Join us for the seventh-annual Texas Tribune Festival!
Enjoy three days of policy and politics featuring more than 50 engaging sessions on a variety of topics, keynotes, networking opportunities with politicians, experts and thought leaders, parties and receptions, and much more. Discounted rates are available for students, educators and Texas Tribune members.
Prepare for the Festival
How do I pick up my Festival badge?
After registering, you will receive a mobile or PDF ticket via EventBrite that must be exchanged for a badge to access Festival events. If you don’t bring your ticket, you will be required to show a government-issued ID showing the name the ticket was sold to, and the ticket must be un-redeemed at the time of pickup.
You can pick up your badge at our registration desk in the Tejas Dining Hall at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, 1900 University Ave., during these hours:
Friday, Sept. 22, 3 - 9 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 23, 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 24, 8 - 10 a.m.
Festival Venues
The Texas Tribune Festival will include the following venues on the UT-Austin campus (map):
AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center (ATT)
Hogg Memorial Auditorium (HMA)
Homer Rainey Hall (HRH)
Calhoun Hall (CAL)
Texas Union Building (UNB)
Flawn Academic Center (FAC)
Etter-Harbin Alumni Center (UTX - TribFeast only)
All Festival venues are subject to capacity and fire code, so entry to each panel or event will be made available on a first come, first served basis. If you have a panel or event that you really want to attend, please make arrangements to get there early to help ensure entry.
Getting To The Festival
RideAustin
You can use promo code “TRIBFEST17” to get $2 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. Buses that you can take to those stops include: 1, 3, 5, 19, 801 and 803. To map your trip and buy bus passes, download the CapMetro app at capmetro.org/app.
Parking
Parking on campus is limited, so we suggest alternate transportation when possible. If you drive, 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 Festival Info Desk on the M2 level to purchase your reduced-price parking voucher.
Additional paid parking is available in the Brazos Garage (BRG on the campus map) on Brazos Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., the San Antonio Garage (SAG) at San Antonio St. and 25th St., and in the 27th Street Garage at 27th St. and University Ave. (SWG). Street parking in the surrounding area is also available, but watch the meters! Parking in UT permit-only spots will result in tickets.
We cannot guarantee parking will be available. All parking charges are the registrant’s responsibility and are not included with Festival registration.
Shuttles
Look for the shuttle cars and buses traveling between venues to catch a ride to your next panel. Shuttle stops are marked with flags throughout campus. Shuttles will also provide transportation to the Opening Night Party on Friday. An ADA-accessible shuttle will be available. The Texas Tribune Festival shuttles are provided by Oncor, St. David’s Healthcare and Chariot.
Accessibility
We strive to make the event accessible to all who are interested in participating. Please visit the Info Desk in the Tejas Dining Hall at AT&T Center to pick-up a wheelchair access map of Festival venues, request sign language interpretation of specific panels, courtesy of the Austin Community College Interpreter Services and ASLIT Program or discuss any other needs you have. Our keynote livestreams will include closed captioning.
If there is anything we can do in advance to help you access the Festival, please email festival@texastribune.org to discuss your needs.
Festival Access Map
Visit the info desk in the Tejas Dining Hall at the AT&T Conference Center if you have any access-related questions at the event.
Mobile App
The official Texas Tribune Festival app is now available. You can download it to access the program and schedule. We’ll also have printed program books available at registration.
Registration Information
Current students and educators register for $50
We offer a deeply discounted rate to current students and educators. In 2016, over 900 students participated in the event. Check out our Students at the Fest programming for details on opportunities designed specifically for student participants. To qualify for this discount, you must register with a .edu, isd.net or other institution-affiliated email address or send proof of enrollment or employment to registration@texastribune.org. Current K-12 and university students and educators are eligible for this discount.
Texas Tribune Members get $50 off
As a benefit of your Texas Tribune membership you are invited to register for $50 off the current rate. Current members have been emailed a promotional code to use. Not yet a member? Join now and email membership@texastribune.org for your discount code.
Military and Special Needs
In an effort to make The Texas Tribune Festival accessible to all, active or retired military and those on a fixed income are eligible for discounted registration. Email registration@texastribune.org for additional information.
More about preparing for the festival, accessibility and our mobile app.
Registration FAQ
What's the easiest way to register for The Texas Tribune Festival?
Register online via Eventbrite using your credit card. You may also register onsite at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center at the walk-up rate of $300.
I’m having trouble using the Eventbrite website to purchase my ticket. Whom should I contact for assistance?
Check out the Eventbrite Support center to get help with issues using the Eventbrite website.
How do I pay by check, purchase order or wire transfer?
If you prefer to register manually, fill out a registration form for each attendee and return it to the Texas Tribune offices by mail or email. Checks should be made out to "The Texas Tribune" and mailed to:
The Texas Tribune Festival Registration
919 Congress Ave., The Sixth Floor
Austin, TX 78701
To pay by wire transfer, you must represent a publicly held international corporation, government or state agency, or educational institution. Due to long transaction times, The Texas Tribune will not accept wire transfers after Sept. 1, 2017. You can obtain transfer details by emailing registration@texastribune.org.
I am a student. How can I obtain the student discount for The Texas Tribune Festival?
We offer a deeply discounted rate to current students and educators. The discounted ticket is available on the Festival Eventbrite website. To qualify for this discount, you must register with a .edu or isd.net email address.
If you prefer to use a non-institutional affiliated address, you will need to provide proof of current affiliation by sending us a letter from your admissions office or registrar confirming enrollment or your current schedule. You can either email it to registration@texastribune.org or fax it to 512-716-8601. Please provide your name, the name of your educational institution and your email address.
Any additional questions can be directed to registration@texastribune.org.
How will I know that my registration form and payment were received?
After you register, you will receive an email confirming that we have received your payment. The confirmation email will be sent to the email address provided during the registration process and will include a mobile or PDF ticket via Eventbrite and a receipt. If you need the confirmation email resent, message registration@texastribune.org with your name and email address.
What are The Texas Tribune's refund policies? PLEASE READ!
The Texas Tribune, at its sole discretion, may cancel or refuse registrations/applications/purchases from any individual or company at any time. By registering or authorizing payment for the 2017 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) If you have been granted a promotional code and fail to redeem it during the registration process, you will not be refunded or credited the difference.
4) Please read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
I just found out I can't attend for a really good reason. Can I transfer my registration to someone else?
Registrations are nonrefundable, but they can be transferred to a third party if you cannot attend this year. Email registration@texastribune.org with the new registrant’s contact information to make the change. If you have a hotel reservation, it is your responsibility to cancel or amend as needed.
Now I’m registered, how can I find out who is presenting?
The Festival program and schedule will be released on Aug. 1, 2017. Keep checking the official Texas Tribune Festival website for the latest information, or sign up for email alerts. If you are registered, we’ll email you automatically with programming updates.
How do I book hotel accommodations for the Festival?
You will be able to book hotel accommodations through the SXSW Housing platform after completing your registration.
When should I arrive in Austin?
We expect some pre-Festival programming to begin after noon on Friday, Sept. 22. The opening keynote will begin at 7 p.m. at the Hogg Memorial Auditorium.
How do I pick up my Festival badge?
After registering, you will receive a mobile or PDF ticket via EventBrite that must be exchanged for a badge to access Festival events. If you don’t bring your ticket, you will be required to show a government-issued ID showing the name the ticket was sold to, and the ticket must be un-redeemed at the time of pickup.
You can pick up your badge at our registration desk in the Tejas Dining Hall at the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, 1900 University Ave., during these hours:
Friday, Sept. 22, 3 - 9 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 23, 7:30 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 24, 8 - 10 a.m.
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.
Hotel Information
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 SXSW Housing Desk after you have registered.
At the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center, the official hotel for The Texas Tribune Festival, attendees will receive a preferred rate. Additional hotel options within five blocks of the Festival are the Hampton Inn & Suites Austin at the University/Capitol and the Doubletree Suites by Hilton Hotel Austin.
If you are bringing a group to the Festival and would like to book more than five rooms, please email TribuneFestHousing@sxsw.com for assistance.
Other hotel questions? More details here, or you can message TribuneFestHousing@sxsw.com.
Air Travel
Southwest Airlines, the official airline of Texas Tribune events, has great low fares for your flights to Austin to attend the Tribune Festival! Remember, if you decide to stick around for one more day, they don’t charge you for changing your mind, your plans, or otherwise. So you can rest assured when booking your next Southwest Airlines flight that changes fees don’t fly with them!