February 2002
1. Everyone will be assigned a day and time of admittance based on the date their registration is received at FMCA headquarters in Cincinnati. All registrations will be divided equally over a three-day period. National officers, member staff, parking layout crew, volunteers, committee members, and past national officers are assigned early admittance.
2. Family members arriving at Perry with credentials for the date and time specified should enter at Elko Road and Starbuck Road at the Georgia National Fairgrounds and Agricenter in order to be parked.
3. Members who arrive prior to their “date and time” of arrival should report to the official on-site holding area (see directions on page 100 of the January 2002 issue or online at www.fmca.com) to wait until their assigned time for entry.
4. Members who arrive at Perry later than the date and time specified on their official window credential should report to the official on-site holding area. From there, the parking crew will direct you to your parking area at the earliest possible time.
5. Families who pre-register and who receive March 18, 2002, “date of entry” credentials for Perry should arrive prior to noon on Monday, March 18, 2002, when non-registered coach parking begins. All families who register are guaranteed parking at the convention site or an off-site satellite parking area.
6. Caravan reservations will be accepted for Saturday or Sunday, March 16 or 17; caravans will not be accepted on Monday, March 18. Your assistance with caravan reservations and scheduling is appreciated.
7. When a caravan leader makes his or her caravan reservation, he or she will be sent the appropriate number of “caravan date of arrival” cards that must be distributed, one per coach, to caravan members. One caravan card should be displayed in each caravan member’s coach window along with one date of entry card each member of the caravan received when pre-registering individually.
8. A caravan reservation does not guarantee a parking space on the convention site; a caravan reservation means only that members of a caravan will be parked together as a group. A caravan admittance “assigned time” means that a caravan should arrive on-grounds at that time. Caravans may have to remain in the holding area for a time until parkers are prepared to move them as a group.
9. Families who have not pre-registered will not be admitted to the grounds for parking until Monday afternoon, March 18, 2002, from noon until 5:00 p.m.
10. Families who have not pre-registered or who wish to register at the gate should report to the official on-site holding area, where a temporary registration office will be located. The holding area office opens for registration starting at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, March 15, 2002. Families who did not pre-register must wait in the holding area until their entrance time, which will be Monday afternoon, March 18.
11. “Will Call” families who choose not to have confirmation materials mailed should report to the official on-site holding area to pick up credentials and confirm their admittance day. Members picking up “Will Call” packets for large groups may be asked to submit their list early and return later for packages. The “Will Call” office opens at the Perry on-site holding area starting Friday, March 15, at 8:00 a.m.
Convention Parking Definitions
Holding Area: Members who arrive at the convention site earlier than permitted according to their entry credentials may park at the holding area until their appointed time to enter the grounds. When it is time to enter the grounds, the parking crew will assist them in moving to their final parking space.
The holding area is also a place to meet friends who wish to park together, since in order to park together, convention attendees must arrive together. However, if members of a group have a later entry date than other members in their group, they must all enter on the later entry date. The best way to park with friends and avoid a longer wait in the holding area is to send registrations to FMCA in the same envelope with a note requesting identical date of entry credentials.
Will Call: Many families do not maintain an address long enough to receive their convention registration confirmation packets through the mail. These people ask FMCA to hold their credentials at Will Call. Will Call is located at the convention holding area. In Perry, packets may be picked up at the holding area Friday, March 15, through Sunday, March 17, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Monday, March 18, from 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Beginning Tuesday, March 19, Will Call packets may be picked up at the Information Center, located in the McGill Exhibit Hall. After convention-goers pick up their packets, they can then wait in the holding area, if necessary, until their appointed entry time.
Gate Registration: Families who choose to wait until they arrive at the convention site to register may register at the holding area during the four days preceding the actual convention. In Perry, gate registrants may register Friday, March 15, through Sunday, March 17, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Monday, March 18, from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Gate registrants will not be taken from the holding area to their final parking spaces until after noon on Monday, March 18, the last parking day. In terms of entering the facility early and getting parked, pre-registration for the convention is recommended.
Passport Registration: A passport registration entitles the convention attendee to all convention services and activities with the exception of on-site parking of a motorhome. Passport registrants often choose to stay at a local campground or a friend’s home and drive to the convention site each day.