[NFBNJ] Important Updated Information Pertaining To The National Convention and Conference Call Monday, June 24 at 8:00 PM

Thu Jun 20 19:01:13 UTC 2019

Special Note:  I have forwarded to all on the NFBNJ distribution list.
For those that are attending the national convention in Las Vegas, please 
read through the message.

For those not attending the national convention in Las Vegas, please read 
through and hopefully plan for next year.

Greetings to all!

Afew days ago, Brian pasted the agenda and forwarded to all for your reading 
and planning pleasure.

The table number for the affiliate location in the exhibit room is A 37. 
Please review the agenda prior to the call Monday, June 24 at 8:00 pm. 
Hopefully you can provide the date or dates and time or times to work the 
NFBNJ table.  The information for consideration is located below.

Please review upcoming messages as shortly, information on streaming the 
convention will be distributed.  Remember, always check the national website 
for updates.

Thanks Joe

**

Greetings to all members and those all attending the national convention, 
Las vegas, Nevada, 2019!

For those attending, please read and review the national agenda prior to the 
conference call for the 79th NFB convention held from Sunday, July 7, 
through Friday, July 12, 2019.

The agenda was distributed via the NFBNJ distribution list.

Please visit, www.nfb.org/convention.

Conference Call:

Date:Monday, June 24  2019

Time: 8:00 PM

Call: 605 468 8005

Code: 460994

Items of Interest:

To all first timers and those that wish to attend, please take notice on 
Rookie Roundup scheduled for Sunday, July 7.  Plese check the agenda for 
time and location.

****

 Transportation

listed below is the information needed to transfer Access

Link eligibility to Las Vegas.

Las Vegas Paratransit

RTC Certification Phone:  (702) 676???1815

Fax:  702-676-1032

Requesting visitor status

Thank you,

Linda Melendez

Chair, NFBNJ Transit Committee

Other transportation opportunities.

Lyft at Convention:

We are excited to announce that we have partnered with Lyft to hold an 
autonomous vehicle demonstration at national convention. A select number of 
attendees will have the opportunity to ride in the Lyft vehicles and provide 
important feedback on the technology. Participants will be randomly selected 
from our list of preregistered attendees. However, the opportunity for 
riding in Lyft???s autonomous vehicles is still available for people in Las 
Vegas. If attendees use Lyft during their time in Las Vegas, they can check 
the option on the app to participate in the autonomous vehicle rideshare 
service. Please note: not all Las Vegas Lyft cars are autonomous vehicles.

Uber is another possibility.

In addition, GoGo Grandparents. GoGo is an automated hotline that lets 
people use Uber and Lyft without needing a smartphone. Uber and Lyft are 
available nationally; when you use GoGoGrandparent, we'll send you whichever 
one is cheapest at the time that you make your request for a ride. Their 
prices are typically up to 40 percent less than the cost of a cab.

      Using GoGo is simple: callers call from a number they have registered 
with us and hear a menu of options. They can press 1 for a car to be sent to 
pick them up from their home, 2 for a car to be sent to pick them up where 
we dropped them off last, or 0 to speak with an operator for a custom pickup 
location. Once the driver arrives, they tell the driver where they want to 
go. When you make a request, a car shows up at your door within fifteen 
minutes, typically less. To register free of charge, please call (855) 
464-6872 or visit www.gogograndparent.com/register.

****

Hotel reservations

After you have checked into your room, please call the front desk to inquire 
to connect with Joe???s room. You will be leaving a voice message with your 
room number and your cell number on my room???s answering machine. I hope to 
have a message on my hotel voice mail highlighting some items of interest 
that should be important to a smooth convention.

Note: I will not be arriving until late afternoon or early evening on 
Friday, July 5. Please place your call to my room no later than 10:00 pm. On 
Saturday,or whatever day you arrive. If not available to leave the 
information, please call on Monday morning after 10:00 am.

Cell Nunmbers:

To all attending the national convention, we will ask for your cell numbers 
to share with all attending the convention. Brian Mackey will compile the 
listing. We  need your cell numbers no later than Thursday,  June 27.  Once 
he receives, he will forward to all attending the national convention by 
Monday, July 1.  Please provide your cell numbers as some may have changed.

****

First Timers Guide

For all you first time convention goers and to all conventioneers, there is 
now a First-Timer's Guide to the Convention of the National Federation of 
the Blind. It is available in audio, and as a webpage. Both versions can be 
found at https://nfb.org/convention. On the same page is other convention 
information including the schedule and full agenda.

***

Important: There will be an affiliate caucus open to all on

Tuesday, July 9 from 5:15 to 6:45 pm in the ShellSeekers B.

 Bring your banquet tickets and write your name on the back as we need to 
collect and then exchange for a table number.

Judy will be exchanging all banquet tickets for table assignments early on 
Wednesday, July 10. I will explain the procedure.

****

NFBNJ Exhibit Room information and Assignments:

If you wish to review what is available for sale, all posted announcements 
highlighting the exhibit room will be displayed at 
https://nfb.org/convention/exhibits

This will allow for filtering based on the following categories: affiliate, 
division, exhibitor, or sponsor.

Mac Biggers has provided a schedule for all to consider volunteering approx. 
two hours in the exhibit room to sell producs that will benefit the state 
treasury.

During the call, Linda and I will highlight productes the affiliate will be 
sellig.

Please review the agenda before committing to a date and time to work the 
table. The NFBNJ table number is A 37.

After you have reviewed the agenda, please contact Mac Biggers and Linda 
Melendez with your preferred date and time or times prior to the conference 
call.

Mac can be reached at 801 916 9753 or macbiggers at yahoo.com and Linda can be 
reached at 732 421 7063 or lindamelendez220 at gmail.com.

When emailing, please copy both Mac and Linda.

Remember: review the agenda before confirming your time slot with Mac and 
Linda.  Please provide date, time and email in order to receive a 
confirmation.

The NFBNJ table number is A 37.

Note: We will ask all working the table to arrive fifteen minutes prior to 
the start time of your shift.

We will have a price guide in Braille and large print at the NFBNJ exhibit 
table.

Important Exhibit Hall Dates:

Exhibit Hall Schedule

Exhibit setup: July 7, noon - 4:30 p.m.

Exhibit hours:

July 8, Sponsors-only preview, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.

July 8, General exhibits, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

11:00 to 12:30 pm: Joe and judy Ruffalo

12:30 to 2:30 pm:

2:30 to 5:00 pm

July 9, 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

8:30 to 10:30:

10:30 to 12:30:

12:30 to 2:30

2:30 to 4:45 pm

Caucus: please bring your banquet ticket

5:15 to 6:45 pm Shell Seekers B

July 10, noon - 1:45 p.m.; 7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Noon to 1:45 pm

7:00 to 9:00 pm

July 11, noon - 1:45 p.m.

Noont to 1:45 pm:

Exhibit tear down: July 11, 1:45 - 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

In  addition, Mrs. Maurer is requesting volunteers to assist with the 
Independence market.  After reviewing the national agenda, making 
arrangements to assist at the state affiliate table, please contact Mrs. 
Maurer at 410 659 9314 ex. 2272 or email at   pmaurer at nfb.org

****

It is recommended that you call or search on your carriers website within a 
24 hour period to confirm your departure time.  Judy and I check the day 
before and the day of the scheduled flight.

***

Paying for hotel room at convention:

The following is from a recent article.

                   How to Pay for Your Hotel Stay in 
Nevada by Tony Cobb

      From the Editor: For a long time Tony Cobb was a fixture in our 
national convention hotel lobby, and his kindness, wisdom, and experience 
helped to make the convention better for all of us. Here is a reminder we 
try to run each year to prevent the heartache that comes from an overdrawn 
checking account when one is not familiar with the practices of major hotel 
chains. The words below come from the wisdom of those years of service, and 
it is with gratitude that we reprint them:

      Here is some advice about paying for your hotel stay: every year at 
our national convention we have serious trouble with use of debit cards or 
cash payments at hotel check-in, and, having worked to solve these problems 
for years, I can tell you they can nearly ruin the convention week for those 
experiencing them. Planning to attend our national convention should 
therefore include thinking seriously about how to pay the hotel, and I 
cannot urge you strongly enough to avoid using cash or a debit card as your 
payment method. Doing so may seem convenient, but you should not do so. If 
you do not have a credit card of your own to use, prevail upon a close 
friend or family member to let you use one just for convention. Here's why:

      If you are paying in actual currency, most  hotels  will  want  enough 
cash up front at check-in to cover your room and tax charges for the  entire 
stay, plus a one-time advance incidentals deposit to cover meals,  telephone 
calls, internet service, and other things you may charge to your  room.  The 
unused portion of the incidentals deposit may be returned  at  check-out  or 
by mail after departure. Understand,  however,  that,  if  your  incidentals 
charges exceed the incidentals deposit credited,  you  are  responsible  for 
payment of the full balance at checkout. The total can end up being  a  very 
large sum indeed.

      If you use a debit card, however, you  are  really  at  a  potentially 
painful disadvantage. The hotel will put  a  hold  on  money  in  your  bank 
account linked to the debit card to cover  the  estimated  balance  of  your 
stay-that is, for the entire week's room and tax  charges  plus  a  one-time 
incidentals deposit to cover meals, movies, and so on charged to your  room. 
You should be aware that the hold can therefore be a considerable amount  of 
money and that you will not  have  access  to  that  amount  for  any  other 
purchases  or  payments  with  your  card.  (Hotels   sometimes   also   put 
authorizations on credit cards, by the  way,  but  those  are  not  often  a 
problem unless they exceed your card's credit limit.)

      Holds can remain in effect for three to  five  days  or  even  a  week 
after you check out. If you have  pre-authorized  payments  from  your  bank 
account, for example your monthly mortgage payment, or if you try to make  a 
purchase with your debit card and it's refused, the hold from the hotel  can 
cause you trouble or result in very large overdraft fees  for  payments  you 
thought you had money in your account to cover. I have seen  this  hit  some 
of our members in the form of hundreds of dollars in overdraft fees.

      This means that, if you use  a  debit  card,  you  would  have  to  be 
certain you have a high enough balance in your  checking  account  when  you 
come to convention to cover  any  debit  card  holds.  This  is  a  perilous 
practice since charges may exceed your estimate by  a  considerable  amount. 
(Some frequent travelers even open a separate  checking  account  used  only 
for debits like these.) Remember, a hold is  going  to  be  placed  on  your 
debit card regardless of how you end up paying the bill,  and  the  hold  is 
not necessarily released right away, even if you pay with a credit  card  or 
cash when you check out of the hotel.

      Planning  ahead  in  this  area  can  ensure  an  untroubled  week  at 
convention, leaving you free to enjoy fully the  world's  largest  and  most 
exciting meeting of the blind. Come enjoy this  fine  hotel-using  a  credit 
card, I hope.

****

While the hotel does have minibar fridges, they should not be used for 
personal items. Moving the minibar contents will result in charges to the 
room.

Attendees may request a refrigerator at the rate of $40 per night. 
Refrigerators required  for medication will be provided at no charge.

See you in Las Vegas!

Updated Information:

There has been some discussion about the system of the mini bar

refrigerator and the coffee cups and candy that is there in the room. Marsha 
Gephardt called and spoke with Mandalay Bay and this is how it works;

The mini bar refrigerator is locked, it is only unlocked if you ask the 
hotel to unlock it. So no need to worry about being charged for moving 
anything, just keep it locked.

The coffee cups and candy/snacks that are offered is the same system. Just 
ask when you check in to have the coffee cups and candy/snacks removed so 
you wont be charged for any.

If you want a refrigerator in your room, it is offered for $40 a day.

If you have a medical need, plese contact the hotel prior to arrival.  Proof 
of medical needs could be needed and therefore, please contact the front 
desk prior to arrival for procedure.

****

Notes and Tips:

Special Note: When paying for meals in restaurants, ask if tips are 
included.

To save time, when you order and wen you ar served, ask for your check and 
make payment.  This will save valuable time.  In the past, if you received 
your check when you finish your meal, it could take 20 to 30 minutes to make 
payment.

If shopping at the local grocery store, bring a suitcase with wheels as if 
you are walking, grocery items become quite heavy, such as water, soda and 
or milk.

??        If you are packing a bathing suit, also pack a large ziplock bag. 
This will keep other items in your suitcase dry when traveling home.

??        Bring suntan lotion.  It is rumored that Nevada  is hot during the 
summer! GRIN!

??        This is a large hotel with much walking and therefore, a good pair 
of walking shoes are suggested.

??        In case of emergency, know where the stairs are located.

??        This is your convention and make sure that you attend and 
participate in what is offered and bring back to your local 
chapters/divisions as we continue to build the Federation.

Warmly,

Joe

We care. We share. We grow. We make a difference
Joe Ruffalo, President
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey
973 743 0075
nfbnj1 at verizon.net
www.nfbnj.org
Raising Expectations To Live The Life You Want!

Your old car keys can be keys to literacy for the blind.
Donate your unwanted vehicle to us by clicking
www.carshelpingtheblind.org
or call 855 659 9314
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