2026 Women in Workforce Conference

Project Overview

The DC Department of Employment Services (DOES) engaged Bayne LLC to provide comprehensive conference planning, event production, program development, and logistical management services for the 2026 Women in Workforce Conference, held May 13, 2026, at the Conrad Washington, DC.

The full-day conference brought together 150 attendees, including emerging professionals, mid-career employees, senior executives, government leaders, and workforce development stakeholders. The event focused on advancing women's professional growth, leadership development, career mobility, and economic empowerment through educational programming, professional networking, and practical workforce strategies.

Bayne served as the conference production and management partner, overseeing program development, speaker coordination, event logistics, audiovisual production, staffing, and onsite execution.

Scope of Services

Conference Planning and Production

Bayne coordinated the planning and execution of the full-day conference, which featured a keynote address by Symone Sanders-Townsend, hosted by Britt Waters, along with an AI-focused panel discussion, guided career conversations, professional development workshops, and networking opportunities.

Bayne's responsibilities included:

• Developed conference agendas, production schedules, speaker timelines, and detailed run-of-show documents.

• Coordinated the Conrad Hotel venue, ballroom configurations, staging, seating arrangements, catering, and event logistics.

• Recruited and managed keynote speakers, moderators, panelists, workshop facilitators, and entertainment.

• Managed attendee registration, guest services, speaker communications, and onsite staffing.

• Coordinated audiovisual equipment, sound technicians, presentation materials, photography, videography, and event documentation.

• Developed conference branding, printed programs, speaker materials, and attendee-facing communications.

• Managed speaker preparation, presentation collection, technical rehearsals, and onsite program transitions.

Program Development and Stakeholder Engagement

Bayne collaborated with DOES to develop a comprehensive conference program designed to address the professional development needs of women at different career stages.

Programming included a keynote presentation titled Owning Your Power at Every Stage of the Workforce, a moderated panel on artificial intelligence in the workplace, guided career discussions, and three concurrent breakout blocks featuring six professional development sessions.

Session topics included leadership development, career acceleration, mentorship, executive advancement, strategic visibility, workplace wellness, and navigating organizational dynamics.

Bayne coordinated participation from government executives, workforce development professionals, business leaders, and industry experts, including representatives from the Mayor's Office on Women's Policy and Initiatives, the National Forum for Black Public Administrators, BuildWithin, and other public and private sector organizations.

Results and Impact

Bayne successfully produced the 2026 Women in Workforce Conference, providing an engaging professional development experience for 150 participants.

Key accomplishments included:

• 150 attendees participated in the full-day conference.

• $125,000 conference budget managed through comprehensive planning and event production.

• One nationally recognized keynote speaker, Symone Sanders-Townsend.

• One moderated AI workforce panel featuring four industry and government professionals.

• Three breakout session blocks featuring six career-focused professional development sessions.

• Coordinated a guided career discussion, networking opportunities, and employer and workforce resource engagement.

• Managed multi-room conference operations, speaker coordination, audiovisual production, event staffing, and program execution.

Through this engagement, Bayne demonstrated its ability to manage high-profile government conferences, coordinate nationally recognized talent, develop substantive professional programming, and execute complex, multi-session events. The conference supported DOES's commitment to women's professional advancement while creating opportunities for leadership development, workforce innovation, and meaningful professional connections.