State Broadband Leaders Network (SBLN)
The State Broadband Leaders Network (SBLN) is a program associated with the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). SBLN’s mission is to share best practices and discuss emerging telecommunications policies through forums to strengthen policy and program connections among states, local jurisdictions, and federal agencies.
SBLN hired JDC Events to plan their two-day 2022 Winter Summit. The hybrid event saw 90 attendees in person and another 50 attendees virtually, and it featured speakers and panelists from multiple states and organizations who spoke about their needs, challenges, and opportunities while developing new plans of action related to telecommunication policy issues. Highlighted topics included updates from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), intersecting actions and interests with the Office of Minority Broadband Initiatives (OMBI), the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, an overview of the Digital Equity Act, and grant opportunities.
JDC Events worked with SBLN to select the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. as the venue. In collaboration with Spark Street Digital, the team sourced the cameras, screens, projectors, and microphones necessary to make the hybrid event seamless and found ways to make in-person attendees and virtual attendees feel equally involved and engaged. Key features included opportunities for in-person and virtual attendees to identify themselves on camera, pop-up identifications in addition to name tags, camera panning during panel discussions, and captioning for the hearing impaired.