For years, the Creating Change Conference Team has searched for ways to build a welcoming and radically accessible space. We accept the challenge of trying to balance the many costs of a conference and also make it financially accessible for as many participants as possible.
We have always been committed to doing better and continue to ensure cost-saving opportunities are made available to attendees who need them most.
The Purpose of Financial Assistance
Financial Assistance is a tool to address the unique financial challenges faced by those most likely to live on the margins, often our community members who identify as trans, gender non-conforming, non-binary, Black, indigenous, youth, seniors, low-income, disabled, and those living in the South or Midwest. This year’s Financial Assistance will not completely end our community’s financial stress nor fully cover the costs of attending. Yet, we believe in doing more to break down the initial barriers to attending so we can all stay present and engaged throughout the conference.
As we prepare to join Creating Change, we hope this list is something you can find helpful so you can join us in New Orleans from January 17th through the 21st.
1. BOOK YOUR ROOM WHILE LOWER COSTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE = ABOUT $400 SAVED
The conference hotel for Creating Change is offering special discounted rates until Tuesday, December 26. You don’t want to miss this chance to reserve your hotel room while the available rooms last.
We tested it out, so you didn’t have to. We estimated that you could save about $400 by booking now, instead of having to pay the regular rates for these rooms.
You can access this benefit by visiting this unique link and selecting “Attendee” in the dropdown menu.
2. GET FOUR LUNCH MEALS FOR FREE = ABOUT $120 SAVED
This year, the Creating Change Conference has a meal assistance program that can help you save from having to buy lunch each day between Wednesday, January 17 through Saturday, January 20. The meals will be served on-site at the conference hotel, the Hilton New Orleans Riverside. Each meal will include a buffet-style service and allow you to box up food for later, if desired.
You can request meal assistance during the registration process for the conference. We will have limited seating available and can only provide 380 requests for this program.
3. FREE CHILDCARE SERVICES = ABOUT $800 SAVED
For folks who have little ones to take care of, we’re bringing back our free Childcare Services to this year’s conference. That means you can avoid having to pay for childcare or a babysitter during long, jam-packed conference days.
Childcare will be available from 8am-8pm from Wednesday, January 17 to Saturday, January 20; with services available until 9pm on Friday, January 19.
Sign up for Childcare Services and make your conference experience a little more worry-free.
WE’RE STRIVING TO DO MORE
We recognize that the cost of attending a five-day conference can be hard to plan for and challenging in ways that affect some people’s ability to financially sustain themselves. We never wish to put anyone in a financially unstable situation nor to be left feeling unsupported.
We believe more can and should be done. We must push beyond our models of scarcity and envision a world where sustainability and accessibility can nurture each other. Our collective journey towards making this conference fully financially accessible to all is far from over. As we approach the start of another Creating Change, we invite you to help us put our commitment into action by doing one of the following:
- Give to our Creating Change Scholarship Fund if you are able and share with others, so we can continue to expand our Financial Assistance programs to include more people.
- Email us your suggestions and feedback to better help us plan for following years as we attempt to address the immediate needs of community members today.
Do you already know you’ll be heading to New Orleans with us? Use our official CC24 Social Media Toolkit to let your people know you’re coming! We can’t wait to see you there.
