1. Membership structure

Apply / Member Profile

A. City Host Committee — Leadership Core

The founding leadership team will consist of approximately five to seven appointed members in each participating city.

Proposed roles:

• City Host Committee Chair
• Vice Chair / Business Introductions
• Exhibitor Development Chair
• Sponsorship & Strategic Partnerships Chair
• Marketing & Community Engagement Chair
• Industry Chairs Coordinator (optional)
• Committee Member Success Chair (optional)

Eligibility: Formal Host Committee positions are reserved for participating NBE exhibitors and sponsors in good standing.

Appointments are made by National Business Expo and are not automatically included with exhibitor purchases.

Members serve an initial expo-cycle term, subject to renewal.

B. B2B Industry Chairs

Industry Chairs are appointed to develop relationships within specific B2B sectors.

Initial target industries:

1. Banking, SBA Lending & Business Capital
2. Commercial Real Estate, Construction & Development
3. Healthcare Business Services & Wellness
4. Technology, Artificial Intelligence, IT & SaaS
5. Marketing, Advertising, Media & Lead Generation
6. Legal, Accounting & Professional Advisory Services
7. Insurance, Employee Benefits & Human Resources
8. Manufacturing, Distribution & Logistics
9. Franchise Development & Multi-Location Business
10. Corporate Procurement & Supplier Partnerships

Additional sectors can be created based on the economy and commercial opportunities of each city.

Industry Chairs do not receive exclusivity over exhibitors or sponsors. Their appointment recognizes leadership and contributions, not ownership of an industry category.

No chair position should be filled merely to complete an organizational chart. Appointments depend on the individual's relationships, ability to make introductions, willingness to contribute, and alignment with NBE's B2B mission.

C. Community & Influencer Ambassadors

This is a separate participation pathway for well-connected individuals who may not be exhibitors or sponsors.

Potential ambassadors include:

• Chamber and business association leaders
• Community influencers and respected local connectors
• Podcast hosts and business-focused content creators
• Entrepreneurs with established professional networks
• Media and publishing partners
• Business networking organizers
• Individuals with demonstrated success introducing exhibitors and business leaders

Ambassadors are not automatically Host Committee members and do not receive the same leadership privileges unless they separately meet the committee eligibility requirements.

2. Member responsibilities

Every Host Committee member is encouraged to contribute in ways that benefit both the business community and fellow members.

Log an Introduction

Core expectations

Business introductions: Make thoughtful introductions between business owners, potential customers, referral partners, sponsors, exhibitors, and other decision makers.

Exhibitor development: Identify companies that could benefit from participating in the National Business Expo and introduce them to the NBE team.

Community engagement: Build relationships with local organizations, professional groups, business influencers, and industry associations.

B2B audience development: Help reach business owners and qualified attendees likely to benefit from the participating exhibitors.

Marketing participation: Share approved event announcements and relevant content through professional networks and social media.

Market intelligence: Identify business trends, important organizations, missing industries, and opportunities that can improve the event.

Year-round relationship building: Continue introductions and engagement before and after the expo.

Suggested monthly participation targets

• Two qualified business introductions
• One introduction benefiting another committee member
• One relevant social media contribution
• Participation in the monthly committee meeting or an asynchronous update
• One actionable suggestion or opportunity for the expo

These are pilot goals, not mandatory sales quotas. The quality of introductions matters more than the number.

3. Industry Chair responsibilities

An Industry Chair is expected to:

1. Identify important companies, decision makers, and professional organizations within their sector.
2. Introduce potential exhibitors and sponsors to NBE.
3. Recommend relevant business owners and purchasing decision makers to invite.
4. Help fellow committee members develop relationships with people in their industry.
5. Suggest relevant interview guests for NBE's business content.
6. Contribute industry specific insights to committee meetings.
7. Represent NBE professionally without making unauthorized commercial commitments.

4. Member benefits

NBE will work to create ongoing professional value for participating committee members through:

Qualified introductions: Opportunities to meet business owners, potential customers, referral partners, suppliers, and decision makers.

Leadership recognition: Industry Chair or committee leadership designation where appointed.

Professional visibility: Member profiles on the National Business Expo website and opportunities to be featured in NBE social media content.

Business education: Practical discussions about customer acquisition, marketing, AI, business financing, sales, operations, and relationship development.

Strategic partnerships: Opportunities to collaborate with fellow members and develop mutually beneficial business relationships.

Community recognition: Acknowledgment for meaningful introductions, exhibitor recruitment, leadership, and service.

No member is guaranteed customers, referrals, sales, speaking opportunities, or business revenue.

5. The NBE Member Video Directory

Every participating committee member will be invited to submit a self-recorded 59-second introduction video.

Suggested format:

• First 10 seconds: Name, company, and position
• Next 15 seconds: What the business provides
• Next 15 seconds: Ideal customer or business relationship
• Next 10 seconds: Types of introductions they can offer
• Final 9 seconds: Best way to connect

Alternative: The Sandler 30-second commercial. The Sandler method uses a four-part elevator pitch focused on the buyer's needs rather than a hard sell:

• Who Are You: State your name and identity clearly without listing a long list of company duties.
• Who Do You Help: Name your exact target audience or client type instead of claiming you help everyone.
• Pain Statements: Share one to three specific problems or worries that keep your prospects up at night.
• Hook Question: Ask a low-pressure closing question to start a real talk, such as asking if those issues sound familiar.

NBE may publish approved videos on its website and social media channels.

Members will also have a directory profile containing their name, company, city, industry, website, LinkedIn profile, ideal customers, and appropriate contact information.

The directory helps attendees and members learn about one another before meeting virtually or in person.

Members must approve submitted content for publication, and NBE retains editorial and brand standards.

6. Monthly virtual committee meetings

Standard meeting duration: 35 minutes.

The purpose is to provide business value and create introductions—not give every member an extended sales presentation.

Members' 59-second introduction videos will be available through the online directory in advance.

New members may provide a brief live introduction consisting of their name, company, industry, and one relevant business-development objective.

Optional 15-minute Industry Breakout Rooms

At the conclusion of the official meeting, members may participate in an optional networking session using Zoom or Google Meet breakout rooms, where supported.

The rooms will be organized around established interest categories.

Potential breakout rooms include:

• Business Funding, Banking & Capital
• Marketing, Media & Customer Acquisition
• Technology, AI & Business Automation
• Healthcare Business Services
• Commercial Real Estate & Construction
• Professional Services & Corporate Partnerships
• Influencer Marketing, Podcasts & Community Connections

Members may choose the room most relevant to their business goals.

A breakout room will only be offered when enough participants have expressed interest and a moderator is available.

The official committee meeting always ends on time. Breakout networking is voluntary.

7. Social promotion, recommendations and professional edification

Committee members are encouraged to recognize and promote one another through genuine professional relationships.

Open the Media Kit

Appropriate activities may include:

• Sharing another member's business announcement
• Making a warm introduction
• Participating in a joint interview
• Collaborating on educational content
• Recommending a member based on genuine knowledge of their work
• Writing truthful reviews arising from actual firsthand customer or business experiences

Reviews must never be required, exchanged as a condition of membership, or presented as payment for introductions.

The goal is authentic professional edification: knowing what other members do, understanding their strengths, and being able to make credible introductions.

This creates enduring professional value beyond the day of the expo.

8. CRM and GoHighLevel operating rules

GoHighLevel will serve as NBE's primary system for tracking committee recruitment, membership, introductions, opportunities, and outcomes.

Suggested contact fields

• Full name, company, email, and telephone
• City and geographic market
• Primary industry and secondary industry
• Exhibitor or sponsor participation status
• Committee interest and application date
• Approved membership type
• Leadership role or Industry Chair designation
• Social media profiles
• Website and video introduction URL
• Ideal customer profile
• Types of introductions offered
• Types of introductions requested
• Referral source
• Last meaningful activity
• Next follow-up date

Suggested committee pipeline

1. Prospective Member Identified
2. Invitation Sent
3. Interest Expressed
4. Application Submitted
5. Eligibility Review
6. Approved / Appointed
7. Onboarding and Member Profile
8. Active Participation
9. Renewal / Alumni / Inactive

Community Ambassadors should have a separate designation from formal Host Committee appointments.

Introduction and referral tracking

For each meaningful business introduction, record:

• Person making the introduction
• Company or contact introduced
• Purpose and business opportunity
• Whether permission to introduce was obtained
• Date of introduction
• Whether the introduction was accepted
• Whether a meeting occurred
• Resulting exhibitor, sponsorship, partnership, or other opportunity
• Commercial outcome when verified

Access to personal contact information must be limited to appropriate business purposes and permissions.

NBE retains control of pricing, contracts, customer data, sales communications, payment collection, exhibitor selection, and event operations.

9. Measuring success

Each city committee should review its contribution using both activity measures and actual results.

Monthly Activity Report

Activity measures

• Qualified introductions made
• Sponsor introductions made
• Exhibitor prospects referred
• Introductions benefiting fellow members
• Marketing contributions
• Member engagement and meeting participation

Outcome measures

• Introductions accepted
• Business meetings held
• Exhibitor registrations attributed to committee activity
• Sponsorships secured
• Qualified attendees referred
• Repeat exhibitor participation
• Member satisfaction
• Business opportunities resulting from committee relationships

NBE should distinguish an introduction, a lead, an interested prospect, a committed participant, and a paid customer.

The committee's objective is sustainable relationship equity and measurable B2B growth—not inflated activity counts.

10. Founding committee launch

The initial pilot will focus on a manageable founding group of approximately 10–15 participants in one market.

The pilot will establish:

1. Core leadership appointments
2. The first three to five Industry Chairs
3. A small Community Ambassador network
4. Member profiles and introduction videos
5. A monthly meeting schedule
6. Industry-specific breakout rooms
7. Introduction and referral tracking in GoHighLevel
8. A 90-day performance review

The program can then expand to additional NBE cities using consistent standards, while allowing each market to recruit the industries most relevant to its business community.