Business Associates Policies and Procedures
(Updated August 2019. All previous copies are obsolete.)
Business Associates are governed by the Bylaws of DCREIE and DCREIE’s Code of Ethics. In addition, the following policies and procedures are specific to Business Associates and their affiliation, advertising, and exhibiting to the membership.
The primary purpose for the existence of Business Associates (BA) is to give DCREIE membership access to products and services from companies and contractors who cater to real estate investors, entrepreneurs, landlords, and rehabbers. Through advertising and exhibiting by Business Associate members DCREIE will also defray some of the cost of its operation. In return the Business Associate gains access to a focused market to sell their products and services.
DCREIE has the right to change any of these policies or procedures at any time.
Application & Renewals
1. Membership is open only to companies with “real estate” related products or services or for those which maybenefit small business owners.
2. Companies who are structured around MLM (multi level marketing) can be accepted; however their focus in their marketing and presentation to the DCREIE membership must be around selling product and services, not growing an organization.
3. The company candidate and its principals will be in good standing within the community and with DCREIE.
4. All newly submitted applications will be reviewed by the BA Committee for approval.
5. Application should be submitted along with payment and copy of a current license (corporation, business, or association) showing that the company is licensed to do business in at least one of the following: the District of Columbia, Maryland or Virginia.
6. Membership term is for one year from date of acceptance.
General
1. There is a BA Coordinator assigned to coordinate membership, renewals, advertising, exhibiting, policy, etc. for all BA contact.
2. Membership entitles each company to have two points of contact.
3. BA membership entitles associate companies to advertise to the general membership, based on membership level.
4. The BA Directory is published and updated continuously on the dcreie.org website. It is the responsibility of the BA to keep the information current.
5. If any company has been accepted into membership and it is determined that during the course of the term they no longer meet the criteria of membership, i.e., their product or service is no longer real estate related, they are in violation of the Code of Ethics, or if an MLM structure, their “focus” has changed, then they will be required to relinquish their membership.
6. No one can use the DCREIE logo for their own purposes, including websites. A specially designed seal is available for BA’s to use for this purpose.
Exhibiting and General Meeting
1. Reservations for tables accompanied by payment must be received by the first Monday of the month of the General Meeting to be considered for allocation.
2. Approximately 2/3’s of available tables will be assigned to companies with long term prepaid commitments.
3. In the event that there are fewer tables available than requested reservations, then exhibit tables will be allocated as follows:
a. Priority given to anyone with a long term prepaid commitment.
b. Priority to anyone who applied for space the previous month and were put on the waiting list (new members must be at least 60 days old.).
c. Priority to anyone who has not exhibited in the previous two months.
d. Priority given to the earliest paid request.
4. If DCREIE has a “special” night (i.e. conventions, conferences and annual holiday party), then there will be a special protocol for allocation of tables for that evening or event and an additional fee will apply.
5. No refunds will be given. In the event of a confirmed medical emergency, a reservation will be extended to the following month.
6. Every exhibitor must check in at the BA check-in table prior to setting up.
7. Maximum number of persons at a table is three (3) at a full table.
8. Everyone at the exhibit table must be an employee or a full time representative of that company.
9. A BA cannot sell his space to anyone else or share it with another company without the permission of DCREIE.
10. The presentation and attire of the exhibitors shall be professional and in good taste.
11. Advertisements on the person (T-shirts, signs, hats, jackets) shall be subtle and in good taste. Garish or obtrusive (T-shirts with large lettering) advertising on attire is not permitted. If there is any doubt, DCREIE will determine the standard.
12. Exhibitors can setup as early as 4:30 pm and are expected to set up prior to the opening of the exhibit hall, usually 5:00 pm. If exhibitor is not set-up by 5:30 pm and has not phoned in with an extenuating circumstance, then the table will be given to an alternate on a waiting list and there will be no credit. If there is more than one “late-shows” in a four (4) month period, then the company will have no priority for allocation for a period of one year.
13. Exhibitors must disassemble by 7:00pm. If there are repeated vacancies then the exhibitor will be advised by DCREIE that they may lose future priority for table allocation. If an Associate needs to attend the marketing session in the general meeting, then he should leave a representative at the table.
14. An exhibitor can cancel up to the time of printing of the General Meeting Program Guide (one week preceding the meeting date) and the prepaid fee can be used for another event. However, once the meeting program guide has been printed all cancellation fees will be applied to advertisement for your listing in the program guide.
15. A BA may distribute any number of flyers or brochures at his table. BA’s are also permitted to display up to two flyers at a BA “flyer” location (this includes the total of all flyers from all representatives of that company), however these flyers must have the BA membership number at the top right of the front page. Any flyer not identified with a membership number will be discarded on site. All materials must be real estate related to the product or service.
16. General members cannot solicit for a customer fax/e-mail/address list at a DCREIE sponsored meeting or event. This is reserved for Business Associates only and can be done only at an exhibit table.
Advertising
1. DCREIE offers a number of different opportunities for advertisements, such as:
- Monthly General Meeting Program Guide
- DCREIE.org website
- Education Network Group
- Presentations
- Newsletter
2. Restriction on the advertisements on the person (T-shirts, signs, hats, jackets) as described for the General Meeting also applies to any DCREIE Headquarters and other DCREIE sponsored events.
DCREIE’s existence depends on providing educational/instructional goods and services to its membership. Any member, General or Business Associate, shall not be permitted to market similar and/or competing products and services unless they are approved by or formally partnered with DCREIE through the bookstore or sponsored seminars.