ONA23 Sponsor FAQ

ONA23’s exhibiting space, the Midway, will be located in Franklin Hall on the fourth floor of the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. ONA is planning for multiple events within the Midway to draw attendees into the space, including a “sip and see” reception as the first hour of the Welcome Event on Aug. 24.

In addition, Franklin Hall will feature a special networking area — with space to plug in and meet with sponsors and other attendees — in addition to several programming rooms that will require attendees to walk through the Midway to access.

FRANKLIN FOYER (4th Floor) + BALLROOM (5th floor) FOYER

Wednesday, Aug. 23: 9:30 a.m – 5 p.m.

FRANKLIN FOYER (4th), BALLROOM (5th floor) FOYER and FRANKLIN HALL (4th)

Thursday, Aug. 24: 11:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. (including 5:30-6:30 Sip and See Reception, the first hour of the Welcome Event)

Friday, Aug. 25: 11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please note that times are subject to change.

When can we move in and move out?

FRANKLIN FOYER + BALLROOM (5th floor) FOYER SET-UP: Tuesday, Aug. 22, noon-5 p.m. (Note: Early registration opens at 6:30 p.m.)

FRANKLIN HALL SET UP: Tuesday, Aug. 22, noon-5 p.m. and  Wednesday, Aug. 23, 9 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

ALL SPACE BREAK DOWN: Friday, Aug. 25, 5:00 – 8:00 p.m. Note: Franklin Hall space will be locked after 8 p.m.

Please note that times are subject to change.

Sponsors will receive private correspondence with instructions on registering with their allotted ONA23 passes.

All passes included in ONA23 sponsorship packages are full passes. Full passes allow for in-person admission to ONA23: Philadelphia, Aug. 23-26, as well as access to ONA23: Onward, taking place online Sept. 28-29. Please consult your individual sponsorship agreement for the number of full passes your package provides.

Yes.

Additional staff or guests who would like to attend ONA23 beyond your package-allotted tickets will need to register separately. For groups requiring additional staff for their exhibiting areas only, ONA offers Midway/Exhibit-only passes, which are designed for staff and include access to non-programmatic areas of ONA23 (exhibit and lounge spaces, including Franklin Hall) and the ONA23 Welcome Reception on Thursday, Aug. 24. These passes do not include access to any education sessions, meals or other official networking events (unless part of sponsorship).

Midway/Exhibit-only passes will be available for $150/each and are limited to two per sponsor group, by request. No unregistered individuals will be allowed entry to any ONA23 events, regardless of affiliation or reason, and we will not sell passes in person on-site in Philadelphia.

No. All speakers or participants in any sponsored session/workshop/meal/reception/event, including Midway Programming, whether in person or online, will need the appropriate ONA23 pass to participate. You may choose to cover the speaker’s pass through your package allotment. You may not use Midway/Exhibit-only passes for speakers.

Unless otherwise noted, ONA23 sponsor packages include a 10’x10’ standard exhibiting space (including back and side rail drape, booth ID, 6’ skirted table, 2 chairs and 1 wastebasket) in Franklin Hall, the main exhibit and Midway area on the fourth floor of the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown, with shared electric access. If you prefer not to use your allotted booth space, please email Bill at bill@journalists.org to let him know by Aug. 1, 2023.

Space assignments are made on a first-come, first-serve basis and also based on your sponsorship type or package. Booth/tabletop numbers were shared in August. Please email jessica@journalists.org with any questions.

90% of ONA22 attendees visited the Midway last year! You may use the space as you choose: make staff available to talk to attendees, create a demo space or leave it unhosted but provide information (i.e., signage, business cards, handouts) about how to connect with you on-site in Philadelphia. Email Hanaa at hanaa@journalists.org to talk through best practices and your plans.

You are welcome to offer food and beverage options at your table using the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown’s food and beverage service. Contact jessica@journalists.org to discuss your idea and to be directly connected to the hotel to see a current menu and make your order.

Yes. Unless otherwise noted, exhibiting spaces will be provided shared access to a 10 amp electric drop and power strip that will allow you to plug in a few items at a time (e.g., a laptop, monitor and a phone). You may not use your own extension cords or power strips. If sharing power is not something that works for your needs, please email lauren@journalists.org to discuss options.

Yes. Wifi will be available to all attendees, including sponsors. Given that it is a shared resource, if being online is a critical part of your booth experience, please make sure you have an offline version that you can share if necessary until the connection is reestablished, or consider using a hotspot.

There is extremely limited storage space at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown for Exhibitors/Sponsors available on a first-come, first-served basis. Small boxes and materials can be kept under your table, but we do not recommend that anything be left on tables in the 5th floor or Franklin Hall foyer spaces. The Philadelphia Marriott Downtown will lock Franklin Hall following exhibiting hours, and ONA will provide overnight security for exhibit spaces and lounges located outside of Franklin Hall. ONA and the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown are not responsible for any theft or damage.

Security will be on-hand 24 hrs./day while the exhibiting spaces are present, starting Wednesday, Aug. 23 with set up and ending the evening of Friday, Aug. 25 after breakdown. ONA and the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown are not responsible for any theft. Please use your best judgment for storing valuables, and consider bringing things of value to your personal room. 

We will share updated attendee lists with event sponsors at several points prior to the start of ONA23 and once it concludes. The list contains names and affiliations; we do not share any contact information, including email addresses or mailing information. We kindly request that you refrain from any pre-show mass mailings to this list.

In response to partner feedback, ONA has contracted with ExpoLogic to provide lead retrieval options for exhibitors at ONA23. ExpoLogic is offering two options: access to the LeadPod Pro app and a battery-powered, hand-held badge reader called LeadKey. To learn more and order online, go to myexpoleads.expologic.com and enter show code: ONA2023. Additional details are also available in the lead retrieval task in the ONA23 Sponsor Portal.

As a digital media organization, we have been reducing our paper use at all events. We will use the conference website and app to provide the agenda, map and other event details. Interested in online advertising? Contact jessica@journalists.org for more information.

The primary purpose of these ONA23 virtual booths is to provide an easy-to-access spot for attendees to learn about your group. You will add the information about your group through the ONA23 event platform sponsor portal. The following images share an example of what these virtual booths will look like on the desktop version of the event platform, and indicate the tasks your group will be assigned within the sponsor portal to populate what is needed.

Alliance Exposition is the conference decorator and can provide material handling and/or rental furniture for the in-person exhibit space in Philadelphia. You should receive an email from them with personal information about accessing the conference ordering portal. This email will come from this address: ExhibitorAssistance@alliance-exposition.com

If you prefer to ship items to the hotel, FedEx on site can begin receiving shipments for our show on Thursday, Aug. 17.  Fees will apply for pickup. Please use this format:
(Guest Name) (Guest Cell Number)
c/o FedEx Office at the Philadelphia Marriott 1201 Market St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(Convention / Conference / Group / Event Name)
Box ____ of ___

For questions please contact John Shannon at the FedEx Office (Store #0669). Phone 215-923-2520 or john.shannon@fedex.com.

Outbound shipping is available through the FedEx Office Print & Ship Center located on the lobby level of the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown. The package handling fees for outbound shipping is based on weight, to be discussed with the FedEx Office Print & Ship Center onsite.

FedEx is not responsible for packing or for supplying any packing materials. Any materials left behind without shipping instructions will be discarded three business days after your departure date.

Alliance Exposition is our conference decorator and can provide rental furniture and/or material handling for the in-person exhibit space in Philadelphia.  They can be reached at ExhibitorAssistance@alliance-exposition.com.

Encore will supply rental A/V equipment, including monitors, for booths and lounges. Encore’s ordering form is available in the Alliance portal. Wireless access and basic electric access (shared for booths/tabletops and dedicated for lounges) is included in your sponsorship.

If you would like a dedicated Internet drop, more power or A/V materials, you can order anything you need using the form from Encore. Pricing and deadlines are included in the portal.

August 2023: For any groups still figuring out how to outfit your exhibiting space, we encourage you to consider buying, rather than renting, furniture, AV equipment, decorations, and more for your exhibiting spaces in advance, and consider donating them post-show. Since 2017, ONA has given a greater purpose to those goods by identifying a local charity in each event host city that would benefit from having such items donated.

ONA23 is supporting the Joseph J. Peters Institute (JJPI), which serves survivors of trauma and individuals with a history of sexual or relational violence. JJPI is dedicated to helping individuals and their families heal within a safe environment that promotes resiliency, and has a singular approach: To restore hope with dignity. Email Hanaa Rifaey to discuss donating your purchased items to this local Philadelphia nonprofit.

Other groups ONA has supported:

• ONA17, DC: A Wider Circle, which supports people transitioning from homelessness
• ONA18, Austin: SAFE Austin. Our donations helped complete their new Eloise House, where survivors receive support and forensics testing after a sexual assault, and refresh their group support space for youth survivors.
• ONA19, New Orleans: Ozanam Inn. Our donations helped update the living space at the shelter, including the monitors and computers in their employment training area, and were also used to support those transitioning into permanent housing.
• ONA22, Los Angeles: East Los Angeles Women’s Center. Our donations were used to help furnish 25+ apartments for newly transitioning families.

For group reservations of 10 or more being held by one credit card, please contact Jasmine Johnson at Jasmine.Johnson@marriott.com.

Accessibility Information

We consider many accessibility questions when considering a host hotel and planning our programming. We’ve compiled a detailed explanation of what to expect in terms of accessibility on site.

Exhibitor/Attendee Housing Scam Notice

Please note: You may receive calls and/or emails from companies claiming to be an agent of, or associated with, ONA and offering discounted room rates. We do not have a relationship with any of these companies. All bookings should be made directly with our host hotel using the details above. You can read the full details about this issue here.