|
|
Conference
and Marketing Information
Overview
l Programs
l Speakers l Schedule
Testimonials l Conference & Marketing Info
l Fees l Forms
Wrightslaw special education
law and advocacy training programs are designed to meet the needs of parents,
advocates, attorneys, educators, health care providers, and others who
represent the interests of children with disabilities and their families
Programs
In addition to one
and two-day Wrightslaw Special Education Law & Advocacy programs,
Wrightslaw offers programs about IDEA
2004, From
Emotions to Advocacy, seminars about No
Child Left Behind.
Read the programs
descriptions and meet the trainers/speakers.
You will find sample agendas in the form
bank.
Our programs
reflect current developments with IDEA and NCLB. Our programs include
information about key changes in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004) that went into
effect on July 1, 2005 and the Regulations issued on August 14, 2006.
Learn
about important changes
in IDEA 2004.
Textbooks
The textbooks for the Special Education Law and Advocacy Training
Programs (one day and two-day Boot Camps) are Wrightslaw:
Special Education Law and Wrightslaw:
From Emotions to Advocacy. All registrants should receive a copy
of each book and a copy of your state special education regulations.
The text for IDEA 2004 programs is Wrightslaw:
Special Education Law.
The text for From Emotions to Advocacy programs is Wrightslaw:
From Emotions to Advocacy. The text for No
Child Left Behind seminars is Wrightslaw:
No Child Left Behind.
Dependent upon speaker(s), the conference organizers are required to purchase
a minimum of either 100 or 150 copies of the book(s) that will be used
in the program so all registrants have the textbook(s). Our publisher,
Harbor House Law Press, offers
a 50% discount for special sales and bulk orders of Wrightslaw books.
Publicity
& Registration
A large turnout is primarily related to ease of registration, specifically online, advance marketing and publicity. Print
your conference brochure 4-6 months before the program. Develop a registration
form that allow individuals to register by phone, fax, email, website
and credit card.
Read Pete's advice about putting on a successful program that will sell out. One of the keys is to have fast, easy online registration.
In February 2008, Steve and Staci Bockmann of The
Great Expectations Speech, Sensory Integration and Learning Center
in the Detroit, Michigan area contracted with us to host a conference
on April 23, 2008. We tried to talk them out of that date, believing that
they needed more time.
Despite the short planning and preparation time, the conference S O L D O U T almost two weeks in advance with 500 attendees.
While we were concerned about the short time, they were concerned about the finances.
The conference paid for itself with funds left over to fund future conferences and other events.
Potential attendees who called in the last few days and told that there was no space, expressed their intent to show up anyway in the hopes of some "no-shows" and space being available.
Because of those increasing last minute calls and emails, notices were posted on all of the entrance doors that the event was "Sold Out." Click here for a link to the photo of the posted "Sold Out" notice.
Impressed by their promotional skills, Pete interviewed Steve and Staci for a half hour about the marketing process of hosting a Wrightslaw conference on short notice, sell out at 500 attendees, and have the conference pay for itself.
Steve Bockmann has a background in sales and marketing. Smiling effervescent
Staci was interviewed on several morning radio programs about the upcoming
conference. When you hear their story, you will be in awe of their motivation
and energy.
The Bockmanns stressed that, after the online registration is operational,
it is very important to involve many other disability organizations and
agencies in the promotion and marketing of the event. Businesses, corporations,
agencies, professionals and parents became involved. For example, notices
were posted in car dealerships, and medical and dental offices. This included
the local dentist who is known to be so good with children with disabilities.
So many businesses employ or are owned or operated by someone who has
a child with a disability. The various parent groups help to identify
those individuals. Once that company posts information about the event,
then the door is now open to all other similar companies. The word begins
to spead like wildfire!.
The Bockmanns had 18 vendor tables at the conference. The vendors also
assisted in the conference promotion.
This was a very successful event due to the efforts of Steve and Staci.
Click here for a link to a photo of Steve and Staci with Pete.
Click here for a link to a photo of Steve and Staci and their son, Blake, with Pete.
Click here to listen or download to the mp3 interview.
(The URL is: http://www.wrightslaw.com/speak/interview.marketing.bockmann.mp3.)
The Wrightslaw staff can help you design your brochure and registration
form. It is essential that you
distribute information about your program by flyers and brochures that
people can download, print, and distribute to groups and organizations
within your state and surrounding states. (scroll down for more advice
about publicity)
Aside
from speaker fees,
books and travel, conference costs are related to location and meals.
Some locations may be available for free or at a low cost (i.e., churches,
schools, conference rooms at colleges, universities, law schools, and
medical schools). We recommend that you provide a box lunch - this will
increase your cost slightly but will allow attendees to remain on-site
for the entire program. A lunch and break refreshments increases the perceived
value of the program.
Organizing
a Wrightslaw training program is a big undertaking. Some groups obtain
financial support from bar associations, nonprofit groups, law firms,
psychologists and corporate entities. Other groups secure grants or other
independent funding. Individuals and parent groups have organized Wrightslaw
programs as a fundraising event.
After details of the program are finalized, we will help publicize
your event. We will build a page about your program and post it on the
Wrightslaw site. To view an archive of past Wrightslaw programs and the Wrightslaw publicity pages, click here.
We will send targeted emails to thousands of individuals in your geographical
area.
Fees
A portion of the speaker
fees must be prepaid. The first payment of 25% is due when the program
is confirmed and the contract is signed. A second payment of 25% is due four months in advance of the program. The remaining 50% is due at the
end of the program. For more information about the speaker fees and to view the form contract letter, please click here to go to the speaker
fee page.
Limitations
A single day program is a four day event for the Wrightslaw speaker. The speaker arrives in the host city, not the day before the event, but the day before the day before. This protects against travel complications. On the day before the event, we prefer to visit the conference facility and test all of the equipment and meet with the host organizers to discuss specifics about the program. The third day is the program. Return home is the fourth day, thus the one day program is actually four days for the speaker.
We have an unofficial, unwritten policy of not scheduling a Wrightslaw program to occur within three months, plus or minus, of one previously scheduled that is within a three hour drive
of the first one scheduled. This is not a hard and fast rule dependent upon the nature of the audience, program content, and other specifics.
Equipment
We use PowerPoint so you will need to furnish a computer projector.
The speaker(s) also need a wireless "hands-free" microphone
(two microphones if two speakers)
Contact
Information
If
you decide you want to sponsor a Wrightslaw program, please send an email to petewright
@ harborhouselaw.com (remove the spaces before and after the
@ sign.) If you do not hear from Pete with a couple of days, please resend your email.
In the subject line of your initial and all future emails, please type your state (2 letters) and city in ALL CAPS. For example: CONFERENCE VA DELTAVILLE
Please include
your name, contact information, and the program and the desired date(s).
|
|
