Frequently Asked Questions


How do I ship the Syllabus home after the conference?
You will have to make your own arrangements for mailing the Syllabus home after the conference. Ask the hotel concierge for the nearest post office or check with the hotel business services office.

A T T E N D E E

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Registration
What does my registration include?
Is your site secure?
What credit cards do you accept?
Can I register by mail or fax rather than registering online?
If I register online or by mail, when do I pick up my registration packet?
Can I register on-site?
How can I add a another purchase once I have already registered (e.g. Another lunch; a registration for my companion; a banquet ticket for my companion)?
Can I cancel my registration?
What is your refund policy if I have to cancel?
Should I purchase trip cancellation insurance?
Should my companion register even if he/she is not particularly interested in genealogy?
What are the breakfasts with experts?
What are the SIG lunches?
Are you having any pre-conference dinners?
Should I attend the Banquet? What happens there?
Can I bring a guest to the Banquet even if he/she is not registered for the conference?
Can I buy breakfast and/or lunch tickets for a guest who is not registered for the conference?
Will there be a kosher offering for conference meals?
How do I list a country for the nametag and family finder if I don’t know what country the ancestors came from?
What country and/or city names that I am researching should I use for my nametag and the family finder?
Conference Check-in
Where do I check-in for the conference?
What times will the conference registration desk be open?
Hotel Reservations and Accommodations
How do I make my hotel reservation at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile?
What are the room rates?
When do these special conference room rates begin and end?
What do I do if there are no more rooms available at the conference hotel?
Can I cancel my hotel reservation or change the dates of my hotel reservation?
How can I find a roommate(s) to share the hotel room and split the cost?
Should I register for a hotel room even if I don’t know who my roommates will be?
Is the hotel able to accommodate someone with a disability?
What are the hotel guest rooms like?
I need a refrigerator in my room. How do I arrange for that?
Is there internet access from the guest rooms at the hotel and how much does it cost?
What amenities does the hotel offer?
Where would I park my car if I drive into Chicago?
Travel to Chicago and the Hotel
How do I travel to Chicago?
How do I get from the Airport to the hotel?
Speaker Information
I want to be a speaker at the conference. What do I have to do?
If my proposal is accepted, what do I do?
What do I get if I am a speaker?
I want to propose a presentation with another person, do we both get any portion of our registrations waived? What happens if the 2 of us do more than one (1) presentation together?
If I am a speaker at the conference, do I need to make my own hotel reservation.
Other Conference Questions
What will the weather be like in Chicago in August?
Where are Kosher restaurants in Chicago?
Will there be morning prayer services at the hotel during the conference?
Will the conference proceedings be recorded?
Can I get the conference Syllabus sent to me before the conference begins?
Will the Syllabus be bound or in a three-ring binder.
How do I ship the Syllabus home after the conference?
Tours
Is the conference offering any Chicago Jewish Roots tours? How about a docent let tour of Spertus Museum?
Chicago-Area Cemetery Visits
Is the conference providing transportation for visiting Jewish cemeteries in the Chicago area?
I am scheduled for a Sunday morning cemetery visit which leaves the hotel at 8:00 a.m. The conference registration does not open until 7:30 a.m. How can I check in for the conference, pick up my registration materials, and get my ticket in time for the trip?
Where do I meet the group transportation to the cemetery?
I am getting on in years and am not in the best physical condition. Are your cemetery visits for me?
How much time will I have at the cemetery?
Why are you allowing three hours at the cemetery? I only need to visit my great- grandparents. That won't take three hours.
What if I need more or less time at the cemetery?
How many stops do you plan on making at each cemetery?
Why can't I be dropped off and picked up at a specific location withint the cemetery?
What if I get lost or become disoriented?
Do I have to wait my turn in line at the cemetery office with everyone else to find out the burial location of the deceased?
I have about 15 people buried in the cemetery whose dates of death and grave locations I don't know. Can I get this information on the spot from the office?
I'm not sure where the deceased person I'm looking for is really buried. Should I take a chance and go to a cemetery anyway?
I don't know the married surname of the deceased woman for whom I am looking. Would the cemetery office be able to help me?
What do I do if I cannot locate the grave or the section of the cemetery I am looking for?
What if I cannot read writing on the grave marker because it is in a language I can't read??
What if the grave marker is obscured by vegetation?
How can I make my cemetery visit more comfortable in the heat of August?
I live outside the United States and plan to come to Chicago for the conference. Can you call a cemetery for me in advance and/or look up a Chicago death certificate?