1. EMDC REGISTRATION, EMDC 2026, Chiang Mai

You will need to pay (or make sure you have a waiver, or transfer) to be completely registered. If you started this registration and are no longer planning to come please let us know. In additions to EMDC (18-21 May) please note that you can also attend pre-EMDC and post-EMDC. 

Couple Booking: If you want to get the ‘couple rate’ please be sure to book together in a single registration, indicate that you are attending as “Couple” on details page for each person.

2. EMDC HOUSING

You will need to pay for your housing (by credit card or internal transfer) to have your housing guaranteed.

1. CHANGE FROM LAST YEAR. New Venue Empress Hotel, Chiang Mai.
2. Local/Off site/Own Arrangements: If you make your own arrangements for housing you will need to pay a Day Participant Fee (see Costs page for more info).
3. Security Note: If you feel that staying at The Empress will compromise your security (based on the country that you live in), please book/stay somewhere else. We are taking significant security precautions at EMDC, but we cannot guarantee anonymity for all.   We are doing many things to make EMDC a secure venue, but we need to state clearly here that it is very possible that your home government learns of your participation at EMDC.  If this is a problem for you, please do not attend.  If you are registered and want to withdraw, please let us know at steve@emdc.info.
4. Group Booking: Group bookings can be made on the EMDC registration site. A group booking is made by one person, booking multiple rooms for multiple people.
5. Housing at the Empress: To help our volunteer logistics team please book, and pay for, your accommodation early! This helps us to serve you better.

A. Price Guarantee. If you are sharing a room and arrive more than one day before the event start (the start of Pre-EMDC, EMDC, or Post-EMDC) you will pay the cost of a single room package (without meals) for each day that you arrive early. We guarantee that you will only need to pay what is indicated to you on the registration site at the time of your registration.

B. Refunds. If you need to cancel for some reason, and notify us before 1st May, we will refund your housing payment in full if the cancellation is for reasons beyond your control (at our discretion). Otherwise we will refund your housing payment less 3% transaction fee. If you notify us after 1st May we will still do what we can to refund your housing payment. The amount will depend on your type of booking (shared, single and so on).  Note that during the registration you can choose to pay only the event fee and pay the housing at a later time.

C. Rooms. Single rooms are available if preferred. Sharing a room is more cost effective.  2 and 3 person occupancy is possible and may help your arrangements.

D. Roommates. It is preferred that you arrange your own roommates and register together in a single registration if possible. We are happy to find a roommate for you, but we will make the best match that we can to minimize costs for everyone.

E. Electrical/Electronics.  Please be aware that the electrical system in Thailand is 230 Vac 50 Hz.  A US electrical item may fit into the socket but be made for 110 only.

3. VISAS

See if you need a visa here .  Our team can help you if you start the process early (like 3 months early), so please enter all your information in the EMDC Registration Form as soon as possible – especially your passport details. Travel insurance for visas?  See Travel Insurance below. 

4. AIRPORT TRANSPORT TO THE EMPRESS

The Empress (Google Maps location) is 4.7 km from Chiang Mai International Airport. Taxis are easily available at the airport to ‘down town’ Chiang Mai for a reasonable fare. Grab and Maxim are local ride share services that also operate from the airport, if you are familiar with their use.  Uber doesn’t operate in Thailand.

5. WORKSHOPS/SEMINARS

If you would like to propose a one-hour seminar/breakout at EMDC,  please write to info@emdc.info. See the bios of the previous presenters here.

6. DISPLAY SPACE

7. “MINI MINUTE-AT-THE-MIC”

If you would like 30 seconds to explain your ministry, or call attention to your booth, please read this information and send your name to minute@emdc.info so we can get those lined up each day. Please send your request in early to minute@emdc.info. Yes…. this used to be a minute-at-the-mic but we have so many people now.

Hey…be creative and win the “Minnie”!!

8. POST-EMDC TRAINING

A short, joint-Track Sunday service will take place on 24 May. The schedule and registration for post-EMDC is just like pre-EMDC (with the addition of the short Sunday Service).

9. WORSHIP BAND

If you are interested in participating in the worship band, please write to david_gray@sil.org.

10. TIME AND DATES

For pre-EMDC training please arrive at least on Tuesday 12 May for a start at 8:30 on 13 May.

For EMDC please arrive at least on Sunday 17 May for start at 8:30 on 18 May.

For post-EMDC training please arrive on Friday 22 May for a start at 8:30 on 23 May.

The evening of 21 May (Thursday) will be the EMDC Closing Ceremony and departures are after breakfast on  22 May (or stay for post-EMDC Tracks). If you do not understand the difference between pre-EMDC (or post-EMDC) Training and EMDC here is a brief explanation.

       ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE DATES (again)

• Pre-EMDC Training and EMDC Conference – If you are coming for pre-EMDC+EMDC, arrival date is Tuesday 12 May. Pre-EMDC Training starts at 8:30 on 13 May. Departure on 17 May morning (if not staying for EMDC).

• All 3 events (pre, EMDC and post) – If you are coming for all 3 events, arrival date is Tuesday 12 May. Pre-EMDC Training start at 8:30 on 13 May.  Departure on 27 May morning after post-EMDC training.

11. NEW GADGETS/NEW SOFTWARE/NEW PRODUCTS

If you have a new gadget or new language/Scripture software or product that you want to share, please send that information to newgadgets@emdc.info and we will let you know if it fits and how much time you get to present it during the workshop.

12. AFFINITY GROUPS

Much of the networking at EMDC happens in the Affinity Groups and Communities of Practice. We will inform you on how the Affinity Groups/CoPs will convene meetings

13. SCHEDULE

EMDC 2026 Schedule is available here. pre-EMDC Schedule can be found here and post-EMDC Schedule here.

EMDC Breakout Sessions will be listed here when it’s ready. The speaker bios is available here.

14. “COMING ATTRACTIONS” FILM PREVIEWS

On Monday night 18 May, 2026 at EMDC we will preview several new film products. Full description of the process is here. The deadline for film submission is 05 May.  Contact steve@createmobile.org for more information.

15. IT SUPPORT & HELP DESK

The IT support team kindly asks you to limit your on-line devices while at EMDC. Please turn OFF the wi-fi feature of your unused devices. This will help all of us. We have done a lot of work to upgrade the Internet for EMDC, and it should work very well in our hot spots.  The IT Support Desk is just inside the main hall and team members are almost always there.

16. EMDC WEB SITES

Please see emdc.info to better understand the 6 platforms of EMDC. Visit emdcon.org for this conference.

17. TOURS ON 17 AND 22 MAY 2026

Below are examples of tours from EMDC 2024. To sign up for a tour on 17 May or 22 May, please complete this registration form. The registration form will contain information about each tour and information about paying for the tours.

18. PRAYER COORDINATOR

People will be praying for EMDC during the conference. If you would like to be involved in those prayer times, or if you would like to submit a prayer request, please write to Jennifer at jennifer_baughman@sil.org. There will be a small box for prayer requests at the registration table and by the stage. Prayer time is each evening at 19:00-19:30 in a room near the Main Hall lobby. Do you know others who would pray? If so please tell them to write Jennifer. They can put their initials on the digital 24/7 online chart to pray and get daily updates for prayer.