Conference PLANNING GUIDE

The Dallas Convention Center, 650 S. Griffin Street in downtown Dallas, will house the majority of meetings, as well as conference exhibits and registration, the Internet Room, the Placement Center, and most conference meal functions. 

Hyatt Regency Hotel at 300 Reunion Boulevard, just half a mile from the convention center, will be the conference headquarters hotel. If an event is being held at a location other than the convention center or the Hyatt Regency Hotel, the location is noted in this program.

Security Procedures

  1. A photo ID will be required for registration.
  2. Any items left at the New Members Round Table storage area must be clearly labeled.
  3. Any unattended bags or boxes throughout the convention center or hotel meeting rooms and corridors will be removed by security. 
  4. Attendees and exhibitors are urged to keep control of their badges at all times. An unauthorized person could find a lost badge and enter secured areas.
  5. Attendees and exhibitors should always be aware of their surroundings. If there is a suspicious person or item, please notify security or TLA staff immediately.
  6. We will have a redesigned security schedule taking into consideration the heightened state of security and any new requirements by individual venues. This will include security guards checking badges not only at convention center meetings and events but also at the meetings in hotels.
  7. Staff, attendees, and exhibitors must wear their badges at all times in any TLA function and when they are in the convention center. People without a badge in the convention center will be escorted to the registration area where they will be able to obtain one.
  8. Take off your badge as you leave the convention center or any of the conference hotels. Don't wear it on the street, although you must be able to present a badge or copy of your pre-registration form to ride the shuttle bus.

HOTEL AND AIRLINE RESERVATIONS

Travel Technology Group (TTG) is the official travel management company for the TLA Annual Conference. For hotel and airline reservations, call the TLA/TTG Travel Desk at 800/355-8093 from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm CST. You may also mail or fax the official TLA housing request form on page 75 to the TLA/TTG Travel Desk. TTG will issue a confirmation. Please do not send the housing request form to the TLA office, as this will result in delays. All housing requests must be received by TTG no later than March 25, 2002.

Southwest Airlines, in cooperation with TLA, is offering discounts to TLA conference attendees and exhibitors. The same discounts are available whether reservations are made through the TLA/TTG Travel Desk, any travel agent, or the Southwest Group Desk (800/433-5368, 8:00 am - 7:00 pm, Monday?Friday). Refer to Meeting ID #R8584. Fares will be discounted off the everyday unrestricted fares and off the even lower restricted fares. Seats at various fares are subject to availability at the time reservations are made.

American Airlines, in cooperation with TLA, offers TLA conference attendees and exhibitors a special Meeting Saver Fare to Dallas for the annual conference. You can obtain this special fare by contacting the TLA/TTG Travel Desk, any travel agent, or the American Airlines Services Desk (800/433-1790). Refer to File #1742AF. Tickets must be purchased in advance to guarantee this exclusive low fare. Purchasers will receive discounts off the lowest excursion and coach fares. All rules and restrictions apply. 

In addition to discounted fares on Southwest Airlines and American Airlines, the Travel Technology Group travel agents will find the lowest available fares on all carriers. Airline reservations made over the phone with a TTG travel agent will incur a one-time $15 surcharge. With each ticket purchase, TTG provides flight insurance. TTG agents will be available at the annual conference to offer assistance.

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION

To qualify for discounts, the pre-registration form, along with payment, must be postmarked (or submitted electronically) by March 22, 2002. After March 22, all forms will be returned to sender. Attendees who have not pre-registered by this deadline must register onsite at a higher rate. No meal tickets or preconferences will be sold onsite.

All registrants will obtain a badge, receipt, tickets to meal functions and other ticketed events (if purchased), and a final onsite conference program upon arrival at the convention center. The attendee registration desks at the convention center will be open as follows:

GETTING TO DALLAS

Air service: Dallas is served by two major airports. Dallas Love Field Airport, the city's first airport, is served commercially by Southwest Airlines, Delta, and Continental Express Airline. Love Field Airport is located at 8008 Cedar Springs at Mockingbird Lane within the city limits of Dallas. Ground transportation at Love Field Airport is available outside the baggage claim area. For more information, call the airport at 214/670-6073.

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), one of the largest airports in the world, lies northwest of Dallas. All ground transportation at DFW Airportwith the exception of taxisis available on the lower level of each terminal. Once there, curb-side signs will provide directions to the proper waiting place. Taxis can be found outside the upper terminal/baggage claim area. For more information about taxi, bus, and limo service at DFW Airport, call 972/574-3197.

Train Service: Amtrak passenger train service is available at Union Station in the west end of downtown, close to hotels and the Dallas Convention Center. For more information about Amtrak, call 800/872-7245.

FLYING: You do NOT need to make your travel arrangements through the TLA/TTG Travel Desk to take advantage of discounts on either Southwest or American Airlines. Just refer to meeting ID #R8584 (Southwest) or file #1742AF (American) when you talk to your travel agent or the airline service desk.

GETTING AROUND DALLAS

Directions to the convention center: The Dallas Convention Center is located on the southwest edge of  downtown Dallas.

From IH-35E South (North Dallas, Richardson, Plano): Take Central Expressway (U.S. 75) southbound (running parallel to IH-35E South) to I-30 going west. Take Ervay Street, exit to the left, and keep straight as Ervay turns into Griffin Street.

From IH-35E North (San Antonio, Austin, Duncanville, DeSoto): Take I-30 East (toward Texarkana). Exit Lamar/Griffin Street. Turn on Griffin Street.

From the North Tollway southbound: Take I-35 to I-30 East (toward Texarkana). Exit Lamar/Griffin Street. Turn on Griffin Street.

From West (Arlington,  Fort Worth, Abilene):  Take I-30 (Turnpike) eastbound (toward Texarkana). Exit Lamar/Griffin Street. Turn on Griffin Street.

From East (Garland, Tyler, Texarkana): Take I-30 westbound to Dallas. From the left lane of the freeway take the Ervay Street Exit; keep straight on the access road that turns into Griffin Street.

From Houston: Take I-45/U.S. 75 to the Lamar/Griffin Street Exit. Turn on Griffin Street.

PARKING: Convention center parking will be $8.00 with no in/out privileges. Dallas Convention Center has two parking lots: one is directly below the center and the other is at the corner  of Young and Lamar.

TLA Shuttle Service

TLA provides complimentary shuttle service to and from conference hotels, the convention center, and selected offsite conference events.

Public Transportation

The Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system serves Dallas and surrounding metroplex cities with nearly 1,000 buses and vans. Call DART at 214/979-1111 with origin, destination, and desired time of arrival for a recommendation of route and fare. The TLA Information Counter will have public transportation schedules and maps.

DART Light Rail service connects the city center district of Dallas with the arts district to the north and the convention center to the south. Leaving the convention center northbound, stops are provided at the Reunion Arena (Hyatt Regency  Hotel), West End (Hampton Inn), city center (Adolphus and Fairmont hotels), and St. Paul Street and Pearl Street (in walking distance of the Adolphus and Magnolia hotels).

The McKinney Avenue Trolley offers a fun and practical way to get from downtown Dallas to the McKinney Avenue entertainment district north of the central city. The system features four authentic early-20th-century trolley cars that have been restored to their original splendor and run on tracks that were abandoned 30 years ago. Catch the trolley on St. Paul Street adjacent to the Dallas Museum of Art. From there, the trolley rumbles across Woodall Rodgers Freeway and up McKinney Avenue to an area filled with restaurants, shops, and nightspots.

Airport Shuttles and Taxis

Several shuttle services operate between the Dallas airports and downtown Dallas including: Aadvantage Limousine (972/618-7313); Big Tex Shuttle (214/352-9700); Classic Shuttle (214/841-1900); Discount Shuttle (817/267-5150); SuperShuttle (817/329-2001); and Transpo Enterprises (214/760-1966).

Yellow Cab of Dallas serves the city (214/426-6262). The standard fare is a $2.00 base rate plus $1.60 for each additional mile; $2 for each additional passenger; $12 minimum charge for trips that exit the toll booth at DFW Airport and conclude on DFW Airport property; $12 minimum charge for trips from DFW Airport to conclude off DFW property; $5 minimum charge for DFW Airport terminal transfers; $.50 loading fee at Love Field; and $1.50 toll fee at DFW.