2023 NATIONAL CERT Conference Update

Hello NCA Membership,

This is an update for the 2023 National CERT Conference for March 7, 2023. Please share this email with your network as appropriate. If you were forwarded this email and would like to join the 2023 National Email list, please complete this quick survey:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2023CERTConferenceEmailList

2023 CERT Conference Preview

We invite you to join the 2023 CERT Conference Planning Team on Wednesday, March 15th for a webinar previewing details about the 2023 CERT Conference. Planning team members will give updates on scheduled pre-conference trainings and share some of the confirmed speakers scheduled for the main conference.

This webinar will be hosted by FEMA Region 2.

The webinar will be held on Wednesday, March 15 from 10am to 2pm pacific, 1pm to 3pm eastern.

Click here to register for the webinar:

https://fema.connectsolutions.com/natcertconf2023/event/registration.html

Conference Flyer

Attached is the flyer for the 2023 National CERT Conference. Please feel free to share this with your network as appropriate.

Where to Find the “2023 National CERT Conference” Website

The conference planning is underway. The pre-conference agenda is almost complete and we are currently working on conference presentations. To follow along as we continue to build our conference agenda, check out https://nationalcert.org. (If you are reading this email on March 7, the conference information should be live in a few days.)

You can use the NCA website to see what classes are confirmed, who will be teaching them, and most importantly, the conference registration link–but don’t click yet! Keep reading for important details you can only find here.

Registration

Registrations are set to begin on Monday, March 20, 2023 or shortly thereafter. There are two registration options for the conference. Main Conference Only is Thursday, June 29 through Saturday, July 1 and includes plenary sessions, breakout presentations and a few training opportunities. Full Conference is Monday June 26 through Saturday July 1 and adds three days of pre-conference training, June 26 through June 28. Over 31 training opportunities are available during pre-conference including a CERT Rodeos skills competition.

Below are the different types of registrations available, their prices and payment method considerations. Please be sure what part of the conference you want to attend before starting the registration.

Early Bird Registration

Early registration begins on March 20, 2023, or whenever the registration site goes live. Anyone can receive this price so long as they complete the registration by Friday, April 28, 2023.

· Full Conference (June 26 – July 1): $625*

· Main Conference Only (June 29 – July 1): $475*

Standard Registration

If you miss the early bird registration window, the prices for the tickets will increase.

· Full Conference (June 26 – July 1): $675*

· Main Conference Only (June 29 – July 1): $525*

*All prices are inclusive of taxes and fees. The cost to take pre-conference training is $150. This covers the cost of the food provided and event space. Conference registration is required to take pre-conference training.

Discount Registration for CERT Volunteers–Save 50%

Not everyone is eligible to get this discount. The NCA has allocated up to $50,000 to help reduce the costs for volunteers to attend the conference. This discount is extended to CERT Volunteers who are personally paying for their conference registration costs. If a volunteer receives partial funding from a sponsoring agency or other entity, they are still eligible for this discount as long as they are paying for their own registration costs. This discount applies to the early bird pricing if registered by April 28, 2023.

To receive this discount, please have your CERT program manager (or sponsoring agency representative) send an email to info@nationalcert.org with the following information:

1) In the email’s subject line type “Volunteer Discount for CERT Conference”

2) In the body of the email include:

· Name of the CERT Program

· Telephone number and email address for the CERT program manager,

· A statement confirming the volunteer will be paying for their own registration costs.

· The email and phone contact information or the CERT volunteer(s)

3) Once received, NCA staff will review and confirm the request.

4) If the request for the 50% Discount Registration is approved, the NCA will send an email to the CERT volunteer with instructions to register for the discounted registration rate.

Payment Methods

You can pay electronically through the registration website once it becomes active on or after March 20, 2023. For attendees who pay by check or money order, do not complete an online registration. Instead, send an email to info@nationalcert.org and enter “CERT Conference Registration” in the subject line. In the body of the email please note that you wish to pay for the conference registration via check. You will be sent a link to complete a different registration. Once completed (all fields will be required), the NCA will contact you with instructions on how to complete your payment.

Scholarship Notice: California Attendees Only

California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services is providing a limited number of scholarships for California conference attendees. So, if you live in the state of California, your CERT program manager or sponsoring agency representative is eligible to apply. The scholarship will cover the cost of registration and hotel from an attendee from your program. The program can decide to use this scholarship for the CERT Program Manager, an Instructor, or a CERT Volunteer.

How to apply:

· The CERT program must be registered on FEMA’s CERT website (Click https://community.fema.gov/PreparednessCommunity/s/?language=en_US to find out if your program is listed)

· The CERT program manager or sponsoring agency representative complete a Scholarship Application Form (have your program manager contact Suu-Va Tai at suuva.tai@caloes.gov for details).

Hotel Information and Amenities

The conference hotel is the Hyatt Regency SFO. The NCA has secured a special conference rate for attendees: $158.07 ($140 + Taxes and Fees) for Single King or Two Queen rooms. Price is the same for both rooms. Parking at the hotel is $15 per day per vehicle.

Use the following link to book your room at the special rate:

https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/SFOBU/G-RISK.

As a reminder, the Full Conference dates are Monday, June 26 – July 1, 2023. But, if you would like to take advantage of this amazing price to extend your stay in San Francisco, Hyatt has generously offered to extend the special rate to the dates June 22 – July 6, 2023.

Amenities for attendees include (but are not limited to) free in-room Wi-Fi and a free courtesy shuttle from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) that runs every 15 minutes. Local attendees: You have two options for transportation to the hotel.

· BART to the SFO airport stop and access the free airport shuttle to the hotel.

· BART to the Millbrae station and take the free Burlingame Bayside shuttle to the Hyatt Regency SFO hotel.

To learn more about what the Hyatt Regency has to offer, visit the hotel website:

Hyatt Regency SFO.

You can also check out some videos of the hotel here:

Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport.

Meals included with Conference Registration

The following meals and refreshments will be offered during the conference.

· Pre-Conference June 26-28: Morning coffee, boxed lunch

· June 28: Evening Welcome Reception serving small bites

· Main Conference June 29-30: Morning coffee and plated lunch

· Main Conference July 1: Morning coffee