Will AMC2017 be your first AMC? Wondering how to make the best of your experience? We are here to help! Check out our very cute and hilarious new video that shares ten things to know as an AMC first-timer. From planning your schedule in advance to attending the Opening Ceremony, there are many ways you can make your first AMC experience a memorable one.
Thanks to Cass Corridor Films for producing the video and all of the AMC volunteers for contributing your time and efforts.
Read our tips for first-timers below. Have a tip to add? Tell us on Twitter or Instagram and use the hashtag #AMC2017.
10 Things To Know As An AMC First-Timer
- Plan your schedule. There are 300+ sessions at the AMC! It’s best to plan ahead by checking out our online schedule which allows you to bookmark sessions. Make sure you grab a program book when you arrive at the conference!
- Be open to new things. The AMC is a great space to try your hand at a new skill, or learn about a topic that is unfamiliar to you. Why not try a movement session even if you’re not a dancer? How about signing up for a tour to learn about Detroit’s diverse neighborhoods and communities? Or participating in a live broadcast at the People’s Pop-up Media Shop Practice Space?
- Ask for the things you need to participate fully in the conference. Are you looking for the gender neutral bathroom? Need transportation to get to off campus events? Want translation from English to Spanish or vice versa? Stop by the info desk inside the Student Center or ask a volunteer wearing an orange AMC t-shirt.
- Your name badge contains important information you will need over the weekend. Refer to the back of your badge for information such as phone numbers for shuttles, how to contact the AMC safety team, translation services, and more. The badge also includes people’s prefered gender pronouns displayed on the front. And don’t forget your badge is your ticket to nighttime events!
- Stay online during the AMC for updates, location changes and ongoing conversations. See what people are saying by searching the conference hashtag #AMC2017 on social media. Engage with comments and questions that interest you! Can’t make it to a session? Many sessions have unique hashtags listed on the online schedule – search the hashtag and follow what’s happening even if you’re not there in person! Find the AMC on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
- Unwind at one of the AMC’s many nighttime events. AMCers love to have a good time. AMC @ Night features music and performance events for all ages throughout the four days of the conference. Try some “participatory media” during karaoke or bowling on friday or dance the night away on Saturday at the MOCAD. You may walk or roll to these events or take the shuttle from your hotel, or the campus pick up station at Anthony Wayne Dr. and Kirby.
- Budget ahead for food and other expenses. At the AMC we offer tea, coffee, and water throughout the four days of the conference. You can purchase a bagged lunch, grab a meal at the dorm cafeteria, or try one of the many local restaurants. Other expenses you may have over the AMC weekend include: ride shares, bike rentals, goodies for sale in the AMC exhibition area, and personal care items for your off campus housing.
- Go to the Opening Ceremony on Friday. Celebrate the powerful wave of creative movement-building happening across the country. We will host the AMC2017 Opening Ceremony at the beautiful Detroit Film Theater inside the Detroit Institute of Arts. It is free and open to the general public. Get a feel for what it will be like by checking out our video from last year.
- Make long-lasting connections and continue to build your AMC community year-round. Put yourself out there! Introduce yourself to someone new. Bring your business cards or examples of your work. Share ways for people to learn about what you’re doing. And don’t be shy – follow up with people after the conference! You can also stay involved with the AMC by coordinating a track, practice space or network gathering, or proposing a session at the next AMC.
- Now that you’ve moved through the conference as a first timer, we’d love your feedback! You can share your feedback in multiple ways:
Provide feedback for a specific session – look for the session evaluation link in the online session description.
Fill out a comment card at an info desk in the Student Center or McGregor.
Complete the post-AMC survey online which will be available on our website after the conference.
Excited to attend your first AMC this summer, June 15-18th? Register here!