Professional Referral Exchange

Professional Referral Exchange (PRE) is a business networking organization that operates chapters across Pennsylvania and Florida, with corporate offices located at 96 Commerce Drive #125 in Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. The organization is built around a referral model in which members of a chapter actively look for business opportunities on one another's behalf and pass along warm introductions rather than trading contact lists or cold leads.

The Reading - Berks, PA chapter was established in 2008 and has been meeting continuously since then. It currently has nine members drawn from a range of industries, including mortgage lending, landscaping, office furniture, chiropractic care, financial advising, real estate and insurance. The chapter is led by Area Director Bill Higbee, with Chris Marrella serving as President and Caitlan Becker as Vice President.

Meeting Schedule and Location

The Reading - Berks chapter meets in person every Wednesday morning from 7:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at B2 Bistro, 701 Reading Avenue, Reading, PA 19611. The early time slot is intentional: meetings conclude before the standard business day begins, allowing members to attend without disrupting client appointments or office hours.

Weekly meetings follow a structured agenda. Each member is given time to introduce their business, share recent news or project updates, describe the type of client or contact they are currently seeking, and pass referrals to other members. Longer business presentations and spotlight segments are scheduled on a rotating basis so that each member has periodic opportunities to explain their work in greater depth.

The chapter follows the snow cancellation policy of the Wyomissing School District. If the district announces a two hour delay or a full cancellation, the chapter does not meet that week. This gives members a simple, publicly available reference point during winter weather rather than requiring a separate notification chain.

Category Exclusivity

One of the defining structural features of Professional Referral Exchange is category exclusivity. Each chapter admits only one professional per business category. Once a seat is filled, for example by a mortgage lender or a chiropractor, no additional member representing that same category may join that chapter.

The practical effect is twofold. First, members do not compete internally for the same referrals, which removes a common friction point in open networking groups. Second, when a referral opportunity arises in a given field, there is only one obvious person in the room to receive it. With nine current members, the Reading - Berks chapter has open categories available, meaning professionals in fields not yet represented can inquire about joining.

How Referrals Work

PRE distinguishes its referrals from purchased lead lists or general contact exchanges. A referral within the organization is intended to be a warm introduction to a prospect who already knows a call is coming and has expressed some interest in the service. Members are expected to actively seek these opportunities for one another in the course of their regular business activity, not simply to respond when asked.

Much of this work happens between the weekly meetings. Members schedule one-on-one meetings with each other and use a standardized meeting template to guide the conversation. These sessions are designed to help members learn the specifics of each other's business: what a good client looks like, what problems they solve, which competitors they face, and which trigger events signal that someone might need their services. The stated logic is that a member cannot make a useful referral for a business they do not genuinely understand.

Programs and Member Development

Beyond referral generation, the chapter offers several forms of professional development:

• Public speaking and presentation practice. The weekly format requires members to speak in front of the group on a regular basis, and rotating business spotlights provide extended presentation opportunities. Over time, this repetition is intended to build comfort and clarity in describing one's own work.
• Mentorship for new members. Each new member is assigned a mentor who helps them understand the meeting format, the referral process and the expectations of membership. For the Reading - Berks chapter, Bill Higbee serves in this role.
• One-on-one meeting structure. A template is provided to help members conduct productive individual meetings rather than unfocused coffee chats.
• Leadership roles. Members may serve as President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, or in Program, Social, Publicity, Membership or Sergeant-at-Arms positions. Published officer duty sheets, chapter by-laws and organizational charts define the responsibilities of each role, giving members a defined framework for taking on leadership experience.

Visiting as a Guest

Prospective members are able to attend a chapter meeting as a guest before making any commitment to join. This allows a visitor to observe the meeting format, meet current members, and determine whether the category they represent is open. A downloadable PRE Guest Packet is available along with other membership forms and chapter documents. Area Director Bill Higbee coordinates guest visits for the Reading - Berks chapter.

Because the chapter meets weekly at a consistent time and place, guests generally have flexibility in choosing a date. Interested professionals are typically advised to confirm attendance in advance so the chapter can plan the agenda accordingly.

Service Area

The Reading - Berks chapter draws its membership primarily from Reading, Wyomissing and the surrounding communities of Berks County. Meeting attendance in person on a weekly basis means that membership is practical mainly for professionals working within reasonable commuting distance of the Reading area.

Professional Referral Exchange as a whole operates additional chapters throughout Pennsylvania and in Florida. Professionals who travel or maintain business in multiple regions may find relevance in the broader network, and the organization's corporate office in Wyomissing serves as the administrative center for chapter operations.

Background

With a founding date of 2008, the Reading - Berks chapter has operated for more than a decade and a half, spanning several economic cycles in the Berks County business community. Longevity of this kind in a volunteer-driven networking group generally reflects a stable core membership and continuity in leadership structure.

The organization's approach reflects a broader model in structured business networking: small, category-exclusive groups meeting frequently on a fixed schedule, with defined roles and written procedures. For small business owners, independent professionals and commissioned salespeople, the appeal is a consistent, predictable channel for introductions supported by relationships built over months and years rather than single encounters.