BNI Tech Talk-BNI Plus-106.5-Recognition (September 25, 2026)

BNI Tech Talks: BNI+ Chapter Performance, Member Recognition, and Regional Key Values

Session date: September 25, 2026
Presenter: Jeremy Walsh, BNI Director of Support
Series: BNI+ 106.5

Quick Summary

In this BNI Tech Talks session, Jeremy Walsh explores how to use BNI+ to showcase chapter performance and celebrate member achievements. The session explains which statistics synchronize from BNI Connect, what the different reporting periods represent, and how to manually recognize networking leaders, top performers, and new and renewing members. Live demonstrations cover using the Summary PALMS Report to select recognition recipients, updating regional Key Values, and adjusting slide layouts so information displays correctly during meetings. The session concludes with questions about slide customization, granting incoming leadership teams access, and how the scheduled meeting end time determines the cutoff for online slips.

Complete Summary

This session explores how BNI+ brings performance statistics and recognition into chapter meetings. Jeremy explains which information synchronizes from BNI Connect, which items require manual updates, and how chapter and regional teams can keep their meeting slides accurate and readable. Demonstrations cover chapter performance, member recognition, regional Key Values, and slide formatting, followed by audience questions.

Chapter Performance: What Comes from BNI Connect?

The Chapter Performance tile in BNI+ displays statistics synchronized from submitted PALMS reports in BNI Connect. A “data received” indicator confirms that performance data has been received.

Chapter teams maintain the underlying PALMS information in BNI Connect. They do not need to reenter those chapter performance totals in BNI+.

Synchronization runs on an hourly cycle, with the next cycle starting approximately 60 minutes after the previous one finishes. Because processing time varies, updates are not guaranteed to appear exactly one hour after submission. Jeremy explains that published guidance allows approximately one to three hours, especially during periods with large amounts of data to process, such as leadership team changeovers.

Understanding the Reporting Periods

The chapter performance display includes four reporting periods:

Year to Date follows the calendar year, regardless of when the chapter’s leadership term or BNI reporting year begins.

These statistics can appear in the meeting agenda under the Vice President’s Report. The meeting operator can choose to display the combined chapter performance slide or individual reporting-period slides.

Member Recognition: Selected and Entered Manually

Member recognition is managed separately from the automatically synchronized chapter performance statistics.

BNI+ does not automatically select recognition recipients from PALMS. An authorized chapter team member chooses the recipients and enters the relevant details through the Recognition tile.

This gives chapters flexibility to recognize:

• Top performers.
• Multiple members within the same category.
• Members who have made significant improvements.
• Contributions that deserve recognition beyond the highest numerical result.

Jeremy emphasizes that recognition should encourage participation and celebrate progress. A chapter can acknowledge a consistent top performer while also recognizing someone whose activity has improved substantially.

Recognition Options Demonstrated

The session demonstrates how to:

• Select a Network Leader and enter the reason for recognition.
• Welcome new members.
• Recognize renewing members for their continued commitment.
• Choose a reporting period and enter recognition for activities such as one-to-ones, referrals, visitors, and Thank You for Closed Business.
• Add more than one recipient within a recognition category.

Renewing members deserve particular attention: their decision to stay represents an ongoing commitment to the chapter and its relationships.

Using the Summary PALMS Report to Prepare Recognition

Jeremy demonstrates using BNI Connect alongside BNI+ to identify recipients and verify their numbers.

1. Open BNI Connect.
2. Go to Reports > Chapter.
3. Select the Summary PALMS Report.
4. Choose the date range that matches the recognition period.
5. Review the members’ activity totals.
6. Return to the Recognition tile in BNI+.
7. Select the members and enter their corresponding numbers.
8. Click Save.

For example, when recognizing the previous calendar month, run the report for the first through the last day of that month.

After saving, use a test meeting to review the recognition slides in the Networking Leaders section. Jeremy also highlights the value of complete member profiles, particularly profile photographs, for making recognition slides more engaging.

Regional Key Values

Regional Key Values provide information that can be inserted into meeting slides, including regional statistics and other shared details.

Unlike synchronized chapter performance data, these values require manual maintenance. Jeremy recommends that regional teams review and update their statistics monthly.

At the regional level, open Region > Key Values to manage items such as:

• Application and participation fees.
• Number of chapters and members.
• Number of referrals.
• Amount of closed business.
• Seat value.

Finding Regional Figures

Jeremy demonstrates the Country Key Success Factors Report in BNI Connect as a useful source for chapter counts, member counts, and average chapter size.

In the session, he runs the report for a single day to obtain a current snapshot, then opens the relevant region to review its figures. Access to this report is described as being available to executive directors and above.

Creating Additional Key Values

Regions can also create additional Key Values, such as a Net Promoter Score, and use them in slides.

Some values can be configured so that chapters enter their own information. Examples shown include Venue Fee and Venue Fee Period.

When editing slide text, typing the @ symbol provides access to available variables. This allows slides to display the values entered in the corresponding fields.

Fixing Statistics Slides That Do Not Fit

Jeremy demonstrates how to correct a chapter performance slide whose content extends beyond the visible area.

For a slide controlled by the region, the preferred approach is for the regional team to correct the original slide:

1. Open the regional Meeting Agenda.
2. Find the affected slide under the Vice President’s Report.
3. Resize the text area to provide enough room for the content.
4. Choose Fit Text or adjust the font size manually.
5. Click OK, then Save.
6. Return to a chapter and preview the slide to confirm the full display fits.

Remember to save the slide after making changes. Clicking OK within the text editor alone does not complete the save.

Making a Chapter-Level Copy

Chapters cannot directly edit region-controlled slides. If a chapter needs its own editable version, an authorized user can:

1. Open the relevant agenda section.
2. Choose Copy.
3. Select the source section and slide.
4. Create the local copy.
5. Hide the original slide to avoid displaying both versions.
6. Edit, save, and preview the chapter’s copy.

In the demonstration, the region-controlled slide appears gray, while the editable local copy appears white. A local copy must be maintained separately, so correcting the regional original is preferable when the issue affects multiple chapters.

Questions and Answers

Will member recognition become automatic?

Jeremy could not confirm whether automated recognition was planned. He noted that manual selection supports flexibility, while a future recommendation feature could potentially help identify recipients without removing that choice.

Can chapters edit slides created by the region?

The regional original is read-only at the chapter level. Chapters can hide or skip it, or create an editable local copy.

Can incoming leadership teams receive BNI+ access before their term begins?

Yes. An authorized user can open Chapter > Members, select the member, enable BNI+ Access, and save. The member receives the additional access the next time they log in.

Jeremy also clarifies two interface details:

• The message about setting a separate BNI+ password is not relevant when using single sign-on.
• The lock icon indicates that a separate direct BNI+ login has been configured; it is not a reliable indicator of whether someone has been granted BNI+ access.

Must every statistics or recognition slide be shown?

No. The meeting operator can choose which slides to display and skip those that are not needed for that meeting.

Can Key Values be disabled?

Yes. Jeremy confirms that Key Values can be disabled.

Do all leadership teams change on the same schedule?

Jeremy discusses April and October changeovers and explains that actual term arrangements vary by region or franchise. Participants should follow their local leadership schedule.

Is a public API available for PALMS data?

At the time of the session, Jeremy reports that there were no plans for a public API.

Can mentors be assigned through the BNI Connect mobile app?

No. Mentor assignments must be completed through the full BNI Connect website.

How do members access BNI+?

Log in through MyBNI and look for BNI+. If it is not available, contact the executive or national director about availability in the country.

Where are Tech Talks recordings available?

At the time of the session, recordings were available in the BNI Tech Talks section of support.bniconnect.com. They had not yet been added to BNI Academy.

What determines the cutoff for online slips?

The cutoff is the chapter’s scheduled meeting end time.

Online slips entered after that cutoff go toward the next meeting. If the next meeting falls in October, those slips count toward that October meeting, even if they were entered during the remaining days of September.

The cutoff does not change because the meeting finishes early, runs late, or the vice president leaves the PALMS report open.

What was discussed about the BNI Foundation?

Jeremy briefly explains the Foundation’s focus on children and education and mentions grant applications through its website. He also confirms that Foundation donations were not part of the membership application or renewal process at the time of the session, although donation opportunities were available during registration for certain BNI conventions.

Key Takeaways

• Chapter performance statistics synchronize from BNI Connect; member recognition is selected manually.
• Year to Date uses the calendar year, while Last Month and 12 Months use completed calendar months.
• Use the Summary PALMS Report to verify recognition figures.
• Recognize new members, renewing members, top performers, and meaningful improvement.
• Regional teams should maintain Key Values and review shared slide layouts regularly.
• Preview slides before the meeting, check that all content fits, and remember to Save.