For the first time since 2019, a local free conference centered on health and wellness for transgender and gender-nonconforming people will return for in-person events in a scaled-down format Sept. 5-7, with registration opening May 6. In previous years, the Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference (PTWC) was held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center but this year’s three-day event will be held at Temple University for the first time.
“After exploring multiple venues across the city, we decided that Temple University was a great fit for PTWC due to its capacity to hold many attendees, affordability, access to public transportation, [and] local dining options including food trucks and green spaces,” Jared Brooks, Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference Logistics Coordinator, said in an email. “Temple University’s Howard Gittis Student Center will allow us to bring PTWC back in person in a more manageable and meaningful way, and we’ve heard from Temple students and staff that they are looking forward to PTWC being held there!”
Brooks noted how the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted all aspects of life for everyone, and PTWC was no exception. The in-person conference was ultimately canceled in 2020 and then held virtually in 2021 and 2022.
“In 2023, Mazzoni Center decided to take a one-year hiatus from the annual conference in order to hire a new Logistics Coordinator and focus on bringing PTWC back in person for 2024,” Brooks said. “Over the past months, I have been working with Mazzoni Center staff, PTWC committee members, and other community stakeholders to ensure the conference returns as strong as possible by working to meet the needs of our community.”
One major change to the conference concerns the size and space constraints. According to the announcement email from Mazzoni Center, the total number of registrants will not exceed 1,000 people for each day of the Trans Wellness Conference. Registration will open for a one-week window beginning May 6 and if the total number of registrants does not exceed 1,000, all registered individuals will be granted participation. These individuals will receive notification via email, as well as requests to confirm their intention to attend and to make a voluntary contribution. Subsequently, the registration portal will reopen on a first-come, first-served basis until the conference reaches its capacity.
In the event that the total number of registrants exceeds 1,000, all registration groups will be entered into a random lottery. Each registration group selected in the lottery will be granted participation until the total number of participants reaches 1,000 per day. If space becomes available for any reason, registration will be offered to those next in the initial lottery order. Those unable to secure participation will be informed and provided with limited virtual participation options.
An email from Mazzoni Center noted opportunities for virtual participation: “It is our intent to provide meaningful and high-quality virtual participation opportunities. We are still working out the details on virtual participation, which will likely include opportunities for live viewing of selected speakers and specially curated virtual-only workshops. We look forward to providing more information on virtual participation and registration sometime this summer.”
The Trans Wellness Conference will kick off with continuing education tracks on Sept. 5. This serves as a space for professionals, providers, students and other individuals who serve the trans community to receive continuing education credits. A fee will apply to participate in the conference on this day while the remaining two days of the conference will be free. According to an email from Mazzoni Center, same-day registration will be available on-site if space permits for any of the continuing education tracks on Sept. 5. Meanwhile, there will be no same-day registration or walk-ins available for the general conference.
“The Philadelphia Trans Wellness Conference is often described as a life-saving event,” Brooks said. “This is because the conference serves as a space for trans people to come together for education, resources and community. We believe that the conversation surrounding trans health and wellness should be led by the trans community and that the community must be centered in the work we do at PTWC.”
Brooks also looked ahead to the future.
“The future of PTWC looks bright,” Brooks said. “We are incredibly excited to make this year’s conference a great success, which will allow us to continue to grow and improve the conference in years to come.”Philadelphia’s Trans Wellness Conference runs Sept. 5-7 at Temple University, 1801 N Broad St. Registration opens for an initial one-week window May 6 at 9 a.m. EST through May 13 at 9 a.m. EST. Portals for both the general conference and continuing education tracks can be found at mazzonicenter.org/registration. Those requiring assistance during the registration process can contact [email protected] or call 215-563-0652 ext. 683.