AGM Update #3

This final pre-AGM update brings you news on:

• Extra tickets
• Schedule changes
• Speaker updates
• Parking and travel by car
• Luggage storage at bell desk only
• Lunch options

... as well as not-so-new news that is worth repeating:

• Registration and ticket pickup
• Wednesday Meet and Greet event
• Roomshare/rideshare board
• Dining reservations.

EXTRA TICKETS:   The deadline for registration-related changes was September 25.  If you cannot attend the AGM, no refunds are available, but please notify us so that we can give you access to the livestream and/or recordings and adjust our headcounts.  Any remaining event tickets will be offered for sale at the AGM registration desk at the hotel. 

SCHEDULE CHANGES:  The tour provider is recommending earlier departures from the hotel for some evening events due to traffic related to activities in town.  Please note these new times:

• Thursday, Great Lakes Theatre:  Assemble at 6:00pm, bus departs at 6:30.
• Friday, Cleveland Orchestra:  Assemble at 5:45pm, bus departs at 6:15.
• Friday, Apollo's Fire:  Assemble at 5:45pm, bus departs at 6:15.
• Sunday, Lady Caroline:  Assemble at 3:45pm, bus departs at 4:15.

SPEAKER UPDATES:

• Dan Macey unfortunately cannot attend to give his special session, so, opposite the ball on Saturday night, our Keynote Speaker Amanda Vickery (author of Behind Closed Doors: At Home in Georgian England, among other works), Lizzie Dunford (Jane Austen's House), and Katie Childs (Chawton House) will get together to answer questions about Georgian houses and their occupants.  (You'll hear each of them at other times during the AGM; this is an additional, less formal opportunity.)
• Four speakers from the Pecha Kucha sessions (Austen Annotations I on Thursday and Austen Annotations II on Friday) have had to withdraw.  These sessions will still go on:  in AA1, attendees get to hear more from Colleen Gleason, Elise Mertz, Joy Prevost, and Jill Ottman, while in AA2, Kim Wilson will join Emma Marie Duke and Maria Barzilay Freund.  Kim will discuss how great houses were decorated in preparation for balls. 
• The 2024 New Voices speaker, Ben Wiebracht, will now be joined in Breakout A1 with three of his students, Annika Ross, Aidan Bekendam, and Nicolas Zepeda.  At the author signing on Sunday, they will sign their book and have some period Dr. Syntax items on display.
• Finally, Cuba, the trusty steed of Napoleonic Cavalryman José Torres Ramirez, is expected to join José at 10:30am on the Mall outside the hotel.  Come see how both man and beast were equipped for war.

PARKING AND TRAVEL BY CAR:  While valet parking for a fee is available at the hotel, some attendees are booking less expensive reserved parking at nearby garages using apps such as SpotHero and ParkMobile.  If you would like to do so, we recommend acting soon:  parking prices for Sunday are rising rapidly due to the number of people coming into town for the 1pm football game.  Also, if you plan to drive or take a cab or Uber/Lyft to the airport on Sunday afternoon, please plan for increased traffic and delays during peak times before and after the game.

LUGGAGE STORAGE AT BELL DESK ONLY:  This year, we are not able to offer luggage storage in the meeting area during the brunch, and no suitcases may be brought into the brunch room.  Please plan to leave them with the hotel bell staff. 

LUNCH OPTIONS:  On Friday and Saturday, "grab and go" salads and sandwiches can be picked up from Elliot's Bar (2nd floor) or the Noshery (lobby level), and there will be a salad bar buffet in the Burnham restaurant (2nd floor).  A list of quick lunch options outside the hotel will be available at the AGM.

REGISTRATION/TICKET PICKUP:  When you arrive in Cleveland, please check in at the AGM registration desk on the 5th floor and pick up your materials.  Registration will be open from 4pm to 8pm on Wednesday, 10/16, and will reopen again at 8am on Thursday morning.  If you have purchased tickets for the Private Viewing of Regency Portrait Miniatures, Wednesday's Downtown Highlights Walking Tour, or the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, those tickets may be picked up, between 8am and 3pm, from a table in the hotel lobby -- just look for the cutout of young Jane Austen.  (At 3pm, remaining tickets will be transferred to the 5th floor registration desk.)

WEDNESDAY EVENING MEET AND GREET:  Get in the AGM spirit by attending the Meet and Greet on Wednesday, from 8pm to 10pm.  There will be a cash bar, an optional game to play, door prizes, and a host team ready to greet first-timers and those looking to meet new friends.  All Attendees, Companions, and family members are invited to this informal gathering.

RIDESHARE:  Hootboard is a private online bulletin board where AGM registrants can post offers to share transportation from the airport. To join the board, go to https://www.hootboard.com/jasnaagm. Set up a password for yourself, then use the code Steventon1775 to view the board. Some guidelines:

• If you have a Hootboard account from a prior AGM, click the black square icon with the "comic book Jane Austen" picture to view just the 2024 board activity.
• Read the posting instructions in the yellow boxes pinned to the top of the page.   You can make a new post (or "Hoot") by clicking on the green box at top right, or reply to someone else's by clicking on the speech bubble on their post.
• You can use the board to find companions for meals or excursions, but it cannot be used to sell anything or to advertise private events.
• All arrangements are person-to-person, and JASNA plays no role in, and bears no liability for, roommate matching or other agreements.  

DINING RESERVATIONS:  If you're planning a special night out during the AGM, it's not too early to make a reservation at one of the city's fantastic restaurants.  Check out this list of 25 top spots and find many more on this restaurant map.    

FIND OUT MORE:  Check out the AGM's Facebook and Instagram pages.  Details about program content, speakers, prices, and times are on the AGM webpages.  First-time attendees should watch their email for special tips.  The August and September updates for all registrants can be read here. If you have questions, please contact the following:

REGISTRATION QUESTIONS: Debbie Duncan, AGM Registrar, jasnaagm@gmail.com

AGM PROGRAM/LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: Jennifer Weinbrecht and Amy Patterson, AGM Coordinators, jasna2024agm@gmail.com

HOTEL QUESTIONS: 
Linda Slothouber, Conference Director, jasnaconferencedir@gmail.com

BANQUET SEATING:
Linley Erickson, Banquet Table Coordinator, jasnachicago@gmail.com

JASNA POLICIES: Debra Roush, VP for Conferences, vpconf@jasna.org

We will see you soon in Cleveland!