We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to hang out—in person—with our writing buddies. November can’t get here soon enough for us.
But not everyone is in the position to be able to safely come back together. And for those folks, we now have a virtual option for the 2020 Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference.
In-Person Event
$350 conference fee (plus room and board)
Click here to register for in-person
We are still having the in-person event. There are a few changes—masks are mandatory. And because of the North Carolina guidelines, the conference center can only operate at a 50% capacity. So that means, including faculty, we will be 300 this year on site.
Here is what to expect at the in person conference
- Masks are required (if you can’t wear a mask, you won’t be able to attend the event).
- 6 foot social distancing seating will be arranged in every gathering place.
- Clouds Coffee Shop will be operating, but at a reduced capacity. However they also have a new app, so you can order and pick up your coffee at the door.
- Everyone coming on campus will be required to sign a waiver.
- Temperatures will be checked periodically.
- Fitness center will be closed.
- Fellowship rooms (with televisions) will be closed.
- There will be NO shuttle service on campus, this includes shuttle service to and from meals.
- There will still be the opportunity to purchase an audio copy of the keynotes and general sessions, as well as workshops for $80.
- We are providing a minimum of two 15-minute appointments.
But we will still be together. Also, because our attendance is reduced, there will very likely be more opportunities for one-on-one meetings.
Now here’s the additional news. LifeWay has stepped in and is offering a live-stream, virtual option for those who cannot attend.
Lifeway is offering a digital pass to live-stream the conference for all general sessions held in Spillman. BR will add a 1pm General Session on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as other breakout sessions during the day. We don’t yet have a list of all the general sessions, but we’re working hard to get that information up on the website in the next week or two.
Here are the details for the digital conference
$250 fee
Registration is now open
Click here to register for virtual
- Live stream for all general sessions daily – Sunday evening through Thursday noon
- All recorded video will be available for replay through March 31, 2021.
- All workshop audio recordings are available to live-stream pass holders at no additional charge.
- 1 virtual appointment per pass holder.
Cancellation Policy
If you need to cancel your reservation for the in-person 2020 event, the final day to do so without penalty is August 31, 2020.
It’s not possible to transfer your reservation from the in person event to the virtual event. You must cancel your reservation for the in person event and then register for the virtual event separately.
Needless to say, we’re still in the planning stages of this new offering and will continue to keep you updated through information on this website and blog, as well as in our Facebook group – Blue Ridge Conference Writers.
Feel free to post questions in the comments section below and we will answer them to the best of our ability!
Blessings,
Edie & DiAnn
The Conversation
1. Will instructor notes be available for all classes with virtual pass?
2. When do we sign up for our one free faculty session?
3. How do we sign up for a paid virtual critique?
Glad to see this option! I’m still planning to attend in person.
I love the option to attend virtually. Thank you for offering this opportunity.
Sandra, yes all the handouts will available along with the workshop recordings! And stay tuned, we’re trying to get responses from the faculty on how many virtual vs. in-person critiques they’re available for. We’ll post that news as soon as we have it. The best way to stay on top of everything is to hang out in the Blue Ridge Conference Writers Facebook Group! Blessings, E
Kelly, we’re looking forward to seeing you there! Blessings, E
Patricia, I’m glad the virtual option fits you needs! Blessings, E
I’m glad to see a virtual option. I will definitely take advantage of that. I assume there will still be a fee. The conference still costs money!
Two questions:
1. Given that capacity is capped at 300 people, is it possible that some of us who have registered will not be allowed to attend in-person even though that is our preference? And if that is the case, how will you determine who can come, and how/when will the “over-the-limit” people be notified that they can’t attend on campus?
2. In looking ahead to 2021, are you planning on returning BRMCWC to May—assuming COVID-19 is in hand by then?
I’m still trying to determine the best option, but SUUUUUUUUPER excited for the virtual option. This will provide an opportunity for BRMCWC to have a much greater reach than ever before. God’s amazing! (And LifeWay is pretty cool, too.)
Questions:
1. If I’m already registered for the conference and decide to attend, is my spot confirmed, or do you need some of us to cancel to meet the 300 max cap?
2. What temperature is the “you have to go home” temp? I have Lupus, which sometimes causes a low-grade fever. I realize (and understand) that it won’t matter what’s causing the fever if I have it, but this info will help me decide what to do.
Sherry, the virtual conference is $250. Blessings, E
Becky, I don’t know what the “go home” temperature is. You can call Ridgecrest and find out what their policy is. the number is 800.588.7222. And yes, your spot is confirmed if you’re registered. We do expect there are some who will be forced to forgo the in person event, but we’re not asking anyone to give up their spot. Blessings, E
M.A. Robertson,
1. We are not expecting to turn anyone away who is registered and wants to attend the in person event!
2. Yes, in 2021, we are going back to the regular May schedule.
Thanks for the GREAT questions! Blessings, E
Thank you for the massive amount of work you are all putting into this. We know nothing about this is easy. Praying for God’s strength and guidance for you.
Kara and I will be cancelling our registrations for the on campus conference. I do plan on doing the virtual one though. How do I go about cancelling and getting my deposit back???
Hi Deanna, you need to call Ridgecrest directly (800.588.7222) and cancel your registration. After that, tomorrow, we’ll have a link and you can register for the virtual conference whenever you’re ready!
Should the Virtual Registration link be working yet? It’s not and I don’t want to miss out because there’s something wrong on my end.
Karen, I’ve tested the link on multiple devices and it’s working fine on our end. Email me edie@ediemelson.com and I’ll try to help you get it sorted out.
I registered online weeks ago. The registration went through Lifeway. Since then I have gotten absolutely no information from the actual conference on how this is going to work. I still don’t understand if it going to be on zoom or something else. I still don’t see any information on how the virtual attendees sign up for faculty appointments. There’s an explanation for the in-person ones, but not the virtual. I have asked on Facebook three times now trying to get an answer to that question without any response. Will we get emailed links for each workshop? Or what? I see other questions on this comment feed asking from two months ago. I have checked the website multiple times. Either I am missing something or the information is still not there. It’s starting to stress me out because its a month away and I’m not sure what I am preparing for, especially the appointment. I have a devotional and fiction works and I need to know what I’m having an appointment for and who is available. My frustration is probably coming through. I’m sorry. I was disappointed after I registered to find out, that only a minimal amount of classes are actually available to the virtual attendees. (Yes I know the recordings for all of them are available later) But I’m really frustrated by the lack of details for how its all going to work.
Hi Alisha!
Since you went into more detail here, allow me to respond again with more detail.
This is our first year doing a virtual conference option, so there is a lot we’re working out in order to provide a fantastic and memorable conference experience for our virtual attendees. You can find information about the classes that are being offered to virtual attendees by visiting our website, clicking on the schedule page, and scrolling to the bottom where the virtual schedule is listed.
Several classes will be live streamed throughout the day. At some point in the future, as we get closer to the conference, either a page will be added to the site for virtual attendees to access or an email will be with instructions or both (most likely).
See my reply above about scheduling your appointment with one faculty member. These appointments will be happening AFTER the live conference. And there is now an announcement at the top of the Blue Ridge Conference Writers Facebook Group.
If you would like someone to review your writing, we are offering faculty critiques via the critiques page on the website. These you can sign up for now, and they will be arranged between you and the faculty members you choose.
Again, this is new to all of us, so we greatly appreciate your patience as we prepare to provide an incredible conference experience for all who are attending, both virtually and in person.
As a virtual attendee, when will I get the information for how it will all work AND when will I receive information for how the faculty appointments will work????
Hi Alisha!
Information about how the faculty appointments will work will be emailed to virtual conferees sometime within the next couple of weeks. We are giving more people an opportunity to sign up for the virtual conference before we begin sending emails with information about how it works and how to sign up for appointments. We appreciate your patience.
Since I am working, I would not be able to attend even the virtual experience as it happens, but would be more than willing to pay for the conference, if the sessions would be available online after the event. Would that be a possibility?
Hi,
I’m a loyal subscriber to the BRMC blog posts and am interested in joining you next year. I’m unable to join this year due to time constraints.
What is the best way to keep in touch with your 2021 plans?
I live in Sydney Australia, so the time difference would make watching the live sessions difficult.
Will replays be available for attendees – if there is a virtual option next year?
Kind regards,
Jean Saxby
Hi Jean
Thank you for your loyalty to BRMCWC. The best way to keep on top of our 2021 plans is to join our Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BRMCWCwriters If you choose to purchase a virtual ticket for 2020, the recordings will be available until March 31, 2021. We haven’t decided about a virtual option for the May 2021, but that will be announced as soon as the decision is made. Feel free to email me DiAnn Mills: diann@diannmills.com with additional questions. Honestly, the best resource is the Facebook Group.
Thanks for offering a virtual option.
Just registered for the virtual conference…after a death in the family which took me “out of the loop” for much of the summer and fall it will be good to get back into the swing of things…and I look forward to seeing you in person next year!