Have a question about the Summit that is not answered on this page? Please contact our summit coordinator at [email protected] or 510.698.3811.
Q1. What is the SPEAK UP! Summit?
A1. The Summit is a 3-day leadership training for women living with HIV which will take place in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina from April 12-15, 2018, organized by Positive Women’s Network – USA. All women with HIV, ages 18 and older, including women of trans experience, are welcome to register and participate. If you are living with HIV and interested in attending the Summit but will not be 18 years old by April 2018, contact us so we can see if there’s a way we can help you participate.
Q2. Where do I get information about the Summit?
A2. All information about the Summit is available on our website here. New information will be posted on the website as it becomes available. Important updates will also be sent by email to all those registered for the Summit.
Q3. Who can attend the Summit? Can I bring my family member, partner, friend?
A3. Only women with HIV can attend Summit activities. If your family member, partner or friend is a woman living with HIV, she is welcome to attend the Summit and should register for the Summit.
Q4. I’m not a woman living with HIV, but I care about issues relevant to women with HIV. Can I come to the Summit?
A4. Women living with HIV are our priority in terms of participant space. But send us an email at [email protected] to let us know you are interested in attending, and if space becomes available for people other than women living with HIV, we will notify you and others who have expressed interest at a later date.
Q5. I’m very new to advocacy. Can I participate in the Summit?
A5. Absolutely! The Summit welcomes women with HIV at all levels and points in their advocacy journey, from seasoned longtime activists to those for whom this Summit may be their first big step toward community work of any kind. There will be ample opportunities for mentorship and the sharing of valuable skills, experiences and herstories.
Q6. I want to participate in the Summit, but I am not public with my HIV status. Do I have to be concerned about my picture being taken and made public, or the names of Summit participants being made public?
A6. We are committed to making the Summit a safe space for women at all points on the spectrum of HIV disclosure. While photos will be taken at the event, we will take steps (no-photo seating sections at Summit gatherings, unique no-photo nametags and/or other tools) to ensure that anyone who does not want to be photographed will not have their picture taken. We never share our attendee lists with any outside party.
Q7. How do I register for the Summit?
A7. Registration for the Summit opened November 15. Early bird registration fee of $200 will be available through February 9. After that date, registration fee goes up to $250. A deposit of $100 is required at the time of registration.
Full registration fee must be received by registration closing date, February 28. Please note, all deposits are non-refundable and your spot at the conference will be forfeited if full payment is not received by this date.
If you need to finish paying by check, you can make a check out to:
Movement Strategy Center, memo line: PWN Summit (make SURE it says PWN Summit in the memo line!)
Mail to:
Attn: Naina Khanna,
Positive Women’s Network – USA,
436 14th Street, Suite 500,
Oakland, CA 94612
Please make sure to also include the following for each registrant:
First and last name
Age
Mailing address
Telephone number
Email address (if available)
For group registration of 5 or more attendees, please click here.
Q8. What is covered by my registration fee?
A8: The Summit registration fee includes a shared hotel room for Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights (April 12, 13, and 14 nights) and the following meals: Thursday dinner, Friday: breakfast, lunch, dinner; Saturday: breakfast, lunch, dinner; Sunday: breakfast, lunch.
If you are attending a pre-Summit Institute on Wednesday, April 11 (registration for Institutes is required and is by invitation only), your registration fee will also cover a shared hotel room for Wednesday night and lunch on Thursday.
NOT included: Flights to and from the Summit; room service; incidentals; alcoholic beverages — please come with a credit or debit card or cash to cover your own incidentals.
Q9. Do I have to share a room? I want my own room/I want to bring someone who is not attending the Summit and share my room with them.
A9. All Summit rooms are shared. A process to request rooming with another participant is available as part of registration. However, if you want your own room or want to room with other family members you are bringing, you will need to book your own room through the hotel. Rooms are $125 per night using our conference room rate. You can call 843-315-7100 and book a room using the conference room rate PWU. You will have to use your own credit card for this process. You can also go to the hotel’s website, then click on the group code link and type in PWU.
PLEASE NOTE: even if you book your own room, you are still required to contribute the Summit registration fee to participate in Summit activities, since the registration fee serves as a donation to help offset costs for meals, materials, and Summit related content. If you do not pay the Summit registration fee, you will not be registered for the Summit.
Q10. Are there scholarships or travel funds available?
A10. There are no scholarships available for the Summit. The registration fee does not represent the true cost of supporting each attendee for the Summit (accommodations, meals, materials, and other production expenses). With the generous support of our sponsors, we offset the Summit costs so that the cost to participants is relatively low.
However, we recognize that the registration fee is not insignificant, and that travel costs to and from the Summit may present a challenge for many of our members. We encourage you to do some of your own fundraising to help offset costs. Additionally, you can ask a local organization to support the Summit as a supporting organization by funding your travel and/or registration fee. We can support your efforts with an official request letter (letter template available here).
Q11. When should I plan to arrive and leave?
A11. The Summit will open Thursday, April 12, at 6pm and close Sunday, April 15, at 2pm. Also, there are a few Institutes planned for Thursday, April 12, during the day. Institutes are small, special sessions before the Summit, by invitation only, and separate registration is required for the Institutes (however, there is no additional fee).
If you are attending the Summit only, you should plan to arrive on Thursday, April 12, before 2pm and leave Sunday, April 15, after 5pm. We understand that some Summit attendees may want to travel in a day earlier or leave a day later. If you do that, you are responsible for your own accommodations, food and other costs on those days, and will need to contact the hotel to book your hotel room accordingly.
If you are attending the Summit and an Institute, you should plan to arrive on Wednesday, April 11. You must be pre-registered for an Institute.
Q12. How do I get to the Summit?
A12. The Summit is in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina at:
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Myrtle Beach Oceanfront
3200 S. Ocean Blvd., Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Direct: 843-315-7100
The closest airport Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR). You are responsible for making your own flight bookings.
The second closest airport (1.5 hour drive) is Wilmington International Airport (ILM). Transportation will not be provided to or from this airport.
If you are driving to the Summit, we encourage you to carpool with other attendees – it’s cost-effective and better for the environment. Let us know if you can offer rides from your area by emailing [email protected]. Parking at the DoubleTree is free.
Q13. I have mobility concerns. Is the Summit venue and hotel accessible to differently abled individuals?
A13. All common areas of the hotel and venue are accessible in accordance with ADA guidelines, and there are several guest rooms at the hotel that are also accessible, so we can place you in the appropriate room. Please make sure to indicate these needs on the registration form.
Q14. Can I bring my children with me to the Summit?
A14. Women with HIV so often take care of all those around us before we focus on and care for ourselves. SPEAK UP! can provide a unique opportunity for women living with HIV to gather together, learn together and have time to focus on their own goals and their own development as leaders. For this reason, we strongly encourage women to do the best they can to make arrangements for their children so that they will be able to attend the Summit on their own.
However, not being able to make such arrangements should not be a reason not to attend the Summit, and we will have childcare available onsite at no cost to you if you contact us by Feb. 28 at [email protected]. However, you will need to book your own room for the Summit (see Q9). Please contact the hotel directly to book your accommodations during the Summit using our code PWU at the rate of $125/night. You must also be registered for the Summit.
Q15. I need to bring an adult with me (as support, caregiver, person I care for) who is not participating in the Summit. How does that work?
A15. We absolutely understand that bringing an additional person may be a necessity for some participants. Due to the limited space and resources available to us for this Summit, unfortunately, we are unable to cover the cost of lodging or meals for additional individuals. Please contact the hotel directly to book your accommodations during the Summit using our code PWU at the rate of $125/night. You must also be registered for the Summit.
Q16. I want to room with someone specific. How do I do that?
A16. All registered attendees can request a roommate at the time of registration. You will only be placed with your requested roommate if: a) she also requests you as a roommate on her form; b) you are staying the same nights (e.g., if one person is coming early for an Institute, both must be –and remember institutes are subject to eligibility and space, and you must be pre-registered). If you and your roommate request one another, but one person is scheduled to arrive the day before the other, you may be paired with another roommate.
Q17. I want to present at/speak at the Summit. How do I do that?
A17. We invite proposals in Spanish and English for a variety of types of sessions (affinity groups, discussion group, or workshop) for SPEAK UP! Positive Women’s Network – USA’s 2018 National Leadership Summit. You can find all details about how to present here. Deadline to submit proposals is December 10 at 11:59pm EST.
In case you miss the deadline for session proposals: There may be additional unmet needs for sessions. If you have not submitted a proposal but have an idea, please email [email protected].
Q18. My organization wants to sponsor some clients to attend the Summit. How do we do that?
A18. If an organization agrees to support two or more clients or advocates from your organization with registration and travel costs, we will list them as an organizational supporter. Email [email protected] to inquire about being listed as an organizational supporter of the Summit or for a letter to make such a request of an organization.
To register 5 or more attendees for a special discounted rate, use the form on this page.
Q19. I want to support the Summit! How do we do that?
A19. We welcome and need your donations and sponsorships! Sponsorship details are available here. You can also contact Naina Khanna, executive director, at naina.khanna.work(at)gmail.com if you have specific questions about donating or sponsoring the Summit.
If this FAQ did not answer your questions, please contact us with your questions at [email protected] or 510.698.3811.