FAQ

Your registration fee is different from most other conferences. It's all inclusive and an exception value because it includes:

• Conference Registration
• 2 Nights Lodging with standard accommodations (Wednesday and Thursday Nights - see below)
• 2 Breakfast Buffets (Thursday and Friday)
• 3 Lunch Buffets (Wednesday through Friday)
• 2 Plated Dinners (Wednesday and Thursday)
• 2 Hosted Pre-Dinner Receptions and 2 After-Dinner Hospitality Functions (Wednesday and Thursday)
• Refreshment Breaks (Wednesday, Thursday and Friday)

You will be asked when you register online if you want to arrive earlier and you will be charged for the incremental expense then.

The Forum attire is business casual. You may leave your suit, dress shirt and tie at home. Casual slacks, skirts, polo shirts, tops and sweaters are all acceptable. Some attendees opt for wearing jeans. Please, no shorts, t-shirts, or "flip flops". The meeting room can vary in temperature and meals are held outside, along with some of the evening networking events, so dress in layers or plan to bring a sweater or jacket. Heaters are provided for meals and the after-dinner networking event. Pathways on the hotel grounds can be uneven, and meals outdoors are on the lawn, so please bring appropriate footwear.

The off-site Forum registration is provided at a discounted rate and includes all the conference benefits except sleeping accommodations and breakfasts.

Guests of registered Forum attendees sharing your accommodations are welcome to participate in all the meal and hospitality functions for a $275 fee that may be paid with your Forum registration or separately. There is no per-meal fee structure. Guests who share your accommodations and attend the sessions as well as the meal and hospitality functions must purchase a full conference registration at the lower off-site rate.

Full refunds minus a $75 cancellation fee are given for cancellations received before January 31. You may designate a substitution up to 72 hours prior to the event. Another option is to donate your unused registration to our Scholarship Program so we may invite utility and government representative to participate who couldn’t otherwise.

WiFi is provided by the Utility Energy Forum in the meeting room and the hotel has basic WiFi in the guest rooms at no additional fee. A limited number of electrical outlets are available in the meeting room. If outlets are unavailable, notify conference staff or a planning committee member. We have several power strips available if you bring your own cell phone charger with a plug or a standard USB connection.

The Forum agenda is full and includes many networking events after hours so attendees can get to know each other and build relationships. Many attendees find time before and after the Forum to enjoy the recreation facilities at the Cambria Pines Lodge or the surrounding Central Coast. A limited number of rooms are available on Tuesday night and Friday night if you wish to reserve a room to stay and explore the area.

Planning Committee members meet throughout the year to plan the agenda, identify the most current and relevant topics, and recruit presenters. Most presenters are utility and government agency representatives or end-use customers. Program providers are given a presentation opportunity through the Utility Program Stand Up Challenge poster sessions. If you have a story to share about a utility or government-sponsored program, research project or field application, consider submitting it during our open submission period in the fall. The Stand-up Challenge invitation is sent each year to the Forum’s email list. To join the Forum’s email list, visit this page.

The hotel provides free EV charging to registered hotel guests. Charging is limited to 2 hours to allow all hotel guests with electric vehicles to charge. Signage is posted with instructions for notifying the hotel when you are using the charger in case they need to contact you to move your vehicle if you exceed the two-hour limit. Note that you may charge more than once while at the hotel but not in consecutive two-hour blocks.