faq

Airport: The closest airport to the location of the conference is Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GRR) located in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Ground Transportation: Ground transportation options are available from the GRR Airport, with downtown Grand Rapids approximately a 16‑minute drive from the airport.

Ground Transportation Options: Click here to view all ground transportation options available from the airport, including taxis, shuttles, and car services.

Rideshare (Uber & Lyft): In Grand Rapids and at Gerald R. Ford International Airport (GFIA), Uber and Lyft are readily available. Guests may download the Uber or Lyft apps through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store prior to arrival.

To access rideshare services at GFIA, exit the terminal through Door #4 (across from the Delta ticket counter) and proceed to the Rideshare Shelter located on the boulevard, which serves as the designated pick‑up and drop‑off location for all rideshare vehicles.

Meals are NOT provided in the registration fee. However, our schedule does provide breaks for lunch and dinner for participants to buy food at the many restaurants in downtown Grand Rapids. DeVos Place is conveniently located near many excellent restaurants within walking distance, and driving options are also available.

My child is too young for the Kids Track. Can I still bring them?
Yes! Families are welcome to attend. Just be aware that this is a large conference with thousands of people and lots of activity. Tickets are not required for kids too young to attend the Kids Track (entering grades 1-5)

How far away are the youth tracks from the adult track talks? Our kids, middle school, and high school tracks are in the same building as the adult track (DeVos Place). The youth tracks will take place in the ballrooms on the same floor as the exhibit halls of the main conference.

Can I volunteer at the Encounter Conference?

At this time, volunteer opportunities are available to Encounter School of Ministry students and alumni. If needed, we may open up opportunities beyond students and alumni at a later date.

What is the schedule for the Encounter Conference?

The schedule for the 2027 Encounter Conference will be available soon!

I’m an Encounter School of Ministry student. Do I get a discount?

50% student discounts are only available to Encounter School of Ministry students.

No coupon codes are necessary.

Student discounts are built into the registration process and students need only to select their student status during registration and their discount will automatically be applied to their registration.

I’m an Encounter School of Ministry alumni. Do I get a discount?

At this time, discounted rates are not available to alumni. However, if you wish to receive a discount for the Encounter Conference you could volunteer or become a silver, gold, or platinum partner.

How do I sign up to be considered for serving on the Conference Prayer Team?

On our registration page, ESM Alumni and current Year 2 students can choose to be considered for the Conference Prayer Team.

This does NOT automatically place you on a prayer team. The number of prayer teams depends upon the number of conference participants. All who express interest will find out in early June if they are on a prayer team.
A prayer team meeting will take place before the conference. Detailed information will be shared via email after prayer team members have been selected.

Can I volunteer?
Yes! Volunteers will initially register for the conference tickets through our registration process, choosing in-person or in-person premium ticket. After registering for the conference, they will then complete the volunteer registration process. After the conference (assuming they serve their volunteer time slots and check in with their Volunteer Captain) they will receive a refund up to the value of a premium ticket. Refunds will be issued to the same credit card with which they purchased the ticket.

Do you offer scholarships?

At this time, we do not offer financial assistance or scholarships. We offer discounted tickets for current Encounter School of Ministry students, partners, priests, deacons, seminarians, and religious. Please scroll up for further details on ticket discounts.

If I can no longer attend, can I get a refund or transfer my ticket to someone else?

If you have registered for our event but can no longer attend, we are not able to issue a monetary refund, but we can issue you a coupon code to credit your full registration cost toward any future Encounter event within the next 12 months. If you wish for someone else to use this coupon code in your place (whether for this conference or another one), simply provide the code to that party, and they will enter it when they register.

If you open the confirmation email you received from Encounter Ministries when you registered for an event, you will have the option to create a RegFox account. If you create an account, you can edit your registration information, including changing your ticket type. We encourage all attendees to use this self-serve option as it is much faster than submitting a ticket to our team.

Silver, Gold, and Platinum members of our Partner Program receive discounts for the 2027 Encounter Conference. No coupon codes are necessary. Silver, Gold, and Platinum partner discounts are built into the registration process and partners need only to select their partner status during registration and their discount will automatically be applied to their registration.