I knowthat my hubby's congration will be chartering a bus so they can sleep in their own homes and eat their ouw food. No hotels for most of them.
Atlanta International Convention Hotels Not Being Filled Up!
by James Jackson 34 Replies latest jw experiences
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Faithful Witness
Is there already a discussion about the international convention in Detroit? I seem to have missed that, and would love to hear any information people have heard. My family will be attending the Detroit convention, and my mom told me there will be 25,000 people. She is very excited about it. :/
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KateWild
the Organization will not get their comp rooms - James
I can't understant why the BOrg is being so heavy handed about all this. But certainly if it involved complementary rooms, I would understand. Many of the speakers also are driven from the hotel to the arena, so not staying in a hotel that is walking distance is no skin off their nose. I believe many of the hotels that are walking distance away from the arena's are not on the lists.
James, did they mention comp rooms? Or are you drawing this conclusion from the item?
Kate xx
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KateWild
Faithful witness heres the link. Kate xx
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James Jackson
They do not mention comp rooms the the R&F, this information is only privy to those involved in the Convention Setups(I was on a committee at one time) and at times, the Rooming Dept. will let the Elders know they have rooms available(Comp rooms) for a suggested donation.
I beleive the Branch did not anticipate that many would either stay with Friends ( I had 3 offers because of my RBC connections), or commute to the Convention site.
BTW Siri82, The letter also included info about Safety in the Big City, Parking for those driving; there is NO parking at the Convention Site. All Delegates will have to locate a Marta Stations and park there and catch a tram to the Convention site.
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Faithful Witness
We attended one convention as bible students. We booked at the same hotel as many in the congregation, following their instructions. We opted to pay $5 a day for parking, to be right next to the entrance... we could have parked for free in the parking garage 2 blocks away, but why wait in line to get in and out?? How silly they looked.
Katewild: Thanks!
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maninthemiddle
James, they can't park in the Turner decks, isnt't that the usuall parking deck for the Dome? I know that's where I've parked before.
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maninthemiddle
Bump, anyone else form geogia that can tell me more about the parking situation at the dome?
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lrkr
My info is old- but it was never a "pre-pay" arrangement in the past. It was a typical convention arrangement. We'll put you on our preferred list in exchange for special pricing- and the organizing committee gets a certain number of comp rooms to hand out to VIPs. At Bethel it was always a mad rush to put in your Special Needs room request form (oh- you thought that was for poor JWs to get to stay with local publishers... maybe for the typical poor publisher thats how it worked- but at bethel they are an application for one of the VIP rooms- Of course the more I the VIP the better the room!!)
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Deus.ex.Machina
Bump, anyone else form geogia that can tell me more about the parking situation at the dome?
I've gone back into lurking mode (school and whatnot), but thought I would take a break to give some insight.
The parking situation at the Dome is the stuff of nightmares. When there are events and games, attendants are ACTIVELY encouraged to take MARTA. There are two MARTA stations on either side of the dome. I believe the Dome holds about 80,000 people. If everyone drove a car, maybe 10% could park in the decks shared by the Dome and Georgia Word Congress. And I would not be shocked if the percentage was less. There are private parking lots in the area, but they can be expensive if you want to park close by. Hotels that are close to the Dome might offer a free shuttle for those lodging with them, but I imagine those rooms were the first selected.
My parents have mentioned that some are coming back home everyday either on rented busses or in their own private cars. As of now they are still looking for a room, but they keep mentioning places in the suburbs (Marietta, Lawrenceville, Duluth, etc). They are very overwhelmed by the extra burden created by moving the convention to downtown and the idea of navigating the city. I really believe they will ultimately be driving back and forth each day. They have also mentioned that brothers will be there to help them with MARTA, but I think they are underestimating the logistics of this especially if people have to get hotel rooms in the suburbs where MARTA does not go. Gwinett and Cobb counties have express busses that drop off riders at MARTA stations, but I am not certain if they alter their schedules during the weekend and run less often because there are less commuters.
This was a very bad idea by the WTBS.
Edit to add: If you use a private parking lot futher away, the price may be more reasonable, but you will be walking. Atlanta is very well paved and this makes the June/July heat almost unbearable.
Again this is a very bad idea to move this convention to the Dome.