Check out our 10 Must Attend Fall Conferences in Philadelphia guide! Below we speak with some of the founders and managers to get the inside scoop on their conferences.
How do you choose your speakers and/or themes?
This year’s theme was built off of the current success and awesome elevation women have been seeing over the last several years in the media and communications industry. From the #MeToo movement, more women leaders, writers, executive leaders, producers, and executives, we are breaking the glass ceiling with amazing accomplishments! We have gotten this far, our curiosity still remains as to what will women do next? BEYOND the Glass Ceiling! It was once a barrier and stopping point, but women are using their voices to be LIMITLESS! – 6th Annual Women in Media Conference – Danielle P. Jeter, Founder & President.
I typically choose themes based off of current conversations and topics happening in pop culture, media or politics such as immigration, self-care, women in male-dominated fields, etc. When it comes to speakers, inclusivity and diversity are key factors, as well as how unique workshop pitches or angles are that I receive from women. I want attendees to walk away with advice and testimonials that they can apply directly to their life and career. – FearlessCon – Melissa Alam , Founder.
We convene a conference planning committee of food systems leaders and advocates from around NESAWG’s 12-state region who help us pick the themes and topics we want to focus on, and who chose sessions that are submitted through a call for proposals. We work to make sure that we are representing the diversity of people and issues around our region in our conference program. – NESAWG’s 2018 It Takes A Region Conference – Malaika Gilpin, NESAWG Conference Manager
We ask ourselves: what ideas does the Pennsylvania marketing community need to discuss but hasn’t had the right environment to foster those conversations before? The challenges and successes marketers are having — both today and tomorrow — are how the topics for discussion are chosen. Every speaker is selected because of their wealth of experience in navigating brands through these challenges. – Pennsylvania Marketing Summit – Hitz Mistry – Marketing Manager, IC Summits
Our goal is to inspire and teach. With our keynote we look to highlight a successful woman in the Philadelphia region who will be candid about her career path. We select the moderators and panelists from within our organization. We want to highlight our own. We aim to have wide appeal with our panel topics so that our attendees feel like they have practical takeaways from the day. – FEMCITY Philadelphia 2nd Annual Business Conference – Jennifer Lynn Robinson, Esquire, President, FemCity Philadelphia
What is the benefit of having the conference in Philadelphia?
Philadelphia is the headquarters for Women In Media, we were founded here. It is also the 4th largest media market in the USA, and is easily accessible to NYC, DC, NJ, MA, and other close destination states, so it positions our conference to be the place to be for media-makers all across the Tri-State with valuable access to high profile influencers as well. We enjoy being apart of bringing so much positive attention and spot light to Philadelphia! – 6th Annual Women in Media Conference – Danielle P. Jeter, Founder & President.
The grit in Philly is unmatched, but the grit of a women of color in Philadelphia – it’s worth celebrating and uplifting. I want more people to start recognizing this city as one full of amazing, ambitious female makers, creators, and founders. – FearlessCon – Melissa Alam , Founder.
Being in Philadelphia allows us to showcase all the wonderful farm and food systems initiatives going on in the city and around the region, as well as give people an opportunity to experience this city. Whether it’s the urban gardens and farms run by participants in Soil Generation, the Philadelphia Free Library’s Culinary Literacy Center, or the Common Market’s work to connect farmers to fair and transparent markets, there is so much going on in Philly that we know our conference attendees will be excited to learn about and experience. – NESAWG’s 2018 It Takes A Region Conference – Malaika Gilpin, NESAWG Conference Manager
Apart from being a vibrant city and home of the Super Bowl champions, Philadelphia is a hub of both well-known, established brands and fresh innovators. The creative, intelligent marketers that Philadelphia attracts cultivate engaging conversations and long-lasting relationships during the Pennsylvania Marketing Summit. Thanks to the enthusiasm and support from the community all across Pennsylvania, the summit is returning to Philadelphia for the third time. – Pennsylvania Marketing Summit – Hitz Mistry – Marketing Manager, IC Summits
Before I took over leading the local organization our events were mainly based in the suburbs. One of my goals as President was expand accessibility of our events by having regular gatherings in both the city and burbs. We hold our conference at the beautiful Pyramid Club which has the added bonus of being in the same building as the regional rail line to make it super simple for our attendees. – FEMCITY Philadelphia 2nd Annual Business Conference – Jennifer Lynn Robinson, Esquire, President, FemCity Philadelphia
Share one piece of advice for those attending the conference.
My advice is clear your calendars because we have conference activities taking place starting Tuesday, September 11th and lasts until Sunday, September 16th! Come with a open mind, open heart, and plenty of networking tools to be receptive to the inspiration as well as knowledge we are ready to impart on you! – 6th Annual Women in Media Conference – Danielle P. Jeter, Founder & President.
Speak up, use your voice and make an active effort to make friends! It’s intimidating as hell, but I promise you’ll walk away feeling better than that initial feeling of fear. You miss all the shots you don’t take, so come and take them at FearlessCon this year! – FearlessCon – Melissa Alam , Founder.
Come with an open mind and a willingness to learn and listen. There’s good work being done by amazing people everywhere that we don’t know about, and our conference is one place to get connected to that work. – NESAWG’s 2018 It Takes A Region Conference – Malaika Gilpin, NESAWG Conference Manager
Come prepared to ask questions! The day is packed with insights and networking so if your brand is facing a particular challenge, you’ll walk away with plenty of ideas to solve your problem. Prepare to have unique access under the hood of the brands and thought leaders who are making a big impact on the industry – now and in the future. – Pennsylvania Marketing Summit – Hitz Mistry – Marketing Manager, IC Summits
Arrive on time. Our schedule is super packed and as someone who teaches networking it pains me to see people miss the open networking. There will be such incredible women in the room. Give yourself time to connect with some new folks. – FEMCITY Philadelphia 2nd Annual Business Conference – Jennifer Lynn Robinson, Esquire, President, FemCity Philadelphia