2018 Nutrition Education & Breastfeeding Promotion Conference and ExhibitsThe NWA Biennial Nutrition Education and Breastfeeding Conference will be held at the Sheraton New Orleans in New Orleans, LA from September 24-27, 2018
This conference is the most popular gathering of the WIC nutrition and breastfeeding professionals in the US, attracting more than 1,200 attendees from USDA, state and local WIC agencies, and vendors who provide services to the WIC community.
Education sessions will cover current and emerging nutrition and breastfeeding science, research, policy and best practices. Poster Sessions and special forums will offer additional learning and networking opportunities.
More than 40 exhibitors will be on hand to provide the latest on WIC-related products, technology and services.
More information about this conference will be posted soon.
For questions, please contact the NWA National Office at 202-232-5492. We'll be happy to assist.
Registration will be on September 24th from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. The conference will begin at 9:00 a.m. on September 25th and end at noon on the 27th.
For questions, please contact the NWA National Office at 202-232-5492. We'll be happy to assist.
Letter of Support from USDA FNS:
Sarah Widor, the Director of Supplemental Food Programs Division, sent a letter to all state agency WIC directors supporting the 2018 Nutrition Education & Breastfeeding Promotion Conference and Exhibits. This letter confirmed that WIC Program funds may be used to fund travel expenses and registration fees for this conference.
CEUs
Registered Dietitians/ Nutritionists and Dietetic Technicians-Registered: This offering has been approved for a maximum of _15.5_hours and _2.0_ hours for poster sessions by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant: CERPs allocated for a maximum of 14.0 (L), _10.5__ (R) and __0__ (E) CERPs by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners.
Letter of Support from USDA FNS:
Sarah Widor, the Director of Supplemental Food Programs Division, sent a letter to all state agency WIC directors supporting the 2018 Nutrition Education & Breastfeeding Promotion Conference and Exhibits. This letter confirmed that WIC Program funds may be used to fund travel expenses and registration fees for this conference.
CEUs
Registered Dietitians/ Nutritionists and Dietetic Technicians-Registered: This offering has been approved for a maximum of 11.5_hours and _2.0_ hours for poster sessions by the Commission on Dietetic Registration.
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant: CERPs allocated for a maximum of 14.0 (L), _10.5__ (R) and __0__ (E) CERPs by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners.
As we receive permission from speakers, we will continue posting their presentations on our website. Please check back regularly for updates. If you don't see a presentation, we are either awaiting the presentation to share or the presenter did not give permission.
Ignite a Culture of Food Dignity Clancy Harrison
Mealtime Blessings Katrina Lewis, Chickasaw Nation
Texas Ten-Step Star Achiever Initiative: Utilizing WIC Staff to Support the NWA National Breastfeeding Strategic Plan Cathy Carothers, Every Mother, Inc.; Veronica Hendrix, Texas WIC/Health & Human Services Commission
Streamlining WIC: Opportunities and Lessons Learned from State and Local Agencies Linnea Sallack, Altarum; Zoe Neuberger, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities; Cathy Montgomery, Oklahoma WIC Program; Kathleen Merchant, San Diego State University WIC Program; Angela Spain, Central Health District WIC Program; Carrie Zavala, Maricopa County WIC Program
Food For Thought: How Centering Racial Equity Fuels First-Food Justice Felisha Floyd, National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color
Optimizing Your Resources: How North Carolina Leveraged Limited Resources to Increase Breastfeeding Rates Hannah Edens, Eastern Area Health Education Center; Chiara Phillips, North Carolina Division of Public Health - Nutrition Services Branch; Norma Escobar, New Hanover County WIC
A New Frontier: How Smartphones Transformed the Way One Nevada WIC Agency Supports Breastfeeding Participants & Moble-izing WIC! Shannon Heynen, Nevada WIC; Ana Saldivar, Nevada WIC; Akua Boateng, D.C. WIC
Breastfeeding Military Families: An Invisible, Underserved Population Felisha Floyd, Mom2Mom Global & Breastfeeding in Combat Boots; Amy Barron Smolinski, Mom2Mom Global & Breastfeeding in Combat Boots
Everybody Wins! Increasing Access to Oral Health Education and Dental Care through Michigan WIC Tara Fischer, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services State of Michigan WIC; Allyson Rogers, Altarum; Holli Seabury, McMillen Health
Engaging WIC Participants Outside the Clinic Jennifer Dykhuizen Maricopa County Department of Public Health; Carrie Zavala, Maricopa County Department of Public Health
Preventing Peanut Allergies: Application and Implications for the NIAID Guidelines Sherry Coleman Collins, National Peanut Board
Innovative Strategies to Increase Breastfeeding Support in Rural Communities Krista Olson, Family Support Hawaii
WIC Child Retention Strategies Marilyn Lonczak, Connecticut Department of Public Health; Rachel Colchamiro, Massachusetts Department of Public Health; Kevin Watanabe, Arizona Department of Health Services
Breastfeeding Essentials: A Platform for Training WIC Staff Valery Soto, USDA FNS WIC; Cathy Carothers, Every Mother, Inc.; Linnea Sallack, Altarum; Georgia Machell, National WIC Association
The State of Breastfeeding in the African American Community Nikia Fuller-Sankofa, National Association of County and City Health Officials; Elizabeth Bayne, graybayne film/media; Aledia Williams, Louisiana Department of Health; Erica Anstey, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Morgan Ervin, Cinnamoms/PHFE WIC
Breastfeeding Support for Women Facing Incarceration Krista Olson, Family Support Hawaii
Factors Associated with Child Retention in the Michigan WIC Program using PNSS & PedNSS, and EBT Redemption Data Kobra Eghtedary, MI WIC State Agency
Supporting Brain Development through Movement and Nutrition Florence Rivera, National Center on Early Childhood Health and Wellness
Let's Talk About Seafood: The Impact of Messaging on Expecting and Breastfeeding Moms' Behavior Andrea Goodman, Genetic Alliance; Natasha Bonhomme, Genetic Alliance
WIC Formula 201 Cheryl Funanich, USDA
Lifting the Community Voice to Create More than an App Ryan Comfort, Coffective; Felisha Floyd, National Association of Professional and Peer Lactation Supporters of Color
The Alliance for Innovation in Maternal Health (AIM): Strategies of Care for Women with Opioid-Use Disorder Jeanne Mahoney, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Fact vs. Fib: Combatting Misleading Narratives Around Breastfeeding Adrianna Logalbo 1,000 Days; Jan Johnson, Pike County Health Department; Kimberly Seals Allers, Maternal and Child Health Communication Collective
Mind the Gap: Increasing Clients’ APPitites for WIC Foods Melanie Hall, Kellogg Company; Ryan Magee, JPMA inc.; Kobra Eghtedary, MI WIC State Agency
Maternal Eating Behavior in Low-Income Mothers Influences Attitudes Toward Infant Feeding Abby Altazan, Pennington Biomedical Research Center
WIC- BACK TO BASICS: Designing and Implementing Statewide Nutrition-Services Training for Local Agency Staff Paula Garrett, Virginia Department of Health; Jillian Weyant, Ohio State University; Jennifer Madden Smith, University of Kentucky
WIC in Action: Advancing Nutrition and Breastfeeding through Policy Advocacy Alison Hard, National WIC Association; Brian Dittmeier, National WIC Association
Raising Dad’s WIC Voice: Ideas for Fostering a Father-Friendly WIC Program Berry Kelly, South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control Division of WIC; Kenn Harris, Crescent CITY WIC PIC Program; Sharmain Harris, Racine Kenosha Dedicated Dads Program
Exclusivity Disparities Among Recent Refugees and Cultural Minorities Anamaria Ross SUNY Empire State College @Utica
Fruit and Vegetable Redemption Rates After Introduction of Electronic WIC Benefits Ilene Cervantes del Toro, Johns Hopkins University; Susan Gross, Johns Hopkins University
Lead Exposure and Breastfeeding Mary Jean Brown, Harvard Chan School of Public Health
Complementary Feeding in the WIC Program Patricia MacNeil, USDA; Anne Bartholomew, USDA
When the Stars Align: A Cross-Sector Community Approach to Breastfeeding Support Brenda Bandy, Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition, Inc.; Kara Watts, Kansas Nutrition & WIC Services, KS Dept. of Health & Environment
What’s WIC Got to Do with It? NWA’s Maternal Mortality Task Force and Addressing Maternal Mortality in a Community Setting Toncé Jackson, PHFE WIC Program; Emily Davis, Arizona Department of Health Services
USDA National Breastfeeding Promotion and Support Campaign for Millennial WIC Moms Valery Soto, USDA FNS WIC; Sarah Widor, USDA FNS WIC; Anne Bartholomew, USDA FNS WIC
The Conference Host Hotel
Sheraton New Orleans
500 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Main #: (504) 525-2500
The room block at the Sheraton New Orleans is FULL. Please see the conference overflow hotel information below.
Conference Overflow Hotel
Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans
739 Canal Street
New Orleans, LA 70130
Reservations: 1-877-408-9661
Online Reservations
Conference Overflow Hotel Room Rate
NWA has negotiated a special room rate of $139 per night (single/double).
The cut-off date for these rates is Monday, September 10, 2018. After this date, reservations will be subject to the hotel’s prevailing rates.
We encourage you to make your room reservations early to ensure that you will be in the overflow hotel at the guaranteed room rate. Upon checking in, each guest will be asked to provide a valid government issued ID along with proof to which the room reservation was made.
Method of Room Guarantee
The hotel requires a major credit card to guarantee your room reservation, and first night's deposit (including taxes) payable at the time the reservation is being made. Room cancellations must be received at least 24 hours prior to your arrival date to avoid being charged the first night's room rate and applicable taxes.
Conference Overflow Hotel Check-In/Out Policy
Hotel check-in is 4:00pm and check-out is 11:00am.
Overflow Hotel Parking
The hotel offers valet parking only. If you choose to use valet parking, fees are $47 USD per night. ($53.23 inclusive of all taxes). Over-sized vehicles may be valet parked for $57 USD per night ( $64.55 inclusive of all taxes).
Pet Policy
The overflow hotel allows service animals within the property.
Airport/Hotel Transportation
The Sheraton New Orleans and the Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans are accessible via Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, and is about 15 miles, from the airport.
Shuttle and taxi cab services are available at the airport. The current estimated taxi/cab fare is $40 (one way). Please note that the hotel does nor provide shuttle service.
Online registration is now closed. Please register on-site at the conference.
Registration Fees
EARLY REGISTRATION FEES
Fees between now and August 10, 2018
Early Member Rate: $385
Early Non-member Rate: $485
REGULAR REGISTRATION FEES
Fees after August 10, 2018
Regular Member Rate: $410
Regular Non-member Rate: $535
SINGLE DAY REGISTRATION FEES
Member Rate: $200
Non-member Rate: $275
All payments are due before or on the first day of the Conference. Payments must be received to gain access to and participate in Conference activities and sessions. No PO will be accepted on-site.
Registration for this conference will add your contact information to our conference attendee list available to all conference attendees, including exhibitors.
It is the policy of NWA's to access a processing fee for all cancelled registrations. To cancel your registration, a written request MUST be received by NWA via e-mail to registration@nwica.org or fax to 1-202-387-5281 no later than close of business on August 10, 2018.
Cancellations received before or on August 10, 2018 will be refunded, less a $75 processng fee. No refund will be granted for cancellations received after August 10, 2018. NWA regrets that refunds will not be granted for "No-shows."
Online registrations are processed via our web-based system. Each registrants must have or create a profile (account) in order to register online. To create a profile, please go to https://www.nwica.org/auth/register.
Registrants using a Purchase Order (PO) or check, must select the "Bill Me Later" option from the online registration system when registering. Credit card paments will be processed via our secured Stripe site. The system will automatically e-mail a registration confirmation to the e-mail provided. If you do not received a confirmation, please call our office.
To register by mail, fax or e-mail, download the Conference Registration form, complete, and submit it via e-mail to registration@nwica.org or fax it to 202-387-5281. Registration forms may also be mailed to:
National WIC Association
2001 S Street, NW Ste. 580
Washington, DC 20009
To obtain our Federal Identification Number, please call our office at 202-232-5492.
The National WIC Association (NWA) invites you to participate as an exhibitor and/or sponsor at our 2018 Nutrition Education and Breastfeeding Promotion Conference and Exhibits.
Get a discount on your booth by becoming a Sustaining Member of the National WIC Association! Sustaining members receive deeply discounted exhibitor rates for all NWA conferences. There are six membership tiers to choose from, and all of your employees can take advantage of the benefits. Sustaining Membership benefits can be found in detail here. To receive the NWA Sustaining Member exhibit rate, you must be a sustaining member at the time of submitting the exhibit contract/application and at the time of the conference itself. To become a sustaining member or to renew, contact Emily Gilcher, egilcher@nwica.org, 202-232-5492, with questions.
Why Exhibit?
If you are seeking to introduce your products and services or an alternative promotional strategy to a new or existing audience, this conference offers several affordable options to meet your marketing needs.
By exhibiting and/or sponsoring at this conference, you will:
Platinum, Gold, Silver & Bronze Sponsors have first choice to all available exhibitor spaces.
For questions or to exhibit at this conference, please contact the Association's Conference Manager Dale Greenberg at or 410-491-2654 or dale.greenberg@conferencedirect.com.
VIEW EXHIBITOR PROSPECTUS