8/13/2019 Biking & Walking to the State House: Organizing State Summits

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Biking & Walking to the State House:Organizing State SummitsAlliance for Biking & Walking Mutual Aid CallWednesday, January 22, 2014

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More and more advocates across the United States are organizing statewide bike and/or walk summits to push

active transportation forward at the state level. On this call, we heard from advocates and experts in the fieldabout best practices and tips on how to organize an effective summit.

Recap: Advice from Jason JordanPrincipal Partner, Advocacy Associates and Center for Transportation Excellence

Reasons to have a State Bike/Walk Summit:

• Change / advance a political agenda by directly engaging with elected officials. Summitsare always political.

• Build relationships with constituents, partners, and elected officials.• Set the stage for building year-long relationships with elected officials.

• Build credibility of your organization.

• Build visibility of your issue and leverage your work by involving alliances.

• Educate, celebrate, motivate.

How to Make the Most Impact:

• Identify a timely ask.

• Develop an outreach and communications plan.

• Build district-based constituencies.

• Drive points home through storytelling, messaging, and branding.

• Influence other organizations in addition to the legislature.

• Organize an event that reinforces your goals and strategic tactics.

How to Build Political Influence Into Your Summit:

• Te legislative game is always based around geography: Use constituents as theconnections and focus on district-based influence.

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Make the schedule and office meetings as easy as possible for the participants.• Prepare and train advocates with materials, logistics, tell them what to expect, and how

to prepare their story.

• Develop and communicate a specific ask.

• Raise visibility through shirts, buttons, etc.

• Hold a celebration and time to debrief.

• Build in a follow-up/ report-back mechanism to identify champions and challenges.

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Biking & Walking to the State House:Organizing State SummitsAlliance for Biking & Walking Mutual Aid CallWednesday, January 22, 2014

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Summit Basics:

• State Summits are a central part of what you have to do as an advocacy organization,even if you start small.

• Te key is politics. If you aren’t doing politics, then you’re not doing your job.

• Organize an annual Summit – if you don’t come back, you fall off the radar.

• When? When your legislature is in session!

• Where? In the state capitol.

• Bring legislatures to the event to speak or take the Summit participants to the capitol.

• Involve your state DO.

Walkable Bikeable Delaware Summit:

• 2 years old.

• Governor Markell has attended and spoken at both summits and has adopted its“Walkable Bikeable Delaware” language, including in last two State of the State speeches.

• State House Majority Leader gave a quote on the state summit.

• Just added the American Heart Association (AHA) to the Summit as a partner and co-host—not just a financial sponsor. AHA has many other items besides walking / cyclingon their agenda, but at least for 2014, the Walkable Bikeable Delaware Summit is AHA’sadvocacy / lobby day in our state capitol.

Recap: Advice from James WilsonExecutive Director, Bike Delaware

Tips for Organizing your First Summit:

• Involve your DO. Invite them to attend and have them lead break-out sessions.

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Make sure you have an ask.• Put a planning committee together! Include people who have attended the National

Summit if possible. Meet frequently and start planning at least 3-4 months in advance.

• Utilize online registration.

• Utilize your Board and/or volunteers.

• Make accommodations beyond what you expect.

• Plan a budget; add a contingency fee. It’s more important to get lots of people than tomake lots of money.

• ap into resources within your state – there is a lot of expertise and knowledge.

Recap: Advice from Melinda BarnesExecutive Director, Bike Walk Montana

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• Have a survey at the end of the day. Ask for a short testimony that you can use forpromoting the next summit.

• Schedule time for networking.

• Have a ‘sharing table’ where people can bring information (trail maps, etc.) from theirown community or organization to share.

First Montana Bike-Walk Summit (2013) and Lessons Learned:

• In Montana, the Legislature meets every 2 years. Te Summit will be in the capitol onthose years. On off-years, it will move to different cities around the states.

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Draw upon the community where it’s being held for sponsorships; tap into resourceswithin that community.

• ry to incorporate mobile sessions to showcase good things in the community.

• Lt. Governor was the keynote speaker in 2013.

• Had 100 people attend $45 for members; $50 non-members. Utilize an early-bird rateand cut-off to encourage people to register in advance.

Balancing the Bike / Walk Agenda:

• If you have two tracks, don’t make both sessions related to biking.

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Have sessions on multi-use trails.• Bring people in to talk about American with Disability Act (ADA) issues.

• Have walking experts or initiatives: Safe Routes to Schools; prescription trails; walkingadvocates; health professionals.

Tying your State Summit into the National Bike Summit and Getting the Most out ofthe National Bike Summit:

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Research the background of the legislators you are meeting with. Find out what intereststhem.

• Collect local stories.

• Get support and testimonials from mayors. Invite them to the State and NationalSummits.

• If you have time, schedule a meeting with your Governor’s lobbyist in DC.

• alk about your State Summit when meeting with your federal legislator (and vice versa).

Recap: Advice from Caron WhitakerVice President of Government Relations, League of American Bicyclists

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• Get the list of National Summit attendees from your state and involve them in theplanning of your State Summit. For example, ask bike shop representatives to reach outto the business community.

• Always look for champions and think about your asks for them and activities to engagethem in. For example, state elected officials are leading the Delaware delegation at theNational Bike Summit.

What if you’re organizing a Summit and it’s not in the state capitol?

• Caron: Still have a legislative ask. Have a call-in day at the Summit: Use email anda witter campaign to mobilize your members, even if they aren’t at the Summit.Have participants schedule follow-up district visits when they get home. It’s still anopportunity to engage the legislators that represent that city.

What should I do if the Summit is held in the middle of a high-profile campaign race?

• Jason: Provide a platform for the candidates to make their pitch to advocates. Create a venue for the conversation, even if not a part of the Summit. For example, a town-hallforum on transportation, and it can be co-sponsored by your transit partners.

What “skills” should we teach at the Summit?

• James: Communication and messaging. Advocacy agenda asks.

• Caron: Include a technical session for staff who can’t lobby, and bring in speakers onagency topics.

Should we have speakers from other states or national experts?

• Melinda: Use experts as long as their good speakers and can hit the topic priorities.Utilize panels for different viewpoints. It can be a benefit to see what’s happening outsideyour state, but not at the expense of prioritizing your states’ issues.

How should I prioritize issues and develop an ask, especially in advance of theSummit?

• Jason: Te ask should be timely, even it it’s a lower priority. Make sure your ask isspecific and simple. Your top agenda may not be the top legislative agenda. Buildrelationships into the ask and think about low-controversial visibility.

Recap: Question & Answer

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• Jason: Do it, even if it’s your first Summit; they are scaleable.

• James: Have it at your state capitol and focus on state advocacy.

• Melinda: Start at a level you can manage and start with a one-day Summit.

• Caron: Share your state summit story with federal elected officials and vice-versa.

•  And, make it political! 

Recap: Top Take-Home Tip from Speakers

Additional ResourcesSummit organizing:

• Guide to State Bike Summits (League of American Bicyclists) - Te comprehensivemanual on how to plan, create and market your next gathering of bike advocates.

• Designing Accessible Events for People With Disabilities (Vera Institute forJustice) - Learn about the legal requirements in the Americans with Disabilities Actwhen planning your next summit.

• Conference Organizing Guide (Community Tool Box) - General information toorganizing conferences.

Bike/Walk Summit Programs:

• Montana Bike Walk Summit (2014)

• Walkeable, Bikeable Delaware (2013)

• Iowa Bicycle Summit (2014)

• Wisconsin Bike Summit (2012)

• New Jersey Bike Walk Summit (2014)

• Oregon Active Transportation Summit (2014)