Events

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Sunday, January 7

4:00 PM

Assembly

Registration

6:00 – 7:00 PM

Pemigewasset

Granite State Party Leaders

Ray Buckley, Chair, New Hampshire Democratic Party

Chris Ager, Chair, New Hampshire Republican Party

The Chairs of the New Hampshire Democratic and Republican Parties, two of New Hampshire’s most influential political leaders, discuss party organization, candidate recruitment, and New Hampshire’s national influence. The conversation will be moderated by Dr. Nathan Shrader, New England College Politics Professor.

7:00 - 7:30 PM

Pemigewasset

Candidate Q & A

Republican Presidential Candidate Ryan Binkley

Monday, January 8

8:00 AM

Assembly

Registration

8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Assembly

Exhibit Floor

9:00 – 9:30 AM

Pemigewasset

Welcoming Remarks

Dr. Wayne Lesperence, Jr., President, New England College

Governor Chris Sununu

New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu welcomes students and attendees from around the country and discusses how the Granite State plays a key role in the presidential selection process!

9:30 – 10:30 AM

Pemigewasset

Plenary Session 1: FITN History

Dr. Wayne Lesperence, Jr., President, New England College

Josh McElveen, President, McElveen Strategies, LLC

New Hampshire Secretary of State David Scanlan

The Granite State has held the first primary in the country since 1920. Why New Hampshire and why does it matter? How engaged is the average NH voter? Learn about the law and rich history from the Secretary of State while two experts explore how citizens prepare candidates for the national stage.

10:30 AM – 11:00 PM

Pemigewasset

Candidate Surrogate Q & A

Steve Stepanek, Senior Advisor to Donald Trump Campaign, Former Chairman of NH Republican Party

facilitated by Josh McElveen, President, McElveen Strategies, LLC

Join a conversation with Steve Stepanek, Senior Advisor to Donald Trump. How does 2024 differ from 2016? Learn about the role of NH from a key member of the former President’s inner circle as they look to re-take The White House.

11:00 - 11:15 AM

Break

11:15 AM - 12:15 PM

Pemigewasset

Democrat Candidate Debate

Marianne Williamson, Democrat Presidential Candidate

Dean Phillips Democrat Presidential Candidate

moderated by Josh McElveen, President, McElveen Strategies, LLC

New England College will host the first democratic presidential debate between two qualified candidates registered on the New Hampshire ballot! Dean Phillips and Marianne Williamson will take part in the debate from 11:15 am - 12:15 pm on Monday, January 8, 2024. The debate will air on SiriusXM’s P.O.T.U.S. Channel 124 at 7:00 PM.

12:15 - 1:00 PM

Merrimack

Spin Room

Reserved for media and candidates

12:15 – 1:30 PM

Armory

Lunch Concession Stand

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Contoocook

Breakout Session A: Democrat Caucus

Students and attendees are invited to meet with party members to discuss priorities and issues. This event is a great networking opportunity to meet with elected officials and campaign staff!

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Merrimack

Breakout Session B: Republican Caucus

Students and attendees are invited to meet with party members to discuss priorities and issues. This event is a great networking opportunity to meet with elected officials and campaign staff!

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Pisctataquog

Breakout Session C: Independent Caucus

Students and attendees are invited to meet with party members to discuss priorities and issues. This event is a great networking opportunity to meet with elected officials and campaign staff!

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM

Pemigewasset

Caucus Reports

3:00 – 4:00 PM

Pemigewasset

Plenary: Campaign Season Journalism

Kevin Landrigan
Josh Rogers
Holly Ramer
Alison King, Former Political Reporter, NBC Boston/NECN

What is it like to cover the 2024 primary cycle and what makes it different than prior elections? How does a reporter “find the story” and decide what matters to news consumers? Award-winning national and local political journalists share their unique perspective of campaign operations, candidates, and voter interaction.

4:00 – 5:00 PM

Pemigewasset

Plenary: Predictions

Chris Galdieri, Professor, Politics Department, Saint Anselm College

Dean Spiliotes, Civic Scholar, Southern New Hampshire University

Dante Scala, Professor of Political Science, University of New Hampshire

Scott Spradling, President, The Spradling Group

What is the role of pundits and analysts in election news coverage? How do political experts form their opinions and predict what will happen at the polls? What will happen in 2024? Hear from experts with decades of first-in-the-nation primary experience and knowledge!

5:00 – 5:30 PM

Pemigewasset

Plenary: Undeclared Voters Hold the Power

Robert Schwartz, Executive Director, Primary Power

5:30 – 6:00 PM

Pemigewasset

Candidate Q & A

Asa Hutchinson, Republican Presidential Candidate

6:00 – 7:00 PM

Explore Downtown Manchester

Tuesday, January 9

8:00 AM

Assembly

Registration

8:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Assembly

Exhibit Floor & Resume Review

9:00 – 9:05 AM

Pemigewasset

Welcoming Remarks

Manchester Mayor Jay

9:05 – 10:00 AM

Pemigewasset

Plenary Session: Think Nationally, Act Locally

Liz Wester

Will Stewart

While national and international issues dominate presidential campaigns, the issues that most directly affect people's everyday lives are the ones closer to home. In this plenary session, hear from and engage with young leaders — including elected officials, activists, and others — who, using real world examples, will share how they have made lasting change at the state and local levels, as well as their advice on how you can do the same where you call home.

10:00 – 11:00 AM

Pemigewasset

Plenary Session: Critical Eyes, Deceptive Lies?: Political Advertising and You

Dr. Michelle Nelson, Professor and Department Head, Department of Advertising, University of Illinois at Urbana-Campaign

Kirby Cook, M.S., Doctoral Candidate, Institute of Communications Research, University if Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Can political ads lie? Why are so many ads so negative? What can we learn from political advertising and how can political ads help us to make decisions in the voting booth? Together, in this highly interactive session, we'll look at classic and contemporary examples of political communications and help you to build your political advertising literacy. Let’s get ready for 2024 and beyond…

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Pemigewasset

Plenary Session: Working in Election Politics

Mike Vlacich, Principal, Cornerstone Government Affairs

Andrew Biemer, Government Affairs Professional

Jim Merrill, Shareholder, Bernstein Shur

This breakout session will include a panel discussion from experienced NH Campaign professionals who will discuss the nuts-and-bolts of building a large-scale electoral operation. Presenters will speak to their personal experiences and offer advice to those who want work in the election process. In addition, representatives from the 2024 NH campaigns will be invited to network with attendees to discuss job opportunities and how to pursue a career in election politics.

12:00 – 1:00 PM

Armory

Lunch Concession Stand

Election ballots due at noon

1:00 – 1:30 PM

Pemigewasset

Political Trivia!

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Contoocook

Breakout Session D: AI & Misinformation

David Humphreys, Associate Professor of Communication and Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning, Southern New Hampshire University

The talk delves into the intertwined relationship between AI and misinformation, detailing how AI can generate and counter false information. It examines the repercussions of AI-driven misinformation across various domains, emphasizing the challenges in detection and the potential solutions using AI and collaborative efforts. This presentation underscores the importance of public awareness, responsible AI development, and a combined approach to address misinformation.

1:30 PM – 2:30 PM

Piscataquog

Breakout Session E: Climate Action & Building the Clean Energy Economy

sponsored by The League of Conservation Voters

moderated by Rob Werner, NH State Director, League of Conservation Voters

Representative Matt Wilhelm, Minority Leader, NH House of Representatives

More speakers coming soon

Investments in the clean energy economy are already providing benefits for communities with greater incentives to develop renewable energy projects, economic development opportunities, and job creation in new industries.

This session will focus on how clean energy policy and investments will continue to build a clean energy economy and what policies are most effective in meeting the challenge of climate change.

The American Climate Corps is a new initiative to train young people in high-demand skills for jobs in the clean energy economy. This initiative will put a new generation of Americans to work conserving our lands and waters, bolstering community resilience, advancing environmental justice, deploying clean energy, implementing energy efficient technologies, and tackling climate change.

2:30 – 3:00 PM

Pemigewasett

Candidate Q & A

Democrat Presidential Candidate Marianne Williamson

3:00 – 3:30 PM

Pemigewasett

Candidate Q & A

Democrat Presidential Candidate Jason Palmer

3:30 – 4:00 PM

Pemigewasett

Candidate Q & A

Democrat Presidential Candidate Dean Phillips

4:00 – 4:10 PM

Pemigewasett

Announcement of Election Results

4:10 – 4:50 PM

Pemigewasett

Darkhorse Candidates

Look beyond the polls and mainstream media coverage at the dozens of candidates that will appear on the NH Primary ballot! Candidates will share their vision and reason for running a long-shot race.

4:55 PM

Pemigewasett

Adjournment