Frequently Asked Questions about the Smart Marriages conference:
Please email your questions and we'll add them to the list.
About the conference
Terminology? What's a Plenary, Workshop, Masters, TOOB, Seminar, Breakout, Institute, Roundtable?
I'm not a mental health professional. Can I attend?
I want to bring a non-professional spouse and want him to have fun, what do you suggest?
How do I become a Marriage Instructor?
It's a marriage conference. Can SINGLES attend?
CEU questions: how are they calculated? CME?
Questions about Institutes: Cheaper if I attend the conference? What's a two-day mean?
I'd like to find a ROOMMATE to split costs
Conference recordings
Where can I get more info about the keynote/plenary sessions?
Can I attend only the Banquets? Can I bring a guest?
What to Wear?
Registration questions: Do I have to pick sessions? I need to switch Institutes.
Spouse Discounts
Volunteering
Can I get a list of those coming from my region in advance?
Tax Deductible?
Diane, I'm new to the conference and also a new subscriber to your e-newslist and I'm confused by all the terms you use about the conference. I registered early and now am concerned that I may have missed out because I didn't understand the difference between the Toob trainings, the workshops, Masters sessions, plenaries, seminars, Institutes, roundtables, and keynotes. I think I understand how the Banquets work. (I emailed you and you said I needed to pay extra for the banquets and that I can buy a ticket for my daughter to attend the Thurs night banquet with me.) I don't remember being asked to register for the TOOB sessions. Or, for the keynotes. And, I don't recall registering for the Roundtables to which you refer in your list serv messages. My daughter lives in the Orlando area and would also like to attend the Wed night Singles session but, so far, she is only planning to come to the Thurs night John Gray banquet. Is there any way she could attend the singles session? Can you please check my registration and see if there is anything I failed to do and advice about the above.
H.L.
I'm sure it is confusing. It's a seven-day event and we cram in an awful lot. I
urge you to study page 21 in the conference brochure and/or visit the on-site
program-at-a-glance.
If you made mistakes on your registration (failed to select session, etc) you'd have heard
from the registrar. But to be sure, I checked the reports and yours looks fine. I see that
you registered for both banquets. That's where we have the most fun and where you'll start
to get "plugged in". You do not have to register for any of the keynotes/plenary sessions including the
Fri and Sat Night Live events featuring Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt: Imago Dialogue and Julie Baumgardner and Marc Payan: Tools of the Trade and the Internet. (If an attendeed has a badge that shows they are registered for a particular day, then they are admitted to the keynote sessions for that day. You're registered for the entire conference, so you will be admitted to all the keynotes including those on Fri and Sat Night.) You selected your Institutes and your workshops. There are no blanks on your registration. And, you did select TOOB training sessions - 10 Great Dates
and Third Option. You might want to think about
ordering the "teach out of the box" kits in advance
for those two "mini trainings", though it is not required. And, you are registerd for a Masters session
(10 Great Dates is both a Masters and a TOOB Training). And, you registered for a Saturday afternoon Seminar. So, you are all set. You do not have to register in advance for the
Roundtables. Those are early-morning and/or Thurs afternoon interest
groups and you simply show up. Your daughter has has several options for adding the Singles event. If she has the time, she should just join you for the full conference which would include the Singles event Wed night - i'm sure you'd both enjoy her attending the full event with you and if she's in the area and doesn't have to pay travel it's an especially good deal - we're bringing all the top marriage experts right to her doorstep.
Or, she could register for the full day Thurs for $185 and that would get her into the Opening Keynote on Wed night, the Singles Only event Wed night, three keynotes on Thurs including lunch, and also into the 200 and 300 workshop series. Or, she can simply add the Wed night Singles event with John Van Epp: How to Avoid Falling for a Jerk (Jerkett) by calling 651-487-3001 and purchasing a special ticket.
And, to clarify the terminology: Workshops are the basic breakout sessions - 90 mins and scheduled
during the body of the conference on Thurs, Fri, Sat - the 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, and 700 series.
Special Invited Masters Session - based on prior evaluations, these presenters have been invited to present
a 90 min Masters level workshop. The designation lets you know that they've received very high ratings. Anyone
can register and for as many Masters Sessions as they like - the Master designation is about the presenter, not some requirement that the attendees must meet. No requirements and no limit.
"TOOBS" are 90-min workshops but are distinguished
by the fact that they feature "teach out of the box" programs - on Thurs, Fri, Sat.
"FOOBS" are 90-min workshops distinquished by the fact that they are not only
"teach out of the box" but also are FREE programs available online, thus Free Online Out of the Box"
Seminars are the 800 series breakouts on Sat afternoon - also 90 mins long and
distinguished by being special sessions "for the public". We invite locals to
join us and "experience" a marriage or family education program. Instead of teaching
participants "how to teach" a program, these seminars actually offer the experience of taking a class, so
offer a "practicum" for conference attendees.
The
Training Institutes are pre and post conference and are full day trainings (1, 2 or 3 days in length)
that certify participants to teach the courses.
Plenary Sessions are when we all gather in the main ballroom to listen to
keynote speakers.
Roundtables, Networking Meetings are free, networking events.
• I'm not a mental health professional, and I'd like to attend just one day
and see what this Marriage Education stuff is all about. Which day
would you sugget for someone like me?
You really can't go wrong - pick the day that is most convenient for you.
On Thurs, Fri, and Sat you'll see several keynotes and can choose from a wide
variety of workshops and TOOB trainings. Plus you can attend the morning Roundtables and
browse the 100+ Exhibits. Bring your significant other!
• Do I have to be a mental health professional - psychologist,
social worker, counselor, clergy, etc - to attend the conference?
No, anyone can attend the conference. You don't have to be
a mental health professional and you don't need an advanced degree.
You don't need a degree at all. Approximately 60% of the attendees
are mental health professionals attending for continuing educational purposes
but the public – both couples and singles – are warmly welcomed, and many attend.
With the large crowd (2000+) and no degrees on the badges, everyone blends in.
No one can tell the mental health folks from the lay public attendees.
• How about the intensive full-day training pre and post conference institutes?
These are also open to everyone. Anyone can learn to teach the marriage,
relationship, family & parenting skills courses. Even if you aren't interested
in teaching the programs, you can learn a lot that will help you improve your
own relationships in the pre and post conference training institutes. The institutes
are very popular. Approximately 80% of conference attendees also attend institutes.
• WE'RE NOT PROFESSIONALS
> We're relatively new to your list and have seen you say several times that the
> public and couples are welcome to attend the entire conference, including the
> pre and post conference training institutes. But we don't quite understand how
> this works. Would we really be welcome in these training sessions? Would we
> really enjoy them? We aren't interested in becoming marriage counselors but
> are interested in which institute might be most helpful. We are in a
> relatively new remarriage with children. Please answer as soon as
> possible as we're trying to decide whether or not to attend and how many days
> to attend.
You would be very welcome in the training institutes. At Therapy/Counseling conferences
the presenters are often talking about their "partients" and their diagnosis and treatment and
therefore (due to confidentiality and ethical reasons) are prohibited from allowing the public
to attend (a patient or someone who knows them might attend.) At Smart Marriages we
are not talking about patients - instead we are talking about marriage EDUCATIOn - about
which behaviors and what knowledge best helps couples create and maintain successful,
satisfying, sexy marriages. We are also talking about how best to teach those behaviors.
Anyone, everyone is invited to attend. I've heard from several hundred couples that have
attended training institutes who said it was the best possible way to learn the material
and improve their understanding and their marriages.
The best possible experience you could have would be to one of the core marriage education
classes PRE Conference and then take the one-day Stepfamily Institute POST Conference. You
want to also balance the institutes with workshop you'll each take
during the conference. Since you are in a remarriage, you'll want some focus on
stepfamily programs even though you say your kids are grown.
And, I must warn you that you might end up deciding you DO want to be marriage
educators after attending the conference, taking the training, and seeing what fun
it is to teach the classes. Since I'm sharing this reply with the list, I also point out that
you don't have to be a couple to benefit from the training institutes. Many
public/lay/non-professional individuals attend and benefit greatly. In fact, I have a niece
and a best girl-friend who both say that attending institutes last year changed their lives.
We shall see.
I'm bringing a non-professional spouse. What do you suggest?
> Diane,
> I'm using the holiday break to get a start on planning our trip to Orlando.
> I've convinced my husband to come along (!!) and we'll arrive 5 days early and
> check out the Gulf of Mexico beaches and other sights you've mentioned (July
> 4th holiday makes this work for us.) My questions are about the conference.
> Jack retires in two years and I hope he might join me in teaching marriage
> classes so I'd like sessions that let him see that this is something he can do
> and would enjoy doing. So, I'd like ideas about how to introduce him to the
> whole idea - how to be sure he isn't intimidated and enjoys the experience. I
> think you've made suggestions about this in the past and I hate to bother you
> but I can't find them on the website.
> Marilyn
Let me reassure you: there will be many ways to ease him in and he, like many spouses before him, should fully enjoy the experience. Also, since this is first time you're bringing a spouse, remember that you can purchase a discount spouse registration for the full conference - that's not the case at other mental health conferences so many fail to realize the deal. Even if he doesn't plan to attend the full conference, this is by far the least expensive way to sample. Buying tickets for one day or one or two events quickly becomes more expensive than the spouse-discounted, full-conference registration.
I agree that FUN is a good place for you to start. You want
him to see how easy and fun this stuff is to teach, so, yes, sign him up for
the action sessions. (I can guarantee you'll both enjoy the keynotes and
banquets - it's great to hear the big sessions together, especially this year with the sex subtheme emerging.)
To find the ACTIVE sessions see the "Let's Have Fun Track". I was asked a
few years back for *sessions that would be lively, active, entertaining and
not just lecture* for a drag-along non-professional spouse which prompted me to list these
in a list – a track. This has been extremely popular and well-received:
http://www.smartmarriages.com/play.html
As for teaching AFTER he retires, I think all the sessions have that magical effect. He'll see that Marriage Education is such practical, needed info that he'll WANT to help you get it to the couples in your community. I'd say ALL the keynotes will have this effect but if he plans to play golf during the day, you could just buy a ticket for the Friday night Imago Dialogue keynote session - that one should be especially on the mark. If you're planning to teach in a church setting he might want to sit in on the free two-day Fireproof Institutes on Wed and Sun: #117 and #108.
I can also assure you that you can tell him he'll blend right in....that's often a concern. With a crowd this size no one knows who is one of those *shrinks* and who is a member of "Joe public" - and that goes for the Training Institutes. If you know which programs you might want to teach, it's the most affordable place to have him get trained and certified.
And, best of all, it will also be good for your marriage even if it's already great - many couples attend every year *for the refresher*. Last year a woman told me she attended the Sue Johnson Hold Me Tight training because to use in her clinical work but she brought her husband along and month's later emailed to say that *attending the training together changed their life completely*. :) - diane
> I plan to attend the Conference. What do I need to do to be trained
> and certified to teach marriage education classes? Should I select certain
> workshops or I will get live training? Please explain the process. - Tanvir
You can get live training and certification as an instructor in several programs by attending the pre and post conference Institutes. See the list of 25 Training Institutes at: http://www.smartmarriages.com/institutes.html
Or, you can buy the TOOB (Teach Out-Of-the-Box) or download the FOOB programs (Free Online Out-of-the-Box) programs and use them to start teaching. No training or certification necessary, though the developers of the TOOB & FOOB programs will also present 90-min workshops to give pointers for how to best implement their programs.
SINGLES? • Is the conference for couples, or can singles attend?
We receive many inquiries from singles asking if they should attend. The
answer is: YES! Many singles attend and love it – some to be
trained as relationship and marriage educators; others to get smarter about
relationships and marriage – for their own benefit; and, some also on the
chance that they might meet other singles that are hoping to someday
practice what they learn at Smart Marriages®.
The conference is suitable for married, single, engaged, cohabiting,
divorced, single parents, widows & widowers, step parents, all ethnic groups, etc.
The skills work for everyone – anyone. (Married folks also attend
without their spouses – though it's much more fun if you can bring them along.)
Anyone can teach marriage education courses, so singles attend to take
the training and also to become certified marriage educators or to use the skills in their
practice – just like anyone else. In addition, there are courses like "How to Avoid
Marrying A Jerk" and "Children of Divorce: Change Your Odds" and "Why Aren't
Singles Getting Married" - focused on working with single populations. See the "singles track" at:
/single.track.html
At past conferences, we were asked to help singles meet each other - attendees
said they'd like to know who is single because they'd like to meet someone who, like them, wants
to try to have a "Smart Marriage®" – or, just to find a buddy, someone to hang out with during the
conference.
We have also added a special singles-only seminar scheduled the first night to increase your
odds of meeting a conference buddy early on. This session is for those who are single (as in
'single and not married' - not, as in, 'married but attending the conference alone.') "How to
Avoid Falling for a Jerk (Jerkette)" - Wed, July 8, 8:45pm - 10pm taught by John Van Epp.
Singles only. 1.5 hrs CE. No extra fee or registration necessary. If you have a conference badge, just
show up.
We've also added an (optional) stickers for single's badges so you can recognize each other. (No one else even notices, they're too busy and too married – but those with radar, see the stickers. It works.)
Many singles find roommates (2 to 4 people rooming together), who report
that it's nice to have "buddies" to hang out with and also to split costs. To find a roommate,
click on the roommate button on the Conference page.
TRAINING INSTITUTE QUESIONS
• It looks like the training institutes are cheaper if I also attend the
conference?
Yes. Institutes are $185 per day if you attend only institutes. If you also attend the conference,
institutes are $130 per day.
• When a pre-conference class is advertised as "two-days" Tues-Wed,
does this mean it is a one-day class taught on two different
days or one class taught over a two-day period?
It means it's one class taught over a two day period. You need to attend both days to be
certified as an instructor in the program.
Likewise, for three-day institutes, you must attend all three days.
You can not split the institutes. That is, you can not attend one day of one two-day
institute and another day of another institute. You can, of course, attend both a pre-conference
institute and a post-conference institute.
_____________________________________
• Can I take a training institute if I am not a mental health
provider or are these only for psychologists and counselors? Also, if I can
take these training programs, which session would you suggest I take? I
want to teach marriage preparation in my church. If I can't take the training
institutes, which workshops would best equip me to begin this ministry?
You can definitely take the institutes. That's what they're for - for
teaching anyone how to present the programs. You'll be qualified to teach
the courses after taking the institute training - and you'll have the
manuals and materials. Mental Health professionals also take the institutes
for this purpose - most have not had this training as part of their degree
program - so there will be lots of therapists in the institutes with you.
As to which one you should take, please go to the web site and click on
*conference*. Then click on *Institutes*. Then click on the "for more information"
link that is part of each institute description. There is a tremendous amount of
information on the web site about what each institute offers that is not in
the conference brochure. It will tell you what materials are included, what
the program will prepare you to do, etc.
(And, yes, even if you aren't interested in teaching the programs you are
welcome to attend them just to learn in-depth ideas for strengthening your
relationships.)
Also, you will find that the regular conference workshops will be very
helpful with ideas about how to combine programs, implement what you've
learned in the institutes, advertise, etc.
Also, it sounds like you would very much enjoy the Family Ministry roundtables
where you can learn from others what has worked - or not - in their
congregation. The roundtables are open admission - no need to register.
Bring a bagel and coffee, or eat first. They meet Thur, Fri, and Sat mornings at 7:30am.
(Note: there is also a Military roundtable for chaplains, counselors
and family life educators that work in a Military setting, and Latino, African American,
Asian, CMP, School/Youth, Sexuality. See schedule.)
And, don't miss the Networking meetings on Thurs afternoon from 5:15-7pm. Just
show up, no need to register. Also, check out the Topic Tables at the Thurs, Fri, and Sat Lunches.
<>GRANT WRITING:
> Greetings:
> I would like to know more about the Grant Writing and Evaluation Workshop. - Daryl VanderWilt The Grant Writing workshop is presented by successful grant recipient Dennis Stoica.
Includes step-by-step guidelines and great handouts.
• I'd like to find a roommate to split the cost of the hotel.
Click for roommate information. You send your info and we will give your email address and phone
numbers to others who are looking for a roommate. We suggest you reserve
a room first, (specify that you want a "double/double" which means two double queen beds rather
than a king bed) and then look for a roommate. You can always cancel the hotel,
but if you fail to reserve a room, they may sell out.
• I must have CEUs (continuing education units) for my state license.
Which CEUs does the conference provide?
We provide: Counseling, Social Work, Marriage and Family Therapy, Psychology,
and Family Life Educator CE. Click here for the details.
Call your state boards with questions, or call Amedco at 651-487-3001
and we may be able to help you. Ask for Jay Parker ext. 716
• I'm only attending one day. How many CEUs will I earn?
Please see the program-at-a-glance in the conference brochure (pg 21) or on-line at
program.html. Hours vary by day. The CEU instruction hours are written next
to each session. Add them for your total. Or, email cmfce@smartmarriages.com
with specific questions. If you attend the full conference plus all possible training
institute hours, plus the two banquets, you can earn up to
63 hours of CE. Be sure to complete an on-line conference evaluation form and
answer questions for each session you attend by July 30, in order to receive
CEs.
• I'm still not clear how the pricing and CEs work. If I attend training
institutes, how much will it cost? How many CEs can I earn?
I'll use the PREP and Smart Stepfamilies Institutes as examples.
Institutes are $185 per day if you attend only institutes (no conference.)
Institutes are $130 a day if you also attend the conference.
You earn 7.5 hrs of CE for each day of institute attendance.
You earn 24.25 hrs if you attend the full conference (nine plenary keynote sessions
and seven 90-min workshops.)
If you're single, you can also add the Singles Only seminar and add an additional 1.5 hrs
CE for 25.75 hrs.
You can add the Tues (2 hr) & Thurs (2 hr) night banquets for
an additional 4 hrs for 34.25 hrs CE
Full conference registration (Wed 6:30pm - Sat 10pm) is $355.
a. ) If you attend only the three-day PREP pre-conference institute it would
cost $545. You would earn 22.5 CEUs.
b.) If you attend the full conference ($365) plus the three-day PREP pre conference training
institute ($390) - for a total of $755, you would earn 50.5 hrs CE. (***Note that this means
you can attend the 3-day PREP institute plus the entire conference -
including 11 keynotes & seven 90-min workshops which includes three lunch keynotes - for only an additional
$210 more than you'd pay for the 3-day PREP institute, alone. $755 vs $545).
c.) If you attend the full conference and also attend both the pre 3-day PREP Institute and
the one-day Smart Steps post-conference Institute, your total would be $885 and
you would earn 58 CEUs.
d) **Note: you can also add the Tues (2 hr) or Thurs night (2 hr) banquets ($39 each) and
increase any of the above CE totals. If you added both, you'd have 62. Add the singles event for a
total of 63.5.
• If I attend an institute, and it says I'm qualified or
certified to teach the course, does that mean I'll also receive
CEUs for attending?
Attending various institutes will "certify" or "qualify" you to teach those
programs or use the materials in your practice - or lives. This depends
on which institute you attend. Please see the institute descriptions and
details to understand whether or not they (the programs) qualify (certify) you
through their training institutes.
This qualification is awarded through the organization (i.e. - through
PREP or FOCCUS, etc.) that is presenting the institute. This is separate from
and over and above the professional mental health CE hours awarded by
state or national professional boards through CMFCE/Amedco.
To receive your professional 7.5 hrs of CE for each day of institute training,
you must complete an on-line evaluation form after the conference.
All your CE hours - institutes, conference, banquet, etc. - whatever you attend,
will be included on one form that you will print on-line after the conference.
Note that a few Institutes do not qulaify for CE credits.
------------
• Dear Sirs: I need 32 hours of continuing education credits. How much of the
> conference must I attend to get this number of hours? In several places it
> says there is a total of 63 hours but nowhere does it say how the hours are
> allotted. Please advise.
You can find this information in two places. Go to page 21 in the
conference brochure. The hours allocated for each time frame are written there
- inside each block - on the program-at-a-glance. 2 hrs CE,
1.5 hrs CE, etc. You can add them up and calculate what it takes to reach 32.
Or, go to the web site and click on conference and then on program-at-a-glance which includes
the same information.
------------
- CME? - MEDICAL CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDITS
> Hi Diane, I have (I hope) a simple questions. Do you know how I can get CEU's
> for the conference training Institutes. I am a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and
> would really like to get CME's for the course if possible.
> Kathy Schleier
> Whitfield/Murray Marriage Initiative
Kathy,
We don't have CME approval but we do have ALL the mental health approvals.
I suggest you submit a Certificate of Attendance to your board and request approval.
This has worked in the past for nurses. The certificate will show that the Smart Marriages
conference (and institutes) ARE approved by the APA, ASWB and NBCC national
boards plus all the individual state boards such as the CA Board of Behavioral Science,
PA SW board, OH, FL and IL Mental Health Boards, etc. etc. Pretty compelling and
convincing for Nurse Practitioner boards. Though I must caution you that there are no
guarantees, it's up to your board.
By the way, none of the Marriage/Family Education Programs taught in the Training Institutes
offer CME's when they teach in other locations – so this isn't a problem limited to Smart Marriages.
You would likely face the same dilemma wherever you take these trainings.
Diane
****Note: We're updating the CE listings as different state approvals come in. But
realize that ALL states have been applied for and granted each of the previous 12 years.
***See exceptions for what Ohio and Utah are doing for 2008.
- CONFERENCE RECORDINGS
• I would like to reserve two workshop videos which I will
purchase at the conference - in order to avoid the shipping & handling charges.
Keynote sessionss are available on audio or video - on CD, MP3 or DVD.
Workshops and seminars are available on audio - on CD or MP3.
CD audio format is $15.95 per session.
MP3 Downloads are $9.95.
DVD video format is $29.95 per session.
There is no need to reserve recordings in advance. Playback Now will have
a booth at the conference and recordings will be available to
purchase and take home with you.
You can also order recordings by calling 800-241-7785, or order on-line at
http://www.iplaybacksmartmarriages.com
Check for special package discounts.
Institutes are not recorded - no audio or video recordings are made of the pre or post conference training institutes.
PLENARY/KEYNOTES, BANQUETS, SINGLES EVENTS
• ** I would like information about the plenary sessions.
There is no description of them in the brochure. How are we supposed to know
which ones to register for. "Close Calls" vs "Divorce Busting"
for instance, doesn't give me enough information. Maybe
it's some insider thing, but I've never been to one of your conferences and
I've never seen a conference that doesn't provide this information.
First, I'm sorry. It's a smalll brochure - and we do leave a lot out. (Or
'to the imagination', as someone said nicely.) You are not alone.
Several have called with this question - about how and where to
indicate which plenary sessions you want to attend - i.e. Michele Weiner-Davis or
Dave Carder.
I understand that it appears that you must choose. However, you don't have to.
Weiner-Davis and Carder will EACH give a keynote speech at the plenary session at the Fri
lunch. If you are registered for the full conference, you are registered for all 11 plenary sessions
and you will see all the pictured keynote speakers. You don't need to register for any of the
plenary/keynote sessions. Your badge will admit you to all of the plenary/keynote sessions.
However, to attend the BANQUET keynotes on Tues or Thurs nights or the Awards Luncheon
on Wed you must register for each of these separately and pay an additional fee of $39 per person
for each banquet or $26 for the luncheon. YES, these are banquets/luncheons so do include the meal.
And, yes, you can purchase a banquet ticket ($39) or luncheon ticket ($26) for a GUEST who is
not attending the conference. You can purchase a one-day ticket for a guest ($185) which would include
keynotes and workshops on that day, but not banquets or the Wed luncheon. However, it would
include the lunches on Thurs, Fri, Sat.
If you'd like more information on the keynotes, go to the
www.smartmarriages.com web site - click on *conference* and then on
*keynotes* to read brief descriptions of each of the sessions. From there you can
also click on *keynote bios* near the top for additional info on the
speakers and for contact information. That will give you an idea of what to
expect - you might want to read their books in advance, etc.
• Do I have to register for the banquets when I send in my registration or can
that be done later. I am not sure at this time if I will have a guest.
You can register for the conference and then add banquet tickets later as long as
you add the banquet tickets by June 1st. Or, you can purchase your banquet tickets
now and then add guest tickets later.
WHAT TO WEAR?
I get at least two questions a week asked about conference attire -
especially the banquets. We should probably just call them dinners - cut
down on the misperception. Here's a reply from last year I'll use again.
>> Diane--
>> I'm were wondering what to wear to Smart Marriages.
>> A shirt and tie, or polo and khakis, or jeans and a T-shirt?
>> For the banquets, a suit or a tuxedo?
>> Jay
>
> I'm so bad at this – I barley notice. So if any of the vets want to write in
> and correct me, I'll pass it on. But I think I'd say that polo and kakis are
> most suitable. We say "casual business" but know that can mean just about
> anything depending on where you work. Shirt with a collar is best. I
> don't think anyone wears jeans and a T-shirt, but, again, it just may be that
> I just don't notice.
>
> Banquet – shirt and tie would be nice, and you wouldn't look out of place,
> though it's not at all necessary. A few wear suits. Haven't noticed any tuxes. It's
> great dinner table conversation and great keynotes.
>
> MOST IMPORTANT – comfortable shoes!! And, WARM long sleeves to layer over
> whatever you're wearing. People literally FREEZE in the air conditioning.
> In fact, we should be selling sweatshirts – we'd make a fortune. Dress in
> easily adjusted layers.
> Diane
REGISTRATION QUESTIONS
• Diane, the registrar has emailed me quite insistently to say that I have to
> make session choices or they won't process my badge. I paid in full and I
> really can't make my decisions yet about what I want to attend. There are many
> concurrent sessions that I need to attend and I may want to attend part of one
> and part of another. I'm not being difficult, I need this for my work. Can you
> please help me with this?
Registration requires that you make selections because your
session assignments will be printed (as session numbers) on your badge.
Badges will be mailed to everyone BEFORE the conference -
(unless your registration is incomplete or if you are traveling from
outside the U.S. in which case your badge is held for pick-up at the
conference registration desk.)
The registrar can hold your form and process your registration and print
your badge at the conference, however, this will mean you will have to stand
in line and it also means you will be limited to the sessions that are still open
- that still have room - and it means you will be charged the late fee.
If you can possibly make your decisions now, send them to the registrar and
you will receive your first choices, receive your badge in the mail and be
ready to go when you get to the conference. No standing in line.
Even if you have to change a session, that's easier to do than starting from
scratch.
I'm really sorry, but we can't have you going from one session to another. It is very disruptive and
isn't fair to the others in the session - to the presenters or the
attendees. You can purchase recordings of the sessions you miss. They are
ready to take home with you - or you can have them shipped. ALL sessions except the
training institutes are recorded. Recordings are $15 per session.
___________________
• I need to change my registration for the conference. My
supervisor needs me to take the Family Wellness training instead of
the Couple Communiation Institute. The price
is the same so should I just take care of this at the conference? I don't want
to make more work for you.
You should take care of any session changes ASAP. Sessions can fill and
then it would be too late to transfer. Also, especially for institutes, the
instructors need to know how many manuals to bring.
But even if it's for a workshop, please make the change before you get to
the conference. It's best to do this via email. Email the registrar at
info@cmehelp.com with your name and changes. If there is money involved -
e.g. - if you are adding a banquet or another institute - they will get
back to you about additional amount due.
Please be aware that the price is not the same. Family Wellness is a three-day
institute and Couples Communication is a two-day Institute. Be sure you are
able to arrive on Sunday night for the Family Wellness Institute which
begins at 8:30am Mon morning. Click on institutes on the web site for complete
information. It's all spelled out there - what each institute equips you to do, when it starts, etc.
SPOUSE REGISTRATION DISCOUNT FOR SMART MARRIAGES
> Diane,
> We have several questions. 1) To get the spouse discount for the conference,
> do we have to attend the same workshops? 2) When we called and talked to you
> about what training institutes to take you suggested that we attend different
> programs so that we'd have several to teach in our practice. But if we do
> that we won't qualify for the spouse discount for the institutes. Is that
> right? 3) We have three friends that would like to attend the Saturday
> seminars. We see how to register them for $15 on line. But can they
> also purchase tickets for the John Gray banquet on Thursday night and the
> Harville Hendrix Imago event on Friday night?
> We don't see a way to do that.
> Ed and Nancy M
1) You do NOT have to attend the same Workshops to qualify for the spouse
discount for the conference. That's why we ask you to fill out two registrations -
because your session choices might be different. You'll be able to sit together
at all 9 general sessions, so you'll have plenty of time together. And if you attend
different workshops, you'll have lots to discuss in the evening.
2) To qualify for the $50 a day discount spouse Institute discount you MUST attend
the same institute. You get the discount because you share training materials
and because the programs like to train couples who will teach the courses together.
And, that is an advantage – both being trained to teach the same course. BUT
when you called, we discussed the other advantage – that of having 4 distinct
programs to take home with you: the certifications to teach them, and the materials.
3) You can just add your friends as guest to your registration for the Thurs night
John Gray Mars/Venus banquet. To register for the Imagon Fri night event, call
the registrar at 651-487-3001 and purchase special tickets for $35 per person.
----------------------------------------------------
- VOLUNTEER REGISTRATON
> I'm a grad student and would like to volunteer for the 2-day pre-conference
> institute, Mastering the Magic of Love. I won't be able to attend the conference because
> I'm in a wedding that weekend, but I don't leave town until Thursday so can work these two days. A
> student in my program volunteered at your conference last year and had glowing
> things to say about the experience. Hope I'm not too late.
> Nicki C.
I'm so sorry but volunteers must work the entire conference in order to get one
of the volunteer spots in an institute. Maybe next year.
For Volunteer information:/volunteers.html
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PRE-CONFRENCE NETWORKING
Hi Diane,
I would love to know who else is coming for the conference from the West Palm Beach or Fort Lauderdale area in Florida. I thought I saw an email way back about networking opportunities. Is there a way to connect right before the conference? I would like to compare notes with others from my area.
Julia Sanna
Sorry, but we don't have that info for pre-conference networking. You can look up who is attending from your area
at the list of registrants at the registration desk and use bulletin boards to try to connect.
Back to conference details.