Our annual conference is an important training and professional development opportunity for early childhood educators. The event brings together expert and engaging keynote presenters, breakout groups, interactive sessions and other workshops to engage, inspire and educate. The event attracts hundreds of attendees from across the state, country and world each year.
Save the Date: The 2025 WECA Conference will be held Oct. 3-4 at the Madison Marriott West in Middleton.
Registration will open in July – stay tuned for details!
Now Accepting 2025 WECA Conference Presenter Proposals
Workshop proposals are due by May 2, 2025. Presentations will be selected by Friday, May 30. Please note, you can submit multiple proposals.
The 2024 conference drew nearly 900 attendees across in-person and virtual opportunities, 35 sponsors and exhibitors, and partners across a wide range of sectors, including direct care child care providers, ECE partner organizations, higher education, child health, educational material vendors, and advocates. All in attendance had the opportunity to learn, connect, network, and have fun while being able to take advantage of up to 34 hours of professional development credit.
Get Ready to Be Inspired: Keynote Speakers Set for the 2025 WECA Conference
Dr. Andrew Goff
“Finding Clarity Through Connection”
As Dr. Goff explores in his memoir, Love Is a Classroom, we must first cultivate our heartset and mindset before we can effectively teach, lead, or advocate. Self-awareness, resilience, and human connection form the foundation of meaningful teaching and leadership, shaping our ability to create transformative spaces. The keynote will unpack the real-life lessons of navigating systems, fostering inclusion, and embracing the complexities of leadership while staying rooted in relationships. All Friday attendees will receive a copy of Love is a Classroom, which continues to receive outstanding reviews.
Dr. Goff is an educator, speaker, and author dedicated to building more inclusive early childhood environments. With more than two decades of experience in early childhood education, special education, and teacher preparation, Dr. Goff brings a blend of research, lived experience, and storytelling to his work. He is the author of Love Is a Classroom, a memoir that explores the transformative power of inclusion in education and is the host of the Stories of Inclusion podcast.
Dr. El Brown
“The Gift That Keeps On Giving”
Dr. Brown will offer her signature keynote, often referred to as the “Acorn Story,” where she shares her inspiring journey from a Head Start student to the successful business owner of an international education consulting company. In this powerful presentation, she highlights the crucial role of early childhood educators and service providers, emphasizing the long lasting impact they have on the children and families they serve. Using the acorn metaphor, Dr. Brown will illustrate the growth potential inherent in every child who enters an early childhood learning environment, reminding us that they have the potential to become mighty oak trees.
Dr. Brown is a storyteller, thinker, teacher, and mother who transforms moments into movements. Through her signature Top Notch Village framework, she works with families, service providers, agencies, communities, and policymakers to create thriving ecosystems that support equitable education and life opportunities. This solution-oriented nature led her to found KinderJam®, a play-based early education program that began as a way to share her observations about her son’s development with his service providers. It quickly evolved into a military family support initiative, empowering families across 11 countries and 16 states.
Sponsor Investments
When you support WECA’s Annual Conference, you highlight your dedication to the early childhood workforce and early care and education in Wisconsin, which is the foundation of young children’s future success and a socially and economically thriving state.
WECA’s sponsorship opportunities allow your organization to contribute at a level that meets your marketing and/or corporate social responsibility goals while advancing positive recognition of your brand.
Sponsorship Registration Deadline: June 30, 2025
Sponsorship Opportunities
All sponsors will receive
- Virtual exhibit booth (+ access to full attendee list) in Whova
- Name recognition in WECA’s 2025 Annual Report (to be released in Feb. 2026)
- Option to include promotional items in conference welcome bags (#500)
Premier Keynote: $15,000
- Exhibit booth at conference + 4 conference registrations, code to be provided by WECA
- Full page, full color ad in WECA Conference program booklet
- Verbal thank you during welcome remarks
- Opportunity to share remarks prior to keynote session(s)
- Tagged in two exclusive social media posts (Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn)
- Mention in e-blast to conference attendees
- Digital logo on WECA’s Conference webpage, welcome slides, and Whova as well as in print at conference venue
Platinum: $10,000
- Exhibit booth at conference + 2 conference registrations, code to be provided by WECA
- Full page, full color ad in WECA Conference program booklet
- Digital logo on WECA’s conference webpage, welcome slides, and Whova
- Printed signage featuring organization logo at venue
- Tagged in two social media posts (Instagram, Facebook, and LinkedIn)
- Verbal thank you during welcome remarks
Diamond: $5,000
- Exhibit booth at conference + 2 conference registrations, code to be provided by WECA
- Half page, full color ad in WECA Conference program booklet
- Digital logo recognition on WECA Conference welcome slides and conference webpage
- Tagged in two social media posts
- Verbal thank you during welcome remarks
Gold: $3,500
- Exhibit booth at conference + 1 conference registration, code to be provided by WECA
- Quarter page, full color ad in WECA Conference program booklet
- Logo recognition on WECA Conference welcome slides, conference webpage, and in two social media posts
Silver: $1,500
- Exhibit booth at conference + 1 conference registration, code to be provided by WECA
- Name recognition on WECA Conference welcome slides, conference webpage, and in two social media posts
Snack Station: $1,250 (2 available)
- Name mention on conference materials promoting the snack station
- Mention in e-blast to conference attendees
Bronze: $1,000
- Exhibit booth at conference center
- 1 conference registration, code to be provided by WECA
- Name mention in one social media post
Passport Contest: $750 (1 available)
- Name mention on conference materials promoting the contest
- Logo on passports
Jewel: $500
- Name mention in one social media post
Digital Ad Package: $250
- Full color digital ad (1080×1080 px) in all pre-conference emails from summer to fall 2025, as well as the post-conference wrap-up email (minimum reach of nearly 1k recipients)
Questions?
If you have questions about this year’s sponsorship opportunities or have another idea about how we can partner, please contact us at marketing@wisconsinearlychildhood.org.
Ready to Sponsor?
Please fill out the sponsorship registration form here. Please note the deadline to register for a sponsorship is June 30, 2025. Depending on sponsorship level, registrations received beyond the deadline may not be able to access the full range of benefits offered.
Benefits of Exhibiting
WECA anticipates approximately 900 in-person and virtual attendees from Wisconsin and its neighboring states. The conference draws early childhood teachers, assistant teachers, directors, and family child care owners/providers in addition to representatives from state agencies, higher education institutions, and Child Care Resource and Referral (CCR&R) agencies.
- All exhibitors will be featured in the Conference program booklet and on Whova, the virtual conference platform
- The first 10 exhibitors to register for an in-person booth will be featured on a poster board outside the exhibit hall
- Exhibitors may opt to purchase lunch as an add-on to their exhibit booth
Exhibiting Terms & Conditions
- Digital ad registration will remain open until June 30, 2025
- Booth registration will remain open until Aug. 31, 2025
- Staff exhibit booth on Oct. 3 and 4, 2025
- Arrive to setup on Oct. 2 from 2 – 6 p.m. on Oct. 2 or on Oct. 3 from 6:30 – 7:30 a.m.
- Participate in WECA’s passport contest, including providing a “Fun Fact” about your organization at the time of registration
- Contribute a door prize for our passport contest, to be collected upon arrival (optional but strongly encouraged)
- The exhibit hall will close for teardown on Oct. 4 between 1:30 – 3 p.m.
On-site Exhibitor (full booth)
$400
- 8’ table, pipe and drape, two chairs, and Wi-Fi
- Virtual exhibit booth (+ virtual exhibitor benefits)
- Electricity will be made available upon request
On-site Exhibitor (half booth)
$150
- 8’ table, two chairs, Wi-Fi
- Virtual exhibit booth (+ virtual exhibitor benefits)
On-site Exhibitor - Nonprofit Rate
$200
- 8’ table, pipe and drape, two chairs, and Wi-Fi
- Virtual exhibit booth (+ virtual exhibitor benefits)
- Electricity will be made available upon request
Virtual Exhibitor
$100
- Virtual exhibit booth (+ access to full attendee list via Whova)
- Logo displayed on Whova, the virtual conference platform
- Opportunity to include description of products/services, webpage links, videos, and attachments as well as host live demos
- Ability to collect leads and interact with attendees
Questions?
Please contact our team at marketing@wisconsinearlychildhood.org.
Ready to Sign Up?
Fill out the exhibitor registration form here. Booth registration will remain open until Aug. 31 – or until space is no longer available.
Thank you to all 2024 Conference Sponsors including platinum and diamond level sponsors:
