2009 New Conference Attendee FAQs
2009 Annual Conference & Bookfair
February 11-14, 2009
Chicago, Illinois
Hilton Chicago
Q: Where can I get my badge?
A: If you have pre-registered you can pick up your badge and program at the PRE-registration area. ID or Student ID is required to pick up all badges. Badges will be arranged alphabetically by last name. We will not mail you a badge prior to the conference. You will only receive email confirmation of your registration. All of your materials will be on-site when you go to pick up your badge at pre-registration.
Q: Can I get into the Bookfair on Wednesday?
A: The Bookfair is open on Wednesday for exhibitors only. The Exhibit Hall will open at noon and close at 5:30 and this is to allow the exhibitors to set-up their displays before conference attendees are admitted the following day.
Q: Is the Bookfair open to the public?
A: Yes, the Bookfair is open to the public on Saturday only. The bookfair is open for registered conference attendees only on Thursday and Friday.
Q: Do I have to register for each individual panel or reading that I want to go to?
A: No, once you have registered for the conference you must wear your badge, but you are able to attend any and all events that you wish. There will be security placed throughout the hotel and in front of the doors to events, so please make sure you are wearing your badge so you will not be turned away. Security will not permit you to pass without showing proper credentials.
Q: How can I find out in advance the schedule of conference events?
A: A full listing of conference events will be posted to our website by no later than November 1st. While this schedule is subject to some changes due to unforeseeable cancellations, the large majority or the schedule will remain unchanged. Once you arrive at the conference you will also receive a hard copy of the schedule contained in the conference program.
Q: What days of the week is the conference held?
A: The AWP Annual Conference always opens at noon on Wednesday so attendees can pick up their registration materials. While there are no conferences events scheduled for this day we always strongly encourage attendees to arrive on Wednesday to pick up their materials so they can avoid the long lines Thursday morning for pre-registration that will delay their ability to attend conference events.
Q: At what times are the conference events scheduled throughout the day on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday?
A: Conference events begin each day at 9:00 a.m. Each session runs an hour and fifteen minutes with a fifteen-minute break between sessions. During each time slot there will be 15 to 20 concurrent events. Event sessions will run all day until the last regular session ends at 6:15. Evening events and receptions will be held nightly at 7:00, 8:30, and 10:00.
Q: Is there ever a longer scheduled break between sessions for lunch or socializing?
A: Attendees may take breaks wherever they would like, and while it is unfortunate that a panel discussion may be taking place at the same time a person would like to have lunch, there is no lunch break specifically scheduled into the program so that we may maximize the meeting space for our attendees and lessen the issue of crowding. Increasing the break between sessions or providing a lunch break would require eliminating an entire time slot of events from the schedule, which directly affects the variety of events we’re able to offer our attendees.
Q: What types of events can I expect to see at the AWP Conference?
A: The AWP Annual Conference hosts events on wide raging and varied subjects pertaining to all aspects of literature and writing. From readings by some of the mostly highly regarded contemporary non-fiction writers, novelists, and poets, to discussions on career advancement, craft, translation, pedagogy, and regional issues, the AWP Conference offers events as diverse as the institutions and individuals that make up our 28,000 members.
Q: Who can I expect to see reading at the conference?
A: Over the years AWP has hosted numerous reading by winners of the National Book Award, National Book Critics Circle Award, the Pulitzer Prize, and the Booker Prize. Some of the individuals readers over the last few years have included Martin Amis, Ann Beattie, Robert Olen Butler, Chitra Benerjee Divakaruni, Rita Dove, Kaye Gibbons, Donald Hall, John Irving, Mark Jarman, Yusef Komunyakaa, Denis Johnson, Frank McCourt, Alice McDermott, Walter Mosley, Antonya Nelson, and many many others.
Q: Who plans the AWP Conference events? Who selects them?
A: The selection of the events at the AWP Conference is conducted by a panel of AWP senior staff and board members.
Q: How can I get a receipt for my registration?
A: The email confirmation contains full payment information for your registration. If you did not receive this email confirmation, please email: conference@awpwriter.org and we can send you that email.
Q: How do I register?
A: You have three options to register for the conference: 1) You can call the AWP main office at 703-993-4301, 2) You can register online at www.awpwriter.org, or 3) You can complete a paper registration available at www.awpwriter.org.
Q: How do I register for more than one person?
A: The instructions online or on the paper registrations will prompt you to enter in more information if you are registering for more than one person. PLEASE provide all the names of the registrants at the time of purchase so that they can be registered properly.
Q: How do I know I have registered successfully?
A: You will receive an email confirmation within 7-10 business of receipt of your registration form (submitted online, by phone, or as paper registration). Therefore, PLEASE provide an email address because we CANNOT send confirmation via regular post. If you do not receive an email confirmation after 10 business days, please call or email us.
Q: May I pick up someone else’s badge at Pre-registration?
A: Yes. However, you need to provide a signed and dated letter stating that this person has given you permission to pick up his/her badge.
Q: May I change my name and/or affiliation on my name badge?
A: All badges are Pre-printed. Therefore, we cannot change your name and/or affiliation at the conference. If you need to make changes to your badge, please email us before the close of Pre-registration for the conference.
If your question does not appear in any of our FAQs, you can e-mail conference@awpwriter.org.
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