Conference FAQs

  • Is there a pool? Yes. You can find out more here.

  • Is there a shuttle to/from the hotel? The Rila does offer shuttle. From Sofia Airport / 80 km / 60 minutes / EUR 85.00 (~$92) for up to 3 passengers. It might be possible to share with other arrivals with prior arrangement. More info to come.

  • Will there be a kids’ program? Novo is committed to making our staff conferences kid friendly. The details and the extent of the program are still being ironed out. What is offered is largely dependent on how many kids are registered, what ages are attending and the volunteers we recruit . We expect to have a better picture of what the program will offer families 2-3 months before conference. Please check back or email us with specific questions.

  • Can I use ministry expenses for my children? Novo is very careful to adhere to IRS rules, the answer is yes, you can register your children with your expenses/fund. However, travel for children cannot be submitted as an expense.

  • Can I extend my stay at the same price? The Rila has extended the conference pricing so that you may arrive early to adjust your stay. Please work through the EU Conference Team as this will need to be arranged prior to registration.

  • Is there an option to stay extra nights? There are indeed a limited number of rooms available for up to 2 nights before and/or 2 nights after conference. The rooms are available at a discounted rate which is cheaper than booking directly with the hotel, but I will warn you that it is not cheap.
    In order to get our discounted rate see the following details and notes:

    • Email before April 1.

    • Do so before the available inventory sells out, rooms available on a first come first served basis.

    • To avoid having to change rooms, when booking please choose the same room type that you booked for conference.

    • You may pay with a credit card or if you are Novo Staff you may pay with your Novo fund number.

    • Meals are not provided during the extra days/nights. There are numerous food options close by and a restaurant onsite.

    • The nightly rate is higher than what you paid per night for conference. This is because Novo has supplemented your cost and bought down your rate for the nights during the conference.

    • To reserve extra nights, please email us with dates and we’ll handle the details.

      • Choose from any of the following nights:

        • July 22

        • July 23

        • July 29

        • July 30

  • Can I cancel my conference registration?

    Our hope is that you will attend conference for all the good that happens at these events. That said, “life happens” and we understand that there are legitimate reasons to need to cancel. If you should need to cancel please email us and be aware of the catches below:

    1. Novo Staff must clear non-attendance with their Divisional Director/Leader(s).

    2. You may be subject to cancellation fees for all or part of your registration fees. See the Refund Policy below.

    Refund Policy

    Novo makes commitments to hotels that put the organization “on the hook” financially. This commitment limits what Novo can offer in regard to refunds. In other words, the contracts we enter into have policies and dates that Novo is bound by. If you should need to cancel please email us and be aware of the following policy conditions:

    • Cancellations that take place before March 15 will receive a 100% refund.

    • Cancellation between March 15 and June 1 will receive a 50% refund of the total fees paid.

    • Cancellations after June 1 do not qualify for a refund.

    • IMPORTANT NOTES/EXCEPTIONS:

      • If Novo is able to resell your canceled room to a new attendee, Novo will refund your whole fee after the conclusion of conference.

      • In extreme cases (death of a family member for example), we have seen hotels “show mercy” and in other cases Novo has decided to eat the loss and allow one-off cancelations with refunds. If this is the case, please do include details in your email cancelation and we will do our best to get an exception.

    More FAQ’s coming soon, in the meantime feel free to reach out to our team at euconference@novo.org with your questions.