Registrations for the IRA 58th Annual Convention are pouring in as literacy educators rush to attend the anticipated professional development event. No wonder they’re excited: the 2013 convention features keynotes LeVar Burton, Rick Riordan, Mo Willems, Debbie Silver; hundreds of sessions led by veteran and emerging leaders in the field; and opportunities to network with nearly 10,000 colleagues from around the country and the world. Teachers looking for practical, research-based guidance from expert speakers will be flocking to San Antonio in April.
IRA launched a new, streamlined Annual Convention website in November and opened registration for the convention and housing in early December. Literacy professionals can register using one of four different methods: online, mail, fax, or phone.
The online process is the fastest and easiest way to register and book a hotel. Just go to www.iraconvention.org and click the link for online registration.
Other options include printing the registration form from www.iraconvention.org and faxing it to 415-293-4399. Registrants can also mail the printed form to IRA Registration & Housing, c/o Convention Management Resources, 33 New Montgomery, Suite 1100, San Francisco, CA 94105. Attendees who wish to reserve their spot over the phone should call 888-294-9167 (U.S. and Canada) or 415-979-2278.
What You’ll Need
Before registering online, it is helpful to have a few pieces of information handy. First, registrants should review the Annual Convention website at www.iraconvention.org. You’ll also want to take a look at the iPlanner, which offers detailed descriptions for the more than 500 sessions being offered in San Antonio. This is especially important when considering registering for an Institute and/or any of the luncheons, or planning on attending for a single day.
IRA members, or anyone who has created an account with IRA to purchase books, etc., should have access to the registration site with their IRA logins and passwords. If registrants don’t know this information, there is an option to click on “Forgot password” and have the information e-mailed to them. (Please note that registrants will need to create an additional password to use the iPlanner.) Students should have their student I.D. number accessible to receive the student discount. It also is helpful to have the name of an emergency contact and this person’s phone number. If you’re bringing a guest, it is useful to know this guest’s full name and phone number. Lastly, registrants should have a credit card nearby for payment.
Log In to Save Time
When beginning the online process, registrants are encouraged to log in first. This step saves time when entering information into the online form and it also allows registrants to view completed event details on their “My Account” webpage after the transaction is complete.
Complete Profile
The first step of online registration invites registrants to enter their names and contact information. Registrants can click on “back” at the bottom or any of the circles at the top of the page to return to a previous screen. Nonmember registrants can also add an IRA membership at several points in the process—the best option to save significantly on convention registration and other IRA products.
Register
The second step is to select Annual Convention registration options. Here is where registrants select an Institute, any luncheons, or a single-day rate.
This is also where registrants reserve for their guests and select their event options. Students should enter their school name and I.D. number here. They will be asked to show their student I.D. when they pick up their registration packet in San Antonio.
Book Hotel
The next page allows registrants to select a hotel. If a registrant would rather book accommodations themselves, he/she can skip this step and go directly to step 4 to “Review and Pay.”
If booking now, registrants can choose from 20 IRA-approved hotels on this page, reviewing in-page details about hotel features, location, and a calendar of available dates. They can even choose which kind of room (single or double) and leave requests for the hotel staff. We strongly urge registrants to reserve rooms early, as space is limited.
Review & Pay
The next step is to enter a payment method. The webpage displays a review of attendees’ registration information and hotel information. Registrants can scroll down to enter payment details.
My Registration Profile
Once the registrant has completed entering their contact information, registration preferences, hotel accommodations (if applicable), and payment method, the final step is a webpage showing an overview of the registrant’s convention details. Clicking on “Print Receipt” produces a printer-friendly summary with a barcode that can be used for reimbursement as well as to check-in at the registration booth in April. E-mails with the barcode and registration and housing details will also be sent to registrants when payment is processed. The barcode scanners can even read the barcode image on a smartphone screen at check-in.
And that’s it! IRA believes that this new registration process along with the efficient design makes it possible for even the “nontechnical” literacy professional to complete online registration with ease.
BONUS: Educators who register on or before February 15, 2013 (and enter promotion code AC13158* when prompted) will be entered to win a tablet and an IRA e-book package!
This is just one of the many reasons that it's a great idea to register today!
*Prize package subject to change. Anyone who registers on or before February 15, 2013, 11:59 PM PST will be automatically entered to win. One winner will be notified by March 1, 2013.