I am an Elite Instructor and would like to make arrangements to attend only the Elite Retreat. How can I do this?
Instructors who are attending the Elite Retreat must also attend the KEA-KNA Conference on December 6 and the 50th Anniversary Celebration on December 7. Instructors may not attend only the Elite Retreat. The KEA-KNA Conference, 50th Anniversary Celebration, and Elite Retreat represent gatherings of Kumon Instructors unprecedented both in scope and international representation. By combining these events, we are encouraging Instructors to join thousands of Instructors from around the world to commemorate the significance of Kumon’s history and heritage, reconnect to the Kumon philosophy and methodology, and accelerate our activities toward our Vision. Such a commitment to self-development is essential for Elite Instructors, who are Leaders among their peers. We are sure you will leave Japan both enlightened and inspired, and will carry back to your respective countries much to reflect on and share with your colleagues.
I’m having trouble logging into the website? Am I doing something wrong?
You should have received two emails – one that contained a link to an airfare arrangement website and another that contained a link to the actual Conference registration site.
If you are logging onto the airfare arrangement website, your “registration name” is the full name you gave during the pre-registration process – not your iKumon id and password. For example, if you entered “Mary Jo Smith” as your name during the pre-registration process, you will use “Mary Jo” in the first name field and “Smith” in the last name field.
If you have finalized your airfare and are now trying to log into the Conference registration site, then you will use your iKumon id and password to enter into this site.
How do I make Travel Arrangements?
The first step in the registration process is to follow the link to the airfare arrangement website provided to you via email from JTB.
Airline reservations for US and Canadian Instructors MUST be made through this website and any questions should be directed to the appropriate JTB (Japan Travel Bureau) office below.
US Instructors:
JTB USA Manhattan Office
(800) 235-3523 or (212) 698-4900 (Press "1" for English and then press "2" for reservation.)
Ms. Ihoko Noda (ext. 915) or Mr. Kazuo Konuma (ext. 976) or Mr. Toshihiro Oguchi (ext. 971)
kumon@jtbusa.com
Canadian Instructors:
JTB International Canada Toronto Office
(416) 367-5824 or (800) 268-5942
Mari Abe(ext. 236) or Dax Ishimoto (ext. 241)
sales@jtbcnd.com
There are several airport choices for Japan. Which airport will I be flying in to and out of?
The specific airport that you will arrive and depart from will depend upon your actual itinerary and JTB will be able to give you specific advice on your arrangements.
For Instructors who will only be attending the Conference, it is most likely that you will be flying into and out of Narita airport (NRT); Haneda airport (HND) is another option.
For Instructors who will be attending both the Conference and Elite Retreat, both of the above options are available for arrival into Tokyo. Departure from the Elite Retreat in Kyoto will again depend upon your actual itinerary. The departure airport options are Kansai airport (KIX) or Osaka Itami airport (ITM). *Flights booked from the Itami airport will most likely be connections back to Narita airport in Tokyo for certain departure itineraries into the United States – such flights are covered by Kumon and will be included in your round trip ticket cost.*
Why must Instructors use the designated JTB Offices to book their airline tickets?
We can understand how some may feel restricted by having to register and make travel arrangements through JTB. As you know, for our North American Conferences, Instructors are free to make travel reservations independently - an arrangement we prefer. This year, though, because of the unique challenges of holding an event overseas and the fact that the event is a joint coordination effort between Kumon Japan and the worldwide regions, it is incumbent upon us to utilize JTB's worldwide network. They are handling transportation logistics for most worldwide regions and they are in charge of all aspects of conference coordination in Japan, as well. We feel this will lead to better organization and efficiency during conference registration, airline reservations, ground transportation, tours, meals, and more. We also understand that they will be able to secure the best pricing through group buying power and that they will try to match any inexpensive published airfare.
As for the financial assistance, we are offering an airline subsidy of up to $1000 US. If Instructors wish to use their frequent flyer mileage, they may make those arrangements through JTB, but, unfortunately, we cannot pay Instructors cash for mileage. In this case, Instructors may wish to hold on to their mileage for another personal trip they may take, or use the mileage for a companion's ticket. (The subsidy is funded partially by KNA and partially by Kumon Headquarters in Japan.)
We are also paying the hotel to keep room costs down. This is, in effect, a hotel pre-subsidy. Kumon will also be absorbing significant portions of the costs associated with ground transportation, meals, and other expenses.
We are pleased to know that you will be attending the Conference, and hope you can understand that the unique circumstances this international event presents call for unique coordination standards.
Can an Instructor receive the Airline Subsidy if they “purchase” their tickets using their personal frequent flyer miles?
Because of Accounting regulations, we cannot offer our Travel Subsidy for tickets “purchased” with frequent flyer miles. Our $1000 Travel Subsidy will be used to cover a substantial portion of the costs associated with attending this year’s Conference. The Instructor can earn frequent flyer miles on that airline (per that airlines frequent flyer program) to use for future trips. Frequent flyer miles could be used for a companion’s ticket (which would not be eligible for the subsidy offered to Instructors).
Why do I need to list preferred airlines on the Airline Arrangement website?
While it may not always be possible, the intention is to book tickets on the airline of the Instructors’ choosing. Whether an instructor will be able to book a flight on their preferred airline will depend upon the required travel arrangements for each Instructor and whether flights on those airlines are available.
How much are the hotels in Tokyo (Conference and 50th Anniversary Celebration) and Kyoto (Elite Retreat)?
*Estimated Costs of Hotel Rooms
TOKYO - Grand Pacific Le Daiba (Le Meridien Hotel) >> website
Please note that the new name for Le Meridien Grand Pacific is the GRAND PACIFIC LE DAIBA.
KNA-KEA Conference and 50th Anniversary Celebration
Single = $280 per night (Approx.)
Twin/Double = $320 - $360 per night (Approx.)
(Instructors who were Wait-Listed will be staying at alternative hotels,
where the rates are comparable to those listed above.)
KYOTO – Hotel Okura
Elite Retreat
Single Use: $270 - $320 per night (Approx.)
Double use: $360 - $380 per night (Approx.)
(Instructors who were Wait-Listed will be staying at alternative hotels,
where the rates are comparable to those listed above.
Maximum number people allowed in each room:
Single = 1 person (equipped with 1 twin or semi-double bed)
Twin/Double = up to 2 people (either equipped with 2 twin beds or one double bed)
At both hotels, a limited number of rooms allow for 3 people (at an additional cost). No rooms accommodate more than 3 people.
*Estimations are based on the current Japanese Yen to Us Dollar exchange rates. Kumon’s negotiated rate may vary depending on the final total number of rooms being reserved.
Can Instructors stay at a different hotel of their own choosing?
Since the Grand Pacific Le Daiba (Le Meridien) is where the Conference is being held and we are only coordinating with a small number of additional hotels, it is preferred that Instructors stay in the hotels that we have contracted. We will provide transportation only to/from the airport to the hotels in which our registered Instructors are staying and to/from the same to the Tokyo Dome. We cannot coordinate travel to or from any other hotel. Our Conference hotel is on the resort-like Odaiba Island, which is a long distance from other hotels, so it would be difficult and expensive for the Instructor to transport themselves to where they need to be and it would make it difficult to fully participate in the Conference if they stay somewhere else.
For those staying at the Grand Pacific Le Daiba or the Hotel Nikko (next door to the Le Daiba), transportation will be arranged for you from/to the following locations:
• Narita Airport to the Grand Pacific Le Daiba (Arrival) / Grand Pacific Le Daiba to Narita Airport (Departure)
• Grand Pacific Le Daiba to Tokyo Dome area / Tokyo Dome area to Grand Pacific Le Daiba
• Grand Pacific Le Daiba to Kyoto Elite Retreat (if applicable)
• Grand Pacific Le Daiba to Post-Conference Optional Tour (if applicable)
Note: Instructors who made a reservation at the Hotel Nikko may take advantage of the transportation to the Grand Pacific Le Daiba listed above since the Hotel Nikko is a short walk from the Grand Pacific Le Daiba. Instructors staying at the Hotel Nikko will arrive and depart from the Grand Pacific Le Daiba.
However, in order to take advantage of these ground transportation services, we must know that you are staying at the Grand Pacific Le Daiba or the Hotel Nikko.
For those staying at an alternative hotel or location other than the Grand Pacific Le Daiba or the Hotel Nikko, please be reminded that you will need to arrange for your own transportation to/from the airport and your hotel, to/from the Grand Pacific Le Daiba (the site of the KEA-KNA Conference) and your hotel, and to/from the Tokyo Dome area (site of the 50th Anniversary Celebration and offsite Kumon Global Forum and Party) and your hotel. You will also need to be certain to arrange to pick up your conference registration materials (including your identification card, which will allow you into the conference events) when the registration tables are opened on the evening of December 5 and the morning of December 6 at the Grand Pacific Le Daiba. Kumon will not reimburse Instructors for the cost of this additional transportation and the full registration fee will still be applied. These guidelines appear both on the event website and registration website. If you are an Elite Retreat Instructor who is staying in a location other than the Grand Pacific Le Daiba, you must arrange to be at the Grand Pacific Le Daiba early on the morning of December 8 in order to depart as a group to the Bullet Train station bound for Kyoto. Similarly, if you are participating in any of the organized post-conference tours, note that ground transportation will depart from and return to the Grand Pacific Le Daiba only, so you must make your own arrangements to be at the hotel in accordance with your tour schedule.
I am a Gold/Silver Instructor and intend to share my room with another Instructor at the Elite Retreat. Will I be charged anything extra for the room?
Japanese hotels calculate their room rates per person, regardless of room size or number of beds in the room – so there may be a small additional fee for double occupancy. The amount could be anywhere between $30 and $60 per night; again depending upon the hotel.
Due to capacity issues, we needed to contract additional hotels to accommodate all our Instructors. We will be filling the hotel space on a first come, first serve basis so the actual amount can’t officially be determined until we know for certain which hotel you will be staying in.
If you intend to room with another Instructor, we will bill the Instructor in whose name the room is listed. The two Instructors sharing the room must make payment arrangements amongst themselves.
I’m attending the events alone. May I request a double room?
If an Instructor is bringing no guests, but would like to reserve a room with double beds, they may request it, but with the knowledge that the availability of double rooms is limited and preference will be given to instructors bringing a guest to the conference.
How many Guests can I bring with me to the Conference / Elite Retreat?
Instructors may bring a maximum of one guest to participate in the KEA-KNA Conference, International Conference, and Elite Retreat. (Additional guests may accompany Instructors to Japan, but only the Instructor and their Full-Participating Guest may participate in the designated Conference and Elite Retreat events and meals.)
Instructors and the Full-Participating Guest of the Instructor will pay a registration fee of approximately $200 each. Non-Participating Guests (also considered, ‘Travel Companions’) will incur a fee of approximately $150.
Full-Participating Guests attending the Conference and Elite Retreat must be 16 years old or older at the time of the events.
Instructors will be allotted a maximum of one Hotel Room each for the Conference and Elite Retreat. An Instructor’s guest(s) must share the room with the Instructor. Note that most Guest Rooms accommodate a maximum of two people.
What if more than one person will be traveling with me to Japan?
While you are not prohibited from bringing additional guests to Japan, for this special conference, we needed to limit Conference/Elite Retreat participating guests to one per instructor and that guest must be age 16 or older as well. We also needed to limit the number of rooms that an instructor may reserve to one. For any additional guests, JTB can assist in suggesting alternative hotels at which your guests can stay. Transportation cannot be provided for those guests (or Instructors) who have arranged alternative accommodations.
If the number of guests accompanying you to Japan require booking an additional room, you will be responsible to make your own hotel arrangements at an alternative hotel. Guests staying at an alternative hotel may incur additional fees for ground transportation to and from the airport. Instructors and their guest staying at an alternative hotel are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the Conference sites.
Since the Le Meridien is where the Conference is being held, it is preferred that Instructors and the guest that will be participating in the Conference, stay there. Once we reach capacity at that hotel, we will begin filling accommodation space for other hotels that we have contracted. We will only provide transportation to/from the airport to the hotels for which we have contracts and to/from those same hotels to the Tokyo Dome. We cannot coordinate travel to or from any other hotel.
I am going through the registration process. I am trying to add a guest as ‘Full-Participating’ but I am unable to. Why is this?
We have already reached maximum capacity for meeting room space and tours in both Tokyo and Kyoto. Due to these space limitations, we can only reserve seating to pre-registered Instructors and their pre-registered full-participating guest. Unfortunately, we do not have additional space to add full-participating guests for either the Conference or the Elite Retreat.
May I extend my trip longer than the scheduled dates of the Conference/Elite Retreat?
Yes, you are more than welcome to extend your stay; however, you will be responsible for the cost of any additional hotel nights and for your ground transportation to/from the airport. We cannot coordinate travel to or from any other hotel and not on dates other than the designated arrival (December 4th and 5th) and departure dates (see below).
Kumon will provide ground transportation to the airport only on the two days after the 50th anniversary celebration from the Le Meridien and our other contracted hotels in Tokyo for Instructors who are not attending the Elite Retreat (December 8th and 9th) and then from the Kyoto Okura Hotel in Kyoto the day after the Elite Retreat (December 11).
Will Kumon still subsidize the airline ticket if an Instructor wants to travel on to another country following the Conference in Japan before returning to the US/Canada? (For example, US to Tokyo to Korea to US)
Possibly. While such arrangements are discouraged due to administrative and accounting complications, it may be possible that we would subsidize the cost of a US-Japan round trip ticket even though the Instructor may be going on to a different country before returning to the US/Canada.
For example, if the Instructor purchases a US-Tokyo-Korea-US ticket for $2,000, but the published US-Tokyo round trip rate is only $800 at the time they purchase the other ticket, they could receive $800 for the travel subsidy (since the subsidy maximum is $1,000 based on the cost of a restricted Coach class ticket).
The Instructor would have to coordinate this using our published means of making travel arrangements - through the NYC JTB Office. We would have to get evidence from JTB of the US-Japan rate in order to subsidize the appropriate amount.
Will Gold and Silver Elite Instructor receive a different subsidy for the conference since their airfare will already be subsidized should they decide to participate in the Elite Retreat?
There is no additional or alternative subsidy. Whereas non-Elite Instructors get a maximum travel subsidy of $1,000, Gold and Silver Elite Instructors get their entire (Coach) airline ticket paid for - even if it exceeds $1,000. (Note: Both Elite and Non-Elite Instructors must follow the Travel Guidelines set forth on iKumon.) Most other expenses for these Elite Retreat Instructors also paid for include: Bullet Train to Kyoto ($250), 3 nights hotel, food, tours, etc.
What optional tours has Japan arranged?
Japan has put together a selection of tours including Center Visits, shopping, and various sightseeing options – you can find specific details under the “Event Schedule” tab on the Conference website – click “Post Conference Tour Descriptions” for additional details. You will note that Japan has not provided us with the specific times that the tours will take place and unfortunately, we do not anticipate receiving this information in the near future (*this may effect how you book your flights).
What activities, if any, are scheduled for December 5th – the day before the KEA-KNA Conference?
Because travel from North America will bring most Instructors to Tokyo on the night of December 5th, there is no scheduled event such as a reception for that afternoon/evening. However, Registration will be available beginning on that date and will continue on until December 6th.
What are the subsidy guidelines for Instructors in Partnerships?
If both partners will be attending the Conference, then both will receive the travel subsidy of $1000. Both partners must register separately for the Conference.
In regards to the Elite Retreat for Silver and Bronze Status partnerships, only one partner can take advantage of the reward – the other will be considered as the guest of the instructor. For Gold Status partnerships, the costs for both partners will be covered however no additional guests will be sponsored.
Will there be vegetarian meals available?
As for the meals in Japan, as our team is helping to coordinate the KEA-KNA Conference held on December 6, we will work to see that substantial vegetarian fare is offered. We have no control over the menu selections at any other meals that may be offered that weekend, including the December 7 events. However, we have voiced the need for suitable non-meat offerings and hope (but cannot guarantee) that the Japanese coordinators of the December 7 events comply.
|
