Serving the Women of Washington Through a Multi-Faceted Event
Situation: Mrs. Irene Pollin, former co-owner of the Washington Wizards, established the Sister to Sister Foundation to create awareness for women’s heart health issues in the hopes of reducing heart-related fatalities. The signature event of the Foundation was an annual Women’s Heart Health Fair, a free event to promote women’s heart health. Featuring over 100 exhibitors and dozens of guest presenters, the event, hosted at the Verizon Center, enjoyed moderate success since its inception in 2001. Five years after its beginning, the Sister to Sister Foundation retained BWF to serve as the Washington, D.C. Campaign Managers to facilitate the logistical elements of the event as well as increase attendance at the fair itself.
Objectives: The Heart Day Health Fair was aimed at two distinct demographics; executive women of the DC Metropolitan area who didn’t have time to visit their physician on a regular basis, and low-income women who could not afford insurance or preventative health care. The Foundation hosted this free one-day event so that both categories of DC-area women would have the opportunity to not only learn more about heart health through exhibitors and presentations, but also through actual heart health screening conducted onsite through a hospital partner.
Process: BWF was responsible for the overall management of this event, including the creation of a budget, selection of a venue, management of vendors, and the overall successful execution. The year-long process of executing this event focused on the management of four major elements; presentations/demonstrations, hospital health screenings, exhibitors, and overall event logistics. With more than two dozen presentations and demonstrations to coordinate, each presenter required his or her own unique set-up; chefs required various cooking utensils while doctors required slideshows and sound systems. Working in tandem with Adventist Hospitals, safety regulations from collecting blood and confidential personal health information onsite was closely monitored to ensure the safety and security of each attendee. Hosting 100-plus exhibitors each year at the venue meant close management of each participant, ensuring a positive experience for both their onsite staff and for the attendees that visited them. Finally, working with the staff at the Verizon Center and third-party vendors ensured a smooth overall operation for all event attendees onsite.
Results: Each year, the Foundation was pleased with a flawlessly executed event. Exhibitors, presenters, and attendees continued to return each year to experience a well-organized and enjoyable event.
