1.    What is the difference between the Pre-conference Seminar and the Conference?

• The Pre-conference Seminar is a lecture/discussion happening before the actual conference begins.  It will be held on Saturday morning, October 31st.  It is an excellent opportunity to hear more indepth discussion about the Dead Sea Scrolls and their influence on the life of faith for contemporary believers.  It does not include a ticket to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the ROM, or admission to the conference events happening on Saturday afternoon/evening or all day Sunday.

• The Conference proper begins on Saturday afternoon and continues through Sunday evening.  The conference has numerous workshops and worship times.  Conference registration includes admission to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the ROM but does not include the Pre-conference Seminar.

2.    What does registration include?

• Pre-conference Seminar includes:  3 hour lecture/discussion, coffee break.
•  Conference includes:  5 plenary sessions of worship and teaching, 5 workshops of your choice (of almost 40 different topics), admission to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit at the ROM (includes admission to the other exhibits at the ROM on Saturday and a discount in the ROM Shops).

•  Viewing of the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit is an important component of the conference.  Please ensure that you make yourself available on Saturday morning to pick up your registration package and view the exhibit.

 
3.    Are the worship gatherings available for sale individually?

• No, the conference worship times are only available with a full conference registration.

4.    Is there a single day pass available?

• No, the conference registration is only available for the full day and a half.

5.    When will we go to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit?

• All conference registrants will view the exhibit on Saturday October 31st.

• Entrance to the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit is by timed ticket, which means that you will receive a ticket to the exhibit with a specific time indicated and you must enter the exhibit at the designated time.

• Exhibit times will be assigned by postal code: All those attending the pre-conference seminar (who have also registered for the full conference) will view the exhibit at 12:30pm, Saturday October 31. All those not attending the pre-conference seminar have been assigned exhibit times as follows:

- postal codes beginning with "M" - 10:30am, Saturday October 31

- postal codes beginning with "L" - 11:00am, Saturday October 31

- all other postal codes, plus out of province and US attendees - 11:30am, Saturday October 31.

6.    What time is the on-site registration?

•  All delegates should plan to pick up their registration packages between 8am and 10am on Saturday, October 31st.  Those who are attending the pre-conference seminar should pick up their packages at the ROM before heading to the pre-conference seminar at Wycliffe College.

• Registration will take place at the Royal Ontario Museum. 

• Please use the c5 entrance AT ALL TIMES to enter the ROM.  This door is located to the far right (west) of the main doors on Bloor Street.  Do not use the main entrance.

• The registration packages will include the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit timed ticket, assigned seat ticket for the gatherings and details on the workshops.

The Conference Experience
1.    What’s new this year?

• 2009 is a very exciting conference year for Toronto!  The exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls at the Royal Ontario Museum has given Unite Productions an opportunity to shape this year’s conference to explore a different set of questions and issues about worship while still providing the technical and skill-based workshops that you have come to love.

• Dead Sea Scrolls scholars and others who have studied old and new testament issues will help us dialogue about how ancient and modern work together to influence contemporary faith.

2.    What should I know about the conference schedule?

• The conference schedule posted on the web site is a DRAFT and is subject to changes up to and including the day of the conference. 

• The conference schedule timing is tight and you will need to move between venues quickly to get to workshops on time.  We have tried to allocate adequate time for meals, for browsing in the retail area and for mingling.

• We may restrict admission of people who arrive late to gatherings and workshops.  Please be aware of the posted times.

3.    Where can I eat and stay?

• There are numerous fast food and sit down restaurants within a short walk of the conference venues.  Google ‘Royal Ontario Museum’ and then you can search for food or hotels close by.

4.    How do I choose my workshops?

• You will sign up for your workshops at the registration desk at the ROM when you pick up your registration package. There is enough room for everyone to attend the workshops of their choice, but please be sure to use the sign up sheets at the ROM when you pick up your registration package.

Conference Venues
1.    Wow – exciting venues – how will they impact the conference experience?

• This year’s venues mean that we will be having a fabulous conference experience in some of the premier venues in Canada!

• Being part of the atmosphere at the Royal Ontario Museum, the Royal Conservatory of Music the University of Toronto’s Faculty of Music and Wycliffe College means that the conference experience will be different in a number of ways:

i.    Worship gatherings, workshops and the Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit will take place in four different venues that are all within a 5-minute walk of each other.  Please be prepared for walking between these venues.

ii.    Security in these venues will, understandably, be more thorough than in our previous venues.  Please be prepared for lineups, some waiting time, and, to minimize stress, please arrive a bit early for conference sessions.

iii.    At the ROM, please use the “c5 entrance” located on the far right (west) of the main doors on Bloor Street.  Do not enter through the main doors, as it will be difficult for you to find the UNITE registration area.

iv.    Please limit the number and size of backpacks and bags.  Large bags will have to be checked at the ROM, which means an extra expense for you.  Other items that will need to be checked – umbrellas and large or bulky coats.

v.    Seating in the concert hall (worship gatherings) is ticketed and assigned.  You will receive a ticket for the gatherings.  You will need to show this ticket for each session.  Your ticket will show an assigned seat, which will be the same for all gatherings.  Seats will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.  Please register early for best seat assignment.

vi.    Please allow yourself adequate time to park or take transit to these venues in mid-town Toronto.  Traffic will be an important factor in your travel plans.  We may limit late admittance to worship gatherings and workshops.

2.    How do I get to the Venues?

•  The Royal Ontario Museum  (rom.on.ca) , the Royal Conservatory of Music  (rcmusic.ca)  and the University of Toronto are all located in the block bounded by Bloor on the north, Hoskin on the south, Queens Park on the east and Deveonshire on the west.

• Please enter the ROM through the “c5 entrance” to the far right (west) of the main doors on Bloor Street.

• Closest subway stops are:  Museum, Bay and St. George (www3.ttc.ca)

• Parking is available on the University of Toronto campus, behind the InterContinental Hotel and along Yorkville Avenue.

• PLEASE NOTE: Those coming by TTC (bus, subway, streetcar) should be aware that the TTC vehicles do not begin service until 9am on Sunday.  Our opening worship also begins at 9am.  Please make your arrangements accordingly.

The Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit
1.    What is it?

• In partnership with the Israel Antiquities Authority, the ROM is exhibiting 17 Dead Sea Scrolls, of which four are on public display for the first time ever, having been conserved at the ROM’s request. Artifacts from Qumran, Jerusalem and the Second Temple, Sephorris and other parts of Judea and the Galilee will be on display, with Jewish and Roman artifacts from the period. The Scrolls include the fascinating Book of War Scroll, the Messianic Apocalypse Scroll and a section from Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Bible, telling the story of the attempted seduction of Joseph by Potiphar’s wife.

• The exhibit tells the story of a young Bedouin boy who discovered the scrolls in the 1950’s, the lives of a reclusive, first century Jewish sect and the parchment scrolls on which they recorded the important texts of their faith and lives.

• The exhibit also provides background and additional display of the historical and cultural era in which the scrolls were written.

• For further details visit the ROM’s Dead Sea Scrolls sitE

2.    What is included in the exhibit?

• As part of the full conference registration, Unite Productions and the Royal Ontario Museum are pleased to include a tour of this internationally recognized exhibit. 

• For conference delegates, the ROM will provide designated attendants at various points throughout the exhibit to answer questions and provide further insight into the scrolls history, preservation and restoration.

• The exhibit ticket also includes general admission to the ROM and their full breadth of galleries on Saturday, October 31st.

3.    Can I bring my friends/family on the tour.

• Each conference delegate will receive one ticket for the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit.  These tickets are timed, which means you must enter the exhibit at the time designated on the ticket.  Once you have registered for the conference you will be notified of the time of your ticket.

• After you have received confirmation of the time of your ticket, you may go onto the ROM’s Dead Sea Scrolls site and purchase additional tickets for the same time slot, if they are available.  These tickets are at your own expense and do not include any special discounts.