2024 WIC Conference
Internal Communications and Branding
2024 WIC Conference
Challenge
Every two years, the West Virginia Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program, within the Office of Nutrition Services at the West Virginia Department of Health brings over 200 staff from around the state to a central location for three days of educational training. Staff are able to attend groups and track sessions relating to breastfeeding, nutrition, and support at a neutral location. The instate location for a WV WIC conference needs to house meeting space and accommodations large enough for 200+ staff, speakers, exhibitors, and partners.
Key Objectives
- Staff earn up to 12 hours of continuing education credits
- Staff interact with other regions to gain additional perspectives and team building
- Staff be able to attend in person and virtually
Solution
TMG managed two separate RFP processes, the first to determine location for the WIC conference, and the second to fill a speaker roster for the event.
The venue RFP resulting in multiple in-state respondents. WV WIC compared the locations and decided to hold the 2024 conference at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Huntington. The location housed enough space for the whole group and amenities to successfully execute the conference while also offering off-property activities for staff to explore and socialize in their limited downtime.
The speaker RFP process resulted in over 40 proposals to fill 30 session slots over the week. This RFP process allowed the team to ensure that a variety of topics were covered and determine what CEU hours might be available for attendees.
TMG developed the theme for the WIC conference, focusing on the 50th Anniversary of the WIC program nationally. Working closely with the Office of Nutrition Services, we developed interactive exercises showing the impact of the WIC program among staff.
The agency coordinated all sponsor and exhibitor information ensuring that staff had multiple vendors to learn from over the course of the week when they were not in session.
Campaign Deliverables
- Venue request for proposal
- Speaker request for proposal
- Venue signage and decoration
- Conference theme and agenda
- Presentation slides
- SWAG design and creation
- Speaker and exhibitor contacts and management
- Virtual platform, photographer, and AV company vendor management
Results
Over 200 staff attended the training conference, 51 attended virtually and over 150 attended in person. Exhibitors and sponsors totaled 33. Twenty speakers presented 30 sessions across three tracks: breastfeeding, nutrition, and support.
Conclusion
The conference concluded with staff successfully energized to return to their agencies with newfound information and positive attitudes ready to serve their participants to their best ability.
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Previous Years: 2022 WIC Konference
The challenge internally was to bring together more than 200 WIC staff members for a four-day training to educate them about policies and procedures, excite them about new outreach avenues and allow staff hired during the pandemic the opportunity to meet one another in person for the first time.
TMG managed all aspects of the conference, including an RFP process for site selection, meeting spaces, catering and accommodations for all guests, speakers and exhibitors. Through this process, Snowshoe Mountain Resort in Snowshoe, WV was selected as the venue for this event. TMG handled all communications with the venue which were extensive as, our staff dealt with a building collapse only two weeks before the conference, requiring coordination of all new meeting spaces, directional signage, and negotiating shuttle services which now would be necessary.
The Manahan Group LLC developed the theme for the conference: Kaleidoscope Konference. The pandemic required the WIC program to examine its tools or “colors,” taking the conference theme into account, that local offices have to work with and arrange them in a way that allows WIC to serve the public in new, equally beautiful ways.
Other aspects that TMG coordinated
Theme
Event décor
Logo
Signage
PowerPoint slide templates
T-shirts
Photobooth
Communications materials
Program
Nametags
Identifying exhibitors
Catering and dietary restrictions
Directional signage
Promotional items
AV recordings
Video editing
Speaker handouts
Speaker and exhibitor contracts
Scheduling
Activities
Registration
Post-event survey analysis
Results
WIC increased conference exhibitors by 33% over their previous statewide training event, those funds offset training costs. WIC staff left their conference energized and prepared to reopen their local offices.
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