FAQ

Answers to four questions you may have about Street Level 2009.

Why is the conference in Ottawa?

When the National Roundtable of Poverty and Homelessness first gathered in 2003 and decided to host a third national conference under the Street Level banner, there was great consideration put into the question of “where”.

Ultimately, Ottawa was chosen, for a number of reasons. First and foremost, because it is a national conference and Ottawa is the nation’s capital. Part of the Roundtable’s mandate was (and is) to provide a united national voice and model a dynamic response to the government, Christian and faith communities, and the nation-at-large, around Godly approaches and responses – morally, practically and theologically – to issues of poverty, homelessness and justice. Cleary, at least from a political standpoint, Ottawa is the one city in Canada that feels most like it belongs to the entire country (not “the east”, “central” or “the west”).

Holding the conference in Ottawa allowed the Roundtable to effectively combine the efforts of its Advocacy Team with the conference itself and the synergy created by its delegates. One vivid example of this was the opening night of the Street Level 2006 conference, which was designed to include special guests such as Members of Parliament, guests from the Prime Minister’s office, national media, denominational leaders, etc.

On the opening night, the “Ottawa Manifesto” was presented to all visiting guests and delegates as a living document of commitment and challenge to “learn”, “act”, “speak” and “cooperate” around nine distinct statements on issues such as housing, compassion, grace, good government, church responsibilities, biblical mandates, and partnerships. Presenting this in Ottawa afforded the Ottawa Manifesto great exposure at the most prominent federal level. And the very presence of the conference delegates, united as practitioners of these ideals and commitments, made a profound statement to the nation.

When the Roundtable met to review the 2006 conference, and decided to proceed with the next one in 2009, the matter of location was once again discussed thoughtfully and in depth. The decision was made to return to Ottawa in 2009, for the same reasons listed above, but also to maintain the profile and impact of the Roundtable’s efforts, and the united voice and faithful works of the conference delegates and those they represent nationwide.

Why the Westin Hotel?

It may be helpful and interesting for you to read about the history of the Street Level conference in tandem with this information.

A key goal within the vision of the very first Street Level planning meetings in 1992 (for the first Street Level conference, held in Toronto in 1994) was to “celebrate” the delegates. To honour them and have them treated with excellence – as they gathered and networked, learned together, encouraged one another, and processed new ideas.

Much thought was poured into considering how to do this, and still remain consistent with the values and consciences of mission and frontline street workers and leaders. This hope was realized through a strategic plan of action.

First – to research venues that could host guests from across Canada (not just those in or near the host city), and that could facilitate large gatherings, meals and break out rooms. While several options were researched, hotels were quickly revealed as the most functional choice. Part of the “celebrating” delegates and “honouring” them was a decision to do something different than having people sleeping in church basements, or billeting, as many were used to doing on very tight budgets.

Second – to create a reasonable and modest budget, and then negotiate with venues that were feasible choices for a costing that was not just reasonable – but that was generous to us and our vision.

Third – to successfully have sponsors and foundations help carry a large percentage of the costs of the conference (including venue). This plan of action was repeated for the Calgary conference in 1996.

In 2003, once the newly created National Roundtable had decided to host another Street Level conference, and determined that the next event would be held in the nation’s capital, a full investigation into available and workable venues began (just as had occurred for Toronto 1994 and Calgary 1996).

A large number and variety of venues were visited and researched with the same strategic approach. The Westin Hotel was the only facility that was able to meet all of our needs in a single venue, and was one of only three venues that could even host a conference of our size. Further, and very importantly to note, the Westin took a keen interest in the purpose of our event and negotiated a contract even more generous than we had hoped for.

Throughout the planning and execution of the 2006 conference, the Westin Hotel staff was committed to excellence and cost-effective planning on our behalf. As we looked to Street Level 2009, it was an easy decision to return to the Westin. And once again, they have been very generous, thoughtful and helpful in every aspect of costing and planning in relation to the venue and their services.

Why is there no opportunity for people to attend and not stay at the hotel?

There are several reasons that the Roundtable decided that the Street Level conferences needed to be residential conferences, and not include an off-site accommodation option. To design a conference of this magnitude is more sophisticated that it may appear at first glance. As you read on, you will note that several of the reasons for this decision mesh together.

The first thing to consider is that to book a hotel for a conference of 300 to 500 delegates requires a very detailed, legally-binding contract – that includes commitments to “room nights sold”. Negotiations for everything from the main hall, to break out rooms, to catering, meal planning, in-house AV, hotel insurance and logistics are all part of the same negotiation as “booking hotel bedrooms”.

Thus, if the requirements are not the same for all delegates, based on the hotel costs to host all aspects of the conference, quite literally the cost for those staying in the hotel would need to be increased dramatically in order to help pay for the other hotel and conference costs of off-site delegates. And/or, more likely, it would cost someone the exact same amount to attend whether they stayed at the Westin Hotel or not.

For example, it is important to note that the main hall (where all meals and plenary sessions are hosted) can not exceed 490 people seated at any time. This is not just an obvious capacity issue; it is also a fire code issue that the hotel must adhere to strictly. Keeping that in mind, it is simply not financially feasible to host a full 4 day conference in this manner with a large number of delegates staying off site. And it is simply too complex (and unfair) to offer the option to some and not others (or all).

Even if it were financially feasible to provide off-site pricing, what most people do not recognize is that the conference would then have very limited representation from across Canada, and would be filled primarily with delegates from the Greater Ottawa Area, south-east Ontario and south-west Quebec. Based on inquiries we have had from many people who think it would be interesting to attend if they could just drop by to attend, it is also very easy to speculate that conference registration would be closed as early as 12 to 18 months in advance; filled to capacity, predominantly with only local delegates.

Of course, one of the obvious benefits to having all of the delegates staying in the same location is that, for many people attending conferences, some of the most meaningful experiences happen between, before and after scheduled events. These natural occurrences would be limited greatly by having delegates coming and going.

But what about the price? (I can’t afford it if I have to stay at the hotel.)

The simple truth is – if someone can not afford to stay at the hotel as a conference delegate, they couldn’t afford to stay off-site either. That is not meant as a harsh statement, but simply one best explained by how the budget was put together.

Again, it is important to recall that the great deal we are getting on the cost of hotel rooms, and all associated hotel costs previously mentioned, is based on filling a certain number of rooms. Kind of like getting a cheaper price by buying something in bulk. The fewer people staying at the hotel, the more the conference would cost each delegate. By filling our quota, we are actually able to offer a more reasonable price for all delegates.

Here is perhaps some of the most poignant information: revenue from delegate registrations covers approximately one-third of the actual cost of the full conference for each attendee. The National Roundtable on Poverty and Homelessness raises the other two-thirds of the cost from sponsors, foundations and even through board-approved resources from their own organizational budgets. In fact, the amount each delegate is paying to attend (and stay in the hotel) does not even cover the cost of the conference if it was held in a church and everyone found their own accommodations. The Roundtable has made these provisions as a gift – going back to the previous commentary on “celebrating” people who give so much of themselves, and honouring them.

Past delegate lists reveal that Street Level conferences are attended predominantly by people who work for very modest salaries – via missions, charities and churches. In fact, more than one-third of those who attend live on faith-support (responsible for raising their own salary or “deputation”). This is not lost on the Roundtable members hosting Street Level conferences. The National Roundtable on Poverty and Homelessness is made up of leaders representing 14 Christian social justice ministries and/or churches across Canada. And the cost of the conference is no different for delegates attending from their ministries and outreaches.

One of the very first priorities in planning the 2009 conference was getting the basic conference information (date, cost, location, theme, keynote speakers, contact info) to as many people as possible, as early as possible. All of these pieces were in place, via mailings, website and facebook a full two years in advance of the conference. This is so individuals, teams and ministries could plan ahead; budget, raise funds, encourage sponsorship, etc. Many organizations, ministries and churches have chosen Street Level as their “main” training event for 2009, and budgeted for individuals or staff teams to attend.

It is also important to note that generous travel subsidies have been made available by the Roundtable, so that distance does not stop anyone from attending. The application for these subsidies can be found on the Street Level website.