Q1. What is the cut-off date for individual registration? Answer: Online registration is available, and will close on June 12, 2015. Following this date, on-site registration for individuals will be available at the Overland Park Convention Center.
Q2: What is the cut-off date for my church to register as a Sponsor? Answer: The cut-off date for a church to register as a Sponsor was February 27, 2015. If your church did not register as a Sponsor, you will need to pay the full cost to cover expenses for Mission Summit 2015, which is the more typical registration fee of $165 per participant.
Q3: Do I need to register as an individual if my church is registered as a Sponsor? What is the next step, after registering our church as a Sponsor? Answer: YES!! Once your church is registered as a Sponsor, any members of your church that plan to attend the Biennial Mission Summit, may register at the discounted rate of $40.00 per member. Each attendee must register! Please have all members register individually under the “Biennial Mission Summit Individual Registration”. They may register online, or download and print the paper registration and either mail or fax their individual registration. To see if your church has registered, click here to view the List of Registered Churches Sponsors.
Q4. How do I receive my login ID? Answer: Your login ID is your email address. Please email [email protected] to request that your password be reset, if necessary.
Q5. How do I make a room reservation? Answer: You may reserve your room with the Biennial Mission Summit Individual Registration. Please visit the website at www.americanbaptists2015.com and click on “Register.”
Q6. Who pays for the hotel? Answer: Payment of room(s) will be made by you directly with the hotel, upon your departure from the hotel.
Q7: When do I pay for my hotel? Answer: Payment for hotel reservations is due upon check-out of hotel.
Q8. How do I block a group of rooms? Answer: Email [email protected], requesting for more information on group blocks.
Q9: I registered through the ABCUSA registration website, but have no confirmation number. Will I be sent documentation showing that I have guaranteed a room so that I can use that documentation with the hotel staff when I arrive? Answer: Your reservation through the ABCUSA registration website adds you to our room block - therefore, the hotel will not provide confirmation numbers. Staff from ABCUSA Travel and Conference Planning will be on site, should there be a problem.
Q10. Who do I contact to change or cancel my hotel reservation? Answer: Please contact the [email protected] by June 12, 2015. Beginning June 13, 2015 all changes are to be made directly with the hotel. (click here for hotel information).
Q11. By what date do I need to notify the Office of Travel and Conference Planning that I wish to cancel my Biennial Mission Summit registration and thereby receive a refund? Answer : Notification must be received by May 22, 2015 to receive a refund; note that a $25 fee will be charged for cancellations.
Q12. What meals can I attend? Answer: All meals are ticketed events. Only a few meals are by invitation only, and these are identified in Biennial Mission Summit publications. Meal tickets will be available for purchase with registration. A few additional tickets might be available during the Mission Summit event at the Meal Event Ticket Counter. Attendees will also be able to purchase light meals, sandwiches, coffee, tea and water at concession stands outside the Exhibit Hall.
Q13: I have signed up for an exhibit booth. Can I sign up for meal events? Answer: Included in the purchase of each exhibit booth, the main contact for each booth will receive 1 exhibitor badge. When registering, main contact will use the Registration Code of Exhibitor. The main contact will be permitted to then sign up and pay for any meal events they wish to attend. Additional members staffing a booth will need to check if their Church is registered as a Church Sponsor for the Mission Summit in order to fully participate in the Mission Summit. If Church is registered as a Sponsor, each additional person(s) staffing booth would pay $40.00 each. If Church is not registered as a Sponsor, additional person(s) staffing booth would pay $165.00 each.
Q14. How does Church Sponsorship affect voting? Answer: You will still register as Delegate or Individual – Church Sponsorship does not affect voting, you will be allowed the same amount of votes as stated through the bylaws.
Q15. What is the delegate fee? Answer: The fee is the same, there is no change. $40 for delegates from registered churches, $165 for delegates from non-registered churches.
Q16. Why are you using the Church Sponsorship structure? Answer: It is our hope that this will encourage more people to register and make it possible for them to attend the Biennial Mission Summit.
Q17. If our church is not able to pay the Church Sponsorship fee, is there any way the individual registration fee can be reduced? Answer: The registration fee formula for 2015 has been set to cover the expenses of the three-day event, while keeping costs to individuals as low as possible. The cost to cover expenses in 2015 is $165 per participant. We are asking churches to help us offset and reduce that cost by registering the church. We realize that not every church will be able to do so, or will choose to do so. This will leave some individuals paying the more typical registration fee ($165).
If you are the only person attending the Biennial Mission Summit from your Church, then registering the church may not make financial sense. However, if more than one person from your church is attending the Biennial Mission Summit you can get together and calculate the most affordable way to register. By registering the church as a Sponsor, you can save money. The more people who attend, the less expensive for everyone.
Q18. How do I book my flight reservations? Answer: You may call the ABCUSA travel agent, Travel Leaders at 1.800.798.4081, to check rates and book your flights.
Booking flights through Travel Leaders is beneficial, especially if you are booking roundtrip airport shuttle, because your name will automatically appear on the travel agent manifest and you will not need to provide us with your itinerary under separate cover. You do, however, need to sign up and pay for shuttle either on-line or by using the paper registration form.
If you need shuttle and you have booked your flights in a different manner, you must e-mail a copy of your itinerary to [email protected] in order for shuttle arrangements to be confirmed.
Q19: I'm an active duty military ABCUSA Chaplain and would like to attend the Biennial Mission Summit in June 2015. What do I need to do to register? Answer: Please register at the $40.00 registration fee and encourage your home church to register.
Q20. Who should I contact for more information? Answer: Please email [email protected] for more information.
Q21: If I am registering my Region as a Sponsor, do I list my Region’s name or my church name on the registration? Answer: List your region name.
Q22: I am a Regional Staff person or have been designated as a delegate by my region. How should I register? Answer: Please select "Church Delegate" or "Church Participant" when you register, and include your Region information in the notes section.
Q23: When and where do I register my region as a Sponsor for the Mission Summit/ Biennial? Answer: The deadline for Region Sponsorship was February 27, 2015. If you are a Region staff member and your Region has not registered as a Sponsor, you must pay the more typical registration fee of $165.
Q24: If I register at the registration fee of $165.00, because my church hasn’t registered as a Sponsor yet, will I get a refund once my church registers? Answer: No, if you register at the registration fee of $165.00 you will not receive a refund if your church registers as a Sponsor at a later date.
Q25: Who should I contact if I would like to know how many delegates from my church are allowed to attend the Biennial Mission Summit? Answer: Contact your region regarding delegate counts for your church. Region office information can be found HERE.
Q26: What do I do if I need shuttle on days other than what is specified on the registration form? Answer: You must forward your shuttle request with your itinerary to Rhoda Johnson at [email protected].
Q27: I am interested in renting a wheelchair or motorized scooter to use at the Mission Summit. Where can I do this? Answer: We recommend contacting one of the two companies listed below: Chuck’s Mobility: Phone: 1-877-788-5275 Website: http://chucksmobility.com/ Wheelchairs: $125 for 1-7 days - this price includes delivery, pick up, taxes and fees. Leg lifts are $25 extra. Scooters: $190 for 1-3 days, $215 for 4-7 days - this price includes delivery, pick up, taxes and fees. One month in advance for guarantee, but will work with last minute single requests as available.
American Care Equipment: Phone: 913-383-3456 Website: http://www.americancarekc.com/ Wheelchairs: $45 for 4 days plus $35 drop off fee. Scooters: $90 for 4 days with a $35 drop off fee. One week notice is needed for a guarantee.
Q28: As the church contact, how will the registrar for the Biennial Mission Summit know that the individuals that registered as delegates under a particular church have been officially designated as a delegate by that church? Answer: If a church would like a list of their delegates that have registered for the Biennial Mission Summit, they may forward this request to Rhoda Johnson at [email protected].
Q29: Is there parking at the Overland Park Convention Center? How much does it cost? Answer: Parking is FREE. The Overland Park Convention Center has 1,000 FREE parking spaces, 400 of which are covered, and 1,400 within the center and hotel complex.