Registration

Agenda
Top Ten Reasons to Attend
Register Online
Optional Dinner Cruise

Ways to help

Conference Scholarship Fund
Conference Sponsorship

Arlington, VA is the place to be this July!  2008 is a landmark year for ASAP as we celebrate our 20th Anniversary. This years annual conference promises to be the most exciting one to date.  Make plans to be a part of this unique opportunity to share and learn with others!

Program: Syringomyelia and Chiari malformation experts are gearing up to present the latest treatment options, alternatives in symptom management, and advancements in research.

With multiple opportunities to speak with the presenters, ask questions and learn from specialists, the conference provides an opportunity to the newly diagnosed and veteran alike that is not available elsewhere.

Ambassadors will be available to offer support, guidance and encouragement during the four-day event.  In addition, we have special activities planned daily for kids ages 6 and up.

Agenda

In addition to lectures by the experts, small discussion groups for parents, caregivers, spouses, teens and adults with SM and CM are included.

The meeting will start with onsite registration and an opening reception on Wednesday, July 23, at 7:00 pm. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday will be packed with sessions and social events.  So plan a few extra days to explore our nation’s capital with its historic places and fine museums (most are free).

Host: John D. Heiss, M.D. Head of the Clinical Unit of the Surgical Neurology Branch, National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), in Bethesda, Maryland will host the  ASAP Annual Medical Conference.

Cost: Includes all morning and afternoon sessions, welcoming reception, three continental breakfasts, and the Saturday evening banquet: $150 per adult, $85.00 per child 18 and under. Refunds will be given only until July 8, minus a $25 handling fee.

Not included in the registration fee, you can choose to come to an optional social event Thursday night. Join us on the Potomac River for a three hour dinner cruise!  The cost of this special event is $88 for adults and kids 3-12 are $44. 

Hotel: Sheraton Crystal City
1800 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, Virginia 22202
1-888-627-8209

Airports: Three airports service the Washington D.C. area.  To assist in travel planning they are listed below in order of convenience, with means of ground transportation.

• The hotel is just one mile from Ronald Reagan National Airport. (Airport code: DCA) Free shuttle service is provided from Ronald Reagan National Airport.

• The hotel is approximately 28 miles from Dulles International Airport. (Airport code: IAD) In addition to rental cars, Washington Flyer Taxi provides service between Dulles and Reagan National for an estimated fare of $50 (estimated travel time is 45-60 minutes). SuperShuttle shared ride van provides the same service for about $23 (estimated travel time is 45-75 minutes). Washington Flyer Coach provides service between Dulles and the West Falls Church Metro Station for $9. From there you can connect to Metro Rail.  On the Metro Rail take the Orange Line to the Rosslyn Metro station and transfer to the Blue line on the lower level to go to Crystal City.  Fare is $3.20 per person during rush hours or $1.85 during non rush hours. Estimated travel time is 70-90 minutes.

• The hotel is approximately 37 miles from Baltimore Washington International Airport. (Airport code: BWI) In additional to rental cars, the MARC trains operate Monday to Friday from 4:50 am to 9:45 pm from the Airport train terminal to Union Station for a fare of $6.00 for the 40 min trip. The remainder of the trip would be by Metro from Union Station. Take the Red Line to Gallery Place and transfer to the Yellow Line on the lower level to go to Crystal City.  Fare is $2.05 per person during rush hours or $1.35 during non rush hours. Estimated travel time on Metro is 20 minutes.  AMTRAK does run hourly trains on Sunday approximately every hour; the cost is from $12 to $31 depending on the train. Taxi fare is in the range of $90.

Hotel Room Rate: $139 plus 12.25% room tax. Reservations for the event will be made by individual attendees directly with Sheraton reservations at 1-888-627-8209. Room reservations must be made by July 9, 2008 to receive the discount. Let them know you are attending the ASAP conference to receive this rate, which will be extended three days before and three days after the conference. Parking is available at a reduced rate of $10 per day for attendees.  If arriving by conversion van, be sure to note this on the registration form, so that surface parking arrangements can be made.

Conference Scholarship: The Board of Directors and Conference Committee are proud to announce that we are once again offering a Conference Scholarship program this year. The Conference Scholarship helps defray some of the hotel cost in addition to waiving the registration fee for qualified applicants. A limited number of these scholarships are available and will be awarded on a first-come first-served basis. If you are interested in applying for the scholarship, please contact the ASAP office to request the guidelines and application.

The Scholarship Fund is supplemented by donations from our membership. You can make it possible for those with limited incomes to attend this educational event and learn more about these disorders. To make a donation to the scholarship fund and help us increase the number of scholarships given each year, send your donation to the ASAP office in Longview. Please include a note that the donation is for the Conference Scholarship Fund.

Local Members: Your family and friends are welcome to attend the conference and see for themselves why ASAP is so important to you. If they can't make the conference, please invite them to join us for the closing banquet at a cost of $60 per person.

Fundraising Raffle: Remember the raffle and auction at the closing banquet! Members donate some items while others are donated by local companies. Many are handmade by friends and relatives. A few of these are chosen for the highly spirited auction.

If you can't attend but would like to offset the cost of the conference or send an item for the raffle, it would be greatly appreciated. Please send either to the ASAP office. (Note: raffle items must be received by June 30.)