SMASH (Sommet montréalais d’actions sur le santé des hommes qui aiment les hommes)
Creating space for francophones to advance GBTQ men’s health in Quebec.
Created by RÉZO
SMASH is an annual summit that aims to:
1. Offer a venue for francophone guys into guys (and people who work in their communities) to discuss GBTQ men’s health.
2. Have activists, researchers and academics, healthcare professionals, and representatives from community-based organizations exchange knowledge through conferencing, workshops and group discussions.
3. Foster opportunities for these stakeholders to propel GBTQ men’s health forward in the Province of Quebec.
SMASH came from a need to create a space where people working in GBTQ men’s health could meet and learn about each other’s initiatives. It also arose from a need to learn what concerns and needs our communities have - empowering Community Based Organizations and Healthcare Providers to better understand how to make their services useful to GBTQ communities in Quebec.
What can attendees expect at SMASH?
Content
Summit presenters have covered topics ranging from community care, wellbeing to mental health. Presenters have also focused on trans, non-binary and Black MSM access to healthcare. Both attendees and presenters are encouraged to exchange ideas and participate in discussions through various activities and networking events.
Scheduling
Held over two days (typically a Friday and Saturday in early March), the event is usually one half-day (from 1PM to 5PM) followed by a full day (9AM to 5PM) of conferences, workshops, and other activities (roundtable discussions, poster presentations, etc).
Location
SMASH has taken place both in a rented space and online. Over its first two years, the event rented conference rooms in a downtown Montreal hotel in addition to separated rooms to accommodate activities taking place simultaneously.
How is content determined and evaluated?
SMASH is primarily organized by RÉZO, with the help of an advisory committee consisting of community members and partner organizations. The committee is tasked with determining themes, selecting presentations, and recruiting presenters and facilitators. Targeting 35% turnover annually, committee recruitment is founded on achieving a balance of diversity, skillsets and expertise.
The summit is also informed by an evaluation of data collected at the event’s closing. Data collection has occurred both online and in-person (corresponding to the format of SMASH itself).
In-person data collection includes an hour-long discussion with ten presenters and community members - as well as a few open questions prior to the summit’s close. Online surveys take place using Google forms that facilitate data collection.
Resources Required
As a multi-day event, SMASH requires a range of inputs in order to be successful:
Human Resources
1 Event Coordinator
2 event support workers:
5-10 hours/week each
From RÉZO’s staff, selected by (1) who volunteers and (2) who may be in a position to develop their capacities
Assist in planning, organizing, and facilitating SMASH
8-10 advisory committee members:
RÉZO staff person (1)
academics or researchers (1-2)
staff from partner organizations (3-4)
community members (3-5)
10 volunteers
Help on event days
Tasks include active listening, prepping rooms, welcoming participants and presenters, clearing out rooms
Recruited through a blanket invitation from RÉZO’s volunteer list
Material Resources
Computers
Projectors
Screens
Promotional Material (banners, pamphlets, and others)
Financial Resources
$11k for core event costs
$3k - rented space
$7.5k - food and drinks
$500 - extra materials
$100 for paid social media promotion
$300 for graphic design
Recruitment and Engagement
Recruitment largely targets Community Based Organizations and Healthcare Providers - and is mainly achieved through mailing lists from previous years and through pre-existing partnerships (STBBIs test clinics, mental health support programs, working groups). This work is supplemented by social media promotion (conference highlights, Facebook events).
Past Challenges
Every year, RÉZO strives to highlight new community initiatives that forward well-being and health among GBTQ-identifying individuals. These types of initiatives are often led by small and under-resourced teams that do not necessarily have time to attend a two-day summit. In response, SMASH is programmed as a free event over both a weekday and weekend day to reduce barriers to participation.
Annual concerns also include: locating an appropriate space (universal accessibility, quiet, dietary and ethical food options, access to outdoor spaces etc.), successfully attracting healthcare professionals and creating space for marginalized communities to fully participate in the summit (onsite LSQ translation, new presentation formats to facilitate participation among people with disabilities or neuroatypical individuals).
Moving Forward
SMASH’s greatest success has been to reunite over 100 people each year to discuss needs, responses and new initiatives addressing GBTQ communities in Quebec. Interest and attendance continues to grow by the year.
RÉZO’s qualitative evaluations indicate that attendees find SMASH to be a safe, welcoming environment to share their experiences and questions.
Program Resources
For further information, please contact:
Gabriel Daunais-Laurin
Coordonnateur au développement de l’intervention, RÉZO
gabriel.dl@rezosante.org
438-874-4296
2075, Rue Plessis, Bureau 207
Montréal, QC
H2L 2Y4