The challenge
The North East and North Cumbria Primary Care Collaborative (NENC PCC) was formed in 2023. Its overriding objective is to unite and represent the four strands of primary care – general practice, optometry, pharmacy and dentistry – for more impactful, collaborative working across the region. NECS Communications and Engagement team, having established NENS PCC’s brand and vision, and engaged the primary care workforce through the delivery of rolling communications and virtual events, was tasked with running an in-person conference that would showcase the organisation and its purpose to a wider audience – regional and national NHS organisations – while also clarifying its purpose and strengthening its connection to primary care stakeholders.
Working on behalf of the relatively new NENC PCC, organise and run a conference to establish authority, raise brand awareness, and identify and create opportunities for collaborative working across primary care. Capitalise on the event in the preceding months, and following the event, by designing and implementing a communications plan to both encourage engagement and attendance at the event, and mark NENC PCC’s place in the wider NHS system as an advocate for all of primary care, its workforce, and its patients.
Our response
Our work can be understood in three distinct sections:
- Researching and planning content: Working with the client, we explored possible conference content at length, selecting and securing high-profile NHS leaders to attend as speakers and panellists. We advised the client on achieving a balance of formal topics related to wider NHS objectives, and more generalist, informal topics. Together with the client, we carefully structured the event to optimise both attendance and on-the-day engagement.
- Event organisation: Limited delegate numbers (170) meant we needed a carefully curated invitee distribution list. This was managed using Eventbrite. We also researched and booked the venue and catering, videographer/photographer, design and print of conference literature, audio visual services, speaker accommodation etc.
- Communications: We publicised the event with a calendar of focussed communications sent to invitees. These comms both generated intrigue and delivered practical information. Comms distributed via newsletters, a website, partner channels and WhatsApp teased the event from six months before it took place. Although the event was not open to all, we fully capitalised on it, raising NENC PCC’s profile and the success of the conference by sharing video footage, articles, interviews etc. following the event with a comprehensive primary care audience, and with diverse NHS organisations operating across the region.
The Challenges
The week before the conference was due to take place, the abolition of NHS England was announced, with associated reform plans announced in the subsequent days. The news of upcoming job losses and organisational uncertainty meant there was a period during which we were unsure whether speakers might pull out of the conference to fulfil other, new demands, and the optics of a high-profile conference were questioned. Despite this, we worked through the uncertainty, making contingency plans as we waited for confirmation that individuals could attend and prepping the venue for a potential scaling back of the event.
Outcomes
Following the conference, all delegates received a post-event evaluation survey. 77% of respondent rated the event as ‘excellent’. 13% rated it as ‘good’ and 10% rated it as ‘average.’ 93% said the conference was relevant to their work. The same number said they would attend future NENC PCC events. NENC PCC board members have expressed an intention to run the event again next year.
“What a brilliant event this was today. It shows how needed a collective place is to have this sort of event, and conversations about primary care in the widest sense, and why a collaborative is such a good thing to have. Such an informative and brilliant day. Thank you.”
Dr Tracy Lucas, NENC PCC Board Member.
“Thank you all for an insightful morning, presentations were great, well done to everyone.”
Danielle Lowden, Business Relations Manager, Ramsay Health Care, Cobalt Hospital.
“Conference was brilliant. Put fire in my belly. Well done to those who organised and facilitated.”
Tracey Watson, Head of Workforce, South Tyneside Health Collaboration.
“Thank you for organising the conference. As the Business Relations Manager for Tees Valley Hospital in Middlesbrough it was great to be involved. I certainly took away some great contacts and hopefully as a team we can collaborate more to ensure our patients receive the care they need.”
Kellie Joyce, Business Relations Manager, Tees Valley Hospital.