What is the Biennial?
Who should attend the Biennial?
When will the Biennial take place?
How do I make hotel reservations?
What should I expect to learn?
What kind of conference sessions are planned?
Are there any fun events planned in San Diego?
Will the food provided at the Biennial be Kosher?
Religious Services
What should I bring?
What should I wear?
What if I want to arrive in San Diego early or stay past the Biennial?
How can I bring a guest?
What provisions are made for those with disabilities?
Are there any security measures I should be aware of?
Can I get a virtual idea of what the Biennial experience is about?
How can I register for the Biennial?
What’s the weather like in San Diego in March/April?
Where can I find out about what else is happening in San Deigo?
How will I get to and from the San Diego International Airport?
Ground Transportation?
What are the transportation alternatives in San Diego?
What if I have further questions?
What is the Biennial?
The JCCs of North America Biennial is a gathering of JCC volunteer leaders and senior professionals from all over North America. The program includes learning, the sharing of trends and ideas, and many opportunities to meet peers and colleagues. Held in a different city every other year, the Biennial is the place for JCC leaders to connect and network with like-minded people, and discover new ideas to bring home to their JCCs. It’s a great opportunity to meet up with old friends and make new connections.
Who should attend the Biennial?
Each JCC should bring a CORE DELEGATION of at least five leaders:
• president
• incoming president
• immediate past president (advanced leaders)
• Esther Leah Ritz Emerging JCC Leadership Awardee(s) (your up-and-coming leadership)
• executive director
We will have additional specific programming for all these cohorts.
Also, the following leaders will benefit personally and will bring back important knowledge to benefit your JCC:
• JCC board members, especially committee chairs who can take advantage of in-depth learning tracks in:
• Operations: membership, marketing, financial resource development
• Program: fitness and wellness, camp, early childhood, arts and culture, teens, adults, social action, Jewish education
• Administration: governance, strategic planning
The Biennial can be very valuable for senior managers, as well. We offer a substantial discount for staff who attend in addition to JCC executives.
When will the Biennial take place?
Biennial sessions will take place from Friday, March 28 – Wednesday April 2, 2014.
Where will the Biennial take place?
Hilton San Diego Bayfront
1 Park Boulevard
San Diego, California, 92101
TEL: 1-619-564-3333
FAX: 1-619-564-3344
How do I make hotel reservations?
You can book your room online at http://biennial.jcca.org. If you are a JCC Association Board member and you would like to pay through your Board Fund, please contact Yael Lubofsky at yael@jcca.org or 212.786.5084 to reserve your room.
What should I expect to learn?
The Biennial offers many learning opportunities for everyone. This is the time to learn how stay connected to your constituents, how to engage Generation X and Y, how to move forward in our recovering economy, and how you can achieve success in your local community. In addition to attending learning sessions that interest you, you can also come participate into J’s Stake House to sample the full buffet of JCC Association programs and services available to your JCC and talk to specialists and consultants. We hope that you will share your knowledge with others in your delegation and make learning an interactive experience. It is important to coordinate with delegates from your JCC to make sure you participate in as many different sessions as possible, so your delegation brings back a broad array of knowledge and resources.
What kind of conference sessions are planned?
Learning sessions include:
Plenary sessions: These Keynote sessions look at the major strategic challenges facing your JCC.
We have not yet finalized the other speakers, but some of our past keynoters were Scott Cowen, president of Tulane University; Erica Brown, author of Inspired Jewish Leadership; Bernie Marcus and Arthur Blank, co-founders of The Home Depot; Reynold Levy, president of New York’s Lincoln Center; former U.S. Cabinet member and president of University of Miami Donna Shalala; humor columnist Dave Barry; feminist scholar and director of Hadassah-Brandeis Institute Shulamit Reinharz; and Professors Robert Putnam and Deborah Lipstadt. Our speakers will be relevant to your needs as leaders of JCCs today.
Seminar Tracks: 90-minute learning sessions are led by outside experts or professionals from the JCC field and are designed for JCC officers, advanced leaders, committee chairs and JCC board members.
Size-of-City Sessions: Meet with peers to discuss best practices and learn how others in similar size JCCs handle challenges.
Cohort Learning Groups: Specially designed sessions for your core delegates: current presidents and executives, incoming presidents, advanced leaders (past presidents), Next Generation, to learn with each other and from each other.
J’s Stake House | JCC Association Program & Services Showcase: You’ve heard of speed-dating, haven’t you? Well, now you’ll be able to get to know a variety of proven JCC Association signature programs and understand all that JCC Association provides in a unique and creative venue. Come and learn how you can take advantage of the many benefits of affiliation.
Jewish Learning: Excellent teachers and scholars provide a variety of Jewish learning experiences throughout the Biennial.
Exercise (of course!) may include a run, Pilates, the gym, a swim, or something else to keep you energized. Or visit the 20,000 square foot fitness center at the Hilton Riverside at no additional cost.
Are there any fun events planned in San Diego?
In addition to the various learning sessions, we will have a wonderful event planned by the Lawrence Family JCC.
Will the food provided at the Biennial be Kosher?
Any meals provided at the Biennial will be under the kosher supervision of the Louisiana Kashrut Committee led by Rabbi Yossie Nemes. Meals included with Biennial registration are continental breakfast on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and lunch for all participants on Monday and Tuesday
Religious Services
Daily religious services (Orthodox and egalitarian) will be held, commencing with Mincha (afternoon services) on Sunday, May 6, led by JWB Jewish Chaplains Council Chaplains. For those that arrive early, egalitarian Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat services will be held on Friday May 4 and Saturday, May 5.
What should I bring?
Feel free to bring resources and materials from your JCC to share with others. Also bring lots of questions and an appetite for learning.
What should I wear?
Any Biennial veteran will recommend a nice comfortable pair of shoes. Dress is business casual. It is also a good idea to have a sweater or light jacket in case you get cold while in the sessions. Hotel meeting rooms are often chilly.
What if I want to arrive in San Diego early or stay past the Biennial?
You are welcome to stay in San Diego beyond the Biennial and explore all the sights. Please visit local San Diego websites for great ideas or speak with our host community volunteers at the hotel.
How can I bring a guest?
Register your spouse or partner when you register yourself. You can register guests for specific events. For security reasons, only registered attendees or registered guests will be allowed into Convention events.
What provisions are made for those with disabilities?
Please indicate your disability and special needs in the box provided on the registration form. We will do our best to accommodate these special needs.
Are there any security measures I should be aware of?
For security reasons, Biennial badges must be worn at all Biennial events. Badges will be provided upon check-in at Biennial registration. Non-registered persons will not be allowed access to any Biennial events. JCC Association of North America reserves the right to withdraw the credentials of any delegate to the Biennial. No solicitation is permitted.
Can I get a virtual idea of what the Biennial experience is about?
Take a look at the highlights video from our 2010 Biennial.
How can I register for the Biennial?
Registration will open in the fall of 2013.
What’s the weather like in San Diego in Late March/Early April?
The weather during Biennial in San Diego ranges from a high of 68 degrees to lows in the 50s.
Where can I find out about what else is happening in San Diego?
http://www.sandiego.org/
How will I get to and from the San Diego International Airport?
Click Here for information about ground transportation from the airport.
Taxicabs: A cab ride costs $33.00 from the airport to the Central Business District (CBD) for one or two persons and $14.00 (per passenger) for three or more passengers. Pick-up is on the lower level, outside the baggage claim area. There may be an additional charge for extra baggage. Taxis are required to offer a credit card payment option.
Airport Shuttle: Shuttle service is available from the airport to the hotels in the CBD for $20.00 (per person, one-way) or $38.00 (per person, round-trip). Three bags per person. Call 1.866.596.2699 or 504.522.3500 for more details or to make a reservation. Advance reservations are required 48 hours prior to travel for all ADA accessible transfers. Please call in advance of your travel date for the specially-equipped shuttle to be reserved. For group reservations of 50 or more people please dial 1.866.596.2699. Ticket booths are located on the lower level in the baggage claim area. www.airportshuttleneworleans.com.
Airport Limousines: Airport Limousine is the official limousine service for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Convenient kiosks are located in the baggage claim area and no hassle curb side pickups are available. Rates begin at $58 for 1 or 2 passengers. Visit their web site for more information/reservations.
Amtrak: Union Station is located at 1001 Loyola Avenue in New Orleans. Amtrak does not provide transportation to or from the airport. Passengers should use limousine, public bus, or taxi service to reach the station. www.amtrak.com
Greyhound Bus: Greyhound Bus no longer serves Armstrong International Airport. The closest location is the Downtown Bus Station at 1001 Loyola Avenue, New Orleans, 70113. For information fares and scheduling, call 504.525.9371 or toll free 1.800.231.2222. www.greyhound.com
Public Transit: The Airport-Downtown Express (E-2) Bus picks up outside airport Entrance #7 on the upper level. jeffersontransit.org The fare for Airport-Downtown Express (E-2) is $2.00. The fare boxes will accept $1, $5, $10, $20 dollar bills and all U.S. coins. The Airport-Downtown Express (E-2) provides service from the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport in Kenner, down Airline Drive into New Orleans, which takes approximately 35 minutes. The Airport bus stop is on the second level of the Airport in the outer lanes at Door 7. For more information on public transit in the area, visit the Jefferson Transit website, www.jeffersontransit.org, or the RTA website www.norta.com.
COASTER Rail and Bus: Provides rail service around San Diego and directly from Terminal 1 to Downtown. Route 992 will take you directly to downtown, with a fifteen minute walk to the Hilton.
Automobile Rental: There are over 15 local car companies with easy pickup and drop off at the airport. Check with each company for rates. Click here to view rental car company contact information..
What are the transportation alternatives in San Diego?
Before you rent a car, check out all the possibilities here.
What if I have further questions?
Please e-mail Kelly Rainey at kelly@jcca.org or telephone the Biennial Hotline at 212.786.5096. Registration matters can be addressed directly to our registrar Tory Holland at tory@jcca.org or 212.786.5086.
