Schedule
SATURDAY, OCT. 19
10 a.m.-1 p.m. Registration Third Floor
1 p.m. Welcome Assembly Keynote Speaker Laura Beil, Dr. Death Podcast, sponsored by Walsworth Publishing
3-5 p.m. Special Intensive Writing Session David Knight & Scott Winter
2:15-8 p.m. Write-off, Photography, Online and Broadcast On-Site Competitions, (judges snacks provided by Friesens)
Evening on Your Own
SUNDAY, OCT. 20
7:30-8:30 a.m. Advisers’ Coffee hosted by Jostens
8-10 a.m. Late Registration
8 a.m.-4 p.m. Exhibits
8:30-11:30 a.m. Class Sessions
11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Lunch/Advisers’ Luncheon hosted by Balfour Publishing
1:30-4:20 p.m. Class Sessions
Evening on Your Own
MONDAY, OCT. 21
9 a.m. Featured Speaker Samantha Berry, “How Storytelling Can Change the World”
Hotel Information
Wyndham San Antonio Riverwalk
111 Pecan St. East
San Antonio, TX 78205
866.764.8536
Online reservations
Hotel Reservations/Cancellations
Schools must make room reservations (for eight rooms or less) online or by calling 1-866-764- 8536 before the designated cut-off date. Advisers must identify themselves as members of the Texas Association of Journalism Educators. All reservations must be guaranteed and accompanied by a first-night room deposit or guaranteed by a major credit card by Sept. 18 (or the room reservation will not be saved). Remember to bring tax exemption forms — both a sales tax form for parking and a hotel occupancy tax for the rooms.
Reservations for the block must be received before Sept. 19. Reservations will be accepted after the Sept. 19 cutoff, based on availability; however, the block may sell out before that date, so make reservations early.
Large groups: For schools needing more than eight rooms, contact Lauren Hartmann directly:
Phone: 210-354-2800 ext. 7236
Fax: 210-362-6444
Email: lauren.hartmann@sawyn.com
All cancellations must be made by 72 hours (three days) prior to arrival or the guaranteeing credit card will be charged for a one night’s stay for each room cancelled after the deadline. Schools must obtain a cancellation number. After the cancellation is made, the hotel will release the guarantee and refund the deposit. Deposits are forfeited on all no-shows and reservations cancelled within 72 hours prior to arrival.
Hotel Rates and Rooms
The room rate is set at a flat $159 for singles, doubles, triples and quads. TAJE has committed to a 365-room block, so we encourage all schools to stay at the convention hotel so that TAJE can avoid monetary losses or loss of convention space.
As an incentive, schools get a break on their TAJE registration costs for staying at the convention hotel. Those staying at other hotels will be charged $10 more per registration.
Occupancy taxes are currently 12% for city taxes and 6% for state taxes. A proposal for city taxes to go up to 12 percent is on the table, but it had not taken effect as of July. Double-check with the hotel before submitting your payment requests.
Every effort will be made to honor your request for a specific room type; however, rooms are assigned on the day of arrival, and types cannot be guaranteed.
Hotel Arrive and Departure
Guest accommodations will be available at 3 p.m. on arrival day and until 11 a.m. on departure date. There is a $50 fee for checking out earlier than the reserved checkout date.
The hotel will try to have at least one room for each school available at 3 p.m. so that schools can store their luggage until all rooms are ready.
Parking
Discounted self-parking is $20 per day, per vehicle, with in/out privileges in the Self-Park Garage. The parking garage entrance has 6’4″ clearance. Oversized vehicles will need to find alternate parking, but there are city lots nearby. On-street parking is by city permit only.
Buses will need to make arrangements with the city for parking permits for street parking. Contact Ruben Abrego at 210 542-8921 or 210 207-5749 (permit pick- up).
Please note valet parking is $32 per night (no discount).
Convention Payment Info
Early-bird registration due by Sept. 18: $35 per person (staying at the Wyndham) $45 per person (at another hotel) $40/$50 after Sept. 18. Walk-in Registration is $60 per person.
Include payment for all registrations, contests, memberships, etc., in one check made payable to TAJE. If you need to use a credit card, contact Cindy Todd at director@taje.org. Credit card payments will incur 3.5% service charge. No refunds will be issued after Oct. 1, 2019.
Mail payments to:
Fall Fiesta/TAJE
PO Box 9187 Austin, TX 78766
Membership
You may join TAJE as well as JEA, ILPC, ATPI and SIPA as you register. Payment for these memberships may be included in your registration check, but also please fill out a membership form or the invoice you received via email in early August and return to director@taje.org or mail to TAJE.
Remember, advisers must be current TAJE members for students to compete in contests.
Volunteers Needed
Interested in speaking, judging, moderating or doing on-site critiques? Advisers who volunteer for at least two of these activities before Oct. 1 will have their registration fees waived. Please indicate which activities you are volunteering for on the online registration form. Volunteers still need to register and pay for any other fees.
Saturday Special Intensive Writing Session
David Knight and Scott Winter will present an Intensive Writing session 3-5 p.m. Saturday.
Because of limited space, attendance will be limited to 125.
Cost is $20 per person — for both students and advisers. Wristbands will be required for admittance.
Note: This session is at the same time as write-off contests.
[Download Contest Materials – DropBox] [Download Contest Materials – Google Drive]Write-Off Contests
• Advisers must be TAJE members for students to participate in these contests.
• Pre-registration is required for write-off competitions.
• Name substitutions will be allowed at registration.
• No late entries will be accepted.
• Each student may enter only one contest; schools may enter only one student per contest.
• Payment of $10 per entry. No fees are refundable.
• Printers will be available, but students may bring their own printers.
• Flash drives are required of students planning to use the TAJE printers.
• Write-off contest time: 3-5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, 2019, Wyndham Riverwalk Hotel.
Onsite Critiques
Media should be dropped off at the registration desk on Oct. 19 by 2 p.m. Schools preferring a critique of this year’s yearbook instead of last year’s should bring printouts of what they have accomplished so far. A schedule with the time of your critique will be available when you register.
Cost: $15 per media.
Best of Show
Publications will be categorized based on size, and awards will be presented in each category. At least one student from the school must be registered at the convention to enter Best of Show.
Publications and broadcast/website information must be turned in to the registration desk by 2 p.m. Oct. 20. Broadcasts should be uploaded via the form at taje.org (see the online registration form for more info).
Best of Show will be judged Saturday night. If you will not be at the convention Saturday (but will be on Sunday) and want to enter Best of Show, you must mail in your publications to the TAJE address before Oct. 5.
All literary magazines will be judged in one classification. All online newspapers will be judged together in one classification. Broadcast Best of Show entries must be entered online. Broadcasts will be judged together in one classification.
Note: Schools registering for Best of Show must have at least one student attending the convention.
Cost: $10 per entry
Questions?
Susan Duncan: convention@taje.org
Cindy Todd: director@taje.org
[Download Contest Materials – DropBox] [Download Contest Materials – Google Drive]