2023 ATI Annual Conference and General Meeting

Boone, North Carolina
October 15 (pre-day) - October 20, 2023

Workshops | Registration | Accommodations | Transportation | Conference Assistants & Scholarship | Covid-19 Guidelines | Cancelation

In 2023, ATI is planning both in-person and virtual components of the Annual Conference and General Meeting for the first time! We will have our usual in-person meeting, and a virtual meeting for those who can’t attend in person. The bridge between us will be the events in Boone live-streamed to the virtual attendees. We hope our travelers to North Carolina, and our virtual attendees, create and continue connections around the world, embodying ATI’s vision of diversity and inclusivity with our internationality.

Workshops

The workshop proposal forms are now open!

If you want to submit an in-person or virtual workshop, please submit the appropriate workshop proposal form below:

• In-person Workshop Proposal Form
• Virtual Workshop Proposal Form

With in-person and virtual components this year, the Workshop Planning Committee is coordinating an in-person schedule for attendees in Boone, and a virtual schedule for online attendees. Please note that in-person workshops* will not be live streamed for virtual attendees. Our virtual component will include access to a pre-recorded bank of workshops from the last 3 years, as well as live Zoom workshops. The only live-streamed portion of the conference will be the General Meetings, Keynote speaker, and plenary session (which will all be hosted in Eastern US time). 

Keynote Speaker Information:
This year our keynote speaker evening will be on Monday, October 16 with entertainment to follow! The keynote speaker is Erik Bendix from Asheville, NC.   

Awards Banquet Information:
Each year ATI holds its Awards Banquet, which includes a special meal, the Awards presentation, and entertainment. This year our Banquet is scheduled for October 19 and is not on the same evening as our keynote speaker.

Live Entertainment: 
As always, we will have local, live entertainment – music, dancing, No-Talent Night!

*Some in-person presenters may choose to record their own workshop on a personal device and make it available to ATI members at a later date. This is not guaranteed.

Sponsorship Candidates: We would like to get an early count to get an idea of how many sponsors are needed in Boone. If you are planning to go through the ATI Teacher Certification process during the conference, please email Eric on the Certification Coordinating Committee at [email protected]. For more information, click here.

Annual Conference Assistants

We need three trainee assistants to help us in Boone! ATI trainee members are invited to apply to serve as conference assistants for the ATI ACGM in North Carolina this Fall. The conference assistants will need to be available for the pre-day and the whole conference. Tasks shared by the three assistants include:

• ​Pre-day activities beginning October 15, 2023
• Registration preparation and assistance
• Setting up and clearing up rooms before and after meetings and workshops
• Assist with various tasks before, during and after each Annual General Meeting
• Help with small tasks for making the conference and meeting run smoothly

Assistants are NOT required to work during workshops, so that they can take full advantage of this training opportunity.

In exchange for your help ATI will provide a $300 stipend toward registration, room, and board.

We are interested in working with people who have never come to an ATI ACGM, as well as those who have some conference experience. It is a valuable opportunity for trainees who need the financial assistance to be able to attend an ATI ACGM. When you register, you will be given a discount code if you are selected which will apply the $300 stipend. 

If you believe you have qualities or skills that make you an excellent choice for a conference assistant, please outline them in a brief letter and email it to the ATI office. Give us your name, the training program you attend, or the name of your primary trainer, a brief letter of recommendation from your trainer and contact information. Please let us know why this opportunity is important to you.

We encourage all trainees who are interested to apply. You do not need English as a first language to be considered. ATI Trainee membership is free for the first year, so if you are not an ATI member currently but want to be one you are welcome to join and apply.

Linda Hein Scholarship 

This scholarship was established to recognize the dedication and commitment made by Linda Hein as administrative coordinator for ATI for over 12 years. ATI will award this scholarship annually to one trainee member to help defray the costs of attending the ACGM. The scholarship award of $500 will be applied to the recipient’s board and lodging. To find more information about the scholarship and to apply, click here.

The deadline for this application is June 30.

Accommodations

ATI will have the entire conference center for the week of our ACGM. There are ample rooms available to accommodate single room requests. You may, at your discretion, share a room with another attendee. Please see the Covid-19 guidelines for the ACGM further down the page. For room rates, please see above in the "Registration" section.

We will also try to utilize outdoor meeting spaces for meetings and workshops as we can. These spaces include an amphitheater and fire pits with gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There is plenty of hiking on the grounds and in the area, and there is a heated indoor pool. Only the water is heated, not the room.

The dinning hall is a high cathedral style ceiling with fans and space between tables. We will be the ONLY people at the center during our conference. They have been requiring people going through the buffet to wear gloves and masks while serving themselves the food. There is also a large balcony with tables and chairs to eat outside.

Transportation

The Blowing Rock Conference Center (BRCC) is situated within a two-hour drive of the Charlotte-Douglas International Airport, the Greensboro Airport, and Asheville Airport in North Carolina. Once you arrive at your airport, you will need to arrange your own transportation to BRCC.

ATI is currently working on arranging a shuttle service to and from the BRCC. If you want to reserve your spot on the shuttle, you will select that option when you register for the ACGM. The price of tickets is to be determined.

Personal transportation options include:

1. Hickory Hop Shuttle (Estimated price: $160): The Hickory Hop shuttle runs from Charlotte-Douglas Airport to Blowing Rock Conference Center (also referred to as BR Convention Center) and back. In order to make reservations for your arrival and departure, click here. You will want to select the option [Charlotte to Boone/Blowing Rock] and if you need transportation both ways, please select [Round Trip]. Fill in all the required information (arrival/departure dates and times) and calculate the fare. This option round-trip is about $160.
2. Car Rental (Estimated price: $250 - $700 depending on the car rental company)
3. Taxi Service:

1. High Country Taxi, 6 passenger minivan + luggage
   www.highcountrytaxi.com
   828-414-1492

2. Abby Cab Co., 5-6 passenger minivan + luggage
   www.abbycab.com
   828-475-2988

3. Air Haven Limousine, 13-16 passenger vans + luggage
   www.airhavenlimo.com
   828-265-2504

4. Ride Sharing with other attendees: we will setup a forum soon to allow attendees to coordinate this with each other.
5. Greyhound buses leaving from Boone to Charlotte and Greensboro (Estimated $40 round trip + taxi/ride share app fees to and from the bus station and destination): These buses do not go to either airport, but they will take you to the Greyhound Bus Station in Charlotte or Greensboro. You will have to find an Uber, Lyft, Taxi, or public transportation from the Greyhound station to the airport.

Check back for more information, as we will be updating this information over the next few months. If you feel you need more information before you register or make travel arrangements please contact the Site Committee at [email protected]

Covid-19 Guidelines

In accordance with CDC and Blowing Rock Conference Center guidelines, we ask that all attendees have masks available to wear as needed or requested. Attendees who are fully vaccinated are, in general, not required to wear masks but may if they choose. Unvaccinated attendees will be requested to wear masks at all public gatherings.   

For the Community Class and Dance, we ask all attendees to be masked. Please note that these guidelines may change as circumstances change.

Cancelation

In the case that you would need to cancel your registration to the 2023 ACGM (in-person), you can do so for a full refund of all paid fees before August 21, 2023. If you cancel on or after August 21, 2023, you will be refunded registration and meal fees - lodging fees are unable to be refunded at this time. If you cancel any time on or after October 1, 2023, you will be refunded your registration fees only, as your meal and lodging fees have already been paid to the conference center. In this case, should you wish to transfer your registration to someone else, contact the ATI Office. Please note that we cannot make any exceptions to this policy. 

Virtual conference attendees can cancel anytime before October 13 and receive a full refund. Any cancelations after October 13 cannot be refunded.