NARAL ACTIVIST SUMMIT 2020 A Virtual Activists’ Summit with Senators Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Jeff Merkley
A Virtual Conference Case Study
Strategy Platform Setup Coaching Production
The Challenge
Last August, the 2.5M member nonprofit, NARAL Pro-Choice America, set out to host a virtual event unlike any Zoom webinar they had done in the past. This online Activists’ Summit featured guest speakers Senators Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Jeff Merkley. NARAL’s stakeholders had high hopes that this event would closely match an in-person experience. But this was their first full-scale virtual conference of this magnitude. While excitement ran high going into the Activists Summit, so too did the pressure to fulfill on the hopes of thousands.
Our Solution
The virtual Activists Summit immersed over 1,500 attendees—doubling the attendance rate of NARAL’s previous online events—in an interactive space with multiple, simultaneous trainings, networking sessions, polls and other interactive features like 1-to-1 video calls, and Expo Booths with merchandise, a book launch, a podcast, and educational workshops on how to influence policy and decision makers around women’s rights. The event also included real-time calls to action, with “on-site” phone banking and a training on postcard writing to elected officials
Leading up to this packed two-day online conference, We & Goliath offered strategy, registration, software, training, graphics & support. To thoroughly train their team for their first large virtual conference, we led multiple technical walkthroughs, speaker trainings, a dry run, and a book launch “sneak-peak” event.
Results
The Organization’s President and the Board of Directors were ecstatic about both the platform and the service We & Goliath provided. With 1,568 activists in attendance, the event was widely received as a success and emboldened NARAL’s base to continue with their work in spite of the limitations set by COVID. We & Goliath continues to work with NARAL as a trusted partner for virtual events, and as peers in online organizing.
TV-Style Main Stage Production
Three senators spoke on stage (Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Jeff Merkley) along with Ilyse Hogue, NARAL President, and speakers from the Black Lives movement.
NARAL President, Ilyse Hogue, also promoted and released her book "The Lie That Binds" during a "sneak peak" event we put on before the conference.
Speaker Training and Backstage Prep with Built-in Video
NARAL staff including four executives of the organization hosted trainings and discussion panels. To help them prepare, we coached speakers on their audio, video, lighting, internet and computer reliability, and online presentation tips including how to interact with the audience via chat and Q&A.
Social Media Sharing Graphics
With just two days notice before the event (we forgive you!), NARAL asked us to design social sharing images for all their main stage sessions in two sizes.
Featured Service
Custom-Branded Knowledgebase
This being NARAL’s first large scale virtual event, we even created a custom knowledgebase, branded with their event, colors, and logo to help everyone navigate, troubleshoot and use the platform features to the fullest.
In Their Words
"Our Board of Directors have been completely ecstatic with the Summit and are so happy with the outcome I too am incredibly pleased with the event and how well it was executed . "
Ilyse Hogue
NARAL President
What NARAL Staff Had To Say
“"This would have been truly impossible without We & Goliath. Thank you so much, this was a powerful weekend for our entire organization."”
Travis Ballie“Wonderful on so many levels! “I just want to give you a personal shout out on the outstanding summit you and your team put together. It was wonderful on so many levels! Thank you for your work and commitment. Thinking of you.””
Melinda Bieber“Inspired and appreciative... BRAVO! “Travis, I got messages from the board that were so laudatory. They really LOVED the summit and were inspired and appreciative of all of the work that went into it. BRAVO!””
Elizabeth Schoetz
What the Attendees Had to Say
“ It was streamlined and impressive... and I say that as someone who hosts virtual events for a living.”
Savannah“I was SHOCKED at how well the technology worked for such a large audience. Truly, positively, amazed given that the first Virtual Biden activity I attended a month or so ago was much more technologically compromised.”
Lisa“The summit was awesome! It has set a precedent for me so far about how to communicate, rally, inform, and inspire"
Angelica“It went well! I was on another virtual event the weekend before the NARAL Summit and frankly, it was a disaster and it left me with a bad taste about the platform. The NARAL event was miles beyond what I had experienced in the previous event and was well organized and well produced ! I’m a convert now.”
Madison“While I am sure most of us would love to have attended something like this in person, the current situation makes necessary the virtual platform. That said, I thought it was wonderfully organized and I really enjoyed the platform , the networking feature was great!”
Ellie“I just can’t thank you all enough for being so dedicated to change. This world needs so much change right now & to know there are people like you all at NARAL (including all the volunteers) gives me, and so many others, the ability to know we aren’t fighting this fight alone! I love you all, so so much, even though I’ve never met you, because you make a difference in the lives of so many people, including mine!”
Hayli“The summit was excellent. It was well planned, well organized, and compelling.”
Kathie“Very well done. Do it once a year.”
Russell
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