Meals are NOT provided in the registration fee, nor are we offering any meal plans for purchase this year. However, our schedule does provide 2 hour breaks for both lunch and dinner for participants to buy food at the concession stands within the venue, or at the 15+ restaurants/coffee shops connected to the Convention Center by skywalk. So you should not have any trouble finding a great place to eat and be refreshed between sessions!

Food Options:  The DeVos Place Convention Center offers a wide variety of food and dining choices for all budgets.  There is a wide variety of coffee shops and concessions within the convention center as well as a wide variety of restaurants, fast food and to-go options during your time at the conference.  Check out this Dining Guide!

Currently, we are offering our alumni students the first opportunity to volunteer.

Then, we will open up certain volunteer positions to the general public. Any such position would involve an average total of 5-6 hours of volunteer service in exchange for free admission with no meals included. Examples of volunteer roles are Kids Track small group leaders (also receive meals & audio downloads of main stage talks), registration table, information table, name badge checkers for entry to the Main Hall, and post-conference clean-up/tear-down.

Is childcare available for my children under age 6, or is there a dedicated space for small children?

Although no childcare services will be provided, parents are free to bring their small children under age 6 into the main sessions if they are able to quietly color or entertain themselves in their seats. The facility is very large and parents are free to use the back of the Main Hall, the lobby area, or the dedicated room we have reserved for parents with small children immediately across from the Main Hall. We will be livestreaming the Main Stage conference sessions into that room so you won’t have to miss a thing!

K-12 Youth Tracks
While it is not a hard and fast requirement, we highly recommend that all children present who are in grades K-4 attend the Encounter Kids Track, grades 5-8 attend the Middle School Track, and grades 9-12 attend the High School Track. That way, both adults and children/teens receive content customized for them. Please see the links above for more information. Note: If children ages 6-18 do attend the regular conference with you, they must be registered with the appropriate Youth Track ticket and simply choose from the drop-down list under the ticket types that they will not need to be assigned to a small group.

Are there any accommodations for nursing mothers?

Yes, two dedicated nursing mother rooms are available in DeVos Place Convention Center located on the Street Level and Overlook Level on the west side of the facility, just a short walk from the Main Hall.

Is DeVos Place handicap accessible?

DeVos Place is fully compliant with the American with Disabilities Act, and provides a full range of accommodations for guests with disabilities to ensure their safety, comfort, and enjoyment of their facilities during our event. DeVos Place is equipped with automatic doors for easy access. Concession stands, counters, and drinking fountains are also at a convenient height for everyone. Guests needing special accommodations or services should make such a request at least two (2) weeks prior to the date of the event to the ADA Coordinator of DeVos Place Convention Center by calling 616-742-6600.

Accessible Parking: Accessible parking is available in the DeVos Place parking ramp located below DeVos Place with entrances on Michigan Street and Lyon Street. Parking lots and ramps surrounding DeVos Place also offer accessible parking. Please refer to the City of Grand Rapids Parking Guide for parking locations or contact The City of Grand Rapids Parking Services at 616-456-3290. To gain access to accessible parking, proper vehicle registration is required as well as a current disabled placard with a matching identification card.

Wheelchairs: Wheelchairs are kept in the First Aid office for emergency use only. Security will operate wheelchairs in the case of an emergency. DeVos Place will have a limited number of wheelchairs on site at all times for guests to use as needed, based on availability. The DeVos Place security office will handle the distribution of all wheelchairs in conjunction with the Event Services staff. All users will be required to sign a wheelchair release form at time of check out.

As a student of our local or satellite Encounter School of Ministry (ESM) this coming fall, the cost of our annual conference is included in your tuition ($99 value). We still need each student attending to register for the conference throught the normal conference registration page, and will be sent a coupon code for a free regular ticket, which could also be applied to one of the higher ticket tiers ($99 off). Therefore, please DO NOT register until you receive that email (or if you have already registered, email support@encounterministries.us to let us know so that we can make the necessary adjustments). In the fall, you will be given instructions from your campus leadership team about how students can register for the conference and sign-up to be considered to be on the prayer team. But, rest assured that your spots for the conference are reserved, whether you choose the regular ticket OR the Premium Reserved ticket option.

Seminarians & Religious
We offer a significant discount for seminarians as well as religious brothers and sisters living in community. To obtain a discount code, please reach out to Rachel Grech at rachel@encounterministries.us, and let her know the seminary you attend, or the name of your religious community. NOTE: For seminarians, if you would like to altar serve at the conference liturgies, please also mention that in your email as well (not all who volunteer may be needed)

Priests
Priest tickets are available at checkout. Please choose the appropriate category when registering. For priests wanting to concelebrate Mass or hear confessions, instructions for Letters of Suitability/Good Standing will be sent to you. 

ESM Students
Your conference ticket is included in your tuition. Registration must be completed through your student portal, which will be available in October.
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Unfortunately, we are unable to offer discounted tickets for the following at this time:

Deacons
Unfortunately, we are not able to offer a discount for deacons at this time. However, we would love for you to assist at our conference liturgies. Simply email rachel@encounterministries.us to let him know you plan to do so.

ESM Alumni/Family
At this time, we are not offering discounts for alumni (will be alumni as of fall 2021), or for current/alumni students’ family members. Therefore, alumnican register in the regular registration portal and pay full price. Alumni who wish to serve as volunteers should contact Rachel Grech at rachel@encounterministries.us for a coupon code prior to registering.

Large Groups
No, we are not offering a discount for large group/bulk ticket sales. Instead, we have simply lowered our regular ticket price as much as possible to allow the most amount of people to attend.

No, we do not offer scholarships, housing, or any other form of financial assistance at this time. However, if you would like to volunteer in exchange for free admission, that may be possible (see volunteer FAQ for more details).

If you need financial assistance but do not wish to volunteer, our recommendation is to ask for assistance from your local church community who can more efficiently help you to register. With our small staff and the large amount of emails we get leading up to the conference, unfortunately we would not be able to quickly facilitate pairing you up with a donor/sponsor.

Can I get a refund if the conference is canceled due to laws surrounding Coronavirus?

Yes, if the conference is canceled because there is a law in place which will prohibit large gatherings at the time of the event, then you will receive a full refund of your registration cost. If the conference is still proceeding but you have voluntarily decided to withdraw your registration at least three days prior to the event, then you can still contact us to receive a coupon code which will allow you to credit your full registration cost toward any future Encounter event within the next 12 months.

If I can no longer attend, then 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, nor are we able to transfer your ticket to someone else. BUT, by emailing rachel@encounterministries.us, 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 themselves for the event.

Can I still come if I can’t attend all the sessions? Is there a discount for partial attendance?

Yes, you are free to attend whatever parts of the conference you are able.  Your registration will get you access to the entire conference, however no discount will be extended for partial attendance.