Jump to…
After a successful in-person Summit in 2021, we are excited to bring the Summit back to Annapolis for our 6th year July 20th-22nd 2022!
The most valuable industry learning happens when like-minded advocacy professionals gather to share their experiences, collaborate to overcome common obstacles, and strive to elevate the practice of modern public affairs.
For this reason, we launched the inaugural Buzz Advocacy Summit in 2016, and the event was a resounding success. Now, due to popular demand, the Summit will return to Annapolis, MD for its 6th year in 2022 from July 20th-22nd.
Unlike a typical conference, our approach is for the best in the industry to teach the best in the industry. This is why all invitees are asked to participate as a presenter, roundtable facilitator, or session moderator.
As participants rather than mere attendees, we become invested in each other’s learning, helping to boost the quality of the summit experience for all involved.
A different kind of industry event…
Creating a unique learning experience requires doing things a little differently. This is why the Buzz Advocacy Summit:
Watch our Summit experience video to see why you should participate in the Buzz Advocacy Summit!
The Summit Experience
Hear what other participants had to say about the Buzz Summit:
The Venue
Governor Calvert House
58 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401
This beautiful and historic venue is located directly across from the Maryland State House, and a 5 minute walk to the Waterfront.
Past Participants
Organizations that have participated in the Buzz Advocacy Summit.
- Anchor Change
- Black Lives Matter
- CBS
- Center for Audit Quality
- Center for Civilians in Conflict
- CNN
- Competitive Enterprise Institute
- Congressional Black Caucus
- Congressional Management Foundation
- DC Improv
- DC Public Library
- DC Strings Workshop
- Denizen Brewing
- Drink company
- FreedomWorks
- HaystaqDNA
- Maryland State Senate
- Mommy Shorts
- Nissan Motor Corporation
- Politic365
- Public Affairs Council
- Republican National Committee
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute
- The Indivisible Project
- The Mindful Techie
- The ONE Campaign
- The Stagwell Group
- The Washington Post
- The White House
- United States House of Representatives
- United States Senate
- University of San Fransisco
- USA Today
- Washington Improv Theater
- Washington Nationals
- AAA National
- AARP
- Alzheimer’s Association
- Amazon
- American Academy of Neurology
- American Academy of PAs
- American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine
- American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network
- American Cleaning Institute
- American Dental Association
- American Diabetes Association
- American Farm Bureau Federation
- American Forest & Paper Association
- American Gastroenterological Association
- American Health Care Association
- American Heart Association
- American Hospital Association
- American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
- American International Group
- American Kidney Fund
- American Library Association
- American Medical Association
- American Nurses Association
- American Optometric Association
- American Petroleum Institute
- American Retirement Association
- American Society for Microbiology
- American Trucking Associations
- American Urological Association
- American Wind Energy Association
- Americans for the Arts
- Association of American Medical Colleges
- Association of American Railroads
- Association of Equipment Manufacturers
- Baltimore Gas and Electric Company
- BAYADA Home Health Care
- BP America Inc.
- Center for Audit Quality
- Center for Civilians in Conflict
- CF Industries
- Children’s Hospital Association
- Cobham
- Council for Opportunity in Education
- Council for Responsible Nutrition
- Credit Union National Association
- CTIA - The Wireless Association
- CVS Health
- DaVita Kidney Care
- Distilled Spirits Council & Spirits United
- eBay
- Engine
- Entertainment Software Association
- Feeding America
- Finseca
- Ford Motor Company
- Friendship Public Charter School
- FWD.u
- General Motors
- Grain Foods Foundation
- Grant Thornton
- Grifols
- Growth Energy
- Habitat for Humanity
- Healthcare Leadership Council
- Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association
- Hemophilia Federation of America
- Higher Learning Advocates
- Horizon Pharma
- Human Resources Professionals Association
- Human Rights Campaign
- International Franchise Association
- International Paper
- Johnson & Johnson Industries Inc
- LeadingAge
- Liberty Mutual
- Microsoft
- Molina Healthcare
- National Alliance on Mental Illness
- National Association of Chain Drug Stores
- National Association of Home Builders
- National Association of Manufacturers
- National Association of REALTORS
- National Association of Secondary School Principals
- National Federation of Independent Business
- National Grid
- National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization
- National Kidney Foundation
- National Marine Manufacturers Association
- National PTA
- National Restaurant Association
- National Rural Electric Cooperative Association
- National Transportation Safety Board
- NCTA – The Internet & Television Association
- Novo Nordisk
- Nurse-Family Partnership
- Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
- Partnership for Public Service
- PhRMA
- Prudential Financial
- Public Affairs Council
- Safe Kids
- SBA Office of Advocacy
- SIFMA
- Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine
- Society for Neuroscience
- The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
- The Academy for Radiology and Biomedical Imaging Research
- The ALS Association
- The Association for Advanced Life Underwriting
- The Fertilizer Institute
- The Home Depot
- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
- The Wireless Infrastructure Association
- Thejll-Moller Communications
- TikTok
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce
- Western Governors University
- Women in Government Relations
- Youth First Initiative
- Beekeeper Group
- Care2
- Congressional Management Foundation
- CQ Roll Call
- Crowdskout
- Data Axle
- Davies Public Affairs
- FiscalNote
- Infogroup
- L2 Political
- MV Digital Group
- NextWave Advocacy
- Pandora
- Phone2Action
- Quorum
- RAP Index
- State and Federal Communications
- Stones' Phones
- VoterVoice, a FiscalNote Company
The Agenda
THEME: “Why We Advocate”
It’s time to get back to your why.
We all know it has been a crazy couple of years. Your programs were knocked off course, your policy work upended, and the needs of your stakeholders, and our society as a whole, changed in fundamental and unforeseen ways. How we advocate has also changed. While your advocacy programs still strive to make a significant difference in the lives of your stakeholders and their communities, you are seeing new roadblocks to reaching your advocates or connecting them with elected officials. Be it technology challenges, advocate fatigue, new rules following the events of Jan 6, 2021, or ongoing concerns and restrictions around Covid-19.
To help reinvigorate your efforts, this year’s Buzz Advocacy Summit will start by getting back to the ‘why’ of your core mission. We will then offer actionable techniques and real-world examples from fellow advocacy practitioners to help refresh and renew your advocacy engagements, within this new paradigm.
Your perspective and experience are important parts of this conversation, and we hope to see you there.
To learn more about the Summit, please check out the agendas from previous years.
You can view our agenda from 2021 here, 2019 here, 2018 here, 2017 here, and from 2016 here.
Pre-Summit: Tuesday, July 19th come in one night early to beat the morning traffic and/or join other early arrivals for a casual reception with food and drinks.
Day 1: Wednesday, July 20th starts with check-in and a light networking breakfast that opens at 8:30 AM with an opening keynote session at 9:50 AM. Programming concludes at 5:30 PM and is followed by a networking reception and dinner.
Day 2: Thursday, July 21st begins with a hot breakfast that opens at 7:30 AM and programming beginning at 9:00 AM. Programming runs until 3:00 PM, at which point participants have a break until the crab feast at 6:30 PM.
Day 3: Friday, July 22nd starts with a hot breakfast that opens at 8:00 AM and programming at 9:00 AM. All sessions wrap up by 12:30 PM, allowing participants to beat the traffic back home.
Wednesday, July 20th, 2022
Advisory Committee
Our Advisory Committee is comprised entirely of industry practitioners who have a demonstrated passion for public affairs and advocacy. The Advisory Committee will be tasked to challenge traditional thinking, to recommend topics and presenters that are at the leading edge of innovative advocacy, and to find featured speakers from outside our industry who can offer new and unique perspectives.
| Committee Member | Title | Organization |
| Lauren Cantrell | Government Relations and Advocacy Projects and Events Manager | Habitat for Humanity |
| Stacey Chappell | Director, Advocacy and External Communications, AONL | American Hospital Association |
| Jessica Cooper | National Grassroots Director | National Federation of Independent Business |
| Rachel Feinstein | Legislative Director | Polsinelli |
| Mark Fisher | Director of Advocacy Engagement | Muscular Dystrophy Association |
| Stephen Fitzmaurice | Director of Public Affairs | Credit Union National Association |
| Jennifer Fox | Vice President, Political Affairs | Finseca |
| Joe Franco | Vice President, Advocacy | LeadingAge |
| Andrew Fullerton | Deputy Director, Federal Affairs | March of Dimes |
| Trey Hawkins | Deputy Chief Advocacy Officer for Political Advocacy | Credit Union National Association |
| Joe Joiner | PAC Director | CTIA The Wireless Association |
| Adam Katz | Assistant Director, Advocacy Engagement | American Society for Microbiology |
| Ashley Lerner | Grassroots Manager | General Motors |
| Cody Lyon | Managing Director, Advocacy and Political Advocacy | American Farm Bureau Federation |
| Sarah McDonald | Director, Policy and Political Programs | The Home Depot |
| Katherine Merullo | Manager, Public Affairs and Advocacy Communications | American Dental Association |
| Deirdre Middleton | Director, Strategic and Advocacy Communications | American Optometric Association |
| Katelyn Moga-Gesing | Program Manager, Public Policy | Amazon |
| Allen Segal | Chief Advocacy Officer | American Society for Microbiology |
| Jon Simons | Associate Vice President, Digital Advocacy | NCTA – The Internet & Television Association |
| Gabe Snow | Director of ACRE | National Rural Electric Cooperative Association |
| Kara Stewart | Senior Specialist, Federal Government Affairs | Novo Nordisk |
| Sarah Weissmann | Associate Director, Grassroots Engagement | The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research |
Our 2022 Hosts & Sponsors
You won’t see booths or hear sales pitches at the Buzz Advocacy Summit but you will meet with a curated selection of sponsors who understand that knowledge sharing and listening to practitioners is essential to create superior advocacy tools and services.
Beautiful Historic Annapolis, MD
Annapolis, MD is a hidden gem. Located less than 35 miles from the Washington, DC Metro Area, Annapolis, MD is far enough for a retreat-style getaway, yet close enough to travel there without much hassle.
Register
Please purchase your tickets early to get discounted pricing.
The Summit fee includes 2 nights of accommodations, commencing on July 20th, 2022. to ease your morning arrival, our first session will commence at 9:50 am, with registration opening at 9 am. Welcome refreshments will be provided.
Please note that ALL ticket options include more than programming but also the cost of accommodations, receptions, meals, snacks/drinks, and professional notes from the program.
For out of town guests, and those who want to get a jump-start on the first day of the Summit, we have an optional add-on available where you can come in on July 19th, 2022 (the evening before the Summit). All early arriving guests are invited to a reception that evening at a local bar.
To ensure the safety of all attendees at this year’s Buzz Advocacy Summit, we will be requiring all participants to be vaccinated in order to attend this year’s event. In order to move forward with an indoor event during this time we needed to take the necessary precautions to make sure that all attendees remain safe and healthy.
In the event that we need to cancel or postpone the Summit due to COVID-19, full refunds will be available.
If you would like to pay for your ticket by credit card, please visit the Eventbrite registration page (fees apply). To avoid the Eventbrite fees, please contact us at buzzadvocacy@gmail.com and we can send you an invoice.
FAQ
The Buzz Advocacy Summit includes:
- two nights hotel accommodation at The Historic Inns of Annapolis
- welcome refreshments on the first morning (assorted breakfast treats)
- two hot breakfasts
- two lunches
- two dinners
- two evening cocktail receptions
- wifi
- coffee and snacks
- professional notes from each session
While the Summit may be close to home for most participants, this is intended as a convenience so invitees may avoid extensive travel to a far-flung destination. We want to preserve a retreat-style feeling to promote networking, shared experience, and to allow for an ongoing and informed discussion about the future direction of our industry. This is why hotel accommodations are included within the Summit fee, to encourage us to stay on-site together throughout the Summit. This also helps defray some of the costs of the event as meeting room space is included in the hotel room block.
Of course, if you would prefer not to stay on-site overnight, we just ask that you commit to attend each day of Summit sessions. Unfortunately, no refund is available for unused hotel accommodations.
When planning the inaugural Buzz Advocacy Summit we wanted a destination that would be far enough away from DC to encourage a retreat-style atmosphere, yet close enough for an easily commutable end-of-the-week event. You don't need to hop on a plane to get to this summer destination! We also had the opportunity to secure a beautiful hotel in the center of Historic Annapolis, MD that is easy walking distance to the waterfront.
We believe that something important changes when you become an active participant in an event. When you aren't just learning from others, but are also sharing your thoughts and ideas. There are numerous excellent industry conferences that offer attendees a chance to soak in knowledge without necessarily joining in. However, we want this Summit to be different. We want the best in the industry to teach the best in the industry, and your involvement is essential to that goal.
For those less comfortable with the spotlight, there are a number of opportunities to participate in a smaller group setting including as a roundtable facilitator or networking session moderator. Please let the host know your preference and we will try to accommodate your request.
Panelists will present at moderator led keynote or breakout sessions. Topics will be determined in advance and some preparation may be required including providing slides or other materials. Panel moderators will coordinate with panelists ahead of the event.
Roundtable facilitators will conduct a roundtable discussion on selected topics during our roundtable breakout session. Roundtable facilitators will assist with preparing materials on their selected topic as well as a discussion guide for their session.
Networking session moderators, will coordinate our networking speed dating session. They will host each networking group and will encourage interaction among participants.
Our only emphasis is on advanced advocacy learning among peers. Plan to bring your creativity, but leave the suits at home!
We have attendee accommodations booked in two of the Historic Inns of Annapolis- the Governor Calvert House and the newly renovated Robert Johnson House. Both are on State House Circle and very easy walking distance from each other.
We chose Annapolis because it is within easy driving distance for most attendees. If you'd like to participate in a carpool, please let us know and we will happily help coordinate it - please just reply to this email.
For those driving themselves, there is valet parking at the hotel, but other parking options include the Noah Hillman Parking Garage (150 Gorman Street) and South Street Parking Lot (101-199 South Street).
You can also Uber from DC for approximately $45 with UberX.
There is always a lot of interest in the Summit, so we limit attendance to a maximum of two individuals from an organization. This also keeps our content fresh and diverse.