We have made it even easier to register for the International Reading Association 59th Annual Conference in New Orleans online and to find the forms to print and mail or fax! Simply visit www.iraconference.org and click on “Registration is Now Open!” to begin your registration process. In this article, we share tips on how to complete your registration and housing process quickly and efficiently.

Before You Register

First, review the Annual Conference website at www.iraconference.org and take a look at the iPlanner (itinerary planner), which offers detailed descriptions for the more than 300 sessions and events being offered in New Orleans between May 10 and 12 and the 11 full-day Institutes scheduled on May 9.

Be Prepared

To make your registration process faster, it is helpful to have these items handy:

• If you are an IRA member, or have created an account with IRA to purchase books, etc., have your IRA logins and passwords ready. (If you don’t remember them, there is an option to have your password sent to you at the beginning of the online registration process.)
• Students should have their student I.D. numbers and institutional affiliation accessible to receive the student discount.
• If you’re bringing a guest, it is useful to have this guest’s full name and phone number.
• Of course, have your credit card nearby for payment.

An Important Note

We have created an online registration process that seamlessly guides you through the steps of registration and housing. Please do not use your Internet browser’s “back” and “forward” buttons as you register. Instead, use the orange buttons found at the top and bottom of the registration webpages.

Log In to Save Time

The first page of online registration gives you three options:

• “Log In” (for IRA members and people with accounts who know their name and password)
• “Create an Account” (which allows you to create an account from scratch)
• “Forgot Password?” (which sends a password reset form to your e-mail address)

If you have created an account before, the system will not allow you to create a new account using an e-mail address that you have used to create an account in the past. So, if you know you have an account, it’s best to use the “Forgot Password?” option instead of the “Create an Account” option.

On this page you will also see links to print the registration forms to fax them to 415-293-4399 or mail them to:

IRA Registration
c/o Convention Management Resources
33 New Montgomery, Suite 1100
San Francisco, CA 94105

 

Starting to Register

The next page of online registration gives you several options. You can choose to “Register Now” or “Book Hotel.” You will be able to switch between the two options during the process, or to register for one section and login later to finish the other.

For the example in this article, let’s begin by clicking on “Register Now.”

Conference Choices

On this page, you select your conference attendance, whether it is the Conference & Exhibits (full conference) or just a single day.

If you only want to attend for two days, choose the “Conference & Exhibits” option. (There isn’t a two-day option since choosing two individual days would actually cost more money than the full conference!)

This page also allows you to select one of our 11 full-day, preconference Institutes on May 9. There is a separate fee for Institutes, beyond the cost of registration.

 

When finished selecting, click the orange “Next Page” button at the bottom of the screen.

Author Luncheons

The next page allows you to register for one or more of our three Author Luncheons. Speakers include Judy Moody series author Megan McDonald (Saturday), Ball Don’t Lie and We Were Here author Matt de la Peña (Sunday), and Magic Treehouse series author Mary Pope Osborne (Monday). While the luncheons cost an additional fee beyond registration, savvy conference-goers know that they are a great way to enjoy a quality, sit-down lunch and time to network with colleagues.

When finished selecting, click on the “Next Page” button at the bottom of the page.

Guest Registration

You are invited to bring a guest to the luncheons based on the registrants conference purchase. This next page will guide you through adding this guest to one or more luncheons. When finished selecting, click on the “Next Page” button.

 

All About You

On the next page, we want to get to know you! Fill out this questionnaire, making sure to complete the questions with asterisks next to them. Click on the “Next Page” button at the bottom of the page to continue.

The next page gives you the option of paying now (orange “Check Out” button) or selecting your hotel (orange “Book Hotel” button). 

 

For this example, let’s make our hotel reservations.

Book Housing

Our hotel pages allows you to choose from 29 hotels. You can use the “Sort By” option on the left to list them by hotel name, proximity to convention center, and price.

Once you click an orange “Reserve” button, the next page asks you to input your contact information. Most of the information will automatically appear based on the account you entered at the beginning of this process.

When finished, click the orange “Confirm Registration” button at the bottom of the page.

 

At this point, you will be returned to the overview page, now showing your conference registration as well as your hotel reservation.

 

This page gives you three options: “Edit Your Registration” (if you need to change your conference attendance choices), “Edit Your Reservation” (if you need to change your hotel choices), and “Check Out.”

For this example, let’s go ahead and check out.

Check Out

When you click on the orange “Check Out” button, you will be taken to a payment page. Simply fill out the information and click on the box to accept Terms and Conditions so  the “Submit Payment” button appears at the bottom of the page.

 

You Did It!

The next page you see is an overview page with a barcode that you can print and bring to registration in New Orleans! This page includes information about your conference registration, hotel, and other helpful links. A duplicate of this page will be e-mailed to you as well (from the address IRAReg@cmrus.com). Refer to this e-mail confirmation in case you need to go back to your conference registration or hotel reservation to make changes. 

 

BONUS: Be sure to visit www.iraconference.org/promotions to see all current special promotions, including special discounts and giveaways!

Sara Long is an editor/content manager at the International Reading Association.