General Information

Overview

Wimba Connect 2009, our 2nd annual users conference, will be April 5-8, 2009 at the stunning Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona! Enjoy the spring desert climate of the Phoenix area at this AAA Four Diamond Award winning resort while learning from and networking with Wimba customers from around the world. Wimba Connect 2009 will include numerous sessions, hands-on workshops, executive-focused events, keynotes, and plenty of fun. Based on your feedback, improvements include free wireless access, fewer overlapping sessions, varying levels of workshops, and a fantastic venue.

Registration Fees

Early-Bird 'Alumni' Rate: For persons who attended Wimba Connect 2008, the early bird conference registration fee is $399 per person through December 31, 2008, and increases to $449 per person effective January 1, 2009.

Early-Bird Regular Rate: For persons who did not attend Wimba Connect 2008, the early bird conference registration fee is $449 per person through December 31, 2008, but increases to $499 per person effective January 1, 2009.

K12 Rate: Those from K12 institutions will simply pay $299.

Group Discounts: If four or more people from your institution attend, the fee will be $319 per person through December 31, 2008 and $399 per person after January 1, 2009.

Presenter Discounts: If your presentation proposal is accepted (you will be notified in November 2008), you will only pay $199. If you register before your presentation is accepted, we will mail you a refund check. Otherwise you can wait until you hear if you presentation was accepted or declined to register for the conference.

Pre-Conference Workshops: For an additional $199 you can register for up to four pre-conference workshops. These workshops will provide hands-on training for all of Wimba products for users of all levels. For an additional $35 you can sign up for an online certification exam for Wimba Classroom, Wimba Voice, or Wimba Admin.

The registration fee includes all sessions and meals as shown on the agenda. You are responsible for the cost of your hotel room. There is an additional fee of $199 per person for the workshops on April 5 and 6 (regardless of the number of workshops attended). You will receive a complete refund if you cancel by 11:59pm EDT on March 5, 2008 (one month before the event). To cancel, simply send an email to connect@wimba.com or call Matt Wasowski of Wimba at 212.813.3886. Refunds will not be issued for cancellations made on or after 12:01am EDT March 6, 2008.

A credit card for payment will be required in the registration section of this website. If you are unable to pay by credit card, please contact Matt Wasowski of Wimba at 212.813.3886 or connect@wimba.com before you start to complete the registration form. Thank you!

Please note that the credit card charge will be from RegOnline, Inc., and the charge will be put through as soon as you submit your registration. Discounts for four or more people attending from your institution will be applied as a credit to your card after the conference.

Topics

Pre-conference workshops and main conference sessions will allow you to learn about:

Best practices
Lessons learned
Effective instructional and/or curriculum design
Funding
Policies and procedures
Internal marketing and adoption
Technology training and support
Non-instructional uses of Wimba software

Pre-Conference Workshops

Each pre-conference workshop will be an in-depth, hands-on training. Wimba's Professional Services Managers will lead workshops covering all of the Wimba Collaboration Suite as well as our Services and Implementations. Workshops will range from sessions for beginners to in-depth sessions for our most seasoned users. Refer to the Agenda section of this website for the workshop offerings.

One price fits all (the pre-conference workshop rate of $199 gets you in to one, two, three, or four workshops).

Guests

You are welcome to bring a guest/guests to share your room, but they may not attend meetings, workshops or group meals unless they have paid the registration fee. Please list the name(s) of your guest(s) in the guest portion of the registration section of this site, so we may advise the hotel.

If your guest wants to register for the conference, (s)he should submit a separate registration on this website.

Transportation

You are responsible for making your own flight arrangements. You are also responsible for transportation between the airport and hotel.

Internet Access

An Internet Café will be available on site for the exclusive use of Wimba Connect 2009 attendees as well as complimentary wi-fi throughout the meeting and lobby spaces.

Scottsdale and Phoenix Information

For information on the Phoenix area, click here.

Weather

In April, temperatures in Scottsdale, AZ range from a high of 83°F to a low of 59°F. For the latest weather conditions and forecasts, visit The Weather Channel website.

Time Zone

In April, Scottsdale is on Pacific Daylight Time.

6:00 p.m. – New York (EDT)
5:00 p.m. – Chicago (CDT)
4:00 p.m. – Denver (MDT)
3:00 p.m. – Phoenix and Los Angeles (PDT)

Suggested Attire

The attire for the conference is business casual.

Fact #10 learned at Wimba Connect 2008

Italian instructors at the University of Birmingham (UK) needed a better means of teaching the language online. Using Wimba Voice, they created:

Guided grammar-based exercises on simple and complex structures
Guided topic-based exercises at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels
Audio diaries
Presentation-type exercises, aimed at intermediate and advanced level

As a result, their students made 557 voice entries in first few weeks of implementation which provided evidence of independent work and of students taking charge. Students said Wimba Voice was “easy to use,” helps them “develop pronunciation and listening skills,” is “good for receiving oral feedback,” and is “fun!”