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The 1st Annual
Critical Issues Conference

CIC 2002 Home | FAQ | Schedule | Best Practices | Small Group Presentations

Frequently Asked Questions

If have a question you'd like answered, send me an e-mail with your question and I'll post an answer as soon as I can get one from the appropriate staff member.

What is the “Official Dress” for the conference?
Is there a shuttle to the hotel from the airport?
Will there be a way for someone to reach me in case of an emergency?
When can I register?
I know someone who still wishes to come. Can they still register and apply for a scholarship?
At what time will the conference adjourn?
What can you tell me about the hotel?
Who will be attending this conference?
Why should I attend?
What actually will I be doing at the conference?
What will it cost to attend?
Are there scholarships available if I need assistance in attending this conference? If so, how do I apply?

Q: What is the “Official Dress” for the conference?
A: The conference will have a business causal atmosphere. Leave the suit and tie at home if you want to. We want all the participants to be comfortable. Dockers or jeans are fine. Average highs for the month of March are in the upper 40’s so you may wish to bring a sweater (or two) and possibly a coat. Click here for the latest weather information for the Cedar Rapids area.

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Q: Is there a shuttle to the hotel from the airport?
A: Yes! If you e-mail your airline and arrival time to us at AgrowKnowledge, we will get a list to the hotel so they will have a shuttle available for you. If there isn't a shuttle available when you arrive at the airport, you can call the hotel at 1-800-541-1067.
Also, let us know your departure time so we can have enough shuttles available to get everyone back to the airport Wednesday afternoon!!

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Q: Will there be a way for someone to reach me in case of an emergency?
A: Yes. Due to the fact that the entire AgrowKnowledge staff will be at the conference, the hotel phone number is the number you will want to give to family, etc. as your emergency contact number. 1-800-541-1067. When calling in, tell the operator that you are trying to contact someone attending the AgrowKnowledge Critical Issues Conference. The message will be given to us and we will post it on our message board or, depending on the circumstances, try to locate you!

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Q: When can I register?
A: We will have the registration desk open on Sunday afternoon around 4:00 to register you. At that time you will receive your conference packet, which will include a best practice schedule. From 6:00PM to 8:00 PM we will have a very informal welcome reception. Soft drinks, beer and a small assortment of munchies will be provided at the reception. It’s not a full meal, so you may wish to eat before or after the reception, but by all means plan to attend!

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Q: I know someone who still wishes to come. Can they still register and apply for a scholarship?
A: YES! We will accept registrations up until the very last minute. And we do have scholarship funds still available and will award them until there is no money left! So continue to spread the word and have interested parties contact us ASAP!

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Q: At what time will the conference adjourn?
A: This is a great question as people are no doubt trying to book flights and make arrangements to be out here as soon as possible. The schedule that will be included in the registration materials gives a 1:00pm CST adjournment time on Wednesday, March 20. Should anything change, I will post a message stating the corrected time, however I don't expect there to be one.

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Q: What can you tell me about the hotel?
A: In my honest opinion, you would be hard-pressed to find a better hotel in Cedar Rapids. The Collins Plaza Hotel is VERY nice and I can assure you that you are getting a terrific value on your room rate. I have enjoyed every function that I have attended at the Collins Plaza. To find out more about the hotel, click here.

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Q: Who will be attending this conference?
A: Secondary and post secondary educators, representatives from a variety of agriculture businesses and industries as well as a variety of USDA agents will be in attendance.

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Q: Why should I attend?
A: Our goal is to ensure that our Critical Issues Conference will be one of the best conferences you ever attend. The conference will have participants attending from all 50 states, Canada and the Ukraine. The schedule is designed to give you ample time to network with educators and industry representatives from a variety of companies and educational institutions. Learn about new education methods and be introduced to emerging technologies from a variety of agriculture industries and businesses. You'll also learn about what AgrowKnowledge will be offering you during the next few years.

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Q: What actually will I be doing at the conference?
A: The conference will be very interactive. We will be asking you to assist us in determining the critical issues that agriculture will face during the next five to seven years. Your thoughts, ideas, and vision of the future will be an important part of our conference.
The "Best Practices" portion of the conference will allow you to learn all about the emerging technologies and find out what inventions, regulations and changes will affect agriculture. Industry leaders from all across the United States have been invited to share their new technologies with you.

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Q: What will it cost to attend?
A: We have worked very hard to keep the cost of the conference to a minimum. Rooms at the convention center are only $84 (plus tax) a night. Other hotels are available next door to the convention center with rates ranging from $49 to $59. The $250 registration fee includes the Welcome Reception, three breakfasts, three lunches, two dinners, all breaks and all printed materials.

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Q: Are there scholarships available if I need assistance in attending this conference? If so, how do I apply?
A: Yes! We have a number of full (travel, room and registration) and partial (room and registration) scholarships available to assist those who want to attend the conference.
Click here to go to our scholarship page.

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