Frequently Asked Questions

The Sheraton Grand Seattle provides the following emergency contact and evacuation information.

Because testing locations tend to move around, please consult the Seattle Office of the Mayor website. Nearly all locations recommend registering and booking an appointment in advance.

As of 10/10/21, there is a Curative testing site next door to the hotel at the Washington State Convention Center for a PCR test with 1-2 day results. Same day appointments may be available.

Seattle has historically maintained a lower than average rate for violent crime when compared to other U.S. cities of a similar size. As in other large cities, visitors should be aware of their surroundings and remain in populated, well-lit areas.

The City of Seattle offers additional Visitor Safety Tips. You can find information about recent events on Visit Seattle’s regularly updated Safety in Seattle page.

For you, conference planners are striving to accomplish four main goals:

Goal 1

Create top notch and engaging sessions to enrich your professional development regardless of how you attend the conference.

Goal 2

Provide a price structure that allows for every URMIA member or friend of URMIA to attend the event. We want to provide as much access as possible to as many as possible.

Goal 3

Offer enriching experiences to you and all attendees, where we connect with each other, exchange ideas, grow our networks, and build on this unique community.

Goal 4

Continue to pull the community together as we endure the most disruptive event we will ever see in our careers. This pandemic proves that, collectively, we can support each other, sharpen our skills, and become more innovative, effective leaders.

Volunteer leaders on the planning and programming committees are hard at work crafting this first-of-its-kind URMIA event. With creativity and determination, they are designing annual conference experiences – and contingency plans – that focus on community. Whether you attend in person in Seattle or remotely, we are excited about planning and creating an engaging experience for you.

It is possible that some sessions will include livestreamed presenters who are not in Seattle. Our intention is to maximize the number of presentations by speakers who are in Seattle for the conference.

Invitations to register for the Full Conference Experience in Seattle will be extended to affiliates and businesses in July, after we have a better understanding of the state of Washington’s reopening plan and limitations. Learn more in this post to the Affiliate Members community. Registration for the Real-Time Virtual Experience will be available to all on July 1, 2021.

URMIA leadership is prepared to transition from a hybrid event to a virtual-only conference if circumstances necessitate. In that case, all registrations would automatically transfer to an interactive virtual experience similar to - and with lessons learned from – URMIA’s 2020 annual conference and the 2021 Virtual Spring Conference.

If conditions are such that the hotel limits our conference capacity, we will confer with our in-person registrants about their intentions, determine next steps, and announce altered plans as soon as possible.

We’ve got you covered! Your registration for the Full Conference Experience in Seattle includes Inability to Attend insurance. If the conference in Seattle takes place and you are unexpectedly unable to attend, this policy will provide a full refund of registration fees per policy coverages. Additionally, our host hotel will allow you to cancel your room without penalty up to 48 hours before your arrival.

Our program offers pre-conference workshops, keynote and general sessions, breakout sessions (60-minute presentations), an expanded breakout session (90-minute activity), and various flash sessions (30-minute presentations).

Networking opportunities include a Newcomers Welcome & Orientation, roundtable discussions, formal and fun functions, and the URMIA Annual Awards & Business Meeting. In addition to the many informal networking spots around our host hotel, we plan to offer URMIAcares community service project(s) for enriching engagement in an informal setting.

Meals and snacks during session breaks will be provided and are included in registration. Attendees of the Full Conference Experience in Seattle will once again be able to engage with their URMIA community and friends as they have done for 50 years!

Our virtual registrants will be able to attend select conference sessions and activities live and in real time from wherever they are during the conference. Not only will the virtual sessions be livestreamed, presenters and hosts will intentionally engage registrants regardless of how they attend.

Conscious of differing time zones, the conference planners have selected sessions to livestream for the Real-Time Virtual Experience that fall within regular workday hours for both West Coast and East Coast attendees.