Things to know for TAFP’s Annual Session & Scientific Assembly

We’re gearing up for the 63rd Annual Session and Scientific Assembly and can’t wait to welcome all TAFP officers, leaders, members, CME attendees, and special guests to Austin. We have an eventful conference planned for you and we look forward to seeing you in our hometown.

Please visit the TAFP registration desk (locations and hours listed below) to pick up your materials including your CME syllabus, registration packet, and Official Program. Your Official Program includes schedules, maps, and other important information about the conference.

> This essential resource is available online for viewing on your laptop or mobile device at www.issuu.com/txfamilydocs/docs/2012_assa_official_program.

General session CME starts Thursday at 2 p.m. with the afternoon concurrent seminars held in the Austin Convention Center; registration in the convention center opens at 1 p.m. If you are arriving in time for the seminars and have a specific one you want to attend, please arrive early as there is limited seating in the rooms. General session CME on Friday starts at 8 a.m., also in the Austin Convention Center.

One Conference, Two Locations

All business meetings and workshops on Wednesday will be held at the Hilton Austin Hotel. Thursday, all business meetings will be held at the Hilton; the CME seminars will be held at the Austin Convention Center, located one block south of the Hilton Austin Hotel. All CME events on Friday and Saturday will take place at the Austin Convention Center, and on Sunday, all events will be held at the Hilton Austin Hotel. Throughout the schedule printed in this year’s Official Program, “Hilton” indicates the Hilton Austin Hotel, and “ACC” indicates the Austin Convention Center.

TAFP Registration Desk Location and Hours

Note: Friday and Saturday morning, the Austin Convention Center doors will open at 6 a.m.; registration opens at 6:15 a.m. You will not be able to enter the facility before that time.

Hotel Information and Convention Center Parking

Valet parking is available at the Hilton Austin Hotel for $27 per day or self-parking is available for $20 per day. Hourly rates for self-parking vary. Hotel check-in is 3 p.m. daily.

> View a map and driving directions to the hotel here.

TAFP recommends that local attendees not staying at the Hilton Austin Hotel park at the 2nd Street Garage for easy access into the convention center.

> View a map and driving directions to the convention center here.

The 2nd Street Garage is located at 201 East 2nd Street, two blocks west of the facility, between Cesar Chavez and 2nd Street. Entrances are on Brazos and San Jacinto streets. The lot is open Sunday through Thursday 6:30 a.m. - 9:30 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 6:30 a.m. - 2 a.m., with entry available before 6:30 a.m., if needed. The full-day rate is $11.

> Download PDFs of TAFP’s maps of the Austin Convention Center and available parking, and the Hilton Austin Hotel

TAFP CME Schedule

TAFP’s Annual Session and Scientific Assembly is jam-packed with the CME you want and need to stay ahead. CME kicks off with concurrent seminars on Thursday from 2 - 5 p.m. at the Austin Convention Center.

> View the full CME schedule online here.

Breakfast with Exhibitors will be held on Friday, 6:30 - 7:45 a.m. General session CME begins on Friday at 8 a.m. at the Austin Convention Center. Saturday CME begins with a breakfast lecture at 6:30 a.m. at the convention center. Sunday, all events will be held at the Hilton Austin Hotel; CME begins with a breakfast lecture at 7 a.m. Be sure to pick up your registration materials prior to attending a CME session.

TAFP Exhibit Hall

Don’t forget to visit the TAFP Exhibit Hall to learn more about products and services available to your practice, and to play the treasure hunt for the chance to win one of 10 $100 gift cards. Treasure hunt instructions and your playing card will be inside your registration packet. The hall is open on Friday from 6:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. and Saturday 8:45 a.m. - 12 p.m.

TAFP Business Schedule

Interested in becoming more involved in TAFP? Attend a committee, commission, or section meeting. The complete TAFP business schedule can be found inside your official program, which you will receive with your registration materials, or on signage throughout the hotel and convention center.

> View the schedule online here.

SAM Workshop Attendees

Attendees registered to attend the SAM Workshop on Diabetes on Wednesday, July 11, should arrive no later than 6:30 a.m. and/or those registered for the SAM Workshop on Childhood Illness, on Wednesday, July 11, should arrive no later than 12:30 p.m. to check in at the registration desk located on the Hilton Austin Hotel 4th Floor Lobby. The SAM workshops will be held at the Hilton in Room 404.

Get a Massage and Support the Foundation

The TAFP Foundation will offer 15-minute chair massages and 60-minute full-body massages during Annual Session. The chair massages will be given in Booth 213 inside TAFP’s Exhibit Hall at the Austin Convention Center and the full-body massages will be given in Room 402 at the Hilton. A 15-minute massage is $20 and a 60-minute full-body massage is $75, with 50 percent of the proceeds benefiting the TAFP Foundation. Massages are available by appointment only from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Friday and from 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. on Saturday. Cash only. Interested attendees can sign up at the massage booth. You will be given a ticket confirming a time slot and payment. That ticket will then be presented to the massage therapist at the booth or the hotel at the assigned time.

Conference Attire

All CME and business meetings are business casual. This year’s President’s Party is casual attire. Although it is a typical Texas summer, meeting rooms can often be cold and TAFP recommends you bring a light jacket or sweater to ensure your comfort inside general session. We also recommend comfortable shoes as the convention center is big!

Things to do in Austin

TAFP is thrilled to welcome you to our hometown, and there’s a lot to do in downtown Austin. Enjoy a scenic stroll, jog, or cycle along the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail, with various loops up to 10 miles. Try water activities on the lake by renting a kayak or paddle board. Picnic at Zilker Park and swim at Barton Springs Pool. Observe city-meets-nature as Austin’s resident bats fly from under the Congress Street Bridge at dusk. Many Austin attractions are minutes from the hotel including the Texas State Capitol Building, the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, the Blanton Museum, the Austin Children’s Museum, South Congress shopping, and the up-and-coming 2nd Street District. See more activities on the Austin Convention and Visitors Bureau website, www.austintexas.org.

Check out TAFP’s restaurant guide as the staff offers our favorite picks for downtown eating. See a quick list of our picks in your Official Program and read each staff member’s full recommendation in a previous post, www.tafp.org/blog/12.06.29/annual-session-restaurant-staff-picks.

We hope you enjoy your stay in Austin. If you need any assistance at all, just ask a member of the TAFP staff.

– kalfano

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