# Email: RightsCon Toronto 2018 - Status of Program Session Proposal and Ticket Info

To: Patrick Connolly <[e-mail]>
From: Nick Dagostino <[e-mail]>
Tue, Feb 13, 2018 at 4:22 PM ET

Dear Patrick Connolly,

Thank you very much for your submission to host a session at RightsCon Toronto 2018.

The Program Committee has reviewed your proposal, and I’m very pleased to inform you that your session **ID#611 - "Citizen Facilitator Training: A workshop for aspiring g0v nobodies"** has been **accepted and merged with another high-quality proposal tackling the same issue.** You should be really pleased, as there was intense competition with nearly 800 proposals from over 84 countries for only a limited number of spaces. Congratulations!

When our Program Committee decides to merge proposals together, it means that your session was connected or similarly themed to another and that they are well-suited to run together. We believe the combining the proposals provides the program with an excellent quality session while fusing diverse perspectives. This is in line with the RightsCon commitment to stakeholder diversity and developing partnerships across organizations.

We will be in touch shortly regarding the details of your session merger, including introducing you to the coordinator of the other session, and providing you with individualized recommendations from our Program Committee for ways to best integrate your session at RightsCon.

One of the things that makes RightsCon so special is our concerted attention to the program and its development. **Our number one priority is ensuring that your session helps set the standards of excellence and impact that the RightsCon community increasingly expects.** In order to do so, we will be in communication over the next month with key resources and coaching materials to support you in building an amazing and memorable session. We will also provide specific logistics related to your session (as in, date and time of session, and requested / necessary equipment). For your session, you will be allotted a single program session slot of either 60 or 75 minutes.

This email is also your cue to begin preparations for RightsCon. Below is **important** information about tickets (and our discount system), general housekeeping, and other information related to your travel to Toronto. **If you do not have a Canadian VISA and will need one, now is the time to start that process (see below for more details).** Please review this and contact the RightsCon Team with any questions you may have. You can expect a follow up email with more programmatic information pertaining to your session shortly.

**HOUSEKEEPING:**

**When:** RightsCon will take place from Wednesday, May 16th to Friday, May 18th at the [Beanfield Centre, Exhibition Place](https://www.beanfieldcentre.com/) in Toronto, Canada. The program schedule is still in development, so we will be in touch with details as to the dates, times and rooms for your session.

Please note that while official programming will begin at 9am on May 16th (including the Opening Ceremony), you may want to arrive in Toronto early to participate in the amazing Satellite Events and social activities that will take place on **Day 0, Tuesday, May 15th**. Additional details will be available on our website in the coming weeks.  

**FUNDING:**

This year we received an extraordinarily high volume of funding requests. We are currently processing these travel support funding requests and will notify recipients shortly. However, given the limited amount of funds, **we suggest that you begin seeking assistance from other sources.**

**TICKETS:**

We're absolutely committed to ensuring that everyone can participate, but due to the nature of this conference, in which a high proportion of people attending are speaking or session hosts, we are asking that those with the means to do so pay for tickets. This allows us to fund activists and advocates from around the world.

Over the years, RightsCon has provided **partial or complete support for hundreds of people from dozens of countries including Sudan, Vietnam, Pakistan, Brazil, Thailand, Uganda, and many more.** We think that’s pretty awesome, and we wouldn’t have been able to do this without the generous support from our funders and people buying tickets even if they are speakers.

For those of you who are able to cover the full cost of the ticket, simply follow [this link](https://www.rightscon.org/#tickets). For anyone who can’t, here are four unique codes, **which are non-transferable beyond your panel**, for a range of discounts off your ticket price:

- 25% off - ID611-25-LHDZUR
- 50% off - ID611-50-LHDZUR
- 75% off - ID611-75-LHDZUR
- 100% off - ID611-100-LHDZUR

**People can choose whichever is appropriate for their circumstances.** Ensuring everyone is able to participate in [RightsCon Toronto 2018](https://www.rightscon.org/) is the most important thing to us. These rates apply for your session’s speakers as well, and you can offer those discounts to them. Please direct them to the [RightsCon Ticket Page](https://www.rightscon.org/#tickets), where they can utilize the above discount codes in the Eventbrite order form.

**Please note, these codes are non-transferable and only for you and your session’s speakers.**

**VISA LETTERS:**

If you aren’t sure whether or not you need a visa, check out our [guide](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EqgFPsNk-tjFiVEPPixOwwqX3H9-9tQq9FF17MF4qRw/edit?usp=sharing), which provides key resources and tips on the Canadian visa process. **Keep in mind, the visa process can take months, so we encourage you to begin your application as soon as possible.** If you require a personalized invitation letter to RightsCon for obtaining a Canadian visa, please fill out our [request form](https://www.rightscon.org/travelandvisa/) and we will send you the corresponding letter. For any additional questions, we’re hosting a visa info session on February 15, 2018 at 9:00AM EST. Learn more in our latest [blog post](https://www.accessnow.org/getting-rightscon-toronto/).

**ACCOMMODATIONS:**

We have set up preferred rates and courtesy blocks with select hotels in Toronto. You can learn more about these options [here](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EqgFPsNk-tjFiVEPPixOwwqX3H9-9tQq9FF17MF4qRw/edit?usp=sharing), and in our [interactive map](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1huzNx3a2ZbbVkWjZOoWyq-zlWjA&ll=43.655523852794715%2C-79.57466989448244&z=12).

If you have any questions, please let us know. We look forward to working alongside you to make RightsCon Toronto our best summit yet.

Best,
Nick Dagostino
RightsCon Director

**PS** We'd love you to let the world know your session has been approved. Feel free to tweet on the hashtag #rightscon or @rightscon.

**PPS** You can also expect communications about the program development from our new RightsCon Associate, Nikki Gladstone.**

Attachment: [RightsCon Toronto 2018 Travel & Visa Information
](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EqgFPsNk-tjFiVEPPixOwwqX3H9-9tQq9FF17MF4qRw/edit)