2018 National Staff Conference
March 4-6, 2018
Charlottesville, VA
SEA Staff Contact: Becky Silva, becky.silva@squashandeducation.org
Deadlines
12/1/2017: Make a $100/staff deposit to SEA online to reserve staff spots. Deposit will be refunded after the retreat for every spot used by the organization.
1/26/2018: Deadline for making hotel reservation under SEA group block.
2/1/2018: Deadline for booking flights and sending your travel information and receipts to Becky Silva at SEA.
Event Summary
The Squash and Education Alliance will host a national conference for 100 member program staff from March 4th-6th, 2018 in Charlottesville, VA. The conference will include workshops, meetings, and social time, with the goal of enabling staff to learn more about one another and best practices in our field.
Costs
SEA will pay for staff lunch and dinner on Monday, and lunch on Tuesday. We will also provide a flight subsidy of 50% of airline tickets up to $150 per staff, provided that tickets are purchased by Feb 1st (i.e. if a ticket costs $150, SEA will pay $75. If the ticket costs $400, we will pay $150). Programs are responsible for all other costs.
Location
The conference will take place at the Boars Head Resort in Charlottesville, VA where we will have access to the UVA squash courts, hotel rooms, meeting spaces, and dining services. The resort is a 15-minute drive from the UVA campus. While no member programs are based in Charlottesville, SEA has a strong partnership with UVA coach Mark Allen, and a generous local supporter will enable SEA to subsidize some of programs’ travel and accommodation costs.
Accommodations
Programs are responsible for making their own hotel reservations at the Boars Head Inn. Rooms cost $136/night for double beds and $126/night for king beds, plus tax and a mandatory $8 resort fee that grants access to the airport shuttle, parking, internet, and fitness center. Programs can make reservations online or by calling (866) 996-7504 between 8am – 5pm Monday-Friday or 9am-5pm Saturday-Sunday. Programs bringing a larger number of staff are also welcome to fill out the Group Reservation Form and email it to Patrick Sullivan at psullivan@boarsheadresort.com.
Reservations must be made by Friday, January 26th in order to take advantage of the group rate.
Schedule
SEA will share detailed scheduled information as the retreat date approaches. Please note the start and end times below as you make travel arrangements.
- Start: On Sunday afternoon, there will be open courts from 5-8pm, followed by a staff gathering at 8pm to facilitate introductions and start building connections between staff. In the same building as the courts, there is a restaurant/bar where staff can have dinner and drinks, and plenty of spaces to sit and catch up with colleagues. The formal portion of our retreat will start Monday morning at 8am.
- End: The last session will end at 3:30pm on Tuesday, so plan on leaving no sooner than 4pm. If you are booking flights out of Charlottesville airport, please do not book any flights before 5:30pm.
Travel
Please note the flight reservations must be made and submitted to SEA by February 1st in order to be eligible for reimbursements (see “Costs” section above).
- Airports: The closest airports are Charlottesville (25 min), Richmond International (1.5 hrs), and Dulles International Airport (2-2.5 hrs). The Charlottesville airport is likely the most convenient option for many programs; while it may require a connecting flight, it is a small, easy in/out airport with shuttle service available to the Boars Head and connections to major hubs nearby. As noted above, when making reservations, please do not book any flights out of Charlottesville on Tuesday before 5:30pm.
- Shuttle service: The Boars Head Resort has shuttles to transport guests to/from the Charlottesville airport or Amtrak station. If you plan on using the shuttle service, please be sure to note this when you share your travel plans with SEA. We will pass this information along to the Boars Head and they can plan accordingly to meet your needs.
- Parking: There is plenty of parking available on-site at the Boards Head for programs who choose to drive.