National Convention 2008

When:

Sunday, June 29 - Saturday, July 5, 2008.

Where:

Hilton Anatole Hotel
2201 Stemmons Freeway
Dallas, Texas 75207
Reservations: Write directly to the above address or call (214) 761-7500.

Exhibitor and Sponsor Information:

• Open Letter to Exhibitors and Sponsors (Word document)
  Open Letter to Exhibitors and Sponsors (PDF)
• 2008 Sponsorship Opportunities (Word document)
  2008 Sponsorship Opportunities (PDF)
• 2008 Sponsorship Application (Word document)
  2008 Sponsorship Application (PDF)
• 2008 Guidelines (Word document)
  2008 Guidelines (PDF)
• 2008 Fact Sheet (Word document)
  2008 Fact Sheet (PDF)
• 2008 Exhibitor Application (Word document)
  2008 Exhibitor Application (PDF)
• 2008 Sponsored Event Application (Word document)
  2008 Sponsored Event Application (PDF)

Texas Barbeque:

Celebrate the conclusion of our second March for Independence by unwinding at the end of the day in beautiful Anatole Park with a delicious dinner under the stars.  Buy your tickets early for a Texas-style barbeque of beef brisket, grilled marinated breast of chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, beans, corn on the cob, warm cornbread and biscuits with honey butter, pecan pie, and warm peach cobbler.  And there will be live western swing and country music—all happening on Wednesday, July 2, starting at 6:00 p.m.  Tickets are $35 when purchased before May 31.

Registration Information:

We strongly recommend pre-registering for the convention online or by mail any time starting March 1 and ending May 31.  The pre-registration fee for the convention is $15 while the pre-registration cost for the texas barbecue and the banquet is $35 each.  If you wait and register in Dallas, you'll pay an extra five dollars for each item--$20 for convention registration and $40 each for the barbecue and the banquet.

You can register online using a credit card or register by mail using a check or money order.  Please remember that all pre-convention registration, banquet, and BBQ sales are final (no refunds).

• Online Pre-Registration Form
• Mail-in Pre-Registration Form (Word document)
  Mail-in Pre-Registration Form (PDF)

Hotel Rates and Information:

This year we are returning to Dallas and the beautiful Hilton Anatole Hotel, site of the 2006 convention.  Once again our hotel rates are the envy of all. For the 2008 convention they are singles, doubles, and twins, $61; and triples and quads, $66. In addition to the room rates there will be a tax, which at present is 15 percent. No charge will be made for children fifteen and under in the room with parents as long as no extra bed is requested. Please note that as of November 1, 2007, the hotel became a non-smoking facility. The hotel will want a deposit of $60 or a credit card number. If you use a credit card, the deposit will be charged against your card immediately, just as would be the case with a $60 check. If a reservation is cancelled prior to June 1, 2008, $30 of the $60 deposit will be returned. Otherwise refunds will not be made.  The hotel is now accepting reservations.

Guest-room amenities include cable television, coffee pot, iron and ironing board, hair dryer, and high-speed Internet access—this last for a fee. Guests can also enjoy one indoor and two outdoor pools as well as a fully equipped health club and tennis courts. The Hilton Anatole has six restaurants, several bars, and even a disco. Nana, open only for dinner, offers a five-star dining experience with panoramic views of the city and prices to match. La Esquina Restaurant and Tequila Bar, with luncheon buffets and full dinners, offers south-of-the-border fare with a Texas flair. At Common Ground in the atrium you will find light breakfast and lunch fare. The Rathskeller Sports Bar provides a basement hideaway for lunch or dinner. The Gossip Bar is open for light breakfasts and lunch and is an evening hot spot. The Terrace is an open-air café open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Watch the Braille Monitor for information about tours and other attractions in the Greater Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

Schedule:

The schedule this year is a departure from what many of us think of as the usual one. Preconvention seminars for parents of blind children and other groups and set-up of the exhibit hall will take place on Sunday, June 29, and adjournment will be Saturday, July 5, at 5:00 p.m.  Convention registration and registration packet pick-up for those who registered online will begin on Monday, June 30, and both Monday and Tuesday will be filled with meetings of divisions and committees, including the Tuesday morning annual meeting, open to all, of the board of directors of the National Federation of the Blind.

Immediately following the NFB March for Independence—the Walk for Opportunity to American Airlines Center, the general convention sessions will begin on Wednesday, July 2, and continue through the afternoon of Saturday, July 5. Register now for the March for Independence or sponsor a marcher. The annual banquet will take place on Friday evening, July 4. 

Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund:

The Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund is looking for individuals who can use some financial assistance to attend the National Convention in Dallas, Texas.  View the Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund page for further information.

First Timer's Guide to the NFB National Convention:

View our beginner's guide to the NFB National Convention, intended to give the first-time convention attendee some important information about national conventions of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB).

• First Timer's Guide to the National Convention

More Information:

Additional information as to meetings, schedule, hotel, etc., may be obtained as it becomes available by contacting the National Federation of the Blind at 1800 Johnson Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21230, telephone (410) 659-9314.