FAQs

Partial registration is not available. We recommend registering and attending as much of the conference as your schedule will allow.

All tickets for this conference are general admission. While there are not seat assignments, each campus will have a section of the auditorium to sit with their campus. This is encouraged but not required. Doors open 30 minutes prior to each session.

Due to safety concerns, we do not allow adults into the building who are not registered Gateway Student Conference volunteer or staff member. We require every adult working conference to have a background check. This is the best way for us to ensure your student is safe. Thank you for understanding.

If the conference is NOT sold out, at-the-door registration will be accepted but will not include the overnight stays. Your student must be dropped off and picked up each day.

Regular registration ($ per student) covers conference admission, all meals on Thursday and Friday, lodging on Wednesday and Thursday night, and transportation to student lodging from the campus and back.

This year we are excited to announce that Gateway Student Conference now includes an overnight experience in a local host home or hotel. This is built into the cost for Student Conference along with all meals on Thursday and Friday. We believe that there is greater opportunity for community and relationships to be built in an overnight experience similar to Camp. You can read more about the overnight experience below. If you have any concerns about your student staying overnight or would like to register them for the day sessions only, please reach out to our team at gwsevents@gatewaypeople.com.

Backpacks and smaller bags are allowed onsite this year; however, please know that every time your student enters the premises their bag will be checked by our security team for safety (similar to a concert or Disney World). For Gateway Students staying overnight, we will have a bag check system for students’ luggage to be safely secured while they are in session on Wednesday night.

Please encourage your students to bring their Bible, a journal for notes and money for meal purchases onsite or conference merchandise. Depending on if your student’s lodging is at a hotel or host home, they may be asked to bring a sleeping bag and pillow. You will receive information on your student’s lodging and exactly what to bring via email 10 days prior to Gateway Student Conference.

Casual attire is recommended. The auditorium is enclosed and air-conditioned. Because the temperatures may vary, we encourage wearing jeans and layered clothing. We suggest bringing a light jacket or hoodie. On Friday afternoon your students will participate in Splash Zone. This will be an afternoon full of fun water games + activities outside for the students. We ask that students wear clothes they do not mind getting wet in on this day. We’re asking that changes of clothes are not brought as it will be difficult for 4,000 students to change at once in our bathrooms. We will provide sunscreen + towels and plenty of time to dry off. We’re so excited about all the fun we have planned for this afternoon!

Check-in begins on Wednesday, June 21 at 4:00 pm. Even though the first session of the conference doesn’t start until 7:00pm, we start check-in early to accommodate those travelling from out of town and those interested in avoiding lines. The conference concludes on Friday, June 23 by 10pm.

Gateway Student Conference takes place at our Southlake Campus at 700 Blessed Way, Southlake, Texas 76092.

Gateway Student Conference is designed for Junior High and Senior High students (7-12th graders for the 2023-2024 school year and students who graduated high school in Spring of 2023).

Some examples of meals we provided the past few years include BBQ sandwiches, Chick-Fil-A sandwiches, cheeseburgers and turkey sandwiches (all meals came with chips and a drink). Although we can’t guarantee specific meals, for GWSC23 we expect to serve similar meals. Unfortunately, we are not currently able to accommodate food allergies or dietary restrictions. Additional food is available for purchase at the Cafe.

This year, lunch and dinner on both Thursday and Friday will be provided for all attendees. We ask that students come on Wednesday having already eaten. Unfortunately, due to volume we are not able to accommodate dietary restrictions. Students with dietary restrictions are welcome to bring meals. There are drinks and snacks available for purchase from the Gateway Cafe. There are also many area restaurants, but we encourage calling ahead for large groups.

Your student’s safety is of utmost importance to us. We will have a 1 to 10 ratio or better of trained adult leader to students both at conference and overnight. Our volunteer leaders and all host home adults pass a rigorous background check and are highly vetted and trained. No adult leaders will ever be alone with students. All host homes were personally asked to be hosts by the campus pastor of your campus and provided multiple character references, went through an interview process and in person site visit by our Gateway Security team. At the hotels, we will have an on call medical team as well as Gateway Security as long as the hotel allows. Your student will be with their assigned leader anytime they are not in their room.

All medications (including over the counter) will be checked into our team at the start of conference. They will be administered by trained adult leaders based on the instruction you give at check in. This helps us keep your students safe and healthy!

We are utilizing two primary methods of transportation. For students staying in host homes, we will be using 15 passenger vans driven by Gateway approved drivers who are on our insurance. For students staying at hotels, we will be using buses to move students and leaders to and from the Southlake campus.

Students will stay with their campus and gender for rooming assignments. They will either be staying in a host home with 9-12 other students or in a hotel near the Southlake campus with 3-4 students per room.

For students staying at a host home, there will be a minimum of 2 adult leaders of the same gender as the students in the home at all times along with the host parents. For hotels, there will be a leader assigned to 10 students and will be staying on their floor but not in the same room.