Rural Places, Rural Spaces Event Information
Thank you for registering for HOPE’s Rural Places, Rural Spaces Policy Forum. We are excited to have you join us and are looking forward to hosting you as we engage in action-oriented dialogue addressing the financial service gaps that limit economic mobility for many rural people and places.
We want you to have a great experience while you’re here, so we are providing some important details about transportation, hotel, and conference logistics.
Please do not hesitate to contact Ferderica Cobb at ferderica.cobb@hope-ec.org if you have further questions.
Travel
Flight
If you have not booked your flight already, the two nearest airports are the Memphis International Airport (MEM) in Memphis, TN and the Jackson-Medgar Evers International Airport (JAN) in Jackson, MS. Both are approximately 2 hours from the general area of the hotels and event location.
Ground
Please note that you will need to rent a car in order to travel from the airport to your hotel as well as to the Mississippi Valley State University campus for the forum. There are no public transportation or ride-share options in this part of the Mississippi Delta.
Lodging
If you have not already booked your room, please do so as soon as possible. Below are some options for hotels:
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Greenwood
401 Clements St
Greenwood, MS 38930
Reservations must be made by calling 662-455-1885. Ask for the HOPE Policy Forum rate.
Hampton Inn Greenwood
1815 Highway 82 West
Greenwood, MS 38930
Reservations must be made by calling 662-455-7985. Ask for the HOPE Policy Forum rate.
Hampton Inn Indianola
913 US-82
Indianola, MS 38751
Reservations can be made by calling 662-445-2000. Although we do not have a room block reserved specifically for the conference, there are rooms available at this hotel.
Greenwood is approximately 11 minutes away from the forum site. Indianola is approximately 20 minutes away.
Pre-Forum Delta Tour and Dinner: Monday, February 11, 2019
The Delta Tour and Dinner are sold out. For those who have registered for the event, charter buses will pick up tour participants from the Alluvian and the Hampton Inn in Greenwood, MS. If you are registered and you are not staying at the Alluvian or Hampton Inn, please park at the Hampton Inn. Buses will be ready for boarding at 12:30 p.m. near the hotel main entrances, and we will depart promptly at 1:00 p.m. Unfortunately, we are on a tight schedule, so we will not be able to return to pick up any late arrivals.
If you are not registered for the tour & dinner, we have seats available on the buses, but the B. B. King Museum can only accommodate those with confirmed registrations for the dinner.
The attire for the tour is casual. You can check the latest forecast, but please be prepared for rainy weather.
First, we will visit Moorhead, MS, where you will learn about the Small Town Partnership Initiative and see the Eastmoor Estates housing development and Hope Credit Union.
We will then head to Indianola to tour the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center at 3:30 p.m. Dinner will be served at the museum at 5:30 p.m. for those who have registered for the tour and dinner. Dinner will include a conversation about civil rights in Mississippi featuring Derrick Johnson, Hollis Watkins, and award winning journalist Jerry Mitchell.
The menu for the dinner is as follows:
• Grilled chicken or fried chicken
• Fried catfish
• Hushpuppies
• Sweet potato casserole
• Green beans
• Salad
• Hushpuppies
• Sweet and unsweet tea, water
We will return to Greenwood to the Alluvian parking lot by 7:30 p.m.
See the full tour agenda.
Policy Forum: Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Location
Mississippi Valley State University
14,000 U.S. 82, Itta Bena, MS 38941
Social Sciences Building
Carver A. Randle Auditorium
7:30 A.M. – Registration opens
8:30 A.M. – 3:00 P.M.
Attire: Business Casual
When entering campus, security and HOPE Policy Conference signs will direct you to parking. There will be shuttles to transport you from the parking area to the Social Sciences building. There will be limited space inside the conference venue to store luggage, but we can provide room for you if you need it.
When you’ve arrived at the Social Sciences building, signage and HOPE staff will direct you to the registration table. You can also look for student ambassadors wearing Mississippi Valley State University blazers to answer questions you may have throughout the day.
Once you’ve registered, enjoy a continental breakfast and networking opportunities prior to the start of the forum.
Continental Breakfast:
• Fresh Fruit
• Assorted Danish Pastries
• Muffins and Donuts
• Fruit Juice, Coffee
The forum will begin promptly at 8:30 a.m.
There is limited reserved seating, and all other seating will be general admission on a first come, first served basis.
We will break for lunch at 12:30 p.m.
Lunch Buffet:
• Baked Chicken
• Mac & Cheese
• Cole Slaw
• Grilled Napoleon Portabella Mushroom
• Collard Greens
• Pecan & Sweet Potato Pie
• Sweet Tea
We will return for our afternoon session at 1:30 p.m. The event will end at 3:00 p.m.
The attire for the forum is business casual.
See the full agenda.
