Things to Know

2022 University of Maine Cooperative Extension All Organizational Conference
Tuesday, November 1-Thursday, November 3, 2022
Wells Conference Center, UMaine Campus, Orono, Maine

Roots to Blooms: Understanding Our History and Cultivating Our Future

Table of Contents:

Hotels

This year, you can register to have a hotel room reserved for you at one of the three hotels holding a block of rooms for Extension staff who are attending the 2022 UMaine Extension All Organizational Conference.

However, instead of calling the hotels yourself, let us book the room for you by contacting Ella Glatter, directly, at 207.581.2919 or at ella.glatter@maine.edu.

When you contact Ella, please indicate your preferences:

  • Which hotel you would like to sign up for? You can find the list below.
  • Would you like a room for a single person or do you intend to share a room with another Extension staff member? Please Note: If you are sharing a room, please specify who that person is so that reservations aren’t duplicated.
  • Would you need any specific room accommodations such as a first-floor room?

PLEASE NOTE, as of October 19, 2022: All three hotels are near capacity and will not be available on the registration form.

To make hotel arrangements for the few remaining rooms blocked off for UMaine Extension, contact Ella Glatter, directly, at 207.581.2919 or at ella.glatter@maine.edu.

The three hotels with room blocks reserved for this conference:

Travel

Central organizational funds will support your mileage and additional meals according to normal travel practices. Chartfield information will be included in the confirmation email that you’ll receive once you have registered for the conference. Please carpool as much as possible.

Soft Money/Grant Staff and Staff Who Work 20 Hours or Less

Soft money/grant staff members will have their lodging and mileage paid by central funds. Staff members who work 20 hours or less may (with the supervisor’s approval) work your regular schedule in addition to reporting 16 hours to attend the conference. If you or your supervisor have questions or concerns, please contact Fran Sulinski, at fran.sulinski@maine.edu.

Conference Norms

We invite you to:

  • Meet as many new people as you can.
  • Introduce yourself and tell what you do.
  • Give presenters your full attention by limiting distractions from electronic devices.
  • Engage and participate.
  • Get up and stretch or stand up.

Dress

Be prepared for the weather since some breakout sessions are located outside of Wells Conference Center. Comfortable shoes are also a good choice for the same reason. Casual attire is fine.

It is also good to dress in layers to be prepared for meeting rooms that fluctuate in temperature. The top layer should be warmer than you’d expect to have to wear indoors.

Cash Bar/Music

A cash bar will be available during the Poster Session and Table Displays as well as during the Banquet.

Music for this year’s first night banquet: Tori Jackson’s 10-piece band “Every Other Sunday” with other UMaine Extension guest musicians joining in.

University of Maine Cooperative Extension Job Position Ribbons

New this year! We’re offering an option to add colored ribbons to your nametag/lanyard to designate your job category and program area.

We’ve heard from many of you that connecting with colleagues, both old and new, was an important part of the conference. This activity gives us an opportunity to get to know the many new staff and faculty that have joined Extension and provides our new colleagues a chance to learn more about the diverse work we do across the state. And no worries… there will be signs available to help us decode the color system! But if you have any questions, Ella Glatter will be on hand to help out.

Be sure to pick up these ribbons to hang on your lanyard at the registration as you enter this year’s conference. Participation is optional.

Job Categories:

Area(s) you work within UMaine Extension:

Prize Drawings and the 2022 “Find Your Match” Game

Just by registering for the conference, your name will be placed in a basket, making you eligible to win prize drawings throughout the conference.

However, it’s possible to double your chance of winning by playing the 2022 version of the “Find Your Match” Game.

On the back of your attendee name tag, there will be a sticker with a symbol on it. This will be used to play the 2022 “Find Your Match” game. At the 2019 all organizational conference you had to look for an exact match for your symbol.

This year there is a “twist.”

Instead of an exact match of symbols, look for either the opposite or a pairing of symbols.

icon graphic symbols for sun and a moon
An example of a matching set of opposite symbols: sun and moon.

For example, you may have a symbol of a sun on your nametag which would mean you would look for the person who has a symbol of moon on their name tag.

icon graphic symbols of pairing of milk and cookies
An example of a matching set of paired symbols: milk and cookies

Or, if you have a symbol of milk, look for the person who has a symbol for a cookies – a “pairing” match.

The game goal is to try and meet as many people as you can as you look for your matching symbol.

Please note that there may be two people who have the “match” for your symbol as we had worked just over 20 sets of symbols when setting up this game.

When you find your match: both individuals should come to the registration desk and each “match” should, individually, fill out one of the slips provided and add it to the basket available there at the desk — doubling your chance of winning a prize drawing!

Questions? Review the poster at the registration desk for the symbols that will match in this version of the game.

Must be present during prize drawings to win!

University Photo

The Planning Committee is hoping to arrange to have a UMaine photographer at Wells Conference Center during the conference so that Extension staff members can have their photos taken to be added to their staff directory listings. More details coming soon.

Contact Ella Glatter, directly, at 207.581.2919 or at ella.glatter@maine.edu.

New Balance Student Recreation Center: Directions and How to Obtain Rec Center Access)

Why not spend some of your free time, getting in a work-out, in the afternoon of Day One, Tuesday, November 1?

How to Obtain Rec Center Access

If everyone is employed here then they just need to make sure they have completed their online waiver.  They will need to go to “Employee Self-Service” under MaineStreet in the myCampus portal (see screenshot below) and then click on the box for “UMS Recreation Release Form” and complete it. Once they have completed this task the box should have a green circle with a checkmark.  This will ensure they are able to swipe in when arriving.

Everyone will need to have their MaineCard or some type of Photo ID with them.

a screenshot of the area to gain rec center access on MaineStreet of the myCampus portal
For access to the recreation center, please go to the myCampus portal, MaineStreet Employee Self Service screen, and click on UMS Recreation Release Form to sign the Recreation Center waiver.

Agenda

If you would like a hard copy of the agenda, please print it and bring it with you. Your name badge will indicate the breakout sessions and meals you’ve selected. There will be a poster of the full agenda in the lobby with all location information.

Cancellations

If you need to cancel your registration, please cancel by Monday, October 24. This will prevent us from being charged for the food costs.

Contact Beth Hawkyard at beth.hawkyard@maine.edu, Ella Glatter at ella.glatter@maine.edu, or Michelle Snowden, at michelle.snowden@maine.edu if you need to cancel your registration.

Program Sharing | Poster Session

Many new staff are interested in learning more about the programs, research, and organizational activities offered by Extension staff. We encourage you to share information about your programs and organizational activities. This informational session takes place at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2. Committee members will be available during breaks and lunch to assist with set-up. All tables are 8 feet long. Some may have an electrical outlet, but there are not enough outlets for all tables to have a ready electrical supply. Display tables and presentation boards will be available for the entire length of the conference if you would like to set up and leave your materials on display beyond the “active” informational session time slot.

If you or your group will need a table, outlet or presentation board for your informational exhibit, please indicate so on the registration form (as well as indicate quantities).

Contact Ella Glatter, directly, at 207.581.2919 or at ella.glatter@maine.edu.

Wells Conference Center

Wells Conference Center is a versatile, spacious, all-in-one conference facility with on-site catering and three separate event rooms (the two largest can be combined into one) as well as a bright atrium. With nearly 10,000 square feet of conference space, Wells is ideal for medium- or large-scale meetings, banquets, exhibits, and presentations. The Center offers complimentary wireless internet and standard audio-visual equipment.

Directions to Wells Conference Center, Orono Campus

Parking

map of reserved conference parking map with wells and corbett buildings singled out
The Wells Lot on Munson Road, directly across from the Wells Conference Center at 131 Munson Road, has been reserved for conference attendees. (Click to Enlarge)

There will be parking spaces, reserved specifically for this conference, in a lot close to Wells Conference Center.

If you currently have a UMaine Staff Blue Parking Permit, please make use of other available lots next to Corbett and Dunn Halls to ensure plenty of parking is available in the Wells Lot for those who are traveling from other areas of the state to attend this conference.

If the Wells Lot is full upon your arrival, please see someone at the registration table or Planning Committee Member Ella Glatter, at the conference, to obtain a temporary parking pass for another lot.

NOTE: The overnight parking ban, on campus, starts November 1. Please do not leave cars in the reserved parking lot overnight and carpool to hotels.

Dexter Lounge, Alfond Arena, UMaine Campus/Walking Directions from Wells Conference Center

Two of this year’s conference Breakout Sessions and the Community Education Assistants group meeting will be held at the Dexter Lounge at Alfond Area:

  • Tuesday, November 1, 2022: County Conversations, Unconference-Style Session — Facilitated by Emily Collins and Tayla Mann
  • Thursday, November 3, 2022: Furthering Conversations

Dexter Lounge, Alfond Arena is a 4-minute walk from Wells Conference Center. Please contact one of the Conference Planning Committee Members during the conference (they’ll be seated at one table at the front of the room in Wells #1) should you need an accommodation to get to Dexter Lounge for one of these breakout sessions.

Walking Directions from Wells Conference Center to Dexter Lounge, Alfond Arena, Orono Campus

Tours of the Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center, Orono Campus

The Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center is a 3-minute walk from Wells Conference Center. Please contact one of the Conference Planning Committee Members during the conference (they’ll be seated at one table at the front of the room in Wells #1) should you need an accommodation to get to the Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center during the 3:30 p.m. Free Time that is scheduled for day two of the conference, Wednesday, November 2.

Be sure to listen for further details from the Planning Committee while attending the conference on days one and two.

Walking Directions from Wells Conference Center to the Ferland Engineering Education and Design Center, Orono Campus