Category: Information East

Check in will take place from 2:00 to 4:30 p.m. on the Upper Level of the MassMutual Center, 1277 Main Street, Springfield, MA 01103. Only the group leader plus one additional chaperone (if necessary) and priest (if applicable) should go to check in and pick up all registration materials. Please be sure to have all digital paperwork submitted prior to arrival and bring a copy of your signed Safe Environment Form with you to check in. If possible, it is advised that you send the rest of your chaperones and teens to the hotel to check in.  If this is not possible, the group should wait on the bus/personal vehicle with remaining chaperones until you have completed conference check in.

The Group Leader Information Packet will be provided on Friday at check in.

Please see the Buses/Parking section for information on loading, unloading, and parking.

View the Parking Map

Car/Van Parking
All vehicles carrying 15 or fewer passengers will park at the Banknorth Lot, 230 Dwight St. It is about a one-block walk from the lot to the MassMutual Center. The best pedestrian route to walk from the Banknorth Lot to the MassMutual Center is via Market St. Parking is free in this lot for the weekend except on Friday afternoon. Any vehicle that leaves the lot before 6:00pm on Friday will be charged a $5/vehicle fee. The gate will remain open after 6:00pm on Friday throughout the rest of the weekend with no fees charged.

To avoid the Friday afternoon $5 parking fee, there are two options:

1. It is strongly encouraged that you check in at your hotel first before coming to the MassMutual Center so that once you have parked you can remain parked for the rest of the evening.

2. For those who are unable to do so, we have arranged a temporary parking area on Main St. near the main entrance of the MassMutual Center.  Group leaders may temporarily park personal vehicles there only while checking in. These spaces are limited and will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Bus Staging
Your driver can stage the bus for loading no earlier than 30 minutes prior to dismissal. Your driver needs to stay with the bus while waiting. The bus can be staged in the loading/unloading area on Dwight Street. Please note that Dwight Street is a one-way street that runs West to East.

Bus Identification
Group leaders should have the driver’s contact information and place a sign in the front window of the bus identifying the group leader’s name and parish for arrival and departure. Ex. Mary Smith, St. Paul, Waterford, CT.

Bus Parking
Parking for buses is not available at the MassMutual Center. Bus drivers should park at the hotel or find a different location to park the bus.

Pedestrian Safety
The only hotel we recommend groups walk back and forth from is the Sheraton Springfield Monarch Place. All other hotels are not comfortable walking distance or well-lit secure routes, so should be driven to and from. Please use sidewalks and crosswalks, especially the crosswalks leading to the MassMutual Center.  It is not safe to cross outside of a crosswalk. Our conference volunteers will not be helping people cross the street. Be sure your teens are together with chaperones.

Conference wristbands identify you as a participant of the Steubenville East Conference. Wristbands are to be worn at all times. The wristbands are given to the group leader upon check in and are to be distributed to all chaperones and teens. If a wristband breaks, please bring the wristband with you to the Guest Services Desk, located at the entrance of the MassMutual Center. The broken wristband will be exchanged for a new one.

All participants, including adults, are expected to dress appropriately in modest attire. Low-cut tops, miniskirts, short shorts, and clothing with offensive language or obscene pictures are not permitted. Shoes must be worn at all times.

First Aid
For all medical needs, please go to the First-Aid Station during conference hours. It is located on the Upper Concourse of the arena behind Section 27. Youth requiring first-aid care must be accompanied by an adult. Medication requiring refrigeration should be checked in with the first-aid staff.

Emergencies
For extreme emergencies during conference hours, call Jill Patten at 413-459-7435. For less urgent matters, please visit the Guest Services Desk located near the entrance of the MassMutual Center.

Hospitality is important to us!  If you have any questions or needs that arise, please stop by the Guest Services Desk located at the entrance of the MassMutual Center and let us know how we can help you.

We maintain a Lost and Found at the Guest Services Desk located at the entrance of the MassMutual Center. If you realize after the conference you lost something, contact Lisa Saloio at lsaloio@lifeteen.com. Any collected item not claimed in two weeks will be donated. Participants are responsible for shipping costs.

The Marketplace is located on the Lower Level of the MassMutual Center. You will find T-shirts, books, and other religious items for sale here. The sale and distribution of any items without prior permission is strictly prohibited.

The Marketplace hours are as follows:

Friday
4:30 pm -6:00pm
9:30 pm -11:00pm

Saturday
8:00 am – 8:45am
1:30 pm – 4:00 pm
5:15 pm -7:00pm
9:45 pm – 11:00pm

Sunday
8:00-8:45am

Meals will be served in Exhibit Halls A & B, which are on the opposite side of the entrance to the MassMutual Center.  All dining is open with no color rotations.

Meals this year will be buffet style whereby participants are able to choose their own meal with a variety of options.

Please follow the lines and directions of the volunteers for a smooth meal flow. Once you have picked up your meal, you can eat it at the tables nearby or anywhere around the Convention Center.

Participants with food allergies or dietary restrictions that were submitted via digital paperwork before the deadline will receive tickets at check-in to redeem at the dietary restrictions table where they will receive their modified meal.

Concessions will be open in the Exhibit Hall with food available for purchase on Friday evening from 9:30-11:00pm and on Saturday from 3:30-5:15pm and 9:30-11pm. Groups who pre-ordered pizzas for Friday and/or Saturday night can pick them up in the Exhibit Hall when the evening session ends.

The sacrament of reconciliation is offered on the Lower Level of the MassMutual Center at select times throughout the weekend.

Reconciliation will be offered at the following times:

Friday
9:30-11:00pm

Saturday
8:00-8:45am
11:00am-4:00pm
5:15-7:00pm
9:45-11:00pm

Sunday
8:00-8:45am

Life Teen is committed to creating an unforgettable and life-changing experience for the youth we serve at Steubenville Conferences, and effective relational ministry is key to creating this experience.

All participants are expected to maintain a Christ-centered atmosphere and treat others with respect and kindness.

Safe Environment Guidelines
All adults attending a Steubenville Conference hosted by Life Teen are responsible for setting and maintaining clear, appropriate boundaries in all ministry relationships, following the Safe Environment Guidelines laid out here. In addition to those safe environment standards, all groups should adhere to the policies defined by their home diocese. Any suspected inappropriate behavior should be reported to a member of the event staff.

Chaperone Supervision
Adult chaperones must be with youth at all times during the conference. Youth should not wander around the facility without a chaperone present. It is the chaperone’s responsibility to keep youth safe and supervised at all times throughout the weekend.

Please be sure to always maintain groups of three of more. An adult and a teen should never be alone without another person present. If, for pastoral purposes, an adult needs to have a private conversation with a minor, this must be done in the line of sight of others.

Teens are expected to remain present for every session. If it becomes necessary to leave, teens must be accompanied by an adult chaperone and at least one other individual.

Smoking/Alcohol/Weapons
Participants will not possess or be under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Except for designated outside areas, all conference venues are smoke-free facilities. Group leaders and chaperones will not smoke or use tobacco products, including vaping, or use profanity in the presence of teens. Weapons are not permitted at the event.

To seat everyone fairly, we rotate seating sections throughout the weekend. Seating assignments are listed in the Assignments section of the app. Ushers will be able to assist you to your section. This will give every group the opportunity to sit in the “choice seats.” Seating is open for the Men’s & Women’s Sessions.

Seat Assignment De-Coder
Example Assignments:
Friday Evening
F61-E  1-15
Saturday Morning & Afternoon
A1-E  1-12; A1-F  1-3
Saturday Evening
C2-C 1-12;  C2-D 1-3
Sunday Morning
A30-F 6-10;  A30-G 1-10

Key:
Level / Section /  Row / Seats
F61-E 1-15 = Floor Level / Section 61 / Row E /Seats 1-15

Levels:
F = Floor Level
C = Court (Middle Level)
A = Arena (Top Level)

Coffee is available for youth ministers at the Coffee House, located on the Upper Level of the MassMutual Center in the Glass Alcove.

Youth ministers are invited to come together for a time of restoration and ministry at the Youth Minister Gathering on Saturday from 1:30-2:15pm in Ballroom C.