152nd Conference
13th-15th October 2016
Crewe Hall, Crewe, Cheshire
Sponsorship, Exhibitors and Advertising Pack
The National Institute of Medical Herbalists is holding it’s 152nd Conference at Crewe Hall, Crewe, Cheshire. The theme of the 152nd Conference is ‘Learning from Experience’. We would like to offer your company the opportunity to sponsor an element of the conference or to take an exhibition stand.
About the NIMH
The NIMH is the oldest professional association serving the needs of Medical Herbalists anywhere in the world. Founded in 1864 the NIMH has campaigned tirelessly for the rights of people everywhere to have access to herbal medicine provided by properly qualified and experienced people who can guide them through their ill health into wellness.
Why you should have a presence at the NIMH conference
Our conference affords access to the largest group of professional, qualified medical herbalists in the UK. This includes students of the subject and newly qualified herbalists joining the Institute. As well as NIMH members, we have invited members and students of other professional herbal organisations, and colleagues from other fields of healthcare.
Over a period of 2 days you can meet with your customers, both current and future, and meet colleagues in the industry. Our members, your customers, tell us that the opportunity to meet with their suppliers is one of the most important things about coming to conference.
Our exciting line-up of speakers are extremely well known in the field and the conference gives many herbalists a unique opportunity to hear them lecture. We expect a high level of interest in this event.
Included you will find sponsorship opportunities, ways of making your name known and to continue to gain exposure to the herbal community as well as other healthcare practitioners from other fields.
We look forward to hearing from you very soon. If you would like your details removed from our mailing list then please let us know.
Katherine Bellchambers-Wilson and Heather Hodge
The Promotions Team
The National Institute of Medical Herbalists
Sponsorship Opportunities
New Members Drinks Reception:
At the end of the first day, Council and established members welcome new members who have recently qualified and are starting their journey as NIMH registered practitioners and ask them to join them in a new members drinks reception. This event has proven hugely popular with new and established practitioners alike. It is always well attended and is a good opportunity for businesses to meet new members who are looking to place their first orders and start up in practice.
Sponsor Speakers
This year’s line up of speakers is distinguished and exciting. Be associated with the best in our field by sponsoring a speaker. Our line up includes:
Dr. Dilis Clare: Dilis is a leading authority on herbal medicine in Europe. She is a qualified GP and medical herbalist. She is the clinical director of her integrated health clinic, Health and Herbs. Dilis graduated from University College Dublin Medical School and from Middlesex Unviersity. She has been in full time integrated Medical care since 1999.
Sebastian Pole: Sebastian is co-founder and herbal director of Pukka Herbs. He is passionate about the sustainable supply of organic herbs as well as working with communities to protect both their livelihoods and local ecosystems. He has run his own herbal practice in Bath since 1998 and lives on a two acre forest garden farm in Somerset where he grows over 100 species of medicinal plants and trees. He is registered with The Ayurvedic Practitioners Association, The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine and the URHP. He holds a Licentiate in Herbal Medicine, a Diploma in Oriental Herbal Medicine and is an Ayurvedic Health Counsellor.
Catherine Acott: Catherine (Kit), trained at the College of Phytotherapy and qualified in 1994. She worked at Napiers in their Mother and Baby Clinic for several years as well as practising from home and making her own tinctures. She has taught and lectured widely, working in the Edinburgh Student Clinic for many years. Kit lives on a narrowboat and has carved out a new role as ‘The Towpath Herbalist’ treating a unique community and becoming more committed to the use of wayside herbs.
Dee Atkinson: Dee has been a herbalist for 26 years and has worked and ran Napiers Edinburgh. The last 5 years, her clinic has been focussed on supporting cancer patients. Dee’s clinical and personal experience with chemotherapy has helped her refine a protocol for managed fasting during chemo.
Bendle: Bendle is a teacher on the Lincoln MSc in Herbal Medicine. He has practised as a herbalist in Sheffield since 1989 and for 17 of those years, worked as a herbalist within an NHS primary care setting. He has a particular interest in mental health and takes a bioregional approach to the herbs with which he works with.
Frances Hambly: Frances graduated from the School of Herbal Medicine in Tunbridge Wells in 1987 and has been a practising medical herbalist since then. She later studied Aromatic Medicine and has completed the GAPS practitioner training. She is a student mentor and an examiner for the final clinical exams in Herbal Medicine at Middlesex University. She practices in East Sussex where she runs a clinic and dispensary. She also has a wildflower meadow and is currently developing a herb garden in the Sussex countryside.
Robyn James: Robyn is the owner of a herbal shop, clinic and public dispensary in Sheffield from which she has run a herbal practice since 2000. She is a senior lecturer on the Lincoln BSc course and previously taught at the College of Phytotherapy and was a clinic tutor for the UClan herbal medicine course. She has also had many years of experience volunteering and running festival clinics that provide acute herbal medicine and first aid.
Beatriz Linhares: Beatriz has been a practising medical herbalist for over 34 years. She has worked at Whipps Cross NHS hospital dermatology department for the past 15 years and has seen a wide range of skin conditions. She will share her experience and insights into the treatment of psoriasis.
Ned Reiter: Ned trained with the School of Herbal Medicine and qualified in 1981. He joined the NIMH the following year and has been in full time practice ever since. He also practised for 20 years within the NHS at a GP practice as part of an award winning integrated medicine project.
Delphine Sayre: Delphine has been a practising herbalist in Sheffield for 26 years. She runs a private practice, teaches in a variety of settings and works for Cavendish Cancer Care – a charity that supports people affected by cancer.
Desiree Shelley: Desiree trained in the 1070’s as a general nurse and health visitor and went on the make a career in the NHS community services. She studied herbal medicine at the College of Phytotherapy and has been a member of the NIMH since 2002. In 2006 she joined the NIMH Council and took an interest in the politics surrounding the profession. She is the NIMH representative at the All Party Parliamentary Group for Integrated Healthcare. She has a keen interest in the ongoing campaign to have medical herbalists recognised as healthcare professional and is working on charting the history of the NIMH.
Conference Goody Bags:
Contribute something to our delegate goody bags. This is a good way to introduce new products. Some contributors offer a percentage discount on orders over a certain value or put a competition card in the bag asking delegates for their details for their opt in database. Who doesn’t want to win a prize!
Pre Conference Mailing and Literature:
Each year before conference we send out over 600 packs to members with voting forms and details of conference speakers. Through the year we send information in regular mailings and have a weekly email newsletter. By sponsoring an element of the conference you can gain access to those mailings. You could have your product or service advertised in every weekly email newsletter and in each of the mailings prior to our conference. Non member delegates also receive a pre conference pack. Your information would also be included in these.
Other Ideas: If you have other ideas for sponsorship or there is something you would particularly like to bring to our conference please let us know
Sponsorship Packages.
Total Conference Sponsorship. £4000
By sponsoring the whole conference you get the following benefits:
§ Sponsorship of the main hall. Your branded publicity in the area where most of the weekend’s action takes place
§ Your stand for 2 days (value £300.00) including 6ft table and chairs and space for your display boards and products
§ Two lunch tickets per day
§ Two complimentary tickets for the dinner and dance
§ Additional tickets at the preferential members rate
§ 12 months advertising including your fliers and promotional literature in NIMH mailings including the pre conference mailing
§ Your logo on the programme (sponsorship of the programme can be negotiated at an additional fee) and all promotional literature
§ Free inclusion in the Conference Delegates Goody Bag
§ Your logo/advertisement on the weekly email newsletter to members
§ Opportunity to provide information/publicity at all of the NIMH seminars throughout the next twelve months
§ Details of your sponsorship of this event will be included in the conference programme, on the NIMH conference website and in our delegate welcome packs
General Sponsorship level 1 £2000
Rather than sponsor a particular activity of the conference, why not take a general sponsorship level including your stand and advertising costs. This includes the following:
§ Your stand for 2 days (value £300.00) including 6ft table and chairs and space for your display boards and products.
§ Two lunch tickets per day
§ 4 months advertising including your fliers and promotional literature in NIMH mailings including the pre conference mailing
§ Your logo on the programme
§ Your logo/advertisement on weekly email newsletter to members
§ Free inclusion in conference goody bags
§ Details of your sponsorship of this event will be included in the conference programme, on the NIMH conference website and in our delegate welcome packs.
General sponsorship level 2 £1100
Rather than sponsor a particular activity of the conference take a general sponsor package including your stand and basic advertising costs. This includes the following:
§ Your stand for 2 days (value £300.00) including 6ft table and chairs and space for your display boards and products.
§ Two lunch tickets per day
§ 2 months advertising including your fliers and promotional literature in NIMH mailings including the pre conference mailing
§ Your logo on the programme
§ Details of your sponsorship of this event will be included in the conference programme, on the NIMH conference website and in our delegate welcome packs.
Sponsorship of Speakers £300 - £500
Be associated with the best and the brightest in the field of herbal medicine. Sponsor one of our speakers. Your name will appear on the conference programme and you will be announced as the sponsor of the speaker when they give their talk. Details of your sponsorship of a speaker will also appear on the NIMH conference website and in our delegate welcome packs. If you sponsor a keynote speaker, you may also give out your handouts to the delegates and place your advertising banners in the area where the speaker will be presenting their lecture.
The Hein Zeylstra Memorial Lecture £500
Each year in memory of Hein Zeylstra, an important figure in herbal medicine education and a tireless proponent of the importance of materia medica offers the NIMH a special lecture. This year the HZ Memorial Lecture will be given by Sebastian Pole.
This lecture opens the conference and will be given on Friday evening after the NIMH AGM and gets us in the mood for the main conference day on Saturday.
Details of your sponsorship of this lecture will be included on the conference programme, on the NIMH conference website and in our delegate welcome packs. You may give out your handouts to the delegates and place your advertising banners in the area where the speaker will be presenting their lecture.
New Members Drinks Reception £500
Each year we welcome new members of the NIMH with a reception where they get the chance to meet Council and established members of the organisation. This year we invite you to sponsor the wine for this event. This first experience in their professional lives as full members of the NIMH is your chance to begin a lifelong relationship while they are full of enthusiasm and excitement for what the future has to offer. This event offers you the chance to offer new members a goody bag of your products and information – after all, they are your new potential customers. This event takes place in the exhibitors area so encourages new and current members to come and visit your stand.
Details of your sponsorship of this event will be included in the conference programme, on the NIMH conference website and in our delegate welcome packs.
Sponsorship of Refreshments £100 per day
Herbalists like a cuppa! This option is particularly suited to tea and herb companies or food and drink manufacturers. It is a fine opportunity to supply your product for delegates to sample for themselves. This option includes
§ Branded refreshment area
§ Your literature at refreshment stands
§ Option to add an advertising pack
§ Details of your sponsorship of the refreshments will be included in the conference programme, on the NIMH conference website and in our delegate welcome packs.
Exhibitor Rates
Exhibition rates include refreshments and two lunches per stand per day for exhibitors in a designated area.
Stand Rate Friday 1 day £175
· Stands include 1x 6ft table and 2 chairs
· Space for your display materials
· An opportunity to buy tickets for the dinner dance at the preferential members rate
· Your company details on the NIMH conference website and in the delegates welcome pack
· Two complimentary lunch tickets (any more required will be charged at the appropriate rate and must be booked and paid for in advance of the conference taking place)