• "We have previously rented 15 passenger vans. This year, our numbers have increases significantly and we are renting a charter bus for traveling.
• For lodging, we find it extremely convenient and affordable to use the hotels that CROSS recommends.
• Our church leaders have graciously put CROSSCON as a budget item each year with a set amount. The young adults are responsible for their registration cost as well as 4 meals. The other items--hotel costs, transportation costs, two evening meals, breakfast meals, are all covered by our church. If needed, we also do a fundraiser to help us cover costs.
• Get your church leaders involved in making this affordable for the young adults. Since we have done this, we have had an awakening by the Holy Spirit at our church about making your life count."

"We’ve been at Cross since the very beginning! We’ve tried it all, from downtown, to Airbnb, to staying with friends locally. We’ve come to love using Louisville tourism to book rooms downtown for the ease of simply walking back and forth to our rooms between sessions. Find out the absolute max to a room (including rollaways), and that will cut down on the cost per person. If you’re crunched for finances, an Airbnb nearby can be more affordable, but be sure to account for the cost of daily parking, and whether that lot has in and out privileges throughout the day! If staying downtown, shop around for the cheapest parking lot prices. Chances are, you won’t need in and out privileges if staying downtown."

"When we arrive, I have someone in charge of getting our tickets, someone in charge of logistics with check in at the hotel, someone to secure parking for our van, and someone leading the group to unload and get to their rooms when they're ready. Each of those people are given a packet with the info they need to do their recruited job. It makes arriving and getting started smooth and quick!"

"One game changer for us was to find a place to spend the night on the drive up. Otherwise, we had to leave about 2am to make the start of the conference and people are exhausted. Getting sleep and showing up refreshed and excited makes the experience so much better. However, hotel costs add up quickly. So, we found that at KOA campgrounds, they usually have small cabins that rent for around $125 a night and fit 6 people. Being able to sit around the campfire and show up refreshed the next day was well worth the cost."

• "We invite those that have signed up to meet us at our church building and ride down to the conference together, but we also know that many are coming from their hometown as a lot of college students are on college break. Check out the reduced rate lodging options that CROSS provides! We have utilized these options in the past and it makes it really convenient and some are really close to the convention center.
• If someone signs up and is able to meet us at our church building, we have drivers and we designate each registrant to a car."

• "Use travel time as intentional time for your group to bond
• Marriott all the way. The convenience is worth the price.
• Be intentional about room assignments
• Look up places to eat/stop in advance for travel days because we are often traveling near or on New Years Day and hours vary
• Jackbox can be something fun to do on the drive
• If you are driving, have a roster of who is in what vehicle and send it to someone who is not traveling with you."

• "Be thoughtful about making sure everyone feels included when it comes to housing. If you have people from outside your church joining the group for the conference, place them in rooms with friendly, outgoing people. Communicate clear expectations for behavior on the trip. Our students always benefit from overcommunicating expectations.
• Have a detailed travel itinerary so students know when and where stops will be and can plan bathroom breaks and other needs. Be flexible with the itinerary. Plans may need to be changed. Plan stops that have multiple eating options for a variety of dietary needs and allergy considerations. We bring a large group to the conference, and we can overwhelm a fast food restaurant. So, we need multiple options, and with all the different allergies, we need lots of variety in the options."

• "Air Bnb and Vrbo are great in theory and very helpful if you are set on cooking and controlling the cost of food. They are also great if you have a decent sized group and you want some more controlled time to pray, read or discuss anything as a whole group.
• The Hotel options are the most convenient and give you the best access to participate in every resource and session that Cross offers. If someone is tired they can walk back to take a break as the hotels are close and downtown is easy to navigate. Spending time as a large group together in the hotel can be a challenge but between the common spaces and "exploring the city" there are unique ways to do debriefs, prayer times and discussion that the hotel gives you easy access to walk to."

We have found it best to stay at the Galt House Hotel because of its proximity to the convention center. While there are cheaper options, the size of the rooms allows us to all gather as a group for breakfast, session recaps, prayer times, and hangout times. Additionally, the ability to walk 2 blocks and be at the convention center eliminates the need to find parking anywhere.

"For those staying not within walking distance of the conference center, make sure that the van/bus meets the downtown parking garage height requirements. Otherwise, knowing where open parking lots are that can fit larger vehicles is handy so they are not driving around looking for options."