Frequently Asked Questions

Everything You Need to Know About the 2022 GIA Annual Conference

What are the dates and what is the schedule?

This year’s conference is hybrid, meaning there will be both in-person and virtual elements. The conference will begin on Thursday, October 6 with virtual track programs scheduled for Thursday and friday. Preconference sessions will be held on Sunday, October 9, followed by our Opening and Newcomers Receptions in the evening.

In-person and virtual programs will continue from Monday, October 11 through Wednesday, October 12. Check out our schedule page for more details on the dual-tracks and for regular updates.

Where is the conference hotel and how can I make reservations?

The conference will be held at the Sheraton Times Square New York Hotel. A block of rooms is available for conference attendees at a special rate through Monday, September 12, 2022. A limited number of rooms are available at the government rate for qualifying government employees. Official government ID will be required at check-in. There is also a hotel subsidy application for those who qualify.

Please reserve your room online by clicking the button below or call the hotel at (212) 581-1000 and reference the Grantmakers in the Arts special room rate.

Should I plan to make my own hotel arrangements?

The answer is most likely yes! (The GIA team makes reservations for a small number of attendees, typically those who are special presenters, keynote speakers, or facilitators. If this applies to you, you will hear from us directly). If you’re unsure, you can email Lauren Long at lauren@glooking­glass­creative.net.

How can I register?

You can register for the conference and preconference sessions at our registration page.

What is included in my registration?

Registering for a Conference Pass includes access to all in-person and virtual conference events, including meals and receptions provided from October 9-12. Preconference tickets are not included and must be purchased separately.

Registering for a Virtual Access Pass includes access to all virtual content on October 6-7 and live streamed keynotes and keynote debriefs on October 10-12.

Do I need to register for preconference sessions separately from my conference registration?

Yes; and it will be totally worth it! All preconference sessions will be held in-person on Sunday, October 9. To register for a preconference, you must also register to attend the full conference. Read about all of the preconference options here.

Who is the guest fee for?

If capacity allows, registered conference attendees are welcome to bring a guest, provided the individual is not ineligible to participate based on conflict-of-interest policies. This permits guests of conference attendees to attend the following conference social events:

• Sunday Newcomers Reception
• Sunday Opening Reception
• Tuesday Closing Reception

Please note that conference plenary sessions, meals, and conference breakout sessions are not open to guests.

What COVID-19 safety precautions will be in place?

We are working closely with our main meeting venue, the Sheraton New York Times Square Hotel on implementing preventative measures that include enhanced sanitization of event spaces, hand sanitizing stations throughout the event space, and socially distanced setups to reduce the potential spread of the COVID-19 virus. Please review the Covid Protocols for full details.

How can I save money on my registration?

All GIA members receive access to discounted rates for individual and group registrations. So, the easiest way is to become a GIA member! We are offering a special opportunity for new members, if you join now not only will you receive the member discount for the online convening, but GIA will also provide three months of membership free, which includes access to our online learning series, research library, member directory, and the opportunity to submit a session for the 2022 GIA Conference in NYC.

If you are interested in signing up for membership and the 2022 Annual Convening, contact Zoë Willams at zoe@giarts.org.

What is the refund/cancellation policy?

• Prior to September 10, 2022, 90% of registration paid is available for refund.
• From September 10-30, 2022, 50% of registration paid is available for refund.
• After September 30, 2022, no refund is available.

Exchanges for in-person to virtual tickets will be handled as follows:

1. Attendees who purchase a ticket to attend in person but are no longer able to travel, GIA has established a ticket exchange policy for the 2022 annual conference. Ticket holders with a Conference Pass may contact the GIA team at gia@giarts.org to request an exchange wherein any in-person ticket will be converted to the respective virtual access ticket, pending availability and consideration of date of request. If no tickets are available, the above refund policy will apply.
2. If you test positive for COVID-19 within 5 days of your travel to the annual conference, please cancel your registration and hotel guest room reservation immediately.
3. Within Eventbrite, the ticket sales platform used by Grantmakers in the Arts, “ticket protection” is offered by a third party unaffiliate, Fanshield. For all questions regarding ticket protection, buyers should contact the ticket protection seller, Fanshield, directly. If you have opted to purchase ticket insurance, please note all ticket insurance refunds will be handled through Fanshield not Grantmakers in the Arts.

Who attends the GIA Annual Conference?

The GIA Annual Conference is a national convening for arts grantmakers. Conference attendance is open to:

• Staff or board members of foundations, public funding agencies, and corporate giving programs
• Artists, cultural producers, national partners, and arts advocates
• Nonprofit organizations whose primary activity is grantmaking, meet GIA membership eligibility criteria, and are represented by individuals whose roles involve grantmaking, programming, and/or policy

What is the policy for covering session costs?

Members proposing and organizing sessions pay their own costs associated with attending the conference and are asked to pay the transportation and lodging expenses for their non-member presenters. GIA will pay all membership-ineligible session presenters a $200 honorarium and cover their one-day conference registration.

How is accessibility being handled throughout the conference?

GIA is committed to making this conference accessible to everyone. You can learn more about our commitments to accessibility and centering disability justice throughout the conference on our How To Convene page. Please indicate on your registration form if you require an accommodation or service, and we will do our best to accommodate your request. If you have any questions, please contact us at gia@giarts.org.

Will a Nursing Mothers’ Room be available?

Yes, a hotel guest room will be available for nursing mothers. To ensure privacy, only one individual will be allowed to access the room at any given time.

Should I bring promo materials? Will there be swag?

In keeping with GIA’s commitment to sustainability and the environment, we do not offer a resource table for distribution of materials at the GIA conference. GIA makes all conference information available online and encourages conference attendees to communicate news and share documents electronically utilizing our web tools and communication platforms. GIA regularly provides current reports, research, and materials of interest and relevance to the public on our website. Additionally, to further reduce waste, GIA does not provide conference tote bags or miscellaneous handouts.

How does GIA address the carbon emissions that come from airline travel?

GIA takes climate change seriously and strives to undertake programmatic and infrastructural initiatives to improve our environmental responsibility. GIA encourages conference attendees to communicate news and share documents electronically utilizing our web tools and communication platforms. Additionally, GIA purchases carbon offsets to mitigate the environmental impact of conference related travel for our staff. We encourage conference attendees and GIA members to explore purchasing carbon offsets for their own environmental impacts.

To learn more about carbon offset programs, please see this guide by the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Can I volunteer with the GIA team instead of paying for registration?

GIA presents an annual national conference that provides an opportunity for arts grantmakers from across the country to come together to share knowledge and ideas, to develop collective strategies, and to learn about the latest initiatives in grantmaking. We do work with a wonderful team of volunteer who support the GIA team. Responsibilities include staff support, communication with and guidance for conference participants, administrative support throughout all conference events, and participation at offsite programs, among other duties. GIA prioritizes individuals from the local host-city and public agencies that are member organizations, member-eligible, and/or emerging leader partners.

Volunteers receive a per diem for meals not provided during the conference program, and GIA will provide travel and accommodation support.

To inquire about volunteer opportunities for this or future conferences, please contact Vice President & Director of Programs Nadia Elokdah at nadia@giarts.org.

What parts of the conference are recorded?

All keynote sessions will be recorded and made available on the GIA YouTube channel following the conference. Similar to the in-person track – to preserve the intimacy, integrity, and safety of the breakout sessions, roundtables, and virtual precons – we will not be recording these spaces.

GIA reserves the right to record conference proceedings through videography, photography, and written documentation, including blogs and social media, for non-commercial use on its website and in publications.

When should I arrive and depart?

The in-person track of the conference will be from October 9-12, 2022. We recommend you arrive by the afternoon of Saturday, October 8 to take advantage of preconference day, and depart after October 12 to take advantage of the closing night party and the final keynote plenary and performance!

I’m a first-time attendee, is there anything I should know to best orient myself?

Usually about 30% of attendees are first-time attendees at the conference. The GIA team and our wonderful Board of Directors design a Newcomers Reception on Sunday, October 9 at 6:00pm to help break the ice, meet our team and other first-timers, plan for navigating the conference schedule, and – of course – to build a growing network!