National Federation of Community Broadcasters37th Annual Community Radio Conference

June 13 – 16, 2012

Know Before You Go

HotelAll workshops, plenaries, receptions and meals will be held at the Hyatt Regency Houston, 1200 Louisiana Street, Houston, Texas 77002 Rates of $149 per night (single/double/triple/quad) plus tax were guaranteed only through May 11, 2012. If you call for a room after May 11, be sure to say you are with the NFCB Conference. You may be able to get in on the Conference rate.

Getting from the Airport to the HotelSuper Shuttle is available for $23.00 one way George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and $19.00 one way from Hobby Airport (HOU). The shuttle drops off and picks up in front of the hotel, every 15 minutes from 5 a.m. until 4 p.m.

NFCB has arranged for a 10% discount on round trip travel by making your reservation online at: http://www.supershuttle.com. Use Discount Code: 4CJM3

All rates are subject to change without notice.

If you’re driving…

Parking at the Hyatt Regency is expensive and we do not have passes or discounts for Conference attendees. There are many parking garages and lots near the hotel with better rates. If you arrive early in the day you can find lots as low as $8 a day.

What to bring

If you are attending the Training the Trainers Intensive on Wednesday (additional registration required), please bring a laptop (built in speakers are fine, but if you have computer speakers that will be better) so everyone can listen to online samples of your people; and CDs of airchecks. 

If you plan to attend the workshop on Culture for the Common Good (Thursday morning) you are encouraged to bring a list of artists and musicians who have visited your station, made magic on the airwaves and support the spirit of community radio and public media.

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If you are the Voting Delegate from an NFCB Participant Member and plan to attend the NFCB Membership meeting on Friday afternoon, please bring your copy of proposed bylaw changes (http://www.nfcb.org/PDF/Redlined%20NFCB%20bylaws.pdf) so we can save some trees. And please bring print outs of the letters from stations applying to be Participant Members. http://www.nfcb.org/new_member_letters.jsp

Registration

Everyone attending the Conference must check in at Conference Registration in the hotel third floor lobby and wear their conference name badge at all functions. Conference materials will be handed out at the registration desk.

Registration Hours:Tuesday, June 12 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM – hotel lobbyWednesday, June 13 11:00 AM -7:30 PM – third floor lobbyThursday, June 14 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM – third floor lobbyFriday, June 15 6:00 AM - 5:30 PM – third floor lobbySaturday, June 16 6:30 AM – 2:00 PM – third floor lobby

Special Pre-Conference Sessions – Wednesday, June 13Be forewarned: All Wednesday Intensives start at 9:00 AM and conclude at 3:00 PMAll Intensives require pre-registration and an extra fee.

Intensive: Training the Trainer Intensive: Ready, Set, Engage Intensive: Bringing in the Big Bucks Intensive: New Stations On the Air – Now What?

Climate and Clothes

Average temperatures in Houston for June are a high of 91°F and a low of 72°F. June is Houston’s rainiest month, averaging 5.35 inches of rain.

While it will be quite hot outside, we recommend dressing in layers to allow for the hotel’s air conditioning.

We suggest you check your favorite Internet weather site before you pack your bag. Conference attire is whatever you feel comfortable in (clothing is required). If you want more guidance than that—business casual.

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Workshops There are no sign-ups for workshops. Just show up.

Conference ScheduleThe Conference schedule, including the schedule of workshops, is posted on the NFCB website at www.nfcb.org.

Meals Your Conference registration fee pays for breakfast and lunch on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, as well as the Opening Reception on Wednesday evening and all the beverage breaks. Dinner is on your own. If you are attending a Wednesday Intensive, lunch is included in that fee.

Evening EventsHost stations KTSU and KPFT have a special evening (6-9 PM) scheduled for Thursday and will provide busses to take you from the Hyatt to each station where there will be light food, drinks and live music. Announcements about bus schedules will be made at the Opening Session on Thursday morning and at Thursday lunch, or you can check at the Conference Registration desk.

Artists for Media Diversity (A4MD) is sponsoring a Block Party on Friday night with lots of live music. Check the Conference program book for details, and any changes will be announced at lunch on Friday.

Conference LogisticsEvent Solutions Management is handling all Conference logistics. If you have questions about your Conference registration, meals, etc., you can call them at (813) 401-0739; or email nfcb@eventsolutionsmanagement.com.

Updates Check out http://www.nfcb.org/conference/conference_2011_attendee_info.jsp for updates and additions to this page.

Updates at the ConferenceOutside of meals, we’ll make announcements of schedule or room changes via text message. If you didn’t sign up for that when you registered for the conference, you can do it when you check in at the registration desk.