When a media request comes into your organization's inbox, how do you respond? 

As an organization, you should have a media plan in place in order to guide you in both nurturing new media relationships and having a rapid response plan for times of negative press. Join Heartbeat International and Alliance Defending Freedom International as we discuss how to engage the media. 

Date: 22 October 2020
Time: 12:45-16:15 GMT+2
Where: At Your Computer (details will be sent upon registration)
Presented by: Heartbeat International and Alliance Defending Freedom International

This forum is exclusive for Heartbeat International affiliates. There is no cost to attend, but you must register as space is limited. 

If you are not a Heartbeat Affiliate and are interested in learning more about joining Heartbeat International's Pregnancy Help Network, click here.

European Forum - Presenters

Andreas Thonhauser serves as director of external relations for ADF International, where he is responsible for building the organization’s media presence, forming alliances with key influencers and supporters. He acts as communications liaison with ADF International’s distinguished team of allied attorneys and organizational partners, managing all aspects of public relations and development Thonhauser has spoken at institutions like the UN, the EU Parliament, and international conferences and provided comment on topics like the persecution of religious minorities, parental rights, and freedom of education for international media outlets, including both popular news publications as well as scholarly journals. He regularly provides trainings in communication strategy, leadership, reputation and social media management. Thonhauser earned an MBA from the WU Executive Academy and a Master’s degree in German Philology/Anglistics and Americanistics from the University of Vienna. Prior to joining ADF International in 2015, Thonhauser worked for a European publishing house where he focused on strategy and business development.

Pastor Woody was raised on a dairy farm in Brunswick, Maine as a Quaker. While stationed in Germany with the Air Force, he was introduced to the Gospel in a personal way, and trusted Christ in 1978. He has now pastored two churches; both of them in Germany, and both of them ministering primarily to the American military community.

Since 1997, he has been involved with the ministry of the Kaiserslautern Crisis Pregnancy Center as a board member. In order to minister to a wider community, the center was renamed Heartbeat Crisis Pregnancy Center and was moved to the city of Ramstein, where Pastor Woody has been privileged to serve as board chairman since 2008.

Ellen Foell, Esq. has been with Heartbeat International since 2012 serving first as legal counsel and now as the International Specialist. She supports the leadership team in providing research and advice on pro-life trends and issues affecting Heartbeat International and its affiliates. Her work also involves general business, organizational and nonprofit issues, as well as interfacing with other pro-life organizations and attorneys who desire to assist pro-life organizations.

Ellen is a 1982 graduate from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. She has lived overseas as a missionary in Thailand, has practiced as a law clerk, associate in a law firm, and as an associate corporate counsel. She left law firm practice to begin her work in the pro-life movement in 1989 as a defense attorney for pro-life activists. She and her husband, Phil, have four children, Deborah, Anna, Sam and Paul. Her passion is teaching the Bible and working with international students on the Ohio State campus.

Jor-El Godsey serves as President of Heartbeat International, the largest affiliation network of pregnancy help organizations in the world. Jor-El leads a staff dedicated to equipping, empowering, and encouraging the thousands of leaders serving in Heartbeat affiliated life-affirming pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, and adoption services, in the U.S. and on every inhabited continent. Jor-El oversees Heartbeat’s core mission to reach and rescue lives at-risk for abortion through far-reaching programs that include Option Line and Abortion Pill Rescue Network

From the very first call answered, Option Line consultants, caring women trained by Heartbeat International, have been able to speak hope into panicked moments of confusion. Four million calls later, our consultants continue to treat each and every point of contact with a caller with the compassionate care she deserves. To each woman calling in, this is the hardest moment she has ever had to face in her life.

Established in 2003, Option Line is the only fully staffed, bilingual pro-life contact center in the U.S. Since we first answered the call, we’ve reached over 4 million women and men, many who are desperate for answers in an unexpected pregnancy.

Every day, more than 1,100 people reach out to Option Line via phone call, live chat, texting and email for help. The number of women and men Option Line reaches continues to grow. As a result, more lives are rescued from abortion. Every call helps reduce the demand for abortion, making abortion unwanted and eventually unthinkable. 

Each call is a story...

2009 - 1 Million Calls

Even before we had live chat as a way to contact Option Line (chat launched in 2010), we served over 1 million people crying out for help through phone, a website, and email. We answered each call, we helped with any immediate pregnancy need she may have, and we connected her with a local pregnancy help organization. We know that the best alternative to an abortion is another person.

2014 - 2 Millionth Call

In the wee hours of the morning, a call came in to Option Line. On the other end of the phone was a young woman seeking abortion information. She was referred to our affiliated pregnancy help organization in Warren, Ohio that could offer her so much more than abortion and empower her to make positive choices for her future.

2018 - 3 Millionth Call

On a Thursday afternoon, Jennifer contacted Option Line through our live chat feature at OptionLine.org. She told the Option Line consultant that she was 19 years old and realized she was pregnant. Jennifer said she felt caught between what was “right” and what was “easy,” and she simply wanted the whole thing behind her. Our Option Line consultant assured her she was not alone and prayed with her. Our consultant helped to calm her fears and encouraged her to get help at a local pregnancy center near her in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

2020 - 4 Millionth Call

Early on a Monday morning, a seasoned consultant working for Option Line received a chat from a woman in India. Sorting through her concerns, the consultant worked with her to find a pregnancy help organization near her through Heartbeat’s Worldwide Directory of Pregnancy Help. This cry for help shows the global nature of the need for pregnancy help.

Our Work Continues & Expands...

As technology has improved through the years, we have embraced it and so that we can increase the number of people served through Option Line. Notice that the time period is reduced between each millionth call answered!

We continue to find and implement effective technology such as adding Live Chat options to connect and utilizing online advertising. This allows us to reach more women and better serve the movement.

As calls for help continue, we have expanded our services to answer the cries for help for not only women seeking pregnancy help, but also for the Safe Haven Alliance and the Abortion Pill Rescue Network. 

When women seek pregnancy help, we are equipped to answer their questions and serve them swiftly in real-time.

As our reach expands, people from all over the world are finding Option Line. The fact that we are able to serve a woman in India to help locate a pregnancy help organization in her area from our call center in Ohio is another miracle of technology.

While not everyone is available 24/7/365 to serve those in need, Heartbeat International's Option Line is! And we will continue to serve until abortion is unthinkable.

*Names have been changed within for privacy.

— Session Begins May 12, 2021 —

An exclusive opportunity to U.S. Heartbeat affiliates in good standing, Heartbeat International is partnering with WiLD Leaders to provide this professional training for pregnancy help leaders to advance their leadership skills. Working with WiLD Leaders, Heartbeat affiliates can delve deep to grow as individuals and lead intentionally. 

What is WiLD? 

WHOLE + iNTENTIONAL LEADER DEVELOPMENT (WiLD) is about seeing leaders as whole people, never shying away from the mistakes that create opportunities to learn, and intentionally crossing the superficial boundaries between our work as leaders in our families, workplaces, and communities. Leaders don’t always feel whole because they live so close to their insecurities and mistakes. Seeing leaders as whole people is not about erasing their past, minimizing their mistakes, or blindly elevating their successes, but about seeing and learning from it all. This is the focus of every tool, coaching conversation, and learning opportunity we offer – walking the line between resourcing and the heart, progress and process, and success and failure. Heartbeat has invested significantly into the development of existing and emerging leaders and this initiative serves as a next step to equip leaders in the movement who need intentional development to support and stretch them.

"I wasn't sure what to expect when I joined the WiLD Experience but WOW, the time was more than I could have even imagined!" - Carol L., a Pregnancy Help Director after going through the WiLD process.

The WiLD Toolkit: Leader Development Program + Research Insights

The WiLD Toolkit is a research-based online process built around 10 sequential developmental tools and personalized feedback reports. Unlike processes that oversimplify leadership into platitudes and one-dimensional categories of personality, skills, or behaviors, the WiLD Toolkit scaffolds the real and critical conversations regarding a leader’s experiences, successes and failures, learning, skills, purpose, conviction, character, and their investment in the learning of others.

Leader Development Program
This exclusive program for the Heartbeat community is built as a 10-week virtual course where participants can join from any geographic region. Each week, affiliates will:

1. Take an assessment tool in the WiLD Toolkit
2. Join an expert-led web session for insights and peer discussions on the assessments
3. Set goals in the WiLD Toolkit and share them with cohort members for accountability

The 10-Week Program - Starting January 27, 2021 
(Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT)

• Session 1: WiLD Kickoff Session – WiLD Tool: The WiLD Profile
• Session 2: Calling & Purpose – WiLD Tool: Calling & Purpose Inventory
• Session 3: Motivation & Goals – WiLD Tool: Purposeful Goals Assessment
• Session 4: Leading Under Pressure – WiLD Tool: Leading Under Pressure Inventory
• Session 5: Transformational Experiences – WiLD Tool: Transformational Experience Audit
• Session 6: Leadership Competence – WiLD Tool: Skills & Knowledge Inventory
• Session 7: Motivation & Learning – WiLD Tool: Motivation & Learning Inventory
• Session 8: Developing Others – WiLD Tool: People Investment Plan
• Session 9: Strategic Support – WiLD Tool: Strategic Networking Audit & Guide
• Session 10: WiLD Development Plan – WiLD Tool: The WiLD Plan

Registration

For Heartbeat-affiliated leaders, this exclusive leadership program will include 10 sessions as well as access to the WiLD Toolkit for a year for $299. Leaders who meet attendance requirements and complete all assessments will be eligible for 14 hours of credit toward their Life-Affirming Specialist Designation.

Cancellation Policy: Full refunds may be issued until 12:00 midnight EST January 20, 2021. A 50% refund is available from 12:01 AM EST January 20-January 24, 2021 11:59  EST. No refunds will be issued past 12:00 AM EST January 25, 2021. Method of payment may require additional transaction fees imposed by the credit card company. All cancellations will be subject to a $25 cancellation fee (per registration canceled) regardless of the situation. Should Heartbeat cancel the event for any reason, all monies minus a transaction fee will be returned automatically. If you do not cancel and do not attend the event, you are responsible for the full payment. Payments may not be applied toward future training or conferences. All refund requests must be submitted in writing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Expert Team

Dr. Rob McKenna, CEO
Named one of the top 30 I-O Psychologists alive today, Dr. McKenna is passionate about developing leaders and about transforming the way we see the people in our organizations. As he will tell you, we have the tools at our fingertips to invest in our people in ways that are meaningful to them and will get the results we need. Thirty years of research has taught us much how people learn and grow on the job. We have what it takes to create rich learning environments for the people we lead, and all we have to do is begin to act on what we know.

Dr. McKenna brings a combination of approachability, authenticity, expert knowledge, and humor to his talks. Whether you are interested in character development, dealing with conflict, creating engaging learning cultures, or developing the next generation of leaders, his approach of getting real about what’s going on in your life and work brings people alongside him in a way that inspires change. The models he uses in his talks are based on decades of research on leadership, team functioning, organizational health, and individual development.

He is the founder of WiLD Leaders, Inc. and creator of the WiLD Toolkit, a whole and intentional leader development process and set of tools that one leader described as “A whole approach that blurs the line between who we are as ‘workers’ and ‘human beings.” He is also the Chair of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Seattle Pacific University. His research and coaching with thousands of leaders across corporate, not-for-profit and university settings has given him insight into the real and gritty experience of leaders. His clients have included the Boeing Company, Microsoft, Heineken, Foster Farms, the United Way, Alaska Airlines and Children’s Hospital. He is the author of numerous articles and chapters on leadership character, calling, effectiveness, and leadership under pressure. His latest book, Composed: The Heart and Science of Leading Under Pressure, focuses the specific strategies leaders can use to stay true to themselves and connected to others when it matters most.

Dr. Daniel Hallak, CCO
Nothing gets Dr. Daniel Hallak more excited than the opportunity to build authentic relationships and intentionally develop leaders. As the Chief Commercial Officer at WiLD Leaders, Daniel drives strategic commercial initiatives, and other operations, product development, and marketing efforts that support the development of whole leaders. He is known for bringing energy and thoughtful research-based practices that actually make a difference.

Before WiLD, he spent over 12 years developing whole leaders in business, academic, and not-for-profit settings. He’s run his own coaching practice and has had experiences as a recruiter at Microsoft, a Career Management Consultant at Right Management Consultants, and in a leadership development role at Slalom, an award-winning consulting firm. He’s also served as a coach, professor, and advisor at three higher education institutions including Seattle Pacific University where he helped build a new graduate business program from the ground up.

Daniel has spoken at countless events, conferences, and professional associations. His research and writing focus on how to develop people and build authentic relationships founded on generosity. He earned his Ph.D. and M.A. in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Seattle Pacific University, his B.A. in Psychology from Northwest University and achieved Eagle Scout Rank with the Boy Scouts of America. He lives in Seattle with his wife, Kristin, and their three children. 

Megan Lawrence
Megan is the Events and Communications Lead at WiLD Leaders. Taking her entrepreneurial spirit and passion for communication and event planning into a company that focuses on the development of leaders is a combination of all her experiences into one role. Before WiLD, Megan was a wedding and event planner and florist in LA and has had a variety of roles in higher education, as well as managerial roles in small businesses. Megan has a Masters in Organizational Leadership from Azusa Pacific University, and cares deeply about women in leadership and helping small businesses become efficient and effective. She’s married to her husband Mark and they have a beautiful son, Silas, and an awesome dog named Truvy.

You’re Invited to Attend a Very Special Virtual Event!

Reserve your space today for this Invitation-Only Zoom Event.

Select your preferred time:

July 30 at 7:00 PM Eastern -or - July 31 at 1:00 PM Eastern 

Meet Peggy

Dr. Peggy Hartshorn discerned the 4 steps she calls The L.O.V.E. Approach through her own struggles to be a better Christian wife, mother, teacher, friend, peer counselor, and leader.  In writing this book, Peggy, a retired college Professor, joins her expertise in education and communications with her heart for strong relationships and unity, especially within the Body of Christ.

Peggy served as President of Heartbeat International for 23 years, where The L.O.V.E. Approach has proven its effectiveness as a relationship-building and problem-solving tool in pregnancy help organizations worldwide.  She hopes that these 4 powerful steps will now bless your relationships as they have hers.

We hope to see you there!  

Now in partnership with Heartbeat International, Loving & Caring materials - including the My Baby & Me series - is available for purchase through Heartbeat's online store, Heart Cart. Years of relationship and collaboration developed into this partnership as Heartbeat's vast library of resources for pregnancy help organizations was already reaching a global network of pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes, non-profit adoption agencies, and medical clinics. The natural next step was to include Loving & Caring's proven resources and brochures within in order to make abortion unwanted today and unthinkable for future generations.

Please complete the following survey for each session (workshop or In-Depth training) attended at the 2020 Heartbeat Annual conference.

We are called into a movement where relationships are so important. How do you maintain these relationships, though, when your doors are closed?

First and foremost, look at your organization's policies and procedures. What does it say about confidentiality? In all that we do, we must maintain the confidence from our clients that their private information stays that way. Before implementing any of the references below, ensure that you are mindful of the most appropriate means to maintain confidentiality. 

If you are registered for the Heartbeat Conference and are a published author interested in the Pro-Life Writer's Row event, please complete the application below. Preference will be given to Heartbeat affiliates.

Applications Due: February 15 | Decisions Expected: March 3

by Andy Merritt

The theme for this year’s Heartbeat Conference is “VISION.”

In Proverbs 29:18 we read, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.”

The pregnancy center movement was born out of the vision God gave His people to establish arks of refuge to save those perishing by the inhumanity of abortion. This God-given vision brought to our hearts brokenness over abortion as the slaughter of the most innocent, but also the faith & courage in God to take action in saving pre-born lives from abortion by establishing a network of pregnancy centers.

Pregnancy centers have saved innumerable pre-born children from the slaughter of abortion and brought God’s love and ministry to their mothers and fathers.

Can you imagine where we would be if there had been no vision?

The reason we come together in Seattle for the Heartbeat Conference is to share God’s vision for pregnancy centers and realize we need encouragement and equipping to fulfill God’s vision. This is why I believe the Heartbeat Conference is so important, and I encourage you to attend.

One of the areas that has deeply concerned me is increasing hostility toward pregnancy centers, along with the personal adversity we encounter every day which often causes weariness, discouragement, and fear.

As I prayed about this, God gave me a series of lessons entitled, “Advancing Through the Storm.” The thought being, we do not want to just weather the storm, but advance our lives, ministries, and the cause of Christ through the storm!

The series focuses on what Biblical heroes of faith teach us about dealing with persecution and adversity, so we can learn how to be heroes of faith today in the battle for life.

I am thankful for the opportunity to lead one of the Roundtable Interactive Sessions on Tuesday to address the challenge of overcoming opposition and adversity, and I am especially thankful the Conference is on the west coast where our pregnancy centers have encountered great opposition and need this encouragement.

I cordially invite you to attend my session at the conference in addition to the various learning opportunities throughout the week. Also, I pray you will experience a time of spiritual renewal and refreshing that will empower you and your ministry to continue “Advancing Through the Storm” to fulfill God’s vision.

As we near Conference time, there are several things that you can do today to prepare for a successful conference!

1 - Note Key Deadlines

• Register Exhibit Staff - February 10, 2026
• Program Book Ad - February 10, 2026
• Commercial Link - February 17, 2026
• Literature Packet Insert - Shipment arrival time TBA

2 - Make Your Travel Arrangements

Conference Location
Duke Energy Concention Center
525 Elm Street
Cincinnati, OH 45202

Hotel Information
The Westin Cincinnati
21 E 5th St
Cincinnati, OH 45202, US
(513) 621-7700

Delta Air Lines is pleased to offer special discounts for Heartbeat International. Use this link to book your flight today.

3 - Download the Conference App and Set up Your Virtual Exhibit

We will use our event app Whova again this year to allow you to collect attendee contact information incredibly swiftly! Using the app allows you to scan the QR code on an attendee's name badge and increase your leads with ease! In addition, the Conference Passport will be done via the Whova App. Access to the app will be provided via a link to your email.

Exhibitors will have access to all Virtual Conference workshops which will be hosted within the event app.

For the best Virtual Exhibit experience to maximize your reach to both in-person AND virtual attendees, make sure to utilize all the Lead Generating tools made for exhibitors within the app. Click here to learn how.

4 - Send Us Your Program Book Ad

If you ordered a program ad, make sure you send it to us!  This will be noted in your exhibitor registration confirmation email.

Full-color image files may be sent in PDF or compressed JPG, PNG, TIF, or EPS file.

• Quarter Page Ad: 4.25" w x 5.5" h
• Half Page Ad: 8.5" w  x 5.5" h
• Full Page Ad: 8.5" w  x 11" h

Please email artwork by February 10, 2026, to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We cannot guarantee placement in the program if artwork is not received by that time. Failure to submit ads by February 10, 2026, may result in omission from the program book.

5 - Prepare Your Literature Packet Insert

If you purchased the literature pack insert, be prepared to send 1,250 copies of one piece of literature to be included in the packets for attendees. 

Literature may include ONE brochure, a handout, or a small catalog no larger than 8½” x 14”.

Please send items to our local pregnancy center affiliate. Shipment arrival and address details TBA

6 - Send Your Commercial Link

If your sponsorship includes a commercial or you purchased one, please send your commercial file or link by February 17, 2026,  to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

7 - Plan Your Schedule

It is essential for all Exhibitors to check in at the Exhibitor Registration Desk to receive name badges and your exhibitor packet for your organization. We request that you make every effort to have your exhibit booth set up by 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 24; if you cannot come until later, you must make arrangements ahead of time with Heartbeat International.

The Exhibit Hall will be open 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday-Thursday, and 8:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. on Friday. Please note that exhibits must close during Keynote sessions. Exhibitors are welcome to join us for the Keynote speakers after the meals.

Tuesday, March 24

• 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. - Exhibitor Check-In and Set-Up

Wednesday, March 25

• 8:00 a.m. - Registration and Exhibit Hall Opens (peak traffic time!)
• 11:30 a.m. - Opening Lunch & Keynote
• 2:00-3:15 p.m. - Workshop Session A
• 3:45-5:00 p.m. - Workshop Session B
• 6:00 p.m. - Dinner & Keynote

Thursday, March 26

• 8:00 a.m. - Exhibit Hall Opens
• 9:00 a.m. -Morning Worship & Keynote
• 10:30 -11:45 a.m. - Workshop Session C
• 12:00 p.m. - Lunch & Keynote
• Afternoon Break, Receptions & Prayer Ministry

Friday, March 27

• 8:00 a.m. - Exhibit Hall Opens
• 9:00 a.m. - Morning Keynote
• 10:30-11:45 a.m. - Workshop Session D
• 12:00 p.m. - Lunch & Keynote
• 1:00-4:00 p.m. - Exhibit Hall Closes | Tear Down
• 2:00-3:15 p.m. - Workshop Session E
• 3:45-5:00 p.m. - Workshop Session F
• 6:00 p.m. - Closing Banquet

Conference meals are available to those who purchased Meal Packages.  Reminder: Meal Packages are per person. There are many places in the hotel and within walking distance for meals.

The Conference attendee registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday, March 25, 2026. The Conference opens at 11:30 a.m. and runs through the closing banquet on Friday, March 27, 2026. Heartbeat encourages you to be present at your exhibit booth to take advantage of this exciting peak time and during all exhibit hall hours. Failure to occupy the exhibition space does not release exhibitors from the obligation to pay the full exhibitor fee.

Please contact us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. before arriving if special arrangements for late arrival are needed.

8 - Plan Your Exhibit

Shipping: Details TBA.

All booth locations will be made by Heartbeat International.

Each Standard in-person exhibit space will have the following included:

• 10' x 10' draped exhibit booth (Heartbeat will determine the location)
• 8' high background and 3' high side-rail divider 
• One 6’ covered and skirted table
• Two chairs
• One wastebasket
• 7" x 44" booth identification sign

Every exhibitor also has access to their virtual exhibit on our Conference App, Whova. This space allows you to:

• Host videos, brochures, and giveaways
• Access to both In-Person and Virtual attendees

9 - Register Your Exhibit Staff

Fill out the form here with each of your exhibit staff names and email addresses. Please note that each organization is limited to no more than 4 exhibit staff. If you wish to add more, you can add that to your registration for $199 per person. The deadline for staff registration is February 24, 2026.

Make sure to provide unique emails for each staff member. These emails will allow the staff to access the virtual platform where they can update your virtual exhibit or view the virtual workshops.

At the conference, we will be providing name tags for each staff member registered. These name tags will be required to enter any workshops or keynotes.

10 - Gain Extra Exposure

There are additional ways your company can gain exposure to attendees through branding. Consider donating 1,250 of the following:

• Lanyards - CLAIMED
• Plastic Literature Bags 
• Tote Bags
• Books to Give Away at General Sessions
• Other Items You Might Suggest

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if interested.

 *All items subject to approval by Heartbeat International

11 - Review the Terms and Conditions

CANCELLATION: If written notification of cancellation is received by March 29, 2025, all exhibitor monies, less a $75 processing fee, will be refunded. No refunds will be given after midnight ET March 29, 2025. All refund requests must be made in writing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

USE OF SPACE: Exhibitor shall not assign, sublet, or share the space allotted without the knowledge and written consent of Heartbeat International.

HEARTBEAT GUIDELINES: All exhibitors must abide by the Heartbeat Principles. Heartbeat International reserves the right to accept or deny, at its sole discretion, sponsors and exhibit space to organizations that it deems inconsistent with or contrary to Heartbeat’s Principles. 

12 - Convention Center Notes

• Drayage: GEMS Events is the contracted vendor for this year's Heartbeat International Conference and is responsible for providing all drayage (e.g. unloading, loading and delivery of equipment) associated with your event. If there is no general service contractor, Licensee must make other drayage arrangements. An Exhibitor Kit will be emailed closer to Conference with all electric, internet, and shipping options. 
• Loading Dock: The loading dock is located on the 6th Street side of the Center. The entrance to the dock is located on the left-hand side of 6th Street just prior to the traffic light at Plum St. The loading dock is staffed 24 hours a day and monitored from our onsite command center. The loading dock is enclosed and features 17 dock bays. If you require the use of the loading docks for move in/out, please provide your Event Manager with all information regarding your loading dock activity. Based on your needs, Center event security will be necessary to enforce parking rules, traffic control, freight elevator operation, POV’s and to provide direction. Your Event Manager will include these costs in your event estimate. The General Service Contractor is responsible for managing all decorator freight trailers on the dock and is responsible for accepting all show-related shipments. The Center does not accept any event related deliveries.
• Hand Carry Policy: The Center reserves the right to restrict all freight and package deliveries to the loading dock. The Center’s Public Safety personnel will be on-site to direct exhibitors during move-in and move-out.
  • For the convenience and safety of exhibitors and patrons, all freight and material handling must enter and exit the facility through the loading dock unless approved in advance by the Center.
  • The Licensee and its exhibitors will be allowed to hand carry items in or out of the main entrances (Elm Street entrances at the corner of 5th St or 6th St) without having to access the loading dock.
  • Hand-carried freight is defined as one item that can be easily carried by an individual, without the need for dollies or other mechanized equipment.
  • No parking is allowed at the main entrances of the facility.
  • The use of passenger elevators for movement of freight is not allowed.
  • All packages are subject to inspection by facility personnel.
  • Bellmen from surrounding hotels are permitted to transport packages on carts into the building.

For more information, visit the Annual Conference web page.

We are happy you have chosen to be a part of our Annual Conference. If you have questions at any time, please feel free to contact Andrea Trudden at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.