January 29, 2010

Dear Prospective Member,


Thank you for your interest in APEX.


As part of the membership process, please come prepared to present a brief, 5-minute presentation to our current members. You may also want to bring a one-page handout to distribute to each member of the group. Please address the following:

A brief description of your business and your company;

Why are you interested in membership in APEX;

How you can help APEX members;

How APEX members can help you;

A description of what other organizations you are involved with;

Your expectations as an APEX member;

Your ability to commit to regular attendance at APEX meetings.


About APEX

APEX is Orange County’s premiere business development group. We offer an exceptional networking environment in which highly motivated professionals build relationships with others who share similar interests. Our mission is to create prosperity for our members by fostering supportive relationships and providing quality referrals. Each year our business development efforts result in hundreds of thousands of dollars of new revenue for our members. Since inception, almost $5 million in revenue has been generated through APEX member referrals.

Membership

Membership in APEX is available by invitation only. Our Orange County chapter currently has 12 members, and we have limited the group to a maximum of 15-16. To minimize internal competition, we restrict membership to one professional from each area of business specialty. As a result, this invitation to you has been carefully considered.

At the upcoming meeting, you will be able to interact with our current members and hear more about APEX. Should you want to pursue membership after that first meeting, please let the APEX member who invited you know your intentions. At the next regularly scheduled APEX meeting, current members will discuss your interest and determine if it seems like a good fit. If so, you will be contacted and asked to complete a formal, written application. If your application passes our review, you will be extended an invitation to join APEX. In some situations, it may make sense for you to attend a second meeting as part of this mutual decision-making process.

Because of the intentionally intimate group size, attendance is very important. To be eligible for membership, you must be able to commit to not having more than 4 unexcused absences in a row or more than a total of 25% of our regularly scheduled meetings.

Meeting Format

APEX meets twice each month. Our meetings are held at The Center Club on Town Center Drive in Costa Mesa, adjacent to the Orange County Performing Arts Center. The third Wednesday morning of each month is our breakfast meeting which runs from 7:30 am to 9:00 am. Our breakfast meetings are usually organized around a formal agenda that includes either an outside speaker on a topic of general business interest or a presentation by a current APEX member.

APEX also meets once a month for dinner on the first Wednesday of each month from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm. Our dinner meetings tend to be a bit more casual and represent an opportunity for our members to connect socially and to discuss any pertinent business issues.

All meetings are a gourmet affair, hosted in a private room, with menu selections chosen from the Center Club chef’s specially prepared meals.

Membership Costs

While there is no cost for attending APEX as our guest, if you do elect to become a member, there is a one-time $99 membership processing fee. The processing fee is only charged if you are offered and accept membership. Monthly dues are $199 and cover all of your costs, including meals, wine, beverages, and valet parking at our 2 monthly meetings.

As we typically have a waiting list for guests to attend our meetings, we would much appreciate a firm RSVP from you. Please confirm your attendance by contacting Mary Norris at Bart Zandbergen\'s offices by calling (949) 455-0300.

Please contact me if you have any questions.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

Lauraine Bifulco

Director