The 64th ICYPAA Host Committee is excited to release the registration for the first-ever online / hybrid ICYPAA!
Since our early days as a bid committee, the 64th Host Committee has been committed to expanding access to AA as a whole and ICYPAA specifically, so it is with great pride and excitement that we roll out the first online / hybrid ICYPAA!!
While we would love for everyone to join in-person, many members of our ICYPAA community experience barriers preventing them from doing so. Having an option where people can join online allows us to broaden our reach to people who have accessibility barriers and to international attendees who would otherwise not be able to join us from afar. Please find more information below.
Pre-Register for the first-ever online / hybrid ICYPAA today! Registration is $20
Why have an online / hybrid option for attendees?
We know some people face accessibility barriers that prevent them from attending an in-person conference like ICYPAA. Whether financial, legal, mobility, health, or other barrier, providing an option for attendees to participate remotely is important. We’ve seen first hand with other online and/or hybrid conferences that the AA message reached many more alcoholics when they had the option to attend remotely.
Since we formed as a bid committee in 2019, we have been a hybrid committee, including participation from all over the (large) state of Texas. We have been advocates for use of technology in AA to increase our effectiveness as AA servants and include a broader cross-section of our state. As we developed a vision for our conference, we were committed to creating solutions that allowed us to reach a wider cross-section of alcoholics.
Who is the online / hybrid experience for?
The short answer: everyone! Many alcoholics face accessibility barriers at some point in their sobriety.
Communities that may be served by an online / hybrid experience for ICYPAA include:
- Parents
- International communities
- Remote communities
- Active military
- Parolees
- Incarcerated persons
- Immunocompromised persons
- Home-bound persons
- And many more!
What do I get with my online / hybrid registration?
Online attendees will have access to three rooms – a mix of hybrid rooms and one fully online room.
Registration for the online / hybrid experience gets you access to following:
- Main Speaker Meetings (Spanish and ASL interpretation provided)
- Hybrid Workshops
- Hybrid Panels
- Live In-Person Entertainment Streaming
- Online Panels
- Online Entertainment
Will I just be watching a stream of the in-person conference?
Not at all! The main speaker meetings and in-person entertainment will be streamed, but all other online / hybrid spaces allow for full engagement and participation from remote/online attendees. For example, online attendees will be able to ask questions of panel/workshop speakers and participate in online entertainment.
When will the online / hybrid program be released?
It has been released, check our program page.
How will I access / join the online / hybrid meetings?
We will be using Zoom for the online / hybrid experience. The program you will receive via email on the week of the conference will contain links to all of the online / hybrid “rooms” and sessions.
Why is there a cost for the online / hybrid experience?
Hosting an online / hybrid conference has unique costs which an in-person conference does not, such as licensing for web conferencing, additional A/V, etc. online / hybrid registration fees allow us to be self-supporting in these costs and keep online / hybrid as a sustainable option for ICYPAA moving forward. Just like the in-person conference, we will not turn anyone away and we will provide scholarships for online / hybrid registrations.
Will the online / hybrid experience have language interpretation?
There will be both Spanish and ASL interpretation for the main speaker meetings. If other sessions will be interpreted, we will denote those on the final program.
Will this be recorded?
There will be no video recordings of the online / hybrid sessions. But as with all ICYPAA’s, there will be anonymity protected audio recordings of panels, workshops and speakers after the conference on www.icypaa.org.
Questions? Reach out to virtualprogram@icyhost.org!
