The 2022 convention of the National Federation of the Blind of Texas has been scheduled for November 11-13, 2022. The DoubleTree by Hilton @ Houston Hobby Airport, located at 8181 Airport Blvd, Houston, Texas will serve as the headquarters for this year’s convention. Room rates are $89 per night, plus applicable tax. These rates will be honored from November 10-13. Reservations must be made by October 1 to guarantee that you receive the convention rate.
Registration for the convention is open, and we encourage everyone to pre-register so we can make the necessary plans to host a fabulous convention. The fee to register in advance of the convention is $25. In-person registration will be available at the convention, but the cost to register onsite will be $30.
Banquet tickets will cost $40 this year if you purchase them online. We will work with the hotel to find entrees that suit dietary restrictions to the degree possible. We cannot guarantee that we can offer special meals for all dietary needs, but we will offer what we can. If you wait to purchase your banquet tickets onsite, the cost will be $45. Tickets will be available on site until we have sold out.
Onsite convention registration will open from 1:00-5:00 pm on November 11 and from 7:30-8:45 am on November 12. Online registration will remain open until November 8, at 5:00 pm.
Exhibits will be available from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on November 11 and from noon until 4:00 pm on November 12. Technology vendors and retailers of other products, representatives from state agencies, NFB-NEWSLINE(R) TEXAS, and other exhibitors will be available to talk to you, answer questions, and sell products you wish to purchase. Exhibits will take place in the foyer outside the main ballrooms.
Breakout sessions and committee meetings will begin at 1:00 pm, on Friday, November 11. Convention activities will run until 10:00 pm on that day. There will be a free dinner for everyone who registers for the convention on Friday evening, from 5:30-7:00 pm. If you wish to participate in that meal, please register as soon as possible to help us with planning.
General sessions will begin on November 12, at 9:00 am and adjourn at noon. Four breakout sessions will be held from 2:00-4:00 pm, and the general session will reconvene immediately following the breakout sessions.
On Saturday evening, we’ll hold our annual banquet, beginning at 7:00 pm. The banquet will include a keynote address from our national representative and the presentation of scholarships.
In the past, we have offered entertainment following the banquet. However, when we planned for an in-person convention in 2021, we surveyed our membership, and a clear majority of those who took the time to complete the poll indicated that they would prefer to hang out with their own social circle. So this year, we are going to try that and see how it works.
On Sunday, November 13, we will convene our business session at 9:00 am and complete our business by 11:00 am.
We will make streaming available to individuals who cannot attend the convention. Information about how to access this content will be posted on our website and in our agenda when it becomes available.
This convention is occurring just a few months before our national convention. We’ll be hosting that convention in July. So this convention will allow us to work together to plan our hosting duties. We’ll also be working on ideas for projects and programs that haven’t been happening since the pandemic started. So come ready to be part of a giant workgroup. Find your passion and help us make both the national convention and the coming year for the NFBTX the best ever.
Additional information regarding the convention will become available as time goes by. So watch this space. Below is a link that will allow you to make hotel reservations.
Make hotel reservations here.
Register for the convention here.
A WORD ABOUT PAYMENTS
If you are paying for your own registration and/or banquet ticket(s), please remember that the registration process is not complete until you have paid.
If your company, agency, school, VR counselor, BCP caseworker, or anyone else is paying for your registration and/or banquet ticket(s), please use the space provided in the registration form to let us know who is paying. Then, you can skip the payment option when it is presented.
Please, confirm with your employer, VR or transition counselor, or Blind Children's Program caseworker that they will pay before completing the registration process. That will save us time and confusion and will be greatly appreciated. If the person paying your fees needs additional information before approving payment, they are welcome to write to ncrosby@nfbtx.org.
COVID-19 PROTOCOLS
Because COVID-19 is still a fact of life, we have established some simple protocols to keep everyone safe and healthy during and after our convention. Our goal is zero cases, and while that may be a lofty goal, our strong and supportive affiliate can come as close to reaching it as possible.
We will require convention goers to mask in all common areas of our headquarters hotel and at all Federation meetings. Of course, if you are actively eating or drinking, you should unmask, but please replace your mask as soon as is practical.
If you forget your mask at home or in your room, we'll offer you another one. You will be able to get masks at our registration desk, on any exhibit table, and in all meeting rooms. Volunteers will replenish masks regularly.
We understand that some people do not want to wear masks, and we respect that choice. However, we request that if you feel you simply cannot mask up to be a part of this joyous reunion, please stay home and enjoy our convention stream.
We also understand that some people have medical reasons for not masking, and we will make an accommodation for those cases. If you have a sincere reason for needing a mask waiver, please complete the waiver form, and someone will contact you to ensure we can accommodate your needs.
The second thing we are asking all attendees to do is to test for COVID before arriving at the headquarters hotel. Tests should be completed no more than 48 hours before arriving, and if it is possible to test nearer to arrival time, that would be even better. We know that some tests can cost money if you don't have insurance, but free, at-home tests are still available. The Ellume test is considered to be pretty accessible, and you can use it with a smartphone. Through a White House initiative, you can receive the tests at no cost by calling 800-232-0233.
We will follow up with additional information regarding COVID protocols if a change in the status quo makes it necessary to change our current requirements.
