Client:

Multiple organizations across the water sector, including nonprofits, trade associations, philanthropies, and others.

Why it matters:

The single most valuable way to demonstrate policy concerns and communicate solutions in Washington is to bring constituent stakeholders to Capitol Hill to speak directly to their elected officials.

The problem:

It takes a dedicated and experienced team to lead an effective fly-in event. There are a lot of variables to a successful event, and managing them requires a significant investment of both time and resources. It is critical to have the right team in Washington to properly navigate and execute the details, logistics, and Congressional strategy for a successful event.

Our goal:

Lead professional, polished, and effective fly-in events, leaving participants with a meaningful experience and a desire to come back next year, while also executing measurable impact for clients’ priorities on Capitol Hill.

What we do:

• Organize a “know before you go” webinar and written materials to answer participant questions about their trip to Washington – from how to navigate the Capitol complex buildings to how to properly execute a lobbying meeting.

• Schedule a full day of educational programming as part of the fly-in to brief participants on the latest policy developments for the organization’s key issues, create space for networking inside and outside the organization, and further prepare for meetings on the Hill. This includes recruiting and preparing keynote speakers and panelists from congressional offices and federal agencies; managing vendor relationships with the building venue, caterers, and other providers; operating registration tables; and more.

• Develop, print, and distribute all materials participants will need to be effective, including schedules, biographical information for members of Congress and their staff, organizational backgrounders, policy issue one-pagers, suggested talking points, and more.

• Schedule a full day of meetings for all participants, with a focus on maximizing engagement with key lawmakers for the organization’s legislative goals and its geographic footprint.

• Create a mechanism for after-action reporting so that key information discussed during meetings on Capitol Hill can be centralized and shared back with the organization, ensuring that follow-up actions are handled in a timely and appropriate manner..

The bottom line:

We carry out successful organizational fly-ins for our clients with hundreds of participants year over year. Our experienced approach to fly-in management ensures that the engagement has a meaningful impact on organizational policy priorities, and that participants gain value and enjoyment from their time in Washington.