ACCE S.H.E. Week Entry

"Only when diverse perspectives are included, respected, and valued can we start to get a full picture of the world." - Brene Brown

The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce's Women in Business Committee’s mission is to empower and develop women through education, networking, mentoring and partnerships and to promote opportunities for all women throughout Frederick County.

As such, Women in Business Committee members develop programs that provide opportunities for their peers to learn and network as well as share their expertise with each other and to address the unique issues of women in business.
S.H.E. Week is an extension of this mission and centers around the concept of Strength, Heart and Equality (S.H.E.). S.H.E. Week occurs the last week of August and is anchored around Women’s Equality Day. In 2020, Women’s Equality Day also happened to be the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment and the “Year of the Woman” in the state of Maryland.

2020 was the second year for S.H.E. Week and had to be completely pivoted to a virtual event during the pandemic. The committee incorporated a resiliency theme into the event in order to address the social and emotional needs of their community at the time.

A LOOK INSIDE S.H.E. WEEK 2020

View Interactive Workbook Download (pdf)

Social media imagery was provided to:

speakers to declare their participation
sponsors to declare their support
participants to promote enthusiasm in attendance

VIEW Social Media Assets Library

ZOOM BACKGROUNDS:

COST FOR MARKETING VISUALS:
It is worth noting that all of the outstanding visuals associated with this event were created free of charge. The designs were created using the Chamber's primary and secondary colors and fonts to keep the visuals fresh but stay within brand. All digital asset designs (ranging from social media to the interactive program book) and physical assets (tshirts, stickers and VIP takeaways) totaling over $15,000 in design service fees were allocated by two Chamber members to further the cause of promoting and assisting women in the community. Also donated were media placements and speaker fees.

PRE-EVENT INSTRUCTIONAL VIDEOS

We utilized video for Facebook and LinkedIn in order to describe the concept of the new virtual format as well as pricing structures and perks and benefits.

"WOW! S.H.E. Week was the most inspiring, fun, and educational conference I have ever been to. Every female, no matter your role at work or life, should attend!" -Whitney Cummins, M.Ed. Cummins Leadership Foundation

S.H.E. WEEK FACEBOOK GROUP

Once a participant registered for the S.H.E. Week event, they were invited into a private Facebook group dedicated to the week's worth of content. The Chamber built and cultivated this community from the moment registration opened and through the weeks following the event. In order to keep the community engaged, a mixture of content and marketing strategies were utilized ranging from inspiring and empowering visuals to interactive content, topical articles, contests and more.

Immediately following each program (which was recorded live) a link to the event recording was posted in the group in order to allow members the opportunity to view and review the session. It allowed participants peace of mind in case a situation arose in which they found themselves unable to attend the live event.

In addition to the live events, pre-recorded sessions were also delivered to attendees in the Facebook group along with bonus interview sessions on mentoring and public speaking. Not only did it serve as a content hub but also a place to network and form friendships.

PROGRAMMING

S.H.E. Week Welcome: First Lady of Maryland

Live Sessions
(S)Heroes & Stories
Life Lessons From Unstoppable Women
Women's Equality Day
Voices of Color: Stories of Resilience
Next Steps: Develop a PR Roadmap to Expand Your Reach

Pre-Recorded Sessions
Taking the Leap: Steps For Launching Your Own Business
Power in the Pivot
Nourishing Roots For Resiliency

Conversation Series
SHE Week Conversations: Finding Your Voice
SHE Week Conversations: The Importance of Mentorship

"All of the sessions were very engaging and informative! The Women of Color panel was so emotional and personal it was almost overwhelming. Their brutal and clearly painful honesty was beyond what I have ever experienced. S.H.E. Week's content all around covered difficult topics and did so in a thoughtful manner that promoted positive outlooks and encouraged further engagement. It was very empowering."

PARTICIPANT GIFTS AND MERCHANDISE

EARNED MEDIA COVERAGE

INSIGHTS ARTICLES

S.H.E Week kicks off with packet pick-up at Harry Grove Stadium
Influential women in Frederick County history
S.H.E. Week begins with session on storytelling
Influential women in the Frederick County business community
Editorial: Take a moment to celebrate women's equality
S.H.E. Week continues with unstoppable women
Influential women in Frederick County politics
S.H.E. Week commemorates 100th Anniversary of the right to vote
Frederick's women of the arts
Influential women of color in Frederick County
S.H.E. Week panel highlights the resilience of women of color
Influential women leaders in Frederick County

Making Changes: How Female Activists in Frederick Are Paving the Way
Women Owned Businesses In Frederick: Meet 4 The Love of Sweets
Women Owned Businesses in Frederick: Meet Three Luxe Nine
Women Owned Businesses in Frederick: Meet Dublin Roasters
Women Owned Businesses in Frederick: Meet Frederick Birth Center
Women Owned Businesses in Frederick: Meet LifeCYCLE

"The women involved were so warm and welcoming and inspiring, from the original messaging to the bag pick up to the moderators and participants in each session. Chats were positive and engaging and everyone was real. I loved the flexibility of events at different times and the ability to watch recordings of anything I couldn't watch live."

SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST

Social media played a large role in the success of the event both in generating interest before, during and after as well as building community between the women who were unable to gather in person.

The S.H.E. Strong Selfie Contest proved to be a bit hit among attendees and was generously supported with donated prizes by Chamber and community members. Awards were announced at the close of the week during the VIP happy hour.

Page 30 of the pdf workbook download

SPECIAL RECOGNITION

The S.H.E. Week logo won a 2020 GDUSA Award. GDUSA's American Graphic Design Awards honors outstanding work of all kinds and across all media. Roughly 10,000 entries were submitted; with only 10% chosen as a winner and recognized.

IN CONCLUSION

S.H.E. Week was our first major undertaking following the rebrand of the Frederick County Chamber of Commerce and was designed to align with all five of the Chamber’s new core values: leadership, opportunity, collaboration, community and education.

As a result of the hard work and dedication of over 30 community members, this has transformed our organization’s standing in the community and across the state of Maryland.

"The most powerful part of the week was getting to hear the vulnerability alongside the strength of women around the area. I also enjoyed everyone's sense of humor. I think that made it extra entertaining!"

S.H.E. WEEK COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Shelley Aloi
Terri Davis
Anne Scholl-Fiedler
Lynn Forney
Jane Helm
Heather Houck
Kristin Kaineg

Melissa (Mjach) Lentz
Debby Neely
Angela M. Simmons
Amber Smith
Kim Wilson

S.H.E. Week 2020