BNI Tech Talk-BNI Plus-106-Events and Newsletters (September 18, 2026)

Quick Summary

In this BNI Tech Talks session, Jeremy Walsh demonstrates how to manage chapter and regional events and create engaging newsletters in BNI Plus. Learn how to display events in meeting slides and newsletters, use automatically compiled meeting information, customize the layout, and add announcements, recognition, and other content for your chapter. The session also covers previewing and testing newsletters, choosing recipients, and sending regional communications. Key reminders include that events are currently managed separately from BNI Connect, and newsletters are built automatically but must be reviewed and sent manually. Practical tips throughout the session help you keep members informed, encourage participation, and strengthen chapter connections.

Complete Summary

BNI Tech Talks: BNI Plus — Events and Newsletters
September 18, 2026

In this session, Jeremy Walsh demonstrates how BNI Plus helps chapters and regions promote events and keep members connected between meetings. The walkthrough covers creating events, displaying them during meetings, customizing newsletters, and reviewing and sending communications. Jeremy also shares practical ways to turn an automatically assembled newsletter into a useful part of chapter life.

Creating chapter and regional events

Events are managed separately in BNI Plus and BNI Connect. At the time of this recording, events entered in BNI Connect do not automatically synchronize to BNI Plus.

BNI Plus provides two levels of event management:

• Chapter events are managed under Chapter > Events and apply to that chapter. Examples include socials, visitor days, community activities, and local networking events.
• Regional events are managed under Region > Events and can appear across the region’s chapters. Examples include training, awards ceremonies, and regional initiatives.

Chapters can view regional events but cannot edit the regional records.

When creating an event, enter a title, when it takes place, a description, and any registration information. You can also upload an image and identify the person submitting the event. Registration links should include the full address, including https://.

Events can also be imported from an Excel file using the columns identified in the import tool, including title, when, description, registration information, and submitted by.

Choosing where events appear

Creating an event does not automatically make it visible everywhere. Check the options to show it in meeting slides and include it in the email newsletter.

The meeting agenda includes options for:

• Chapter Event List: A brief list of chapter events.
• Regional Event List: A brief list of regional events.
• Specific Event Details: A fuller display of an event’s description, timing, image, and other information.

Jeremy demonstrates using a test meeting to check these displays. Chapters can clone and customize slides when text or images need to be larger for their meeting room or online audience. Old events should be removed or disabled to keep announcements current.

How the chapter newsletter works

The chapter newsletter brings together information already available in BNI Plus, reducing the need to compile a weekly update manually.

The key distinction is that the newsletter is assembled automatically, but it is not sent automatically. A newsletter manager, leadership team member, or another person with full BNI Plus access must review it and send it.

The newsletter manager receives a reminder approximately one hour after the meeting’s scheduled end time. Jeremy notes that delivery may fall within roughly one to two hours. The timing is based on the scheduled meeting end, rather than when someone clicks to end the presentation.

Selecting the meeting newsletter

Open Meetings > Newsletter to prepare the newsletter for either:

• The previous meeting.
• The next upcoming meeting.

This editing window moves forward with the meeting schedule. Older meeting newsletters are no longer available for preparation once they fall outside those two options, so completing the newsletter promptly is important.

Information included automatically

Depending on the selected layout and available data, the newsletter can include:

• Chapter performance statistics.
• The core value of the week.
• Featured speakers and presentation topics.
• Section presenters and their topics.
• Visitors who attended.
• Upcoming speakers.
• Designated networking leaders and member recognition.
• Open business categories.
• Members’ submitted Ask of the Week.
• Chapter and regional events.

These sections depend on the relevant information being entered and maintained. For example, an Ask of the Week appears when a member has supplied one.

Understanding the performance figures

The chapter performance figures come from PALMS information synchronized from BNI Connect. Jeremy clarifies the reporting periods:

• Last month: The previous completed calendar month, not the current month to date.
• Year to date: January 1 through the latest available PALMS information, not the chapter’s leadership term.
• Last 12 months: A rolling 12-month period.

This distinction matters for chapters whose leadership year begins in a month other than January.

Customizing the newsletter layout

Select Set Newsletter Layout to add, remove, and reorder sections using drag and drop.

Available options demonstrated or discussed include thanking substitutes and guests, social media links, support positions, top performers, new and renewing members, and a closing quote.

The Reset option restores the default layout if you want to start again. Preview the result after making changes, since a section without supporting content may appear empty.

Adding useful chapter content

The automatically populated information provides a starting point. Custom content gives the newsletter a reason to be read each week.

Jeremy suggests adding meeting recaps, educational tips, podcast links, invitations, member milestones, chapter anniversaries, and timely announcements. Examples shared from Sylvia Miller’s newsletters include chapter mission statements, icebreaker questions, networking advice, Ask IVAN tips, and recognition of notable networkers.

Simple questions, quizzes, and reply prompts can also encourage engagement. The aim is to help members connect with the chapter beyond the weekly meeting.

Previewing, testing, and sending

Before sending the newsletter:

1. Review the automatically populated information.
2. Add timely announcements and remove outdated content.
3. Check the section order and layout.
4. Use Preview to inspect the newsletter.
5. Use Test to email a copy to yourself and check how it actually displays.
6. Select Send Newsletter, choose the intended recipient groups, and send.

Recipient options demonstrated include members, visitors and guests, and relevant director or ambassador groups. These choices are made when sending; they should not be assumed to be selected automatically.

Using the regional newsletter

Users with full regional access can also open Meetings > Newsletter at the regional level.

The regional newsletter uses similar editing, layout, preview, and sending tools. It can include regional events, announcements, photos, and other custom content.

Unlike the chapter newsletter, it relies more heavily on content supplied by the regional team. It provides a way to communicate across chapters, with recipient groups and counts shown before sending.

Questions and clarifications

The live Q&A adds several useful points:

• Who can manage chapter events? The president, vice president, secretary/treasurer, and other members granted full BNI Plus access.
• Can international events be promoted? Yes. Regional or chapter event lists can include relevant international events, including BNI Tech Talks.
• Is there national-level event management? A dedicated national-level management tool was not available. Jeremy describes a master-region arrangement that can share settings across linked regions.
• Can an event represent a recurring activity? In BNI Plus, the timing field can contain wording such as “Weekly on Fridays.” The listing remains until it is changed or removed. This is different from automatically generating recurring events in BNI Connect.
• Can the script and slides appear together during testing? A sufficiently wide window and adjustment of the divider can reveal both. Alternatively, the presentation screen and meeting controller can be opened separately.
• When was speaker synchronization expected? Jeremy announced an October 5 rollout, explaining that it would apply to speaker entries made from that point forward rather than retrospectively importing earlier entries. This was an upcoming feature at the time of recording.

Best practices to take away

Lead with the most important and time-sensitive information. Give readers clear actions, use short sections, and make the newsletter easy to read on a phone. Keep events and announcements current, and send yourself a test before distributing it.

BNI Plus can do much of the assembly work, while a few thoughtful additions make the newsletter more relevant to the chapter. As Jeremy puts it: “Comprehensive is useful. Overwhelming is not.”