As 2018 draws to a close, there are many Lamaze International staff and volunteers who are already hard at work as they plan to bring you the LamazeLIVE 2019 conference event scheduled for April 11-13, 2019 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA.  Here are ten things you need to know now so you can start to make plans to attend.  Look for keynote speaker interviews on this blog in the coming months as preparations continue and excitement rises for this educational and social event that connects you with colleagues and leaders in maternal-infant health. Find LamazeLIVE 2019 event details here.

1. LamazeLIVE registration is already open and if you register by March 8, 2019, you can receive early bird pricing and save $50 off your registration fee.
2. Your donation to the LamazeLIVE 2019 scholarship fund at the time of registration can help fund conference scholarships for community members selected by our local partner organizations.  As part of the diversity and inclusion initiative outlined in our 2018-2021 strategic action plan, we are taking steps to ensure that Lamaze membership is reflective of the communities we wish to serve —communities where access to evidence-based, collaborative care is most limited and rates of maternal-infant mortality are highest. 
3. Just like last year's LamazeLIVE, attendees don't have to decide what sessions to attend.  All the conference content is offered in a format that means that everyone attends all the sessions offered, including Lamaze Speaks (short but impactful TEDTalk-style presentations), Learning Zones (hands-on and interactive 45-minute-long presentations that leave you with new skills and activities to put in practice) and Main Stage Presentations (traditional 30- or 60-minute presentations that inspire and energize).
4. The Connections Party - a chance to eat, dance and enjoy live music with new and old friends is included with your conference registration.
5. Each conference day starts with an energizing morning session prior to the day's events to get your blood flowing through movement and exercise.
6. Lamaze International's 2018-2021 Strategic Action Plan, includes demonstrating positive birth outcomes of Lamaze education by supporting research into this topic. If you have research relating to the field of childbirth education, or that would impact childbirth education in theory or practice, we are eager to hear from you at LamazeLIVE! 2019.  Submit a poster to showcase your findings and get feedback from colleagues during the event! Submissions are due December 19. 
7. The LamazeLIVE 2019 event offers 15.5 continuing education hours that you can use to recertify.
8. Budgeting for a conference requires some attention to detail.  Lamaze International has provided some resources that you can use to receive employer financial support or self-fund this event.  Download our justification toolkit to get started.  Also, find more inspiration from two fellow LCCE educators in this Science and Sensibility post on creatively funding professional development.
9. Lamaze International offers a virtual LamazeLIVE experience for those who are not going to be able to travel to the live event in 2019.  Explore the virtual schedule and learn more about the virtual experience.
10. The conference also offers pre-conference workshops to continue your learning, including a Childbirth Educator Seminar and an Evidence-Based Labor Support for Nurses session.

Tags