Managing events is a major part of the work we do to support our client associations. In fact, our events team, led by Mackenzie Kelley, each year delivers dozens of conferences, webinars, meetings and networking events. Day-to-day, events require extreme attention to detail, precise scheduling, and expert project management. Big picture, we recognize the power of these events: they build community!
I am especially proud of three recent events the MHQ team put on in partnership with our association clients:
The NAGC Communications School
This was our first year working in partnership with our new client, the National Association of Government Communicators (NAGC). As part of the entire management of their association, they asked us to oversee their largest event, the annual NAGC Communications School. This year the event, which was held in Washington D.C., sold out! 325 people attended; this was the highest attendance the event had reached in nearly a decade. Boris Sanchez, CNN U.S. Correspondent, was Closing Session Keynote Speaker. A big congratulations to the stellar government communicators recognized at the event’s awards ceremony: the NAGC Blue Pencil & Gold Screen Award winners and the NAGC Communicator of the Year.
MLA Conference
The 2019 Minnesota Library Association (MLA) Annual Conference was a huge success. This year we were at Mystic Lake Event Center in Prior Lake, Minnesota, for the first time. This is a relatively new venue here in Minnesota, and our experience with the staff and venue were outstanding (the food was also delicious)! We had 11 sponsors, 42 exhibitors and 482 attendees with over 100 sessions for professional development and networking. A big shout out to Leslie Johnson, our MLA executive director, who stepped outside of her normal role to expertly manage this event. We are already looking forward to holding MLA’s 2020 conference in Duluth, Minnesota!
NARA Licensing Seminar
Our events team and executive leaders enjoyed a trip to New Orleans, LA, where we held our 2019 National Association of Regulatory Administration (NARA) annual Licensing Seminar, the largest annual event that NARA holds. Event attendance significantly exceeded past years, with 230 folks participating. Attendees provided great feedback about the programming, content and presenters. We met our client’s goals for sponsors and exhibitors. And, perhaps most fun of all, we hosted for NARA a New Orleans-themed welcome reception, with local food, a tarot card reader and bead toss!
