Select teams of 25 individuals from each of Elev8’s four sites around the country – Chicago, Oakland, Albuquerque and Baltimore – came together along with representatives from Public Interest Projects and The Atlantic Philanthropies for an unparalleled learning opportunity: to share experiences, to build partnerships across Elev8 sites, and to expand on the expertise of all Elev8 participants. Ginger Donnan Events coordinated all arrangements for this convening, including registration, travel booking to Baltimore, communication with attendees, as well as on-site management of 2 ½ days of workshops, learning tours, and dine-arounds.
This autumn was our busiest yet with seven single day events in New York and New Jersey and three multiple-day conferences in Chicago, Philadelphia and Baltimore.
We started the season by helping a law firm with a client conference at the Harvard Club in NYC when they were short-staffed. Ten days later we moved downtown for the Autism Speaks to Wall Street Chef Gala to manage the check-in process and volunteers. Then, mid-October, it was time for the five New Jersey Light the Night Walks that take place on two simultaneous Saturdays. One of our biggest projects of the year, we started working on the logistics for these events back in March and were thrilled to see the growth in attendance and funds raised by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
This month, we executed two more of Public Interest Projects’ convenings, including our third for the U.S. Human Rights Fund and our first for the Elev8 middle school initiative, a conference that ends today. These events included booking travel for over 100 people each and coordinating meeting, meal and transportation needs.
None this would have been possible without the help of such a dedicated team. Now it’s time for the rest and recuperation that comes with the holidays and planning for 2012 events, including the 5th Annual Communities for Education Reform Convening.
Public Interest Projects’ Convenings of the U.S. Human Rights Fund
November 7-9, 2011 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
June 14-17, 2010 in Los Angeles, California
January 11-14, 2009 in New Orleans, Louisiana
The 2011 convening “Using Human Rights to Achieve Racial Justice: We Shall Overcome,” hosted by the U.S. Human Rights Fund with support from The Overbrook Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Just and Fair Schools Fund, was attended by 150 advocates and funders. In addition to building the registration website, making travel reservations and communicating with attendees, Ginger Donnan Events coordinated arrangements for the course of events over the three-day convening.
The 2010 convening brought together 15 funders and 80 advocates working on three inter-related human rights campaigns to develop new campaign strategies and advocacy skills, and explore collaborations. Travel arrangements were made for the guests to attend the welcome reception:
2 ½ days of meetings:
three site visits:
and two off-site dinners:
The 2009 Global Strategy Exchange Conveningwas an opportunity for the organization’s grantees to meet and learn from key international human rights activists. The event included hotel and travel arrangements for 140 attendees, two days of meetings, two days of site visits around New Orleans and Mississippi and all food and beverage, including an off-site group dinner.
Working with Ginger Donnan is an experience unlike any other. Convenings and special events are by nature a stressful experience for the hosts. So many people’s needs to be addressed, so many details to consider. Ginger’s organizational skills expertly bring order to chaos. She identifies a problem and is able to nip it before it has a chance to derail the process. Ginger is a systems person. She has event planning down to a science and navigates you through each bump and curve with grace and calm. It has been more than a pleasure to have Ginger at the helm of our special events–she is magic. – Sue Simon, Director, Human Rights, U.S. Human Rights Fund, June 2010
The Libra Foundation’s Grantee Convening
October 17-19, 2011
For three days in Chicago, all of The Libra Foundation’s grantees were brought together for the first time to network and get to know the work of grantee organizations from their three priority areas: women’s rights, environmental sustainability, and social justice and drug policy reform, all working within a human rights framework.
We managed the budget, handled online registration and individual attendee communications, vendor coordination and meeting needs, transportation and travel booking, and on-site management, all while keeping the client fully informed through timely updates.
In the past two weeks, we’ve flown to Los Angeles, California and Charlotte, North Carolina for our events and can honestly say, flying is not for the faint of heart.
A few things to remember to ensure an elevated flying experience:
… the boarding pass printing center at your hotel. People are still catching on that it doesn’t cost anything to print your boarding pass from the computer in the lobby or in the business center.
… one small roller bag. Waiting five minutes in the boarding bridge versus 30 minutes at baggage claim? Always worth the time spent on fold and roll at home. And for trips three days or less, baggage fees may not even be covered by your company’s travel policy.
… a pair of socks. For heel-loving women like us, a spare pair in the duffel bag does wonders for avoiding an uncomfortable situation at security.
… food. We know food isn’t being served on board but why are we still surprised when the hunger pangs hit after we’re on board for an hour?
… layers. The vent is closed, the suit jacket and trench coat buttoned, and we still think about cuddling our neighbor for warmth. Then as soon as the plane lands, we’re begging for air conditioning. Blankets are long gone so be sure to dress in layers to prepare for the ups and downs of airplane air flow.
… crook of the elbow. It’s been a while since we were young and taught to “cover your mouth” when we sneezed. In the days of H1N1, the body part getting play is the crook of the elbow, so keep it close and you’ll avoid the beverage cart too.
… manners. We’re all in the same boat, so to speak, and a little patience and good, old-fashioned manners will go a long way to make the unpleasantries go away. For more, see CNN’s “6 Tips for Getting Your Way When You Travel.”
