Register to Attend
Enjoy three days of policy and politics featuring more than 50 engaging sessions on a variety of topics, opening and closing keynotes, countless networking opportunities with politicians, experts and thought leaders, parties and receptions, and much more.
A registration badge is required for admission to the 2016 Texas Tribune Festival and any related activities. A discounted rate of only $50 is available for students and educators. Or you can volunteer and attend for free!
Are you a Texas Tribune member? Complete this form to request your member-exclusive discount code or email membership@texastribune.org if you have any questions. If you are not yet a member, sign up when you register for the Festival. Members of the Texas Tribune will receive $50 off the registration price.
If you're a student or educator, you can email registration@texastribune.org from your school-affiliated email address to get started.
Badge Pickup:
You can pick up your badge in the Tejas Dining Hall at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center (1900 University Ave. on The University of Texas at Austin campus at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Lavaca Street) during the following registration hours:
Friday, Sept. 23, 3 - 9 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 24, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 25, 8 - 10 a.m.
You will be asked to present a government-issued ID. When you arrive, keep an eye out for directional signs to guide you to the registration area.
For all other registration questions, read the Registration FAQ below or email registration@texastribune.org.
Registration FAQ
1. I just found out I can't attend for a really good reason. Can I get a refund?
Registrations are nonrefundable, but they can be transferred to a third party for a nonrefundable fee of $50 if you cannot attend this year.
To transfer a registration, please log into the shopping cart using the same login details used to purchase the original registration. Once logged in, click "Purchase History" from the drop down menu that appears when you hover your cursor over your name in the top right corner. The purchase history page shows all the registrations that were purchased in your shopping cart. Find the registration that you want to transfer and click the "Transfer Badge" link. Enter the new registrant's contact information.
You'll have the opportunity to either cancel or transfer the original registrant's housing accommodations, should they have one.
You'll have three options when submitting your housing transfer:
Release: Cancels the hotel reservation for the original registrant.
Transfer: Transfers the hotel reservation to the new registrant.
Keep: Only select this option if the original registrant has more than one conference registration in their name.
Enter payment information for the nonrefundable $50 transfer fee. Once the transfer has been processed, the new registrant will receive a registration confirmation email.
If you did not purchase your registration through the shopping cart please fill out the 2016 Texas Tribune Festival Transfer Form and email it to registration@texastribune.org or fax to 512.452.4775. There is no deadline for a registration transfer.
2. What are The Texas Tribune's (and its registration processor SXSW, LLC’s) refund policies?
PLEASE READ!
The Texas Tribune and its registration processor, SXSW, LLC, at their sole discretion may cancel or refuse registrations/applications/purchases from any individual or company at any time. By clicking on the Finish Transaction button or authorizing payment for the 2016 Texas Tribune Festival in any form, the payer agrees to the following policies:
1) Payments are not refundable for any reason, including, but not limited to, failure to use Texas Tribune Festival credentials due to illness, acts of God, travel-related problems and loss of employment.
2) Unused registrations have no monetary value and cannot be credited to future years or events.
3) Badges are issued to individuals and can be picked up and used only by the individual named.
4) If you have been granted a registration coupon and fail to redeem it during the registration process, you will not be refunded or credited the difference.
5) Please read our Terms of Use.
3. What's the easiest way to register for The Texas Tribune Festival?
The quickest and easiest way is to register online and pay by credit card. You will also be able to book hotel accommodations through the housing department after registering. If you must pay by check, the form is available here. To pay by wire transfer, you must be a publicly held international corporation, government or state agency, or educational institution. Please fill out a registration form and return it to the SXSW offices by mail or email. Due to long transaction times, SXSW will not accept wire transfers after Sept. 1st. You can obtain transfer details by emailing registration@texastribune.org. You may also register onsite at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center.
4. How will I know that my registration form and payment were received?
After you register online, you can expect a confirmation email within one business day. The confirmation is sent by email to the address provided on the registration form and will show that we have received your payment and will include a receipt.
5. To whom do I make my check payable?
Checks should be made out to "SXSW, LLC" with the invoice number(s) noted on the memo line. They should be mailed to:
SXSW LLC
P.O. Box 685289
Austin, TX 78768
6. When should I arrive in Austin?
Check the Texas Tribune Festival’s website for scheduling updates and to sign up for regular email alerts with programming information. We will be releasing the full festival schedule a little closer to the date of the event. The Registration Desk will be open from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, 2016, and the opening event will begin on Friday evening; the exact time will be announced soon. See FAQ No. 8 for a full list of registration hours.
7. Where do I pick up my badge?
You can pick up your badge in the Tejas Dining Hall at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center (1900 University Ave. on the University of Texas campus at Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and Lavaca Street) during registration hours from Friday, Sept. 23, 2016 through Sunday, Sept. 25.
8. When is the festival registration desk open?
Friday, Sept. 23, 3 p.m. - 9 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 24, 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 25, 8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
9. What documents will I need to pick up my badge?
To receive your 2016 Texas Tribune Festival badge, you will be asked to present a government-issued ID. Keep an eye out for directional signs to guide you on your way to the registration area.
10. Now I’m registered, how can I find out who is presenting?
We will make the schedule available closer to the date of the festival. Keep checking the official Texas Tribune Festival website for the latest information, or sign up for email alerts.
11. I just found out that I can only stay for part of The Texas Tribune Festival. Can I transfer my issued badge?
No. Once a badge has been issued to you, we cannot reissue the badge to a different person.
12. I am a student. How can I obtain the student discount for The Texas Tribune Festival?
You can obtain the $50 student rate by emailing proof of enrollment (a letter from your admissions office or registrar confirming enrollment) to registration@texastribune.org or by faxing proof of enrollment to 512.452.4775. Please provide your name, the name of your educational institution and your email address. After receiving proof of enrollment, the registration coordinators will email you a coupon code to redeem online. Any questions can be directed to registration@texastribune.org.
13. I am a Texas Tribune member. How can I obtain the member’s discount for The Texas Tribune Festival?
Current members receive $50 off the registration price. Complete this form for your discount code or email membership@texastribune.org if you have any questions.
14. Why can I not access the shopping cart with my Texas Tribune log-in information?
The Texas Tribune website and the Texas Tribune Festival have different log-ins. You cannot use your Texas Tribune member login info to access your Texas Tribune Festival shopping cart. To create a shopping cart account, click on "Create Account" in the upper right hand corner of the shopping cart page.
Hotels
The Texas Tribune Festival has contracted blocks of guest rooms for registered Festival attendees at hotels near the University of Texas at Austin campus. These rooms can only be reserved through the TribFest Housing Desk after you have registered for the conference.
At the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, the official hotel for The Texas Tribune Festival, attendees will receive a preferred rate, starting at $219/night + tax. Additional hotel options within 5 blocks of the AT&T Conference Center are the Hampton Inn & Suites Austin at the University/Capitol, with rates starting at $199/night + tax, and the Doubletree Suites by Hilton Hotel Austin, with rates starting at $219/night + tax.
Email TribuneFestHousing@sxsw.com with questions.
Getting There
RideAustin
You can use promo code “TTF” to get $10 toward your ride to the Festival with RideAustin. Download the app at rideaustin.com.
Capital Metro
Both the UT West Mall Station (497) and 2231 Guadalupe/ West Mall UT (1042) stops serve the UT-Austin area and provide a convenient way to get to the Festival. Busses that you can take to those stops include: 1, 3, 5, 19, 801 and 803. To map your trip and buy your bus passes, download the CapMetro app at capmetro.org/app.
Parking
The AT&T Center offers Festival registrants a reduced rate of $11 per day to park in the conference center garage, though space in the garage is limited. Visit the information desk on the M2 level to purchase your reduced-price parking voucher.
Additional paid parking is available in the Brazos Garage on Brazos Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and in the 27th Street Garage at 27th Street and University Avenue. Street parking in the surrounding area is also available, but watch the meters!
Shuttles
Although all Festival venues are within easy walking distance on the UT-Austin campus, shuttles will be provided to transport attendees to each venue between panels. An ADA-accessible shuttle service will be available for attendees with disabilities. The shuttle route will service all Festival venues on Saturday, Sept. 24, and provide transportation to the Opening Night Party on Friday, Sept. 23.
