How to register

Please complete your registration as soon as possible. Registration is still open, the price is $285.

Due to number of events going on at this conference it is important that you read the following information before beginning registration.

Register online, download a registration form  that you may complete by mail or fax or contact the G.A. Meeting Service at (888) 728-7228, x2417 or by email  to request a registration form. If paying by check, please download the printed registration form and return by mail. Download a schedule and a general information brochure .

The adult registration fee for the full conference is $285 and increases to $335 after the registration deadline of May 8. This includes Thursday dinner, Friday lunch and breaks on Friday and Saturday. It does not include lodging or any transportation. Daily rates for those who can attend only one or two days are $85 for Thursday (includes Thursday dinner), $100 for Friday (includes Friday lunch), and $100 for Saturday.

The schedule for the Big Tent and the 10 partner conferences is complex. There are multiple options during most sessions, including plenary sessions, numerous workshops and even meals. Please review this entire schedule before you begin to register. Some participants will spend most of their time with the track of one of the ten conferences, but the Big Tent is designed so that you may experience aspects of several programs over the three days.

We suggest that you either use the Big Tent Schedule to assist you during the online registration process or download a printable registration form to guide your selections.

Two groups are sponsoring optional pre-conference events; these involve an additional fee, and advance registration is required.

You will indicate whether you are attending all three days of the Big Tent (and paying the full registration fee) or select one or two of the daily fees.

If you are receiving a scholarship or another subsidy of your registration fee from one of the partner conferences or another PC(USA) group, please do not register online unless you are prepared to have the full registration amount charged to your credit card. Contact the conference staff person for information on registering for a reduced fee.

You will be asked to indicate which, if any, of the ten partner conferences is your primary affiliation, and there is also an option of “I am not affiliated with any of these conferences.” Attendees who are affiliated with more than one of these organizations or conferences will need to select one; this does not preclude taking part in meals, plenaries and workshops offered by other conferences.

You will indicate the meals (in addition to Thursday dinner and Friday lunch) that you plan to attend. You are not automatically registered for meals sponsored by the conference that is your primary affiliation. Most of these involve an additional fee, though the fee is waived for some meals for participants who have selected the sponsoring conference as their primary affiliation.

If you register online and select one of the meals with a fee and are eligible to have the fee waived, the registration process will still include that fee in the total registration fees that appear on the final screen. The registrar will adjust that fee before your credit card is charged.

Three conferences are sponsoring tours as part of their schedules and advance registration is required. Some entail additional fees to help cover costs, and space is limited.
 
Participants will receive tickets when they register on site for the meals and tours they select, and these will be required for admission.

The registration process also shows the workshops that are offered in each of the nine workshop sessions and asks that you indicate your first, second and third choices in each of those sessions. It is very important to know attendees’ workshop preferences, both to determine if there is adequate interest to proceed with a particular offering and to plan for adequate space and resources for those that will be held.

Friday morning is the special “common workshop” session, with more than 40 workshops sponsored by each of the 10 partner conferences. Many of these will be repeated in one of the other workshop sessions. If you are following a single conference track, this is a special opportunity to participate in a workshop sponsored by one of the other groups.

There are many choices during most sessions on Friday afternoon, Friday evening and on Saturday. Some conferences are offering plenary sessions with speakers or panels, some are offering workshops and others may offer tours or even a meal. Unless you are closely following the track of one conference, you will need to review the full Big Tent schedule carefully to determine what you will want to do in each session.

It is not necessary to indicate in advance if you plan to attend one of the partner conference plenary sessions but there is advance registration for workshops. Please prioritize your first three choices among the workshops offered during that session if you intend to participate in one of those.

Note: The online registration “form” does not show the conference plenaries in each session and it shows only abbreviated workshop names (in bold on the schedule). Please review the registration booklet schedule and determine the meals and workshops you wish to select for each session BEFORE you attempt to register online. You may want to download and print the schedule so that you will have it as a guide as you register online.

Registration for children and youth

Children and youth registration is now closed. If you have any questions contact Dayna Oliver by email or at (888) 728-7228 x8700.

Cancellation Fee

Registration and other fees, less $25 per person, are refundable if notice of cancellation is received by May 22, 2009. No refunds after that date.