We can’t wait to welcome you to Tennessee Extension at the Extension New Employee Conference! This event is a time to meet and make connections with fellow new employees, departmental staff, and Extension leadership. We will have opportunities for professional development within your program area and your role, so you can get to know your peers and learn more about your area.
Extension New Employee Conference Objectives
- Gain an understanding of the mission, vision, values, and culture of Tennessee Extension.
- Connect and build relationships with other new employees, leadership, and departmental and campus staff.
- Learn policies, procedures, and best practices for carrying out your responsibilities.
- Learn about available resources for professional development and educational programming.
If you have questions, check out the FAQ at the bottom of this page. Email Brandi Berven or Amy Kirk, or call the Extension Evaluation and Staff Development Office at 865-974-7245 with any additional questions.
Who should attend the conference?
The conference is for full-time UT Extension and TSU Extension employees.
| What was your start date? | Is your position exempt or non-exempt? | Required to Attend? |
| On or after April 1, 2024 | Exempt | Required |
| On or after April 1, 2024 | Non-exempt | Optional – highly encouraged |
Registration
Please register in SUPER for training credit. Let us know of any special needs or dietary restrictions when you register.
You will receive 20 hours of training credit for attending the conference.
Register in SUPER.
You should have received an email from Amy Kirk about the 2026 TN Extension New Employee Conference that contains several links for Microsoft Forms about a polo shirt, parking passes, special needs, etc. If you did not receive an email from her, please contact her via email akirk19@utk.edu.
Schedule at a Glance
Getting Here
Location
Tuesday, April 28, 2026 – Wednesday, April 29, 2026 – The 2026 Tennessee Extension New Employee Conference will begin at the UT Conference Center, located downtown at 600 Henley Street, Knoxville, TN 37902. When you arrive, please park in the Locust Street Parking Garage (540 Locust St SW, Knoxville, TN 37902). The UT Conference Center is across the street from the parking garage. A parking voucher to pay for your parking upon exit will be available at the check-in desk.
Thursday, April 30, 2026 – When you enter the Agriculture & Natural Resources Building from Joe Johnson Drive, the meeting room will be straight ahead on the right through the entrance door on the first floor (Room 101B). Breakfast will be served from 7:00 – 8:15 am (Eastern).
Parking at the UT Conference Center (04/28/26 – 04/29/26)
If you are staying at a downtown hotel and walking to the conference center, you can stay parked at your hotel. If you are driving to the conference center, parking will be in Locust Street Garage. For more information about getting to the conference center and parking, see this document:
Parking on Campus on April 30
We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding with parking on Thursday! Please read the following instructions and plan accordingly to make sure you are able to arrive, park, and walk or shuttle in time for the 8:30 am (Eastern) start time on April 30. The shuttle will start as early as 7:00 am and will run on a continuous loop to the meeting location. The last shuttle will depart at 8:10. Note that the following information does not apply to campus employees who already have an assigned parking lot.
Please carpool as much as possible to campus. If you are staying at a hotel, please coordinate with other attendees at the hotel to ride to campus together. You can also take an Uber or Lyft to campus. If your region is bringing UT vehicles, please utilize those as much as possible. UT vehicles can be parked in any UT staff parking lot, which will be the most convenient option.
If you are not in a UT vehicle, we have parking permits for the lots at the UT Creamery (2712 Neyland Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996) for the morning event on April 30. To make the best use of these passes, we ask that you please carpool with other attendees. A member of the Extension Evaluation & Staff Development (EESD) staff will be at the UT Creamery on the morning of April 30, 2026 to hand-out those required permits. See the map below for the location of this parking area. UT vans will be used to bring participants to the Ag & Natural Resources Building on the UTIA campus.
Carpooling
Carpooling is strongly recommended. Check with others in your region or with your regional office to coordinate carpooling with other attendees.
Hotel Info
If you are traveling to Knoxville and need lodging, you will be responsible for booking your own reservation.
Hotel Rate Information
The current nightly CONUS rate for Knoxville is $119 plus taxes, and the CONUS rate for 2026 remains the same. Make sure you book at or below this rate.
How to Book Your Hotel Reservation
K@te Training – Get There Booking Tool
Job Aid – Navigating to Get There Booking Tool
Check-in and Check-out Dates
The conference will start mid-morning on April 28, so if your drive is more than a couple hours, you may wish to check in on April 27. The conference will conclude mid-day on April 30, so you can check out on the morning of April 30.
Travel Expenses and Reimbursement
Per normal travel reimbursement procedures, you will pay for your hotel room at checkout and submit for travel reimbursement once you return to your office or use a UT Travel/One card if you have one.
If you do not yet have a UT Travel/One card, please work with your regional office or department to obtain one. You may also pay for your lodging with a personal credit card and submit for reimbursement.
Conference Hotel
While you may book a hotel of your choice, the hotel below has been identified as the Conference Hotel and a room block reserved with a contracted rate ($119/night + taxes). Many other hotels are located within walking distance of the UT Conference Center, but please confirm your rate (Conus for Knoxville, TN) before booking. Please book using the Get There Booking Tool when possible.
Crowne Plaza Knoxville Downtown University
401 West Summit Hill Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee 37902
1 877 2 CROWNE (1 877 227 6963)
UT Ag Extension New Agent Training – Please adjust the dates depending on your stay. For those located in the Central and Western Regions, there are a few rooms available on Monday, April 27, 2025, for lodging to assist you as you travel across the State of Tennessee to attend the TN Extension New Employee Conference.
Attire
Day 1 is business casual. Day 2 (April 29) is conference polo shirts. Day 3 is casual.
See UT Extension Dress Guidelines for more information and clarification.
Meeting room temperatures may fluctuate, so you may wish to dress in layers.
On April 29, we will be doing quite a bit of walking for tours and other activities. Dress for April 29, 2026, is conference polo shirts with jeans, trousers, chinos, etc. Make sure to bring comfortable shoes.
Extension Evaluation and Staff Development (EESD) will have a photographer at the UT Conference Center on Tuesday, April 28, 2026. If you would like a more formal photo, please plan accordingly
What to Bring
Please bring your laptop (if you have one), which will be used for some of the breakout sessions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is attendance required?
See the table below:
| What was your start date? | Is your position exempt or non-exempt? | Required to Attend? |
| On or after April 1, 2025 | Exempt | Required |
| On or after April 1, 2025 | Non-exempt | Optional – highly encouraged |
I have a major conflict with these dates. What do I do?
If you are required to attend and have a major conflict, address this with your regional director or department head to work out the scheduling conflict.
If you are in a group for whom attendance is optional, we highly encourage you to work out a way to attend. This will be a valuable opportunity for making connections with others in the organization and learning about important topics.
I don’t have access to SUPER yet. How do I register?
Sometimes it can take a few days after you start work to get access to all the systems you need. If you are unable to access SUPER, give it a few days and check back. We will work with you to make sure you can register to get training credit.
How do I pay for my hotel lodging?
In accordance with UT travel policy, you will pay for your hotel bill then submit for reimbursement once you return to your office or use a UT Travel Card if you have one. You will need to provide payment when making your reservation to secure your reservation. When you check out, make sure you get a hotel receipt with a $0.00 balance. If you have further questions about travel policies, check with your county director or county administrative assistant.
Where do I charge my travel expenses? Is there an account number?
Travel expense reimbursements are the responsibility of each individual’s county office or department and comes out of their regular travel budget. Please work with your supervisor and your regional office. For those working in grant funded positions, please work with your supervisor to see if funding is available.
What restaurants are located in downtown Knoxville?
Please use the following link to Visit Knoxville to find the many dining options available for downtown Knoxville.
For the 2026 TN Extension New Employee Conference, each employee will choose a tour tract during the SUPER registration.
The tour tract groups will be divided as evenly as possible. For each tour tract time, half of the group will go on one tour and the other half on the second tour. For the next tour time, the groups will switch and go on the tour not previously attended.
- Tour #1 – (2:00 pm – 3:00 pm – Eastern)
- UT Gardens and UT College of Veterinary Medicine and Hospital
- UTIA Campus tour and Food Science tour (UT Creamery production & Sensory Lab)
- Tour #2 – (3:15 pm – 4:15 pm – Eastern)
- UT College of Veterinary Medicine and Hospital and UT Gardens
- Food Science tour (UT Creamery production & Sensory Lab) and UTIA Campus tour
