With people coming to the meetup from all over the world, travel and hotel information is extremely important to make sure everyone gets to their destination and has all of the necessary information to make a reservation at the hotel. We have chosen our group hotel to be The Best Western Executive Inn. We have secured a great group rate for everyone. More information is here. Travel information which includes suggested arrival times, transport information and general travel info is here.
EMP tickets
We have secured a fantastic deal with the EMP Museum for group tickets for AvatarMeet 2012. Here's what you get:
- Full regular admission to the EMP Museum and all the exhibits (including of course "Avatar: the exhibition", and the brand new "Icons of Science Fiction") for Saturday and Sunday.
- Entrance to the JBL Theater for the "Meet the Producer" event with Jon Landau and our private screening of Avatar on Friday evening at 6 PM (more info)
- Admission to the EMP Learning Labs for our special Na'vi lesson taught by Professor Paul Frommer, creator of the Na'vi language, on Sunday afternoon at 3 PM (more info)
- And as an extra bonus for those who spend more time in Seattle a 15% discount on a EMP Museum annual membership.
There are 2 ways to buy your EMP tickets!
Tickets can be purchased online or at the EMP in person. Both methods will get your name on a "Will Call" list. Each day you visit the EMP, you'll simply need to present ID and you'll get you ticket for the day. Tickets purchased online are subject to a $2.04 service fee from the ticketing provider. We recommend buying online to make things faster at the door on Friday evening (and get you to your seats faster for the Meet the Producer event and Avatar Screening!) and give us and the EMP better numbers for attendance.
Online ticket pre-sales have closed, but you can still buy your EMP Museum tickets on site at the EMP Museum all weekend!
Hotel Information
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General Information:
- The official hotel for the meetup is the Best Western Executive Inn, located at 200 Taylor Avenue N, Seattle, Washington. They have given us great rates as well as room rentals for some of our events. We have also arranged an "overflow" hotel, the Best Western Loyal Inn.
- We have made arrangements with the hotels for Thursday night (July 19th) through Sunday night (July 22nd), so everyone will receive a discount for those nights at the hotel. You can of course reserve more days, without the discount
- Check-in is at 4:00 PM and check-out is at 11:00 AM (both hotels)
- We have arranged a special deal with the hotels, which includes discounts for everybody. Additionally, there is a clan dinner on Sunday night!
- All rooms are non-smoking and there is a $350 "cleaning fee" if you leave a big mess.
Cost:
The price per room is the same for double bedrooms and single. We have 35 rooms at the Executive Inn and 15 at the Loyal Inn. All of our "in-hotel" events will happen at the Executive Inn, so it is recommended that you book there first if possible.- Best Western Executive Inn: $143 + tax per night for 1-4 people. (does NOT include breakfast - may be purchased separately - $8.75 per day)
- Best Western Loyalty Inn: $138 + tax per night for 1-4 people. (Includes continental breakfast)
- Parking is $12 (Loyal Inn) and $18 (Executive Inn) per night
- Keep in mind that by finding a roommate, your hotel cost is essentially cut in half. You can mark in your profile if you need a roommate.
How to make your reservation:
- Making your reservation is easy. Simply call the hotel and mention that you are part of "The AvatarMeet 2012 Group" and ask for the discount. You cannot make your reservation online and get the discount.
- Best Western Executive Inn: 206-448-9444 or 800-351-9444.
- Best Western Loyal Inn: 206-682-0200 or 888-682-0201.
- After June 5th, 2012, the group prices prices & availability is not guaranteed, contact the hotel directly for information.
Clan Dinner:
We are still working out details for the dinner, which will take place in the ballroom at the hotel. As part of our agreement with the hotel to get great group rates for everyone, we have to use their facilities for one group dinner. This is to our advantage as well because finding a place to accommodate a group our size is not easy. It will likely be a buffet dinner and will be no more than $30. However, because this has to be paid in advance, we will be using donations to cover this cost for everyone. Go here to donate.Travel Information
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For people traveling from outside the US:
- If you are coming to the US, especially for the first time, you will need to make sure you have the correct travel documentation. The obvious one is a passport. If you don't have one already, make sure you apply for your country's passport in good time, as they may take time to process. You can find out from links to your country's government websites and passport issuing offices. In addition, you may also find that you need a visa in order to gain entry into America. This is a separate document to your passport and will need to be applied for, usually separately from your passport. There is a helpful website run by the US Department of State that explains what you will need. The website is: here. In addition your local travel agent should be able to provide you with guidance and advice.
- Your travel documents will be one of the most important things that you will carry with you to AvatarMeet 2012, so it is important you make sure you have the correct ones and you look after them.
- As you can imagine, with many people coming long distances to meet up we are quite aware of the need to keep costs to as low as reasonably possible. This cost sheet covers flights from various locations, transport from Sea-Tac airport to the meet up venue and other useful cost information. Please note that these are indicative and you may well be able to get far cheaper flights locally than given on the list. Note that the hotel price is not up to date.
Airport Information:
- The airport in Seattle is the SEA-TAC airport, about 15 miles/24 kilometers from Seattle. Right outside of the baggage claim area is access to transportation to get you to the hotel. There are taxis available as well as a light rail. The light rail will take you to Westlake Station, where you can connect to the monorail. The monorail exits right outside the hotel. The cost of the light rail/monorail option in only about $5 each way. The cost of a taxi is in the region of $35.
When to arrive:
- Attending only the actual meetup:
There will be a group welcoming evening including a welcome address on Thursday July 19th at the hotel. - Attending camping trip and meetup:
People will start arriving for the camping trip on Monday July 16th. There is a shuttle leaving SEA-TAC on Monday. Info about it is here. Thursday morning will be the end of the camping and people can make their way to Seattle for the welcoming evening. The shuttle will return to Seattle Thursday. - Attending backpacking/camping and the meetup:
The backpacking group will arrive at the Sul Duc campground mid-day on Sunday July 15th. Then they will spend the night out in the mountains and return via a loop back to the campground on Monday July 16th to join in the camping group.
Donations
General Information:
We are now accepting donations for the 2012 Meetup. This is because of several events and activities that need to be paid in advance. Every dollar we raise will go directly into making this meetup that much more awesome.How much to donate?
The donations are pricipally to cover the cost of the clan meal. However they will also be used to enhance the activities that we are currently planning. The meal will be buffet style and will have an average cost of $30 per person. We have set the suggested donation amount to $40. We will of course accept more, and the more we get, the better the events at the meetup get. If you cannot afford to donate $40, we welcome any amount. Every little bit helps to make sure all our aysmukan sì aysmuke can participate. You can always donate some now, and more later.Where your donation goes:
- Clan buffet dinner at the hotel: This requires an upfront payment and this is the biggest reason we need donations. We will pay for the dinner through donations, so think of part of your donation as pre-paying for your meal.
- Renting various rooms and spaces for our events. We are planning on renting out rooms for some of our events, such as na'vi lessons and the welcome address/evening.
- Various banners/badges and other printed things to make the event more fun.
- Other future expenses.
What do you get for your donation?
- A buffet dinner at the hotel for our clan dinner night ($30 value)
- A great hotel discount (around $50 a night per room)
- Better events and activities
- Free use of all of the rooms we rent out
How to Donate:
(Suggested Donation: $40 USD - donations are anonymous)Use the embedded widget below or go here.
Thank You for helping to make this meetup not only possible, but completely awesome!
