National Host Committee Packet
About The Conference Date: August 10-13, 2017 Where: The Sheraton Birmingham The Embody Progress Conference is an annual conference that is held in an area of the country that is traditionally under resourced with regard to LGBTQ issues, providing access for all individuals regardless of barriers, presenting up-to-date resources and information, relevant in trends and topics, and providing space for all voices to be uplifted in unison. The Embody Progress Conference will act as a catalyst for unifying organizers, funders, and thought leaders on a national scale with grassroots community organizers, educators, health administrators, and everyday people in hopes to educate and mobilize around issues facing LGBTQ people on local, regional, and national levels. The Embody Progress Conference is progressive in values, ideals, and diversity. The conference acknowledges the power of sharing individual narratives and will always allow any individual to submit a proposal, lead workshops, institutes, keynotes, or any other form of facilitated breakout, regardless of educational status, background, or identity. Purpose: Gather LGBTQ people, organizers, educators, and health administrators nationwide to Reclaim Southern spaces in the name of raising Our voices, our bodies, and our strengths as We seek to further our knowledge, resources, and networks To bring back into our local spaces and champion the Heritage of the shoulders we stand on. 2016 Theme: Live. Learn. Grow. Programmatic Focus Areas: Racial Justice Institute Pre Conference on August 10 1: Professional Education This Track of the Embody Progress Conference is open to any administrator, educator, social worker, or service provider that is seeking to utilize the conference as a part of their required continued Professional Education. The purpose of this track is to offer comprehensive training courses around LGBTQ identities, human intersectionality, and issues facing LGBTQ people for working professionals.
There are two specialized sub tracks: Health and Education. We will be working with the University of Alabama at Birmingham to secure the appropriate continuing education credits relevant to all professionals we hope to serve. 2: Youth-Only Track The Youth Track of the Embody Progress Conference is open for any youth between the ages of fourteen and twenty four, or anyone currently enrolled as a student in an educational facility. The purpose of this track is to provide space for young folk to connect with their peers, share resources, develop personal leadership skills, and create strategy on how to impact their communities and schools in a positive light. 3: Advocacy, Policy & Operations Participants will be able to evaluate current policies, hear testimony of successful advocacy and more. This focus area intends to enhance the quality of advocacy practices around the country. Workshops will be solicited for people to submit in areas around HIV Advocacy, Issues facing LGBTQ People of Color, Immigration, Policy, Elections, etc. 4: Art The Change Project believes that changing hearts and minds is vital to winning in the South. Throughout the conference there will be workshops, open space, and entertainment that is driven by visual and performance art. Each evening there will be art shows and drag performances in hopes to provide space for artistic minds and arts activists to share their resources with other organizers present.
Host Committee Roles Host Committee: The purpose of the Embody Progress Host Committee is to enrich the conference each year through their diverse perspectives, skills, and expertise. The Host Committee will work together to plan, implement, and evaluate the Embody Progress Conference. Role Overview • • • • • • •
Must be committed to being part of the committee from September 2016 to August 2017 Must be able to attend the Embody Progress Conference (August 10-13 2017). Willing to help recruit, as many participants as possible to the conference Committed to social justice organizing in the South The Host Committee will meet once a month as a whole to discuss progress of the conference Planning committees will meet a minimum of once a month outside of the Host Committee meeting Each sub-committee with have a committee chair that leads that sub-committee and checks-in with the Logistical Chair
Community Chair - Birmingham, AL The Chair of the host committee should be a representative of the city in which the conference is being held. This individual is charged with running the meetings, setting agendas, and ensuring tasks are delegated accordingly. The Chair should be seen as the public face of the event and shall represent it well. The Chair shall work closely with the Chair Elect and is charged with overseeing the overall development and finances of the event. The Chair appoints committee heads. Logistical Chair - Filled The Logistical Chair should be a representative of The Change Project, they are charged to ensure the logistics of the event are in order, and therefore oversees all committees and is the point of contact for all committee heads. The Logistical Chair shall assume temporary role of Chair, should the Chair be unable to fulfill their duties. Committee Chair(s) These individuals are appointed leaders of the committees. Should there be a need to create additional committees, it will be by appointment of the Community Chair and approval of the Logistical Chair. The pre-made committees are as followed: Workshops & Programming Committee • • • • • •
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Develop call for workshops & encourages individuals to submit entries Organizes all workshop entries Creates formal process for the acceptance of workshop submissions Creates Master Schedule of Conference Creates lists of potential Keynotes & Entertainers for event Each member will be a topic area captain in efforts to prioritize needs that should be represented o Example: Policy Captain: Alex Smith, MPP - Dir. of Policy and Advocacy at AIDS Alabama Work with presenters and The Change Project staff to secure CEUs, CLEs, etc. for the Professional Track
Marketing, Promotion & Outreach Committee • • • • • •
Develop marketing and public relations strategy for event Works with The Change Project Staff to coordinate all of the media for the event Assists in managing online promotion of the event; social media, website, etc. Coordinates outreach for sponsorship and fundraising for event Works with Hospitality committee to establish a strategy for volunteer recruitment Assists in the creation of a program booklet from master schedule & advertisements
Hospitality Committee
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Works with Marketing, Promotion & Outreach committee to establish a recruitment strategy for volunteer needs Assign volunteers to appropriate tasks based on skill, knowledge, and interest Coordinates with Theme, Decoration & Logistics Committee for set up, check in & break down Develop a way to retain and recognize event volunteers Responsible for the creation of Hospitality rooms for social & self-care space Assemble registration packets
Members At Large Members At Large are community leaders and youth who are brought onto the planning committee for additional voices and input. These individuals are expected to sit on a committee, but are not the Chair of those committees. This membership should reflect the diversity of our service region and our community.