Here's an update on the FUDCon in Tempe, AZ coming January 29-31, 2011.

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LODGING: The FUDCon Tempe planning group has established a group rate at the Marriott Courtyard Tempe Downtown. The rate for single or double occupancy[1] is $99/night, and the core dates for this rate are the nights of January 28-30. However, a significant number of dates surrounding these nights have been reserved, and more should be available if needed.

All attendees are responsible for making their own hotel reservations. The deadline for reserving rooms is November 5, 2010 (2010-11-05). A credit card is required for your reservation, and at check-in to cover incidentals.

If you've been approved for a lodging subsidy, typically 50% of projected room costs, you should also find a roommate who can cover the other half. (It's often easiest to find someone else who's getting a lodging subsidy, and room with them.) Please mark your room sharing arrangements on the wiki: just put your roommate's name in the "Roomshare" column.

To make hotel reservations, use the handy URL provided on the wiki:

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FUDCon:Tempe_2011#Lodging

Dates are pre-filled using this link, but you can adjust them as necessary. If you have any problems, make your reservation for the provided dates, and call the hotel at the phone number provided on the wiki to make adjustments.

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PRE-REGISTRATION: It's now open on the main FUDCon wiki page:

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FUDCon:Tempe_2011#Pre-registration

Remember that although you're not required to pre-register, when you do pre-register for the event you're eligible to receive a special gift at the sign-in desk at FUDCon. There will probably be a limit to the number of people we can pre-register, so sign up today.

But don't worry -- if you miss pre-registration, remember that FUDCon as always is *free and open* for anyone to attend. We are happy to have anyone attend, learn, participate, and contribute. Please encourage your friends, co-workers, and colleagues to attend!

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SUBSIDIES: It's not too late to request a travel subsidy, although funding is going fast. Remember, marking the wiki is not sufficient to get a subsidy. You need to follow the instructions here:

https://fedorahosted.org/fudcon-planning/wiki/FundingRequest

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TECHNICAL SESSIONS AND HACKFESTS: *NOW* is the time to start adding content information. Many people use the preview information of content to decide whether to attend the event. Help us show the community how much great information there is at a FUDCon event! Simply add your information to the FUDCon wiki. Remember, everyone is welcome to deliver content at FUDCon. Add your topics here:

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FUDCon:Tempe_2011#Technical_sessions https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FUDCon:Tempe_2011#Hackfests

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HACK SUITE: The organizers have reserved a separate king suite at the conference hotel for around the clock hacking. We know there are a few intrepid souls who bid a fond farewell to sleep during these events to fit in more keyboard time. We hope you'll feel free to make use of the hack suite for this purpose.

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INTERNATIONAL VISITORS: If you require any documentation for entry, such as a passport or visa, please make those arrangements as soon as possible. If you require a letter of invitation or any other paperwork from the organizers, please file a ticket in the FUDCon Planning issue tracker:

https://fedorahosted.org/fudcon-planning/newticket

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HELP US PLAN AND PUBLICIZE: We aim to make the planning process of FUDCon as easy to participate in as possible. Edit the wiki pages and let us know what you would like to see, join the discussion list at https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/fudcon-planning, and join us every Monday at 3:00pm US Eastern (currently 1900 UTC) in IRC Freenode at #fudcon-planning for FUDCon planning meetings.

You can help publicize FUDCon on Identi.ca and Twitter with the hashtag #fudcon, and feel free to tag other relevant groups thoughtfully. Thanks for helping!

* * * [1] Note that all rooms at this rate include separate sleeping accommodations for double occupancy. King rooms also have a sofabed.