Greetings:
The 2024 Grand Lodge Convention is rapidly approaching! The following information will assist you in planning your visit later this week.
The Florida delegation hotel is the Downright Austin Hotel located at 705 E 11th St, Austin, TX 78701. This is a name change that occurred in April of this year. It was formerly known as the Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capital.
The Downright Austin Hotel is located .7 miles from the Austin Convention Center where the convention will be held. It is about a 16-minute walk to the convention center or a 15-minute shuttle bus ride. There will be three other states co-located with us in the Downright, they are Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. The Hilton Austin and the JW Marriott Austin are the co-headquarter hotels.
The check-in time for the Downright Austin Hotel is 3:00 p.m. and check-out is 12:00 p.m.
Convention attendees will want to plan to arrive in Austin by Saturday, June 29th as the Opening Ceremonies begin on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. Exalted Rulers and Alternate Delegates are required to attend all general sessions and the opening ceremonies. The final general session of the convention will end around 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
The Downright Austin Hotel does not offer an airport shuttle. The Austin-Bergstrom (AUS) international airport is located about 8 miles from the Downright or about a 20-minute drive by car.
If you drive or rent a car, the Downright has discounted overnight self-parking at 50% off their standard rate of $42 daily. Valet parking is not discounted and is $49 per day.
For those that did the $50 Online Grand Lodge Registration at Elks.org, your name badges and voting credentials will be available to pick up at the Austin Convention Center. The registration schedule is as follows:
Saturday, June 29 – 8:00 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. | Monday, July 1 – 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m.
Sunday, June 30 – 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. | Tuesday, July 2 – 7:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
If you didn’t do the $50 Online Grand Lodge Registration at Elks.org, you have until June 26th. After this date you will have to register on-site at the Austin Convention Center, the cost there is $60.00. The Grand Lodge Registration fee is required to be paid by Elks members only. There is no fee for non-Elks registering with an Elks member. Everyone must do this as your name badge is required to gain entry to all meetings & the exhibit hall, and your voting credentials are required to be in your possession to be able to vote during the legislative session.
Thank you to the, all but ten attendees who paid in advance the required $75 fee to support the Florida Hospitality Room. If you are one of the ten, please see me at the hospitality room to pay the fee and to provide me with your updated email address. A list will be posted of those who I will need to see.
Your early-entry tickets (7:00 p.m. – SA, SU, & M) for the Florida Hospitality Room and your tickets to the Tuesday Florida Dinner can be picked up outside the Florida Hospitality Room (Capital View Terrace - Lobby Level of the Downright – 3rd floor) beginning at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. The hospitality room will not open until 7:00 p.m.
We will also begin selling “No Give Back” 50/50 Tickets starting Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Tickets will be sold for 3 for $10. Should you wish to buy tickets for all three nights (SA, SU, & M) on Saturday ONLY, we will sell you three tickets for each night for $25. A $5.00 discount! You do not have to be present to win, however a working & legible phone number must be written on the winning ticket.
A very limited number of tickets for the Tuesday night Florida Dinner will be available for purchase at the Florida Hospitality Room.
The Ritual Competition will take place in the Austin Convention Center. Florida’s best, Gainesville Lodge #990 is scheduled to compete at 8:00 a.m. on Sunday, June 30th. Florida’s Becky Spence from Gainesville Lodge #990 is scheduled to compete in the Eleven O’clock Toast Competition at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, June 30th, and Florida’s Dave Carroll from Cocoa Lodge #1532 is scheduled to compete in the Flag Charge Competition at 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, June 30th. Please plan to attend the competitions to cheer on our Florida competitors!
A highlight of the Grand Lodge Convention each year is the Florida Hospitality Room. The hospitality room will be held in the Capital View Terrace Room located on the lobby level (3rd floor) of the Downright Hotel.
The schedule for the hospitality room is as follows:
Saturday – June 29th – 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Sunday – June 30th – 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Monday – July 1st – 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
We will have a DJ Nightly and the first two hours each night will be for Florida Ticket Holders Only.
The official Grand Lodge Opening Ceremonies will be held at the Austin Convention Center on Sunday, June 30th from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Members and accompanied guests are encouraged to attend the opening ceremonies.
On Sunday for the opening ceremonies, we do not have assigned seating, but we will have several members from Florida arrive early to secure seating for the Florida attendees. As you enter the convention hall look for the large orange flags being waved to direct you to the seating for Florida. Sunday night attendees are encouraged to wear red, white, and blue, but if you prefer just wear orange jackets or shirts every day!
Florida attendees are encouraged to wear orange jackets or orange shirts to all sessions of the Grand Lodge and to sit in the area designated for the Florida delegation starting Monday. Again, look for the large orange flags as we will be assigned seating on Monday, which is different from Sunday. Also, be reminded that all Exalted Rulers or Alternate Delegates are required to check-in with their Endorsed District Deputy prior to the beginning of each official Grand Lodge session.
The Florida Dinner will be held Tuesday, July 2nd in the Capital Ballroom at the Downright located across the hall from the Florida Hospitality Room. Florida Dinner ticketholders are invited to a special reception (for ticketholders only) in the Florida Hospitality Room from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Starting at 7:30 p.m. we will begin moving across the hall to the Capital Ballroom for the Florida Dinner. There it will begin cash bar. Our DJ from the hospitality room will be providing music for your listening pleasure and for dancing at the Florida Dinner. The FL Dinner program will begin at 8:00 p.m. and dinner will be served at 8:30 p.m. Dress for the event is business casual. I am happy to report that almost every Past National President will be attending the Florida Dinner as well as the current National President, the National President Elect, and the Grand Secretary. We will also have several attendees from Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Puerto Rico, and the Republic of Panama.
A couple of helpful hints regarding the newly rebranded and remodeled Downright Austin Hotel:
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They, like many modern hotels, provide shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in dispensers located in the shower.
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They have limited hangers in the closet, so if you need to hang multiple items you may want to bring extra hangers.
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They do not have a chest of drawers in the room. This seems to be becoming more prevalent in hotels these days. I guess most travelers live out of their suitcases.
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The rooms do not have irons and ironing boards. They have a steamer.
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The blow dryer is small.
Most anything else you might need for convention is located on the Grand Lodge website at www.elks.org
Link to Convention Events Schedule - https://www.elks.org/convention/schedule.cfm
The Shuttle for our hotel and the Hilton Garden Inn will be the #5 Orange. You will board the bus in front of the Downright Hotel on 2nd Street. The shuttle schedule is as follows:
I think you are going to enjoy Austin, the Grand Lodge Convention, and the Downright Austin Hotel!
I am looking forward to seeing you in Austin very soon and as always, if I may be of any further assistance, please don’t hesitate to e-mail me carl@floridaelks.org
