1. Download the Whova App
This year we will be using an online platform called Whova to help manage our event. Download the Whova app from your app store before the conference, and enter the following invitation code: 7pu00vvr5j. From the app you will be able to view the agenda and plan your personal schedule, receive live updates from conference organizers, keep track of social events, and more. We are confident Whova will enhance your conference experience, and make it easy to find all the information you need!
2. Pre-Conference Pub Crawl – Tuesday @ 7:00pm
Arriving early for the conference and need something to do? Join us and the APA NE Emerging Planners Group, and explore downtown Kearney during our pre-conference pub crawl on Tuesday March 7th. We will be starting at McCues Taproom at 7:00pm, followed by Copperfields Bar at 8:00pm, and Cunningham’s Journal Downtown at 9:00pm. Follow the “meet-up event” on Whova for live updates on our location and to coordinate rides!
3. Emerging Planner’s Group Networking Event – Wednesday @ 7:00pm
The EPG is comprised of individuals passionate about the next 50 years of planning in Nebraska – whether you consider yourself an emerging planner (early in your career) or are someone interested in sharing their experiences or meeting someone new, join us for a beer and conversation! Everyone is welcome! Pizza and a drink ticket will be provided. The event will be held at Thunderhead Brewery in downtown Kearney.
4. Awards Banquet – Thursday @ 6:00pm
Don’t forget to join us for a nice banquet dinner while NPZA and APA NE recognize individuals and organizations for excellence in the field of Planning in Nebraska. This is a great time to get to know others and find out about the great work that other communities are doing.
5. Cornhole Tournament Fundraiser – Thursday @ 8:00pm
Participate in our first annual cornhole tournament to raise money for a new scholarship through the APA Nebraska Chapter for planning students in the State of Nebraska. Entry fees are $50 for a team of two, or you can register as an individual for $25 and we can find a teammate for you. Need a competitive edge? Purchase a “Milligan” (in honor of Harry Milligan) and draw a random extra ability during one of your rounds. This will be a fun new tradition, and the bragging rights will be coveted! Visit the Emerging Planners Group table in the Exhibit Hall to learn more and to sign up. You can also follow the “meet-up event” on the Whova App.
Do you have some branded cornhole boards that you would like us to use to advertise your firm? For a $100 donation to the scholarship fund, we will proudly use and display your boards! E-mail cbrodersen@cityoflavista.org if you have questions or are interested in participating!
6. Time to Unwind – Hospitality Room
Wednesday and Thursday night after the conference activities have concluded, the hospitality room will open up in the Bronze 1 room right in the conference center. Stocked with a variety of free beers, wines, and snacks, the hospitality room lets you catch up with old friends or lose horribly in a card game against some crafty veterans.
7. Crane Watch & Bike Ride (or Drive)
Come watch the greatest spectacle of the natural world as the sandhill cranes migrate through Nebraska! Join us for a bicycle ride from the conference center to the Platte River to watch the cranes lift off at sunrise. We’ll meet at 5:45am and ride about 7.5 miles, watch the cranes, and then return to get ready for the rest of the day. The trail is mostly paved or crushed limestone so it’s a fairly easy ride. You’ll need to bring your own bike. For those not able to or prepared to ride, we will have a carpool organized if you would still like to see the cranes. Please stop by the Bike Walk Nebraska booth in the Exhibit Hall or reference the “meet up event” in the Whova App to sign up and for more details.
