Convention Parking Procedures — Minot

Family Parking Procedures

Families 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, past national officers, and Governing Board are assigned early admittance.

Families arriving in Minot with credentials for the date and time specified should follow the directions in the confirmation materials. Many families will be directed to the Holding Area, which will serve as additional family coach parking.

Families who arrive prior to their specified date and time of arrival should report to the official Holding Area, located at Highway Business 2 (Burdick Expressway East) near 55th Street, to wait until their assigned time for entry. (See directions in this issue of Family Motor Coaching or online at www.fmca.com.) Families arriving on-grounds for the Minot convention, including satellite parking areas and the official Holding Area, prior to their assigned “date of entry," will be assessed an early arrival fee of $15 per night for dry camping.

Families who arrive in Minot later than the date and time specified on their official window credential should report to the official Holding Area at Highway Business 2 (Burdick Expressway East) near 55th Street. From there, you will be directed by the parking crew to your parking area at the earliest possible time.

Families who pre-register and who receive August 15, 2005, "date of entry" credentials for Minot should arrive prior to noon on Monday, August 15, 2005. All families who register are guaranteed parking at the convention site, including off-site satellite parking areas.

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Caravan Parking Procedures

Caravan reservations will be accepted for Saturday or Sunday, August 13 or 14; caravans will not be accepted on Monday, August 15. Your assistance with caravan reservations and scheduling is appreciated.

When a caravan leader makes the group’s reservation, he or she will be sent the appropriate number of "caravan date of arrival" credentials. The caravan leader distributes one caravan credential to each coach. This caravan credential should be displayed in the coach window along with the date of entry card the member received when registering for the convention. Caravan families should enter the grounds according to the caravan reservation time and not according to the date of entry credential sent with the confirmation materials. Families arriving with a caravan must be pre-registered.

A caravan reservation does guarantee a parking space at the convention site, including satellite parking arranged by FMCA. A caravan reservation means that members of a caravan will be parked together as a group. Caravan reservation "assigned time" means that a caravan should arrive at the convention site at the specified time in order for the parking staff to park the group as efficiently as possible.

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Will-Call Procedures

Many families request that FMCA not mail their confirmation packets but to hold their credentials at Will Call instead. Will Call is located at the convention Holding Area at Highway Business 2 (Burdick Expressway East) near 55th Street. In Minot, packets may be picked up at the Holding Area Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, August 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Will Call packets may be picked up at the Information Center, located in the North Dakota State Fair Center at the fairgrounds, Wednesday and Thursday, August 17 and 18, beginning at 8:00 a.m. After convention-goers pick up their packets, they should remain in the Holding Area, if necessary, until their appointed entry time.

Families picking up "Will Call" packets for large groups may be asked to submit their list and return later for packages.

Families with Governing Board, committee, past national officer, volunteer, or handicap parking credentials who have pre-registered for these specific parking areas and who request that confirmation packets be held at Will Call are instructed to report directly to the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. These confirmation packets will be held at the FMCA office, located in the Lewis and Clark Room at the North Dakota State Fair Center.

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Early Arrival Fees

Families arriving on-grounds for the Minot convention, including satellite parking areas and the official Holding Area, prior to their assigned “date of entry” will be assessed an early arrival fee of $15 per night for dry camping. Upon payment of this early arrival fee, families will receive a special early arrival credential that must be displayed in the front window of the coach. Cash or check will be accepted as payment.

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Convention Parking Definitions

Daily Passport: A daily passport may be purchased at the Public Gate ticket location at Gate D at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. This special credential will permit members and potential members to attend all convention activities, including seminars and evening entertainment, for the day purchased. Car parking for Daily Passport patrons will be available at Holiday Inn Riverside, directly across the street from the main gate (Gate D) of the North Dakota State Fairgrounds.

Day Pass: A day pass is available for family members and the general public to view coach displays and the supplier/component displays only. The day pass is sold at the Public Gate Ticket location at the North Dakota State Fairgrounds and is generally available only for the day purchased. Public parking will be available at the Holiday Inn Riverside, directly across the street from the main gate of the North Dakota State Fairgrounds.

Gate Registration: If space is available following the completion of general parking, family members registering on-site will be parked on a first-come, first-serve basis on Monday, August 15, 2005, from noon until 5:00 p.m.

Holding Area: Families who arrive at the convention site earlier than permitted according to their entry credentials may stay 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. An early arrival fee of $15 per night will be assessed to families arriving at the Holding Area prior to their assigned day of entry.

The Holding Area is also a place to meet friends who wish to park together. In order to park together, convention attendees must arrive together. 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. The Holding Area does not have sufficient space for caravans to meet and reassemble. Please call the FMCA national office for assistance in locating a site.

Passport Registration: A passport registration entitles the convention attendee to all convention services and activities with the exception of overnight on-site parking of a motorhome. Passport registrants often choose to stay at a local campground or a friend's home and drive their towed vehicle to the convention site each day in their personal automobiles. Parking for passport registrants will be located at the Holiday Inn Riverside, directly across the street from the main gate of the North Dakota State Fairgrounds. Due to restrictions on parking at North Dakota State Fairgrounds and the surrounding streets, passport coaches cannot be accommodated. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated.

Will Call: Due to travel plans or the time the registration was made for the convention, families may request that confirmation materials be held at the convention site for pickup. Will Call will be located at the Holding Area registration office. In Minot, the Holding Area will be located at Highway Business 2 (Burdick Expressway East) near 55th Street.

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