NACHRI & N.A.C.H. 2009 Creating Connections Conference

NACHRI Impact Award

For the second year, NACHRI will award the Impact Award recognizing excellence in marketing and public relations campaigns for children’s hospitals and child health programs. The award is conferred in lieu of posters for the Public Relations and Communications track at the 2009 Creating Connections conference.

For questions or more information, contact Norida Torriente, 703/797-6059.

Award Purpose

Recognize and reward commitment to improving quality of health care
Highlight best practices in public relations, communications and marketing at member hospitals
Stimulate cross program planning among public relations, communications and marketing staff

Entry Process

Complete the Impact Award Entry Form (Word) and e-mail it to meetings@nachri.org by July 25, 2008.
NACHRI will notify finalists of their selection by September 15, 2008.
If your entry is selected, you are required to submit a binder and collateral materials for final judging on the first day of the 2009 NACHRI/N.A.C.H. Creating Connections Conference.

Criteria for Consideration

Entries must demonstrate how the public relations, communications or marketing plan supports hospital efforts to enhance quality pediatric care and child health services.

Entry must be submitted by a public relations, communications or marketing representative of a NACHRI member hospital.

The project submitted for consideration must have had part of the program implemented in 2008.

Each entry must describe the purpose of the program and address the following four strategic elements:

Research: What research did you conduct (i.e. literature, surveys, focus groups, interviews) and how did research help redefine the situation, shape the planning process, define the audience, etc.
Planning: List relevant goals and measurable objectives for the project (e.g., costs and revenues, time, quantity, quality), describe how your plans correlate to the research findings and your overall strategy, define your target audiences and include a budget.
Implementation: Describe the what, when, why and how of achieving stated goals, the rationale for choosing these methods, and discuss any difficulties that may have arisen and how they were handled (include the media mix selected, as well as budget and project-management information).
Evaluation: Show specific ways in which you measured the project's success and include the results of that evaluation (if it is too soon to measure the results of the project, explain how you intend to measure the results; if you do not expect measurable results, explain why).

Judging

Binders and collateral materials will be evaluated during exhibit hall hours and poster sessions prior to the Awards Luncheon.

Entries are judged on the execution of the four-part strategy (research, planning, implementation and evaluation); creativity and innovation; effectiveness in meeting the campaign’s goals; and the overall success of the project.

Judges will consider whether the plan shows a strategic focus with clear objectives and appropriate attention given to measuring results.

Judges also will look for evidence of audience/situational understanding, appropriateness of messages, solid tactical design, plan implementation, range of media used and how each plan element contributes to achieving the stated objectives.

Points will be awarded in the following categories:

Strategy of Program (40 points total – 10 each for research, planning, evaluation and implementation)
Practical Effect – how the submission supports hospital efforts to enhance quality pediatric care and child health services (40 points)
Program Ingenuity (20 points)

Award Presentation

The NACHRI Public Relations and Communications Track Committee will present the NACHRI Impact Award to the submitting member hospital at the Awards Luncheon during the Creating Connections Conference. (Note: If the submission is entered jointly with a PR firm, then the award will be presented to both the member hospital and the PR firm; a PR firm cannot receive the award on its own.)

Impact Award recipient will receive:

A brief story in Children’s Hospitals Today, summer 2009 issue
Program will be highlighted on the NACHRI Web site
An opportunity to present the winning entry on a NACHRI Communicator Conference Call sometime during spring 2009

Finalist Requirements

Finalists must prepare a standard three-ring binder (max 2" thick) and collateral materials for display at the conference. It must include:

Two-page summary covering the research, planning, implementation and evaluation in support of the campaign (Place in front of binder. Minimum 10-point typeface and one-inch margins)
Copy of the entry form and supporting materials referred to in the two-page summary (e.g. planning documents, research reports, surveys, news releases, clippings and samples of tactical materials)

Finalists must register for the 2009 Creating Connections Conference by Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2008, and are responsible for their own expenses, including the conference registration fee and related travel costs; only registered finalists will be listed in conference materials.

Finalists are required to display their binders in the exhibit hall the entire time the hall is open and understand that late arrival or early removal of binders may result in disqualification from the awards program.

NACHRI may publish and/or duplicate award descriptions, entry abstract, biographical information, handouts and collateral materials (audio, video or Web-based) without restrictions.

NACHRI reserves the right to edit any information submitted as deemed appropriate by NACHRI for use in the conference program, brochures and the Web.