FAQs
- How many people will be attending?
- Will there be any single people there?
- What is the age range of the attendees?
- Where were the previous conventions held and how many people attended?
- What is the weather like in Houston in late April?
- What is there to do in Houston?
- What are the restaurants like there?
- How much is a plane flight to Houston?
- Will I need a car?
- Do I need to stay in the same hotel as the convention?
- Can I get a roommate to share the hotel expenses?
- I am a vegetarian. Will there be anything for me to eat?
- I am gay. Will there be any other gays at the convention?
- My significant other has children. Can I bring him/her as a guest?
- Can I bring a friend or relative who has children?
- Do I have to be a No Kidding! member to attend?
- Do I have to attend the entire convention?
- Can I volunteer for the convention? Can I get in for free?
- What is the dress code?
- How many people will be attending?
Unknown at this time. We will not have a total headcount until registration closes in mid-April. The sooner you pay your registration fee, the more accurate our headcount will be. Besides, no matter how many or how few attend, we will have a great time!
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- Will there be any single people there?
Yes. This event is open to singles AND couples. To make the singles feel more comfortable, we plan to have a few singles events during the convention. You can also request to be seated at a singles table during the dinner event on Saturday night.
Besides, you are guaranteed to make some new friends at the convention, regardless of their marital status.
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- What is the age range of the attendees?
Unknown at this time. We are not asking people for their ages when they register. However, since No Kidding! itself is open to adults of all ages, we expect a broad age range to attend. There are bound to be at least a few other people your age.
Besides, we recommend that you not limit yourself to socializing with people your own age: plan to have a fun time and meet new people regardless of age.
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- Where were the previous conventions held and how many people attended?
The first No Kidding! convention was held in Las Vegas in 2002. The 2003 convention was held in New Orleans, 2004 in Seattle, 2005 in Philadelphia, 2006 in Toronto, and 2007 in Las Vegas. There were no conventions held in 2008 or 2009, so this is the first convention in 3 years!
Attendance at the various conventions varied from 20 people to over 100 people, depending on the location, time of year, availability of flights, activities, the economy, and various other factors.
The previous conventions were hosted and organized by other No Kidding! chapters or by a committee of No Kidding! volunteers.
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- What is the weather like in Houston in late April?
It varies. Usually Houston has mild weather in the spring, but it could be anywhere from the 50s to the 80s. There is very high humidity here. We recommend that you check the weather forecast before packing so you can better prepare.
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- What is there to do in Houston?
Houston is a very international, cosmopolitan city that also feels like a big small town. There are several museums, theaters, a zoo, an arboretum, tourist attractions, world-class shopping, festivals, historic sites, parks, major sports teams, bars, clubs, and restaurants.
Houstonians are friendly people who love to show visitors the best the city has to offer. You will be sure to experience that "southern hospitality" during your visit.
Luckily for us, the International Festival will be taking place this weekend within walking distance of the hotel. For more information go to www.ifest.org
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- What are the restaurants like there?
Houstonians really love good food. Houston has more restaurants per capita than any other U.S. city, including New York!
Houston is probably best known for good barbecue and good Tex-Mex food.
Because of Houston's proximity to Louisiana, there is good Cajun food here too. And because of our proximity to the Gulf Coast, fresh seafood is not hard to find! Of course, Texans love a good steak,so good steakhouses abound! But fear not, vegetarians: there are restaurants for you too!
Craving ethnic food? Houston has a veritable melting pot of international restaurants: Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, Spanish, Indian, Italian, French, Latin American, German, Korean, Ethiopian, Nigerian, Mediterranean, Polish...Houston has it all!
If you prefer fast food or a simple sandwich, there is plenty of that too!
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- How much is a plane flight to Houston?
It depends where you are flying from and when you buy your ticket. Houston has two major airports: Hobby and Bush Intercontinental. Almost all the major airlines fly here. Intercontinental is a hub for Continental Airlines, and Hobby is a hub for Southwest Airlines.
Because Houston is a major oil city and business center, there are a lot of international flights too. You should not have any trouble finding an affordable and convenient flight.
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- Will I need a car?
It depends. A lot of the convention activities will take place in or near the hotel, but not all. Houston does have public transportation, such as the Metro Rail and a bus system. However, Houston is very spread-out and not every part of the city is accessible by public transportation.
If you don't have a car with you, you will be able to get around. There are buses and taxis from the airports, the Metro Rail will take you from Downtown to the museum district and the zoo, there is a complimentary hotel shuttle van that will take you within a 3-mile radius of the hotel depending upon availability, there is a bus terminal near the hotel, and the taxis have a special $6 rate around the downtown area.
If you have a car with you, you can pay just $10 per day to park it at the hotel. It will be easier for you to get to and from the activities that don't take place downtown, and you'll also have the freedom to go exploring on your own or with a friend.
So it is up to you whether or not you decide to bring a car or rent one. Take a look at the schedule and do some research on what you want to see in Houston before making a decision.
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- Do I need to stay in the same hotel as the convention?
There is no requirement that you stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. However, because many convention activities will take place here, and tours will be departing from here, it would certainly be easier for you if you did.
The Crowne Plaza is giving us a very good price, and it's unlikely that you'll find a hotel of this quality offering a better price. Plus, the more of us who stay at the hotel, the more likely they will be to accommodate our convention needs (meeting rooms, perks, food and drink comps, upgrades).
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- Can I get a roommate to share the hotel expenses?
You may post a roommate request on our convention Yahoo! Group e-mail list and message board: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nokidconvention.
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- I am a vegetarian. Will there be anything for me to eat?
Yes. The hotel can provide vegetarian options during the Saturday lunch and the Saturday dinner banquet. When you register for the convention, let us know you require a special meal.
We will also do our best to choose restaurants that have vegetarian items on the menu. There will be at least one outing to a vegetarian restaurant during the event.
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- I am gay. Will there be any other gays at the convention?
Unknown at this time. No Kidding! is open to adults regardless of sexual orientation. If there is enough interest, we can provide a special table for GLBT attendees at the Saturday dinner banquet.
Regardless, we hope you will have fun at the convention and make lots of new friends regardless of their sexual preference.
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- My significant other has children. Can I bring him/her as a guest?
Yes. Childfree/childless individuals may bring a "childed" spouse or significant other as a guest.
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- Can I bring a friend or relative who has children?
No. The guest policy is only for spouses and significant others. A platonic friend with children or a family member with children may not attend as a guest.
These is the policy handed down to all No Kidding! chapters by Chapter One, the Worldwide No Kidding! headquarters.
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- Do I have to be a No Kidding! member to attend?
No. You just have to be a childfree or childless adult. The convention is open to any adult who has never been a parent.
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- Do I have to attend the entire convention?
No. You can attend as much or as little of the convention as you like. We understand that not everyone can get there by Thursday, so if you just want to come on Friday and Saturday, or Saturday and Sunday, that is fine. However, we still require a registration fee.
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- Can I volunteer for the convention? Can I get in for free?
Yes, and No. We would be more than happy to have more volunteers. However, we still need your registration fee to pay the hotel for the catering fees. All of us on the Convention Committee are volunteers and we do not have a budget to spend on "comps". We are paying to attend just like everyone else.
If you are still interested in volunteering, you can join our convention committee e-mail list/message board at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nk2010concom.
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- What is the dress code?
All of the convention events will be casual except for the Saturday night dinner banquet party, which will be "dress to impress". However, we will not throw anyone out if they show up in casual attire. Houston is a very casual city and people rarely dress up here. Jeans and shorts are very common and so are flip-flops. We recommend you bring at least one nice item of clothing and one nice pair of shoes for the Saturday night event. If you plan to go to any nightclubs or lounges during your visit, keep in mind that they will probably have a > dress code too. If you are arriving on Thursday and want to participate in the Murder Mystery event, it will have a Western theme, so you may want to bring a Western-style item of clothing if you have one. If not, don't worry! We locals will try to bring extras.
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