New Orleans, here we come.
The Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship’s 2023 Conference is now set for Thursday, Nov. 9 through Sunday, Nov. 12 at the Hyatt Centric Hotel in the city’s famous French Quarter. Heavily discounted rooms have been booked at the Hyatt as well as at the budget-friendly Homewood Suites by Hilton just five streets down the road (but also in the Quarter).
Bookings can now be made at both hotels for the three conference nights (Nov. 9, 10 and 11), plus, for those wanting to stay longer, one or two nights before or after at the same group rates.
The Hyatt is offering king-bedded rooms for single or double occupancy at $220 per night (plus 16.2% tax for a total of about $256 nightly). Rooms with two separate queen beds are $240 per night plus tax (single or double occupancy). For three in a room (sofa bed), add $20 to $30 per night to the price.
The rates for full suites at Homewood (single or double) are $149 per night plus 16.2% tax (total about $173 nightly). Add $15 per night for a triple.
Both hotels include complimentary wi-fi and in-room fridges. The French Quarter is also just a short walk from many of the city’s main attractions.
The Hyatt Centric, located at 800 Iberville Street, will host the conference itself in its large and beautiful Orleans Conference Suite. The Hyatt is a historic property with a pool, a gym and numerous restaurants. To book your room at the Hyatt, please use the following dedicated website link:
Hyatt Centric booking link: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/MSYRF/G-SHAK. (If the link doesn’t work for you, call +1 504-586-0800 and provide our group discount code: G-SHAK.)
To book at Homewood Suites by Hilton, use the following hyperlink to go directly to the hotel’s dedicated website.
Homewood Suites by Hilton booking link: Shakespeare Oxford Fellowship 2023. Please note: this link cannot be copied into a browser. Just click on it and you will get through. If you are asked to “Verify,” it is not necessary. That is, you can “Skip Verification.”
Because New Orleans is a hugely popular tourist destination and because we are meeting during both the college and pro-football seasons, the number of rooms available at each hotel is limited. It may be possible to add rooms if we know far enough in advance, but we cannot guarantee availability at the special rates. We urge you therefore to please book early to avoid disappointment.
For advance information and to help plan, the conference is currently scheduled to begin on Nov. 9 at noon and end on Nov. 12 at about 2 p.m. The formal part of the opening day session will conclude slightly earlier than usual to allow time for everyone to catch a 4 p.m. two-hour bus tour of the city ending up at the nearby Mississippi River where our group will board a chartered paddle wheeler for a dinner and jazz cruise. The city tour and cruise will be in place of our usual opening reception and comes courtesy of a special grant from a New Orleans foundation that has asked to remain anonymous.
For the record, the 19th century-style paddle wheeler features outside decks with authentically patterned wrought iron trims. The interiors are appointed with Victorian style draperies, period lighting and two cash bars built with Louisiana cypress.
A New Orleans jazz band will be playing throughout the cruise and a traditional cajun buffet will be served featuring chicken and andouille sausage gumbo, Cajun Caesar salad, creole jambalaya, blackened chicken, roast beef, garlic mashed potatoes, Cajun seafood pasta, red beans and rice, roast veggies, corn mac choux and a classic chocolate bread pudding with whiskey sauce for dessert.
The conference fee – registration details will be announced shortly – includes not only the opening day’s many events but also buffet lunches on Friday and Saturday, the closing banquet on Sunday, coffee service throughout and admission to all paper presentations. Registration forms will be available through the website shortly.
The planning committee is currently working on setting up a live-stream of the conference papers being presented to allow those unable to join us in New Orleans an opportunity to participate from a distance. It is also hoped to offer the live-stream of specific papers free to high school and university classes. Anyone interested in hosting an academic live-stream is asked to contact any member of the Conference Committee.
Problems with the above hotel bookings or questions about the conference itself can be addressed by e-mail to Don Rubin, conference chair at drubin@yorku.ca. Other members of the Conference Committee are Bonner Cutting, Alex McNeil, Richard Joyrich, Tom Woosnam, Rick Foulke and John Hamill. SOF President Earl Showerman is an ex-officio member of all committees and may be contacted as well.
Additional conference information will be released over the coming months.
A call for papers with suggested themes will be made in early February with a June 15 deadline.
