Updated 5.5.16
We’re looking forward to the Conference! This post contains information on checking in at your hotel, Conference sign in, and what to pack for your stay. Please print out this information or load it onto your laptop or smart phone so that you'll have the info you need when you arrive.
Registering at Your Hotel
Check in at the Provincetown Inn is 3:00 p.m., though you might luck out and find that your room is ready. Whether you are registering at the Inn or at another hotel, the registration will be between you and the venue. The Conference and its activities will not begin until Friday. If you are staying elsewhere or you arrive early for your room at the Inn, know that The Provincetown Inn has a bar and a large, comfortable lobby. These are good places to meet up with friends. The town itself, a 1.5 mile walk or ride from the Inn, is loaded with restaurants and galleries. So there's plenty to do on your own before the official start of events.
Conference Sign In
All of the Conference demos and talks will take place at the Provincetown Inn (except for the Friday night openings in town). You will pick up your info packet and badge at the Inn--look for the signs in the lobby--on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Conference events will begin at 9:30 a.m., and you'll need your badge for entry.
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The Events You Selected
The talks and demos are ones you selected when you registered. Because we have scheduled rooms based on the number of registrants for each event, please do not expect to switch rooms. And definitely do not room hop within the hour. Your entry is likely to distract the presenter and will certainly annoy the audience members.
If You Are Late to the Hourly Conference Events
. If you are late, you may enter the Mayflower or Harbor Rooms, as entry to those rooms is at the back, but please do so quietly.
. However, if you are scheduled for a demo in the Beachside Room or a talk in the Fore'n'Aft room and you are late, please do not enter. Your late entry will be an unwelcome distraction. The doors will close once the presentation has begun.
. If you are late for an event and cannot enter, there's plenty to do. The Vendor Room is a shopper's dream when you have it all to yourself. You'll will also have access the Postcard Show, which will be open to viewing throughout the Conference. (Selling will be on Saturday late afternoon.)
Friday Evening
When Conference activities at the Inn are over for the day, there will be openings in town. As of this writing, there will be openings at three galleries: A Gallery, Kobalt, and Julie Heller East. See the More Exhibitions page for specifics. Scroll to the bottom of this post for a note on East End and West End.
. Please note: Restaurants close early in P-town, around 9:00. (Cherie will ask Napi's, in the center of town, to stay open later on Friday evening so that you can attend the openings and still have time for a late dinner. For those of you who drive, note that Napi's has a free parking lot!) And there's always Spiritus Pizza, located in the West End, which is open until at least midnight, and they have vegetable and whole wheat pizza offerings, as well as large salads
Amenities at the Inn
. Wireless is available throughout the venue (but weak in the Cape Tip rooms)
. The lobby is a lovely place to hang out if you wish to be indoors
. If you wish to be outdoors, you'll find a spectacular view of Cape Cod Bay from the Inn's lawn
. There's a large parking lot for conferees
. Taxis and pedicabs will be available for hire by anyone who wishes to ride into town
. Restrooms are available on the first floor in three locations: one is steps from the Mayflower room, two are just off the lobby
. Personal accommodations are steps away from the Conference facilities
. There's an outdoor pool and an indoor bar
Photographing and Blogging
. You are free to photograph. However, do not use flash when you are photographing a speaker or demonstrator; it’s distracting to everyone in the room and it may temporarily interfere with a demonstrator’s vision. And please take care to not block anyone's view while you are photographing
. We do not permit videotaping of the events. Each demo or talk is the proprietary information of the presenter
. Want to blog about the event? Go right ahead
. Want to blog at the event? Go right ahead
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Amenities in Town
. Commercial Street runs the entire length of Provincetown, from the Inn (One Commercial Street) to the far East End. Click here for the P-town Map--another link to download or print out
. It's one mile to the center of town. The road is easily walkable and very safe, even at night
. If you choose to drive, there's paid parking at Duarte's lot on Bradford Street or on McMillan Wharf; if you don't wish to pay for parking, you may be able to park on side streets in town, but pay attention to the posted restrictions
. A Stop & Shop is on Shank Painter Road, about three-quarters of a mile from the Inn. Here you can find drugstore items as well as food. The salad bar is popular, with a range of healthy selections
. In town you will find restaurants and shops of all kinds. If you want sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, sandals, clothing, a rain poncho, or a t-shirt that says "I love my two daddies," you'll find it.
The Beach
. A small beach is part of The Provincetown Inn
. Herring Cove beach is a few minutes' walk--about half a mile--from the Inn
. If you are an optimist with no sensitivity to cold water, bring a swimsuit. The water is June is typically about 60 degrees, but the beaches offer walkable sand and gorgeous views. You may even spot a whale or two from the shore.
Dressing for New England Weather
You should consider bringing a small range of clothing to handle a large range of weather. Suggestions: a tank top, a turtleneck, a sweater, an umbrella, a sun visor. In other words, in the space of a weekend in early June, it may be warm, hot, cool, dry, wet, sunny and/or rainy. The only thing you don't need is snow boots. Typically the day range is 60-80, with mid-70s the average, and the night in the low 60s/mid 50s. Here's a link to Provincetown weather, which is typically a few degrees cooler than Boston. You might want to bring a sweater for talks and panel discussions in The Mayflower Room, which tends to be chilly.
If you are attending for the first time and you're wondering how to dress, this is the official word: Wear whatever you want. Conferees show up in shorts and tank tops, long skirts, jeans, dresses, suits, ties, no ties. The important thing is that you be comfortable and have a good time.
A Note about "East End" and "West End"
Think Bizarro World, where everything is the opposite of what you expect. The Provincetown Inn, at the very tip of the tip, is the West End, whereas the the entry to town is the East End. Seems counterintuitive until you look at the map and see the way P-town curls into itself.
