The Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska hosts a conference each year to bring together both professionals in the field of brain injury and survivors of brain injury, caregivers, and family members. Since the COVID-19 pandemic was still a concern, the 2022 conference was held virtually/online only.
Conference Goals
Position the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska as a collaborator and resource in the brain injury field for both professionals and individuals affected by brain injury in Nebraska.
Generate revenue/funds for the organization through ticket sales for the event.
Encourage attendance from professionals in the brain injury field and interested “layfolk” or people affected by brain injury.
Create a memorable and positive experience for conference participants.
Target Audience
The Nebraska Brain Injury Conference has three main target audiences: professionals who work with individuals affected by a brain injury; individuals who've experienced a brain injury, and caregivers of individuals with a brain injury.
Branding the Event
One of the challenges faced in the branding of the event, there was no unifying theme between the speaker topics or for the conference at large. To counter this, I choose to focus on the ideals and concepts associated with this event: learning, curiosity, connection, community, and inspiration.
During the brainstorming phase of this project, I explored visuals relating to the different sides or functions of the brain (left vs. right, logical vs. emotional, "normal" vs. injured, etc.), health conferences, connection, and exploration.
Pictured above: screenshots of mood boards used for the brainstorming phase of branding the event.
Since the Brain Injury Alliance of Nebraska strives to focus on the whole person as opposed to focusing on their injuries or disabilities, I decided to focus the logo on the whole brain and the concepts of connections, learning, awareness, and progress.
Pictured above: Drafts of the conference logo.
The final logo uses color associations and harmonies tied to learning, productivity, curiosity, change, light, success, and positivity to help emphasize the atmosphere and environment we wanted to be associated with the conference. The gradients used that transition from dark to light colors symbolize learning and awareness, while the horizontal and diagonal lines help emphasize change and inspiration to move forward and create progress.
Pictured above: Branding outline for the event.
Developing and Executing the Promotional Strategy
Given the broadness of the audiences we were trying to reach, it was important to develop a multi-faceted campaign that would create a large number of "touches" to inspire people to take action and register for the campaign.
Below are a few screenshots taken from Asana (our project management tool) to show the planning process and avenues we used to promote the event.
Pictured above:
Screenshot samples of the project planning and management process used for the event in Asana.
Screenshot samples of the project planning and management process used for the event in Asana.
For our messaging approaches, we focused on emphasizing the benefits of attending the conference as they applied to the different groups we were trying to reach. For professionals, we highlighted benefits such as networking opportunities, professional development credit, and exposure to current and relevant topics in the field of brain injury. Similarly, we highlighted the opportunities to connect and find community, hear inspirational stories, and learn about valuable resources for the individual and caregiver portion of our audience.
Below are samples of the materials created to promote the event.
Pictured above: Print flyer used to promote the event.
Pictured above: Samples from the email marketing campaign
Above: Video created to showcase the ways attendees could connect and interact virtually for the conference.
Pictured above: Samples of social media graphics provided to speakers to share with their network.
Pictured above: Samples of social media posts used to promote the conference.
The Results
Overall, the 2022 Nebraska Brain Injury Conference was a success. We raised over $26,000 (gross) through corporate sponsorships and attendee registrations to help fund our mission of creating a better future through brain injury prevention, education, advocacy, and support. Of the 138 registrants, over 80 participants responded to our feedback survey--most noting that they had a positive experience. Additionally, many speakers provided their feedback and unanimously indicated that they would be happy to work with us again and recommend the experience to their peers.
