Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

LOCATION & DATES

  • In Person Events: Amazon Meeting Center, 2031 7th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
  • The Crosscut Festival will take place May 2 - 6, 2023. The Headliners Gala will take place on April 29, 2023.

CHECK IN

  • When you arrive, please enter via the main doors, which are on the south side of the building, accessible from 6th and 7th Avenues.
  • Please have your government issued photo ID ready in order to expedite the check in process.
  • Amazon security will visually check bags and attendees will pass through a metal detector upon arrival.
  • Please review the list of prohibited items on our festival FAQ page below
  • Festival volunteers will check you in

PARKING & DIRECTIONS

  • Amazon Meeting Center is located at 2031 7th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121
  • Amazon’s Day One and Doppler parking garages are both adjacent to the Meeting Center. Parking is free.
  • The Doppler entrance is accessible from both 6th Avenue or Lenora Street between 6th and 7th Avenue, and Day One is accessible from 6th Avenue. The venue is also easily accessible from the Virginia & 6th and 7th & Blanchard bus stops and the Westlake & 7th streetcar stop.
  • We recommend taking public transportation or rideshares such as Uber or Lyft whenever possible.

FOOD & BEVERAGE

  • There will be a snack station with coffee (in the morning) and grab & go snack foods near the session rooms
  • Please bring your own reusable water bottle to fill at the fountains in the venue
  • There will be two food trucks (Thai-U-Up and Monster Dogs) parked on Lenora St between 6th and 7th Ave. from noon to 8 pm.
  • You can also show your festival pass at the following nearby establishments for special discounts on Saturday:
  • Rachel’s Ginger Beer- 10% off
  • Ma’ono Fried Chicken- 10% off

 

GENERAL QUESTIONS

  • Are all events ADA accessible?
    • Captioning is available on all virtual sessions. 
    • All in-person Crosscut Festival events are ADA accessible and ALDs are available upon request. 
    • If you would like to discuss accessibility considerations, please contact events@kcts9.org or call 206-443-4800 by April 19, 2023. It is important to us that everyone who wants to participate is able to do so. 
  • How do I become a member?
  • How do I become a sponsor?
    • If you’re interested in becoming a Crosscut Festival sponsor please email Jonah Fruchter, Director of Corporate Underwriting, at jfruchter@kcts9.org. 
  • How do I volunteer?

 

TICKETS

  • How do I buy tickets?
  • What’s included in my tickets?
  • Are there combination Festival and Gala tickets available?
    • We do not have combination tickets available this year; we recommend a la carte purchases for the events you would like to attend. 
  • What is the refund policy?
    • Crosscut Festival tickets are fully refundable up to April 25, 2023 (7 days before the start of the festival), after which we will be unable to offer refunds. Headliners Gala tickets are considered a donation and therefore not refundable. 
  • What are the member benefits?
    • Members receive early access to purchase tickets, priority entry lines at the Crosscut Festival and a commemorative tote bag and book bundle. 
  • What is the cost?
  • Are my tickets tax deductible?
    • Headliners Gala tickets are tax-deductible, however, Crosscut Festival tickets are not. 
  • Are there any student discounts?
    • Student tickets are $20 with a current student ID. 
  • Can I volunteer to gain access to the festival?
  • Are there opportunities for those who cannot afford a ticket to attend?

 

SPEAKERS AND SCHEDULE

  • Who are the speakers/what is the schedule?
  • Can I nominate a speaker or topic?
    • We've incorporated feedback from prior festivals into this year's planning and are not taking additional suggestions at this time. Please fill out a post-event survey after this year's event to share your feedback and speaker/topic suggestions for 2024.

 

IN PERSON FESTIVAL

PROHIBITED ITEMS

  • Weapons of any type (edged, pointed, blunt)
  • Firearms of any type (including non-functional, replica, or “toy” guns)
  • Any projectile weapon (including, but not limited to, crossbows, airsoft guns, BB guns, paintball guns, pellet guns)
  • Explosives (including firecrackers and fireworks)
  • Personal-defense weapons (including Tasers, stun guns, mace, and pepper spray)
  • Illegal drugs and drug paraphernalia
  • Outside alcohol
  • Banners, pamphlets, signs and/or flags or any other material deemed disruptive to the conference
  • Noisemakers: Bluetooth Speaker, air horns, boom boxes (stereo), cowbells, drums, horns, megaphones, whistles
  • Personal drones or UAV’s
  • Bicycles, skateboards, skates, or motorized/electric/recreational vehicles (not including motorized scooters for individuals with disabilities)
  • Handcuffs, chains, cable ties (zip ties), or anything deemed a restraint device
  • Any type of glues or other adhesives
  • Clothing or items with offensive or inappropriate language
  • Aerosol Cans: Air horns, spray paint, silly string, etc.
  • Inflatable Items: Beach balls, balloons/objects, and Frisbees
  • Hazardous materials
  • Laser pointers and laser pens
  • Selfie sticks or poles
  • Any other item(s) deemed inappropriate or unsafe by AWS and/or the venue in its sole discretion

 

VIRTUAL

  • How do I watch?
    • Links to access all virtual sessions can be found on the "Sessions" page on this website starting on May 2nd and a link will also be sent out via email. 
  • What devices and browsers can I use to watch virtual sessions?
    • Virtual events can be viewed on computers or tablets using Safari, Firefox or Chrome browsers. 
  • Can I watch virtual sessions on my TV?
    • Select Crosscut Festival sessions will be broadcast on KCTS 9, in the evening during the week following the festival, however, the majority of the sessions will need to be viewed on your computer or tablet. 
  • Will sessions be recorded for later viewing?
    • Yes! All virtual sessions will be recorded and will be available on the event library page within 24 hours of when they originally took place. 
  • How long will the recordings be available online?
    • Recordings will be available on the event library page for the week following the festival, after which you will be able to view them at Crosscut.com/festival.
  • Is closed captioning available?
    • Yes, closed captioning is available on all virtual sessions. 
  • Who do I contact if I’m having technical issues?
    • Please email events@kcts9.org or call 206-443-4800 with any questions and someone will get back to you as soon as possible. If you are having issues during a session please ask your question in the chat and a member of our team will assist you in real-time. 

 

GALA

  • Can anyone purchase a ticket to the gala?
    • Yes! Tickets for the Headliners Gala are open to the public and are available on the Gala ticketing page.
  • Are my Gala tickets tax-deductible?
    • Yes, gala tickets are tax-deductible. The fair market value (FMV) of General Admission tickets is $175 and VIP tickets are $250. An official tax receipt for your donation(s) will be sent in January.  Cascade Public Media’s Federal Tax ID number is 91-1221895.
  • What will take place at the gala?
    • The Headliners Gala will consist of dinner, drinks and a live auction along with an on-stage conversation with Michael Barbaro of The New York Times' The Daily podcast
  • Can I participate in the gala virtually?
    • We will not have a virtual component to the Headliners Gala, however, if you’d like to make a gift you can do so at https://crosscut.com/donate.

 

Please email events@kcts9.org with any additional questions. 

 

 

About the Crosscut Ideas Festival Programming 


The Crosscut Ideas Festival aims to foster open and respectful dialogue about important issues. It’s our mission to offer a program that provides a wide spectrum of viewpoints, experiences, and affiliations, and welcomes members of many communities. We are sensitive to the fact that some opinions and conversations may make audience members feel uncomfortable. As a public media organization, we are responsible to act as a neutral mediator. We do not endorse the policies or opinions of our guests. However, we believe that the best way to bridge our divides is to hear from people with whom we might disagree, even vehemently, and to ask each other hard questions. When participating in these events, we require that our guests and our audience do so according to our code of conduct.