Friday, November 3, 2017

Ready to Fling in Austin? Registration opens November 9th!

We've been tantalizing you with photos and posts about all the great gardens and fun activities we have planned for you at Austin Garden Bloggers Fling next spring, and now we can tell you how and when you can register to attend! Here are the details:

When does Austin Fling registration open?
Thursday, November 9th, 2017, at 10 a.m. CST.

How much will it cost?
The registration fee is $275 USD, plus a $6.50 PayPal fee (USD). Registration includes entry to all the gardens, bus transportation for three days, a banquet dinner on Saturday night, lunches on all three garden-touring days, an opening reception on Thursday evening, a BBQ Bash on Sunday afternoon, and 3-1/2 days of fun and gardens with your fellow bloggers. (We thank our generous sponsors -- listed in the sidebar -- for their support, which helps us keep the registration cost as low as possible.)

How will registration work? 
When registration opens (11/9/17), we'll post an announcement here on the blog and on our Facebook page. We will ask you to email us your name, blog name, and URL, and once we've verified that you're an active garden blogger (see attendance eligibility) we'll send you a registration code and a link to our registration site. After you complete your registration, you'll be led to the reservation page for our official Fling hotel, where you can reserve a room at the special Fling rate.

What are the dates, and where is it held?
The 2018 Garden Bloggers Fling will be held in Austin, Texas, on May 3-6, 2018. This will be the Fling's 10th anniversary!

When should I plan to arrive and depart?
The Fling kicks off on Thursday, May 3rd, with a 6 to 7:30 p.m. opening reception (appetizers included) just a 17-minute stroll from the hotel. We encourage you to arrive early enough to attend, as it's a fun opportunity to meet everyone before the tours begin and get your bearings. We'll meet up in the lobby at 5:30 pm and walk over to the reception as a group.

The Fling ends on the evening of Sunday, May 6th, with a BBQ Bash -- an Austin-style back-yard party with live music, BBQ and sides, and drinks at Articulture. The buses will take us there directly from garden touring and then deliver us back to the hotel around 7:30 pm. Plan to depart later that evening or, preferably, on Monday in order to attend this fun event!

What will the Austin Fling include?
Here's a link to our working itinerary (subject to change). We're excited to share Austin and its gardens with you!

Who can attend, and how many spaces will there be?
Garden Bloggers Fling is an event for active garden bloggers; please see the Fling attendance guidelines for full details. We have 92 spots available, and we do expect it to fill up quickly.

Who's planning this event?
The Austin Fling planning team is:

Diana Kirby of Sharing Nature's Garden
Pam Penick of Digging
Laura Wills of Wills Family Acres

I have a burning question. How should I contact the planning team?
Please email the Austin Fling planners directly rather than asking questions here or on the Facebook page. Thanks!

That's all for now. Look for registration to go live next Thursday at 10 a.m. CST, with an announcement on this blog and on Facebook. We hope to see you in Austin next May!