Hi Everyone! Welcome to the inaugural National Voice Association/Association Nationale de la Voice Conference: Beginnings.

The spark for this association, and this conference, was a strong desire to connect with other Voice & Speech Professionals from across this vast land, home to numerous cultures and diverse voices. We're so thrilled that you’re here to join us for this joyous weekend.
 
What follows is a compilation of FAQ’s and essential information to help you navigate the weekend with flow and ease. 
 
Please note, the deadline to join us for the private wine-tasting at Konzelman Estate on Saturday evening at 7PM is tomorrow, June 5. So if you are interested, see the info below in this doc and click the link to register & pay.

Please read through the information and reach out with any questions. We look forward to connecting with each of you.
 
This Conference FAQ is a Google Doc that Sarah Weatherwax & Christine Berg are adding to daily. Please have another look at this doc before setting off on your travels on Friday or Saturday for any new information we may add.

Christine Berg and Sarah Weatherwax 
NVA/ANV Board Members, Conference Committee Co-Chairs & Conference Producers

This booklet has been prepared by:
Christine Berg
Sarah Weatherwax
Danielle Wilson

Practicalities

Contact Information
Your Stage Managers:

1) Christine Berg, Conference Committee Co-Chair
(cell): 416-884-8130
(email): berg@shinecreativecoaching.com

2) Sarah Weatherwax, Conference Committee Co-Chair
(cell) 437-929-1643
(email): sweatherwax@rogers.com

Your Local Expert:
 
3) Danielle Wilson, Conference Committee          
(email): dwilson@brocku.ca
           
*ANV/NVA Volunteers & Board Members will be identified by coloured nametags during the conference. Feel free to approach any of us with questions, we want to help!
 
Injury Waiver & Photography Release
Will be located at the registration table and should be completed at sign-in. Please note that the Injury Waiver is mandatory in order to participate in the conference. 
 
Matthew Rossoff will be acting as conference photographer, and will be using his phone camera. We strongly encourage everyone to sign the photography waiver, and to trust the NVA to use any photos responsibly and only in support of our organization.
 
Photography by attendees during the sessions is not permitted. However with consent, social photos of you & your friends & colleagues at other times is fine!

Participant WhatsApp Group (optional)

You’re invited to join our group chat on WhatsApp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/E3fHmkBCQdL5AteKve1mWY

Location of Conference:

Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts
15 Artists’ Common, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 0B5

Please note this is NOT THE MAIN CAMPUS for Brock University. The Marilyn I. Walker School for the Fine & Performing Arts is approx. a 50 minute to 1 hour walk from the main campus, or a 10 minute drive. 
 
If walking:
 
The Marilyn I. Walker School for the Fine & Performing Arts is situated in an unusual way. There is a pedestrian entrance to this building from St. Paul Street. There is a path between the buildings on St. Paul St. then an outdoor stairway leading to the entrance for Marilyn I. Walker. If you enter from this side, you will see signs clearly leading you to the theatre lobby for check in. There is no parking on this side of the building. The parking is around the block on the other side of the building.
 
If driving:
 
When looking up directions to get to the conference, please enter into your GPS or map app the name of the building and the street address: Marilyn I. Walker School for the Fine & Performing Arts, 15 Artists' Common. 
 
On Google Maps, this address as written will lead you to the parking lot for Marilyn I. Walker and the entrance on that side. That entrance leads right into the theatre lobby where check-in for the conference will be.
 
If you enter into your map app Brock University, you will end up at the main campus, which is not where you want to be.
 
Parking:
There is free parking available all weekend. In order to ensure there are enough spaces for permit holders, please park in the (city-owned) David S. Howes Parking Lot first (which is free on the weekend, and right next to the school’s lot), and then if there isn’t room in that lot, park in the school's lot at the Marilyn I. Walker School at 15 Artists’ Common.
 
The parking lot is reached by David S. Howes Way which is off McGuire St. 
 
Do not park in the ’reserved spaces’ on the west side of the lot.
 
The David S Howe’s door on the north side will be open 7am-7pm. The Heritage entrance is proxy access only.
 
Don’t park at the Meridian Center lot (which is directly across from it). This is a paid parking lot and you will be ticketed.
 
Please allow plenty of time when traveling here on Saturday morning and have a look in advance at a map so you know where you are going and which entrance you want to access. Check in on Saturday is 8:30 to 9AM. 

Dorm Address:
Earp Residence, Brock University
1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON,

To drive to the dorms:
 
The dorms are in the MAIN CAMPUS for Brock, which is approx. a 50 minute walk or 10 minute drive to the Marilyn I. Walker School for the Fine & Performing Arts where the conference is. To drive to the dorms, enter into your GPS or map app Brock University,1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON and you will be directed to the main campus. Once you are in the main campus, please look for signs for Earp Residence. 
 
On Google Maps, it also works to enter Earp Residence, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way. If you are using another map app, be sure you are driving to the Main Campus.
 
Please be sure to read about the dorm check-in in the Dorm/Conference Handbook before you begin your travels, so you know the process. In this handbook, the check-in process and parking information is very clear, and there is a map of the buildings in the Main Campus.

If you’d like to arrange a carpool with fellow attendees between the dorms and the conference, or to share an uber from the dorms to the wine tasting, you can connect with one another HERE. The conference coordinators will not administrate this list. 
 
Medical & Safety Information:
All studios are equipped with basic first aid kits.
 
There is a defibrillator by the security office on the first floor.

Campus safety services
In the event that you need assistance, Campus Safety will act as an intermediary with 911 emergency services, including Niagara Emergency Medical Services (NEMS), Niagara Regional Police (NRP) and St. Catharines Fire Services. In the event of an emergency, please call 911.

Brock University Campus Safety Services are available 24/7 in the event of a security concern or emergency.
Emergencies: 905-688-5550 x3200
Non-Emergencies: 905-688-5550 x4300 
 
EMERGENCY: 911
 
Closest Hospital:

Niagara Health – St. Catharines Hospital
1200 Fourth Avenue, St. Catharines
Non-Emergency : 905-378-4647

Walk In Clinics:
 
Glenridge Walk In Clinic
209 Glenridge Avenue, St. Catharines
289-267-2320
Hours: Monday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 
Tuesday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 
Wednesday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 
Thursday 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. 
Friday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. 
Saturday 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. 
Sunday 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
 
Walmart Walk In Clinic in Pen Centre
221 Glendale Avenue, St. Catharines
905-687-4252
Hours: Monday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 
Tuesday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 
Wednesday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 
Thursday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 
Friday 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. 
Saturday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. 
Sunday Closed
 
Closest Pharmacy
DrugSmart Pharmacy
460 St. Davids Road, Unit 9
Phone: 905-688-8800.
Hours: Monday-Friday: 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
 
Building WiFi (Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts):
 
These free accounts will connect on the “BrockWifi” Wifi for the duration of the conference:
Username              Password
cs_anvn1560004     KOKIFALA3^
cs_anvn1560005     JUMORANO8$
cs_anvn1560006     BELABETO6~
cs_anvn1560007     DIDOBIBA4^
cs_anvn1560008     PAHUGUSA6^
cs_anvn1560009     SANOGUGI6~
cs_anvn1560010     DUBEGORE1^
cs_anvn1560011     GOKANEKO8$
cs_anvn1560012     SALUMADO2!
cs_anvn1560013     GOMITIYE3~
cs_anvn1560014     TEMAKEYU4@
cs_anvn1560015     SIWIPIYU0~
cs_anvn1560016     DEGEMUWA5@
cs_anvn1560017     NUVELAWE6!
cs_anvn1560018     GAHEROPA6!
cs_anvn1560019     FULOJARO5~
cs_anvn1560020     MULISENU2~
cs_anvn1560021     SATEMUGU6^
cs_anvn1560022     HUFOSITU5~
Cs_anvn1560023    TOBAVADA0~

Water & Coffee:
The building is equipped with water bottle filling stations. Please bring your own refillable water bottle. Bottles of water will not be supplied. You may wish to bring a reusable coffee/tea cup as well. Paper cups for coffee & tea will be available. Coffee, tea, and light snacks will be provided in Studio D.

Dining Options in Downtown St.Catharines
 
Here are some suggestions for lunch and dinner, which are within a 2-5 minute walk from the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA). Most of these are right along St. Paul Street, which is the main street outside the MIWSFPA.
The Grounds Coffeehouse + Bakery: For those staying at the dorms, this is a short drive. 3490 Schmon Parkway, Thorold. Breakfast.
Sunset Restaurant: 180 St. Paul Street. Diner style food run by a family- it’s like walking into the past. Breakfast or lunch.
MahTay Café and Lounge: 241 St. Paul Street. Good coffee, soups, and sandwiches. Lunch.
Hambrgr: 233 St. Paul Street. You guessed it, they specialize in gourmet Hamburgers. Lunch or Dinner.
Burrito Boyz: 224 St. Paul Street. Excellent Burritos if you want something quick. Lunch.
Happies: 204 St. Paul Street. Kitchen and Juice Bar. Excellent salads and smoothies. Lunch. Take-out only.
Rise Above Restaurant: 120 St. Paul Street. (Excellent vegan food. Lunch or dinner.)
Merchant Ale House: 98 St. Paul Street. Very good pub style food and beer. Lunch or Dinner.
The Office Tap and Grill: 22 James Street. Has tapas style food or full menu. It has a variety of pub style food. Lunch or dinner.
Eh Jose Taqueria: 45 James Street. Awesome Mexican Food. Great tacos. Lunch or Dinner.
Sahla Thai Restaurant: 270 St. Paul Street. Excellent Thai food. Lunch and dinner.
Beechwood Doughnuts: 165 St. Paul Street. Not for a meal as it only serves doughnuts, but they are delicious and vegan.
The District Tapas and Bar: 24 St. Paul Street.
Helen’s Deli: 50 James Street. Excellent casual lunch place. Authentic Polish style food.  Good for lunch (salad bar, schnitzel, cabbage rolls, pierogies). Love this place if you want something quick and authentic for lunch.
Touch of India: 126 St. Paul Street: Authentic Indian Cuisine. Excellent food. Dinner.
oddBird: 52 St. Paul Street: The name says it all. Quirky style food. Mostly seafood and ‘bird’ based foods, but also has some vegetarian options. Dinner.
Pharmacii Snackbar: 22 King Street: Excellent cocktails and Korean inspired food. The food is not cheap, but it is very good. Dinner only.
East Izakaya Sushi: 129 King Street. 
Wind Japanese and Thai: 131 King Street.
 
Evening Activities (optional):

Wine Tasting at Konzelmann Estate Winery, Sat. June 8. 
curated wines, locally sourced charcuterie, and expert guidance included. $52 pp. Purchase tickets HERE.
Deadline to register, June 5.

Performances at the Shaw Festival, ongoing
Friday, June 7: The Roll of Shaw in the Spiegeltent, 8pm
SaturdayJune 8: My Fair Lady in the Festival Theatre, 8pm

A 25% discount for tickets to the Shaw Festival Theatre is available for all conference attendees. This reduced price offer can be used at any time this season. One per person per season. Some restrictions apply.
To purchase call 1-800-511-7429 or Visit shawfest.com and Quote Code "Conference24"

*Note that conference attendees will not be automatically seated together. If you wish to be seated with colleagues, please make your booking together.


A FEW ATTRACTIONS:
Lakeside Beach Park located in Port Dalhousie, which is about a 10-minute drive north towards Lake Ontario. It has a few shops and a lovely pier walk to the Lighthouse.
St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3. Observation deck for ship viewing through the Lock.
13th Street Winery: Beautiful winery with art exhibits and shop with delicious butter tarts!
Niagara-On-The-Lake: Shaw Festival or just enjoy walking around this quaint town or by the water.
St. Catharines Farmers Market: Open on Saturdays- located a few minutes from the MIWSFPA at King and James St. 
Someday Books: Lovely, well-curated small independent bookstore. 21 King Street.
Questions on local info ? Feel free to contact Danielle Wilson at dwilson@brocku.ca
 
FAQ’s

1) Is food provided at the conference?
Coffee, tea & small snacks are free of charge and available in Studio D throughout the conference. There will also be some light catering during the welcome, the AGM, and the send-off session. Full meals are not provided, but can be purchased at the above cafes and restaurants, among other places. Please do make time for breakfast before arriving in the mornings. Sunday morning in particular is a long session. You may wish to pack snacks for yourself, especially if you have food allergies or restrictions. 

2) I’d like to attend the AGM but I’m not yet an NVA Member. What should I do?
The AGM is a members-only meeting. However, if you’d like to become a member on the spot, you’re welcome to do so through Paul DeJong (Treasurer). He can process your membership, and you could then come to the meeting.

3) What is group A and group B? What is the flow of the conference?

Conference Schedules are displayed in the lobby and in Studio D. It’s also posted on our website.
In order to give all participants the most fulsome experience, give everyone the chance to experience both warm-ups and both 90 minute workshops, and to keep workshop groups small, the conference organizers have randomly divided the attendees into group A and group B.
You will learn what group you are in on Saturday at check-in. 
Below is an outline of how this will work. This will all be clarified in person on Saturday morning, so no need to memorize this! There will be clear instructions in your swag bags too.
 
If you are in Group A, your first warm-up for the weekend is in Studio A. 
If you are in Group A, your first 90 minute workshop on Sunday is in Studio A.

On Saturday Group A attends the warm-up in Studio A with David at 9:35AM
For all other concurrent sessions, please attend whatever session you like.
 
On Sunday Group A  attends the warm-up in studio B with Ann at 9AM.
Group A attends Vocal Combat with D'arcy & Julia in Studio A at 10AM.
Group A attends Fitzmaurice with Noah in Studio B at 11:45AM.
 
For all other concurrent sessions, you attend whatever session you like.

 
If you are in Group B, your first warm-up for the weekend is in Studio B. 
If you are in Group B, your first 90 minute workshop on Sunday is in Studio B.
 
On Saturday Group B attends the warm-up in Studio B with Ann at 9:35AM.
 
For all other concurrent sessions, please attend whatever session you like.
 
On Sunday Group B attends the warm-up in studio A with David at 9AM.
Group B attends Fitzmaurice with Noah in Studio B at 10AM.
Group B attends Vocal Combat with D'arcy & Julia in Studio A at
11:45AM.
 
For all other concurrent sessions, you attend whatever session you like.
 
There are also a number of large group sessions over the weekend for
everyone to attend.
 
The Group A & B thing only applies to the duplicated warm-ups and the
duplicated 90 minute sessions, so everyone can participate fully without
overcrowding in the studios. The rest of the time, you choose your session.


4) What can I do in Studio D?
Relax, enjoy a coffee & a snack. 
Explore the Conversation Card Deck with a colleague, see what you learn about each other & the work. Add more questions to the deck using the blank cards provided.

Contribute to collective brainstorming on the resources sheets. All sources will be collated and shared after the conference.

Share your feedback, your kudos, questions and suggestions in the suggestion box. Help shape the vision for the next conference.

 
FOR PRESENTERS: 

• Please bring any and all supplies for your sessions. 

• Presenters must bring their own laptops and HDMI adaptors if any tech or AV at all is needed. 

• Presenters are welcome to stop by the space on Friday evening at 5:30pm or soon after, to view your space in advance. Please text or call Sarah Weatherwax at 437-929-1643 if you arrive and find the doors locked. Please identify yourself in your message.

• Presenters will have access to the space 15 minutes before the session begins. You will have volunteers on hand to assist in set up of your space. If the space is not in use right before your session, you may set up even earlier but volunteers will only be on hand for 15 minutes before your session.

• There will be a time-keeper in each room for each session. Please be sure to meet your time-keeper before your session begins. They will close the door when the session begins, give you either a 5 or 10 minute warning about the end of your session, your choice, and they will open the doors at the end. 

• People will be allowed to enter a session late, if needed. 

• Sean Mercer is the Tech Support person from Brock: smercer@brocku.ca, T  905 688 5550 

• Melanie Tapson is the tech support person from the NVA.

• At times, the conference presenters may need to enter sessions late or leave early and they will do so as quietly as possible. 

• Please keep the email you received ‘Tech Details & Note from Conference Coordinators Christine & Sarah’ set aside for easy reference.

 
FOR PEOPLE STAYING WITH THE NVA GROUP IN EARP RESIDENCE: 

• Please make sure to read the dorm Conference Handbook that has been included as a separate pdf with this email. This has been provided by Brock and has all the details you need about check-in, parking and your stay in the dorms with your conference group. 

• In the above-mentioned handbook, there is reference to a ‘linen package’. This refers to the following items which are included with your room: Bedsheets, hand towel, small bath towel. The Conference Coordinator recommends bringing your own bath towel.

• Please note: The dorms are a good 50-60 minute walk or a 10 minute drive to the Marilyn I. Walker Centre, where the conference will be held. The dorms are in the MAIN CAMPUS area, the conference is NOT in the main campus.

• See the Carpool Doc link above to arrange your own carpools to and from the dorm and the conference, and to arrange an Uber from the dorms to the wine-tasting. The conference coordinators will not administer this list. 

• A full breakfast will be served on Saturday in the dining hall from 7 to 8AM.

• A lighter, but still satisfying breakfast will be served on Sunday in the first floor lobby of our building, from 7:15 to 8:15AM.