TEAM REDACTIVE EVENTS: Becca West – Head of Events, Charlotte Bogaert – Events Manager, Juliette Bond – Events and Webinars, Natalie Dowell – Event Organiser, Rhianna Fitzgerald – Event Assistant, Emilia-Jane Tosner – Event Assistant, Fay Rayner – Marketing Manager
TEAM REDACTIVE SALES AND DIGITAL: Jason Grant – Director, Ben Nelmes – Sales Manager, Alex Monteith – Sales Executive, Luke Colegate – Sales Administrator, Amy Lawless – Digital Content Production Manager
EXTRAS: AV Matrix Ltd, Sherwoods travel, Royal College of Midwives (RCM) staff and members
LOCATION: Harrogate International Centre
DATE: 19-20 October 2016
CLIENT: Royal College of Midwives (RCM)
DEPARTMENT: Redactive Events, Marketing, Sales and Digital
RCM Annual Conference and Exhibition 2016 | Safety, Standards, Experience
After a phenomenal event last year; high attendance from midwives, trending on Twitter and an overwhelming response to the social media #PROUDTOBE campaign, this year’s RCM conference was not to be missed!
The two-day conference and exhibition was held at Harrogate International Centre on 19-20 October. This year’s event was themed around the three debating points within contemporary maternity care; safety, standards, experience.
The event boasts a three-strand, segmented, two-day programme to an audience of 800+ midwives, student midwives, workplace representatives, senior decision makers and key personnel from both the public and private sector of the midwifery community. Speakers included RCM chief executive, Professor Cathy Warwick CBE, head of thought leadership at The King’s Fund, Professor Michael A. West and Professor Mary Renfrew, director, mother and infant unit, University of Dundee.
The conference is supported by an extensive exhibition presenting the best in maternity care products and services from over 70 leading companies, charities and partner organisations including Johnson’s®, Kellogg’s All Bran, Slimming World, Vitabiotics Pregnacare, Isosec Ltd, Bayer and Bounty UK Ltd.
A day in the life…
04:55 – Very early morning wakeup call!
05:15 – First caffeine fix of the day with a strong Northern brew.
07:08 – The excitement for #rcmconf16 starts on Twitter.
07:15 – Team Redactive Events recreate a famous scene from Reservoir Dogs on the ‘mean streets’ of Harrogate on the morning walk to the venue.
07:30 – The team are briefed with the tasks and responsibilities for the day ahead before doing final site check for opening.
08:00 – The exhibition opens and Jason and Luke are primed at Harrogate station to take the first shuttle bus load of delegates from the station to the venue.
08:30 – 09:40 – It’s all hands on deck to get 800+ delegates registered and upstairs for the 09:30 opening plenary session delivered by RCM chief executive, Professor Cathy Warwick CBE. The session kicks off on time and the events team use the next hour as an opportunity to reorganise the registration, catch up on emails, grab mid-morning refreshments and recharge before the first morning break.
09:15 – The editorial team from Midwives magazine are on site and tweeting live as the delegates head up the spiral walkway for the opening plenary address from Professor Cathy Warwick, chief executive, RCM.
10:00 – Professor Cathy Warwick CBE, chief executive, RCM welcomes the first plenary speaker of the day to the stage, Martin Bromiley, chair, Clinical Human Factors Group. An uplifting keynote presentation, Martin focuses on how organisations can learn from mistakes, building safety cultures that don’t blame individuals.
10:45 – The morning refreshment break is underway. Delegates network with exhibitors and visit the poster presentations. The team are poised to answer queries and direct delegates to the next series of concurrent sessions.
The team are poised to answer queries and direct delegates to the next series of concurrent sessions.
11:00 – When caffeine levels are dwindling a perfectly timed text is received from Marketing Director, Anthony to tease Marketing Manager, Fay by using her mug!
11:30 – Juliette keeps thing sweet by making friends with the AV team in the Student Midwives’ Conference by supplying tea and biscuits.
11:00 – 12:20 – Catching up with #rcmconf16 on Twitter.
13:10 – 14:30 – Delegates enjoy a networking lunch in the exhibition hall whilst the team take turns to grab lunch on the go, manage demand, answer queries and direct delegates.
14:30 – During the afternoon plenary session the team put together the final preparations for the RCM Conference Party – confirming final registration numbers and last minute dietaries with the venue. With over 1,000 knitted midwives to choose from for his date, Jason has his eyes firmly set on just one!
15:30 – Fay reviews the social media tweets and Facebook posts (#rcmconf16 / #midwiferymoments) and delegate feedback submitted on the official conference app.
16:00 – Manning roaming mics in the interactive 90 seconds idea Student Midwives’ Conference session.
17:20 – The team take a seat to hear from the Midwives Choir who sing ‘Lullaby for a Little One’ on the stage in the main auditorium. This is just one of the many fringe events taking place at the event.
17:30 – Delegates join the RCM Board for networking drinks in the exhibition hall. Meanwhile the events team change the on-site signage over for Day 2.
18:00 – 18:30 – Conference is closed for Day 1. The team make their way to the Royal Hall to set up for the Conference Party.
19:00 – 20:00 – Becca, Emilia, Juliette and Natalie are on-site to welcome guests to the Conference Party. The drinks reception opens at 20:00.
20:30 – 00:00 – Delegates enjoy a three-course dinner with networking before taking to the dance floor to bust a move with RCM president, Professor Lesley Page CBE.
22:15 – It appears that the conga led by RCM president, Professor Lesley Page CBE is now an established conference tradition.
00:30 – The events team call it a night, ready to go all over again for Day 2. Registration opens at 08:00 with a welcome breakfast session from Kellogg’s and Thompsons Solicitors.
About the Royal College of Midwives
The Royal College of Midwives is the voice of midwifery. It is the UK’s only professional organisation and trade union led by midwives for midwives. The vast majority of the midwifery profession are members. The RCM promotes midwifery, quality maternity services and professional standards. It supports and represents its members individually and collectively in all four UK countries. It influences on behalf of its members and for the interests of the women and families for whom they care.
Visit: rcm.org.uk to find out more.
The RCM website is published by The Royal College of Midwives, design and managed by Redactive Media Group. Midwives magazine, Evidence Based Midwifery and Midwives Jobs are published by Redactive Publishing Ltd on behalf of The Royal College of Midwives. RCM Annual Conference and RCM Annual Midwifery Awards are managed by Redactive Events Ltd.