As has been often noted, the Double Tree and the Sofitel room blocks are full.
Here are other hotels offering accommodations to CONvergence attendees:

Crowne Plaza

5401 Green Valley Drive

Bloomington, MN

To reserve a room click here

(952) 831 – 8000

$101.00/night plus tax for two double beds or 1 king

Country Inn & Suites, Bloomington West

5120 American Boulevard West

Bloomington, MN 55437

(952) 831-9595

$94.00/night plus tax for 2 queens
$84.00/night plus tax for 1 king
Please use the CONvergence name for the correct rate

Days Inn Bloomington West

7851 Normandale Blvd

Bloomington, MN 55435

(952) 835-7400

Room rate for any room type is $84.99/night plus tax

For any questions please feel free to contact the CONvergence Hotel Department
hotel@convergence-con.org

current as of March 29, 2013

We have experienced a number of unfortunate delays in processing room requests with the Double Tree, so nothing has gone out as yet to anyone. The major delay has been in the hotel needing to place a new reservationist. They now have one and so we should be able to start processing requests within the next week and hopefully be finished by the end of April. We are glad the delay is finally over!

In the next few weeks, those with Double Tree requests will receive a confirmation email from the Double Tree for your actual room reservation. Once you receive that confirmation, please be sure to contact the Double Tree and guarantee your room. You can do so via credit card and nothing will be charged to your credit card until you check out. NOTE: If you do not guarantee your room, your reservation may be cancelled without notice.

If you use a debit card, the hotel will pre-authorize the amount of your stay when you check in, and those funds will not be available to you. This is standard hotel procedure. Also note that if you guarantee the room via credit or debit card, and abandon your reservation without calling to cancel, the hotel will charge the first night’s stay. This too is standard hotel procedure.

If you have not heard from the Double Tree by May 5, 2013 contact us and we will investigate for you.

For any questions regarding your reservation, or if you need to cancel or make changes, please feel free to contact the CONvergence Hotel Team between now and 11:59 p.m. June 28, 2013. You can reach us at hotel@convergence-con.org.

Thanks again, and we look forward to seeing you this summer!

Are you a filmmaker who lives in one of the following states: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota or Wisconsin?

If so, the 5th Annual Midwest Sci-Fi Short Film Festival is now accepting entries for live action or animated films under 20 minutes in the following genres: Science Fiction, Horror, Fantasy, Action/Adventure and Supernatural.

Submission Deadline: May 10th, 2013

Click here for details on how to submit your film.

- There were 36 time slots over 4 days in 10 rooms.
- A total of 552 ideas were submitted.
- A total of 201 evaluations were processed.
- A total of 301 different panelists appeared a total of 781 times.

There will be two (if needed, three) programming discussion meetings in January. They will be from 7-9pm on Tuesday, January 15, Tuesday, January 29, and Tuesday, February 12 (if needed). Location will be a private house in St. Paul. Contact us at programming@convergence-con.org for location information.

On 30 October 1938, Orson Welles gave us the best Halloween present ever: the broadcast of his original version of H. G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds.

To commemorate that event, a CONvergence is running a contest for new, original audio drama productions of this work. The winners will be announced – and played – at a panel during CONvergence 2013.

Full details can be found at:
http://finseth.com/ww75

Please be aware that any decorations or signs in the guestrooms must be attached to the wall with Scotch 3M #2080 Safe-Release Painter’s Tape.

This can be picked up at most hardware/home repair stores for about $7/roll. It is the painter’s tape with the orange label on the inside.

In the past guests were allowed to use regular beige masking tape. We have tested the masking tape several times on the grey painted areas of the hotel and the beige masking tape pulls up the paint job.

If a guest uses anything other than the approved Scotch 3M #2080 Safe-Release Tape and the grey painted areas of the guestroom are affected, then an engineer will need to assess the room for damages and the guest registered to the room will be charged. This includes 3M Command Hooks; these also pull up the paint job.

DoubleTree by Hilton Bloomington – Minneapolis South

This tape is to be used in place of the beige masking tape and is the ONLY tape to use. Signage attached with any other tape, even this tape in different colors, will be removed and disposed.

Hello!

First, unfortunately the Staybridge Hotel has opted OUT of offering a rate for CONvergence attendees. We reported earlier that they would in anticipation but now things have changed.

The Crowne Plaza is taking reservations for CONvergence 2013. A dedicated website is now available for attendees to book their hotel rooms online. Reservations can be made starting 22-Oct-2012 at this web address: https://resweb.passkey.com/go/Convergence2013.

The Crowne is located at 5401 Green Valley Drive in Bloomington just about 10 minutes away from the Double Tree. The CONvergence room rate at the Crowne Plaza is is $101.00\night plus tax, and there is a pool, an onsite restaurant and fitness center. There are 11 suites though no rate for those was quoted for CONvergence. They also have 10 handicapped rooms and can be contaacted directly as well to book one. The shuttle bus will make stops at the Crowne.

We welcome the Hilton Gardens as a host for CONvergence attendees. They are located at 5140 American Boulevard in Bloomington, also only about 10 minutes from the Double Tree. There are mini-fridges in all room. There is also an on-site pool and jacuzzi (public), restaurant and fitness center. Rooms can be booked through reservations at (952) 831 – 1012. Rooms with 1 king bed are $88.00\night plus tax, and rooms with 2 queen beds are $96.00\night plus tax. When making a reservation at the Hilton Gardens, please be sure to let them know the reservation code of CONVERGENCE (HGIB). The shuttle bus will stop at the Hilton Gardens.

We are contacting other area hotels to determine if a rate would be made available to CONvergence guests.

Although the Double Tree and Sofitel regular room blocks are full, handicapped rooms at the Sofitel may still be available. The Sofitel has not supplied us with the number of accessible rooms they have on-site.

For handicapped room availability in the Double Tree, or if you have questions, please contact hotel@convergence-con.org.