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              Tips for Book Fair Goers

It is important that you plan ahead so that you can make the most of your time at the Book Fair because there will be 234 booths for you to visit and 80 workshops you could attend. Study our list of Exhibitors and start thinking about the exhibitors you really need to visit. Don't forget to view the exhibitor categories on the right if you are looking for a particular kind of material. Study the Workshop Program. Read about our Speakers.

Plan to come both days of the Book Fair. There are too many workshops and products for you to see in one day. That's why the registration fee is the same whether you attend one or both days. Saturday is always less crowded than Friday.

If you come both days, spend Friday attending workshops and looking at books. Pick up catalogs. Go home and prepare a list of what you want to buy. Come back Saturday and buy or order what you need.

Leave your small children at home with a family member or friend. Otherwise, it will be a long, tiring day for them, and you won't be able to accomplish much if they require a lot of your attention.

No Strollers - No Carts - No Wagons - No Wheeled Luggage

To reduce congestion in the Exhibit Hall and elsewhere, we ask that no wheeled conveyances be used inside the Arlington Convention Center. Parents may wheel their strollers into the Arlington Convention Center. As soon as they enter, they will be asked to check their strollers in the Check Room and leave them there for the day. When they are ready to leave, they may remove their checked strollers from the Check Room and stroll their little ones out to the parking lot. The same holds true for other wheeled vehicles. Exceptions are made for wheelchairs and other such devices for the disabled.

Bring with You
  • sturdy canvas bag or backpack (to carry purchases in until you check them in the Check Room)
  • comfortable walking shoes (it's a long day!)
  • cash, credit cards & checkbook
    • you'll need cash to buy food at the Book Fair
    • only cash or checks are accepted at Door Registration
    • most, but not all, of our exhibitors accept credit cards
    • there is an ATM machine in the South Lobby
  • return address labels
    • handy for registering at the door (if you don't plan to pre-register)
    • handy for registering at booths for door prizes, catalogs or giveaways

Great food is sold throughout the Arlington Convention Center, so don't bother to bring a sack lunch. Also the Center does NOT permit food brought from outside to be consumed inside the building, and they do NOT have adequate picnicking facilities outside.

Parking
  • $5.00 per day per car
  • $8.00 per day per motor home - no overnights - no hook-ups
  • in-and-out privileges -- pay when you arrive
  • entrances to the Arlington Convention Center parking lot are off Copeland Road and Ballpark Way on the south side of the Convention Center.
  • beware of higher parking fees at the Sheraton Arlington Hotel next door. They have been known to charge $20 or $30 per day for non-guest parking.
At the Book Fair
  • If you arrive and find yourself confused or overwhelmed by everything that's there, go to Smoothing the Way (Booth 20) where counselors are standing by to help you.
  • As you shop, watch for special Book Fair discounts and used books.
  • Store your purchases and other belongings free of charge in the Check Room.
  • Be courteous! If an exhibitor spends a lot of time counseling you, buy some products from them.