Friends for Life Canada 2018 – Ontario

Conference Information

Children with Diabetes (CWD) and Connected in Motion (CIM) present Friends for Life Canada, a conference for individuals and families living with type 1 diabetes! Join our group of world-renowned clinicians, researchers, physicians, adults, children, and families with diabetes to learn the most current information in diabetes care and support. Attend educational sessions and get cutting-edge diabetes management ideas. Participate in discussion groups, share your story, and help motivate and support others who walk in similar shoes. Watch toddlers and teens, college students and professionals, young parents and grandparents, new and practiced diabetes clinicians make new and lifelong friendships. This is a conference you won’t ever forget!

Who Should Attend FFL Canada 2018?

• Families and individuals with type 1 diabetes
• Young adults, teens, school-age children, and younger children
• Grandparents
• Children with type 1 diabetes and their siblings and their best friends
• Parents of children with type 1 diabetes
• Adults with type 1 diabetes and their spouses or partners

The Conference Schedule in a Nutshell

• Friday, November 2, 2018: Registration and Exhibits Open, Grand Opening Reception in the Exhibit Area
• Saturday, November 3, 2018: Sessions for adults and children all day, Exhibit Area open
• Sunday, November 4, 2018: Sessions for adults and children all day

The Conference Venue and Reservations

The Marriott on the Falls is the largest Marriott convention facility in Canada. It is located in the heart of the Fallsview Boulevard District, overlooking the majestic Niagara Falls. The venue is within walking distance to the best dining, entertainment, and attractions the city has to offer. It is a Green Certified hotel.

This property offers some wonderful space to FFL Canada participants including plenty of meeting room accommodations for all age groups, an indoor swimming pool and sauna, several restaurants, a state of the art fitness centre, and the Fallsview Terrace and Observation Deck. There is complimentary wireless internet access in all of the meeting space. Single and double room rates are CDN$129 per night plus tax for City View rooms and CDN$149 per night plus tax for Fallsview rooms. Each sleeping room offers either one king or two queen beds, high speed internet (wired and wireless; for a fee), cable TV, and a coffee maker with complimentary coffee and tea. Conference participants receive 50% discount off the self-parking rate.

Please use the Marriott online booking web site to book your hotel reservation.

Note that there is a conference registration fee per person and that reserving a room does not register you for the conference. Rates vary according to the date of registration. Conference registration will open in the Spring.

Registration Information

Registration is priced on a per person basis. Early registration rates will be $80/person for ages 6 and older, and $50/person for ages 0-5. Please note that we expect the conference to sell out and do not plan on having on-site registration.

The Program

The adult program, including a track for T1 adults coordinated by Connected in Motion, is designed to run keynotes as well as 2-3 sessions simultaneously during Saturday and Sunday. There will also be two-day programming for school-age children (ages 6-8), tweens (ages 9-12), and teens (ages 13-17). Full-day childcare is available for children ages 5 and under. Please note that all conference participants under the age of 18 must have a parent or adult guardian with them in the building during the entire conference (i.e., teens and children should not be dropped off to participate while parents go elsewhere). This is for health and liability reasons, and there will be no exceptions.

Conference registration includes:

• All sessions for adults and children
• Meals, including Friday evening reception, Saturday breakfast and lunch, and Sunday breakfast and lunch
• Beverage breaks on Saturday and Sunday, mid-morning and mid-afternoon
• One conference t-shirt per person

FFL Canada provides a separate gluten free buffet at all meals. Please indicate on your registration form (online) if you require gluten free options.

Youth Program Note

Please note that all children must be with their appropriate age group during sessions. The elementary program is for children ages 6-8; the tween program is for children ages 9-12, and the teen program is for ages 13-17. There is no ‘skipping up’ or ‘skipping down.’ This is per our insurance guidelines. No exceptions are allowed.

For More Information

For more conference information, contact Laura Billetdeaux at laura@childrenwithdiabetes.com.

Sponsor and Exhibitor Information

For information about sponsoring or obtaining exhibitor space for this event, please contact Jen Hanson at jen@connectedinmotion.ca.