1. Pack at least two pair of comfortable shoes, preferably flats. You will be walking a great deal—on concrete. It’s not a fashion show!
2. Put your second pair of shoes in your carry-on suitcase with wheels that you will use on the ICRS floor to collect books and catalogs. That way you can change shoes during the day.
3. Bring a large suitcase in which to carry the free books you picked up on the ICRS floor. Shipping them home is very expensive. Be careful not to go over 50 pounds—including your clothes!
4. Bring an umbrella. It rains in St. Louis, and you don’t want to look like a drowned rat!
5. The Crowne Plaza Hotel is 4 to 5 blocks from the convention center, but CBA provides free buses to transport you back and forth from this and the other CBA hotels to the convention center. Bus service starts on Sunday.
6. To get to your hotel from the airport, the Crowne Plaza recommends Go Best Express owned by Go Airport Shuttle. Rates are $21 one-way, or $37 round-trip. You can make reservations in advance at shuttlefare.com, but I don’t think it’s necessary. You can just pick up your luggage at baggage claim and walk out to the shuttle curb. There will be an attendance there to help you. Lots of shuttles will be heading to the convention center hotels. If you book a shuttle ahead, you’ll have to wait for that one. Or you can get a taxi for $30, $2 each additional person, so if you have two or three people this might be cheaper.
7. As far as dress goes, most people dress up for banquets. The dress on the ICRS floor though is casual business. Either dresses or nice slacks are fine. Some people dress up for their signings, but I figure since I’m sitting behind a table, nobody can see my shoes anyway. I’m a firm believer in flats.