Convention Keynote 6

3:00pm – 4:00pm ET: Convention Keynote 6

For WhatsApp:

The first OA VR Newcomer Open House will be held during the February 28, March 1, March 2, 2025 Convention!
The Convention Welcome Center is the Convention Newcomer Welcome Center. We will be using the same Zoom address as before.
We will add a breakout room specifically for convention attendees who need to be redirected to the convention.
There will be NO newcomer open house meetings during Convention Keynotes and Steps 1-3 sessions.

At the end of each newcomer meeting, please give newcomers the link to register for the convention. It is an easy form and does not require a lot of information. It is free for those in their first 90 days!

Each meeting should end 10 minutes before the hour to give newcomers time to register for the convention.
Do not put the convention registration information on your flyers as we want newcomers to enter the Welcome Center, not the convention.
Add ADA recommendation for blind attendees to phone in, so that we can move them to breakout rooms. This eliminates the need for them to click on a join button to enter a breakout room.

*Join the 2025 WhatsApp group and please leave this group.*
There won’t be a lot of activity in the 2025 WhatsApp group for a while, but you are invited to join.
You have all signed the service agreement, so you don’t have to do that again anytime soon. (What a relief, right?)
https://chat.whatsapp.com/BiNOe6ibNRfExbM5xhIq7Y

Other:

The newcomer slots listed on the convetion spreadsheet are not real meetings, but Claire M will check for groups that have held newcomer meetings at convention to see if they want to participate.

The newcomer open house schedule will appear on https://welcome.oavirtualregion.org/

*Schedule your group’s newcomer open house meeting before the Virtual Region opens up all remaining slots.*
The deadline to do this is December 14, 2024.
After this date, you may schedule your newcomer open house meeting using the Virtual Region online form, which will be provided.
Meetings in French, German, Spanish, Greek will begin on the half-hour. Meetings in English will begin on the hour.

The Convention Welcome Center is the Convention Newcomer Welcome Center. We will be using the same Zoom address as before.

We will add a breakout room specifically for convention attendees who need to be redirected to the convention.

Schedule of available slots for newcomer meetings: Friday: 8am to 11pm ET; Saturday 8am to 8pm ET; Sunday 8am to 5pm.

There will be NO newcomer open house meetings during Convention Keynotes. We will try to avoid newcomer meetings during the Convention Steps 1-3 sessions.

At the end of each newcomer meeting, please give newcomers the link to register for the convention. It is an easy form and does not require a lot of information.

Each meeting should end 10 minutes before the hour to give newcomers time to register for the convention.

Do not put the registration information on your flyers as we want newcomers to enter the Welcome Center, not the convention.

Add ADA recommendations for blind attendees to phone in, so that we can move them to breakout rooms. This eliminates the need for them to click on a join button to enter a breakout room.

*Please Share!*

*Newcomer Open House slots are open and may be shared with other groups, meetings, and service boards.*

https://forms.gle/h8Wm6pU5CjuCt8Hx8

*The subject or focus of your newcomer meeting is needed!* Check the tables to see if the subject/focus of your meeting is noted.

*Flyers:* In January a call will go out for you to request flyers. In the meantime, work on the wording!

Hold your OA Newcomer Meeting during the Virtual Region Convention 2025!
February 28 , 2025 – March 2, 2025
“There is a Solution”
https://forms.gle/h8Wm6pU5CjuCt8Hx8
Questions? Need Help? Email: https://oavirtualregion.org/contact-us/