First and foremost, the safety of our registrants is our top priority. Those of you who are here already, we appreciate you being here ahead of the storm and we will do our best to ensure that you have a meaningful trip. As you probably know, a severe weather alert is in force for the Eastern seaboard of the United States. We are aware of the seriousness of the situation and are taking it very seriously. We are meeting frequently with our event partners and City of Baltimore officials to evaluate both the path of the storm and its impact on our event. Airlines have canceled flights into Baltimore on Monday and may not resume service until Tuesday at the earliest. It all depends on the path of the storm and how soon conditions in Baltimore improve. 
 
Accordingly, we have made some adjustments to the schedule as follows:

• We are proceeding with the Leadership Seminars on Monday for those who are already here, but will be ending Monday's activities at 5pm, ahead of when conditions are anticipated to worsen. This means we shall be canceling the Special Welcome Reception scheduled for 6pm. 
• We are also canceling the day's activities on Tuesday. This includes the Opening Brunch and Workshop Sessions 1 & 2. If conditions improve sufficiently by late afternoon, we will resume Summit with the Opening Reception at 5:30pm for those who are already in Baltimore. 
• At this time, we plan to proceed with the remainder of the Summit scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, but this is subject to weather conditions.

We will send further updates as the situation unfolds advising any further adjustments to the schedule up to, and including, cancelation in whole or in part. 

Meantime, we have prepared the following FAQs to address issues around how Hurricane Sandy impacts your Workplace Summit registration.
 
For All Attendees
 
Is the Workplace Summit still taking place?

Yes, subject to the conditions specified above. You can find the latest schedule updates on our announcements page. If you are not attending Summit, please make sure to cancel your hotel, by e-mailing summitregistration@outandequal.org. 
 
Are there any changes to event locations?
The Baltimore Convention Center will remain the venue for the 2012 Workplace Summit. Any changes to event locations will be providedon our announcements page. 

Will I be safe in my hotel and the convention center?
Out & Equal's conference partners are taking every precaution to ensure your safety and comfort during the storm. The Baltimore Convention Center is one of the safest buildings in the city. The Convention Center is a concrete structure and is stocked with a plentiful supply of water and food.
 
Specific inquiries about your hotel stay should be directed to hotel management. Contact information for our hotel partners is as follows:

• Hilton: (443) 573-8700
• Hyatt: (410) 528-1234
• Marriott: (410) 962-0202
• Renaissance: (410) 547-1200
• Sheraton: (410) 752-1100

What special preparations should I make before traveling? 
You should first contact your travel provider to ensure your arrangements have not been canceled or rerouted. You should factor in extra time for any delays and/or cancellations.

What should I pack?
We are advising our participants to be prepared by packing rain-resistant clothing. We also ask that you bring along a forgiving attitude, knowing that there will most likely be some changes and that everyone is working to ensure disruption is kept to a minimum.

How is public transportation affected by the weather?
Regional transportation authorities are currently developing emergency response plans, including shutdowns and cancelations. Before making your trip, you should gather the latest information online from the Maryland Transit Administration's website.

Can I get a refund if I decide to cancel my registration?
If your transportation was canceled you will be entitled to claim a full refund of registration fees, but will be required to fill out a claim form and provide documentation. All refund requests will be processed after the conclusion of the Workplace Summit. There will be a form posted at http://outandequal.org/summit-2012 following the Summit. Please be sure to keep any travel advisory from your employer, airline or other source, as we will need those later to process your request. We do not yet know the extent to which all other refunds will be made as that will depend upon a variety of circumstances including whether or not travel was possible and the level of disruption caused.

Where can I find the latest event announcements regarding the weather? 
The most up-to-date information is being made available on our announcements page.

If I have a question, who should I contact?
Due to the large number of people affected, it is not possible for us at this time, to answer all inquiries individually. Please address your inquiry accordingly:

• Registration (866) 683-9578,summitregistration@outandequal.org
• Housing (866) 683-9578, summitregistration@outandequal.org
• Hotel contact information is listed above

For all other inquiries, please contact info@outandequal.org. 

Anything else?
We thank you for your support, your patience, and your participation. The Workplace Summit is a vital annual convening, and we are doing our very best to ensure it proceeds. At the same time, we are doing everything we can to ensure that you are kept safe and updated so that you can make an informed decision whether to attend or not.  

For Presenters

What happens if I can't make it to my panel or workshop?
Please let us know immediately the moment your plans change, by e-mailing Pat Baillie, pbaillie@outandequal.org.  


Will my panel or workshop be rescheduled? 
Every effort will be made to reschedule disrupted panels and workshops.

CANCELLATIONS:
Workshop Sessions, Opening Plenary canceled, Exhibit Hall

ADDITIONS:
Optional Lunch Plenary, Sponsored by IBM, Room 309/310, 1pm-3pm

Optional "Topical Discussions"
3:30pm-5pm

Employee Resouce Groups (ERG)
Discussion lead: Nancy Mace
Room: 336

Bisexuality
Discussion lead: Heidi Bruins Green
Room: 337

Faith/Religion
Discussion lead: Terry Hildebrandt
Room: 338

Allies
Discussion lead: David Hall
Room: 339

Transgender
Discussion lead: Jamison Green
Room: 340

Networking
Discussion lead: TBD
Room: 341

Train the Trainer
This is a closed discussion
Discussion lead: Q Wilson
Room: 342

Federal
Discussion lead: Pat Baillie
Room: 343

Opening Reception, Sponsored by Deloitte, 5:30pm, Ballroom Foyer