Hello Teachers, Registration for the GVATA Summer Conference is now open. Please read the following information carefully. The GVATA Board has decided to conduct a virtual summer conference due to COVID-19. The conference will take place July 13 – 16th. We want to keep all of our members safe and understand that there will be some school systems that may prohibit travel this summer. Below is important information concerning the conference. All of these details can also be found on the GVATA Conference webpage <https://www.georgiaffa.org/page.aspx?ID=141>. *RegPack Online Registration System Updates* The GVATA Board will be using the RegPack system again this year for conference registration. New this year, you will be using the same login account to register for both conferences. How does this affect you? *You will need to remember your username (email address) and your password.* You will need this information again in the fall to log back into the system to register for Mid-Winter Conference. The Board suggests that you use your school email address and password that you currently use to complete your Ag Ed monthly reports. By utilizing one registration login account, it will make it easier for our members to log in at any time to check their balance, make a payment, and/or add additional items to your cart. If you need help in using the online system, a short video has been created and uploaded to the GVATA Conference webpage <https://www.georgiaffa.org/page.aspx?ID=141> to help walk you through completing your registration. *Annual Conference Registration Fee* The GVATA Board has instituted an annual conference registration fee to cover the cost of both conferences (Summer & Mid-Winter). This will allow our association to collect the fee one time per year. This will accomplish two things – it will speed up the registration process during Mid-Winter Conference and it will allow us to operate one registration system for the entire year rather than having two systems. The annual conference registration fee will be $125. *Payment Protection Plan* RegPack, our online system, has introduced a “Payment Protection Plan” that will be an *option* when you register. This payment protection plan will refund you your conference registration fee if you are unable to attend the conference due to a health-related issue for you or an immediate family member. Documentation will be submitted directly to RegPack, and the refund will be processed through RegPack, not GVATA. The cost will be around $6.00 to add on this protection plan*. RegPack will automatically place this item in your cart at checkout, you will need to opt out if you do not want to purchase the plan.* It is just an option for you and will only cover the reimbursement of the conference registration fee. *GVATA/NAAE Dues* Our professional dues have increased to $120 per year. This includes your state GVATA dues ($60) and National Association of Agricultural Educators, NAAE dues ($60). *What will the Virtual Conference Experience look like?* The conference will begin on July 13th with online professional learning opportunities for our members using Zoom. These learning opportunities will be content specific and will be formatted as a round table discussion. Topics and registration for these opportunities are located on the GVATA Conference webpage <https://www.georgiaffa.org/page.aspx?ID=141>. Each participant will receive a confirmation email with the login directions for each session that they have signed up to attend. These sessions will also be recorded and posted to our website for later viewing if so desired. We have also added a day to the conference on July 16th for some additional learning sessions. The Business Session will take place live on Tuesday, July 14th at 10:00AM*. *Additional directions for logging in and accessing the business session along with the awards sessions will be posted to the GVATA website and sent out via email closer to the conference date. Program updates will also be presented by our Ag Ed State Staff and FFA Association. Tentative Conference Schedule <https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YyDNWoKHT9IUiK_1Q1trhTeuiY0WwHjr> *Awards Recognition* Members who have received GVATA awards will be recognized virtually during the conference and be presented with their award during the fall Area Teacher’s Meetings. The following awards are available to our members who are eligible. Please complete the following form for any of these award categories. Years of Service Teacher of Teachers 30 Minute Club Award Recognition Link <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeLuYzjFCFyN2bT6M-Rx3dEslScZZwLRDlwbR54U3_Z1MDNqg/viewform?usp=sf_link> First Year Teacher’s Scholarship – If you had a student teacher this year please remind them about the First Year Teacher’s Scholarship. The due date is June 1st. The application can be found on the GVATA homepage or by using the following link. First Year Teacher’s Scholarship Application <https://drive.google.com/open?id=1YyDNWoKHT9IUiK_1Q1trhTeuiY0WwHjr> *Conference Registration* Registration is now open for summer conference. Please complete your online registration by July 10th using the link below. Summer Conference 2020 Registration <https://www.regpack.com/reg/templates/build/?g_id=100905223> If you are requesting one school system invoice for all of the teachers in your school system, please have one teacher complete the following link for your system. The single invoice will be emailed to all of the teachers in your system once the request has been processed. GVATA Summer Conference 2020 System Invoice Request <https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeR2byzRfhwI2-OVQzsRhZqTbSqJzzxOOz86rk-NQh7PYqnZA/viewform?usp=sf_link> *Payments* All payments will need to be made online or by mailing in your check to the address below. We are excited to offer 5 online payment plan options. The newest option will allow you to make your first payment when you register and then continue making monthly payments until December 1, 2020. If you are mailing in a school check or personal check for conference registration, please have it postmarked by July 15th and submit it to the address below. GVATA P.O. Box 515 Perry, GA 31069 *Tifton Hotel Reservations* All teachers who have made hotel reservations in Tifton for the 2020 summer conference will need to call and cancel your reservation. GVATA has already made contact with the Williams Hotel Group to cancel our group’s hotel contract. *Future Summer Conference Dates* GVATA will honor our 2-year conference contract with the UGA Tifton Conference Center and with the Williams Hotel Group. By extending our contract until 2022, GVATA is not under any financial obligation for the 2020 summer conference. The dates for the 2021 and 2022 summer conference are listed below. July 11 – 14, 2021 Tifton, GA July 10 – 13, 2022 Tifton, GA If you have any questions about conference registration, please let me know. The GVATA Board understands the need for us to meet virtually this summer in celebrating our accomplishments and preparing for the upcoming year. Thank you and stay safe. Justin Bennett Executive Secretary Georgia Vocational Agriculture Teachers Association P O Box 515 Perry, GA 31069 www.gvata.org