructions:

1. Download the ‘Cvent Events’ app from the app/play/etc. store on your phone

2. Search for 2022 Nlets Annual Business Meeting

3. Enter the password “Nlets ABM2022” (Note – there is not a space between ABM and 2022)

 Who else will be there?

Besides Nlets Representatives and proxies, there are a few other groups who attend our business meeting. There are industry partners, Nlets staff, and other general attendees.

Dress Code

The dress code for the meeting is business casual – please no jeans or shorts. Jeans and shorts are acceptable in the evening while you are attending the hospitality suites or other activities however.The banquet dinner is more formal. Most men wear a suit (with or without a tie) and women wear a dress or other banquet attire.

Other Questions

If you have any additional questions, please contact training@nlets.org or call Teri Harsin at 623-308-3552.

Voting Rights Chart: