Bringing Together Leading Minds to Move the Conversation about Domestic Violence

On April 14, the conversation about domestic violence changed. The Sojourner Center Institute Inaugural Research Symposium took place that day in Phoenix, Arizona, convening nearly 200 brilliant minds that explored new solutions to end the public health crisis that is domestic violence. National experts presented on topics ranging from children’s traumatized brains to media’s role in reporting on the issue, and lively breakout sessions ensured all participants had the opportunity to offer their perspectives from their valuable work on the ground.

Some of the most fascinating and actionable points that emerged from the Symposium were about breaking down silos between agencies and services, especially in the public sector. There was abundant evidence presented that most public social service agencies and first responders are not aligned with the reality that domestic violence and child abuse are often connected and part of the same problem. Multiple experts agreed at the gathering that the way in which the public sector responds to incidents of child abuse and domestic violence needs to be reimagined and redesigned based on the understanding of family violence as a systemic and cyclical issue.

In her keynote address, Sojourner Center CEO Dr. Maria Garay-Serratos spoke about the connections between domestic violence and so many other issues that plague our society, such as homelessness, bullying and unequal educational opportunities. By expanding the conversation beyond its usual parameters, Sojourner Center, invited speakers and Symposium participants offered not only eye-opening and little-known information but also new solutions that practitioners, funders and academics could all apply to their work moving forward.

It was an event that fits squarely into HCC’s sweet spot.

We first worked with the client to identify an opportunity to position them as leaders in their field;
Then we conceived a vision of a Symposium that would achieve strategic organizational goals;
We created a plan to make that vision a reality;
And we executed that plan with acute attention to detail while maintaining strategic oversight for maximum impact.

Hershey Cause worked with the client to create a Symposium that positioned Sojourner Center as a thought leader in the national field of domestic violence and developed a program that shifted the narrative away from stereotypes and misconceptions to explore new approaches to services and systems. We produced and managed all strategic, tactical and logistical aspects of the two-day event, including speaker outreach and coaching, securing partners and sponsors, designing all materials and managing marketing and media relations.

The Symposium convened more than 150 people from across the country and exceeded the goal in terms of information conveyed, connections made and even money raised. In a post-event survey, 99.9% of the respondents said the overall Symposium event was “excellent” or “good” and one participant commented that they had never been to an event that stimulated such “engaging and passionate” discussion around the topic of domestic violence. We all look forward to the next one!

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