My association has never handled Instructor honoraria and fees; it.s always been worked out between the company and the speaker. How do I know what.s appropriate?
That must be decided between your association as the COPE Administrator/Provider and the lecturer. You should put policies in place to follow. The selection of the speaker and all payment and reimbursement decisions must be made independently by the COPE Approved Administrator/Provider, without input from the commercial interest. We have a concern that funding of our state meeting will decrease if we implement these requirements. Although this is an acknowledged possibility, the experience of other professions indicates this is unlikely to occur. Industry has indicated they want to continue to support the profession. They have also indicated they want a level playing field and established boundaries. Although it is not the primary intent of COPE, the guidelines will provide a safe environment where industry funding could grow.
