USEFUL INFORMATION
Remember: Going out to an evening event or for a meal with a new person from the Conference is a great way to network. There are many places to eat near the Foundry. Here you will find a list of restaurants and activities in the area. Note: Restaurants kitchens in Cambridge and Boston close early, typically at 9 pm. Most bars close at 11 pm on weekends, midnight on weekends.
Before the Conference.
If you have any special needs we should know about, please notify us (by email at Conference@transculturalexchange.org) no later than 4 weeks prior to the conference.
Register early to receive the lowest rates. If you are a student or teacher, you might also want to check with your school to see if they offer professional development funds to help defray the Conference’s costs. Some state arts councils, such as California’s, also offer funding for you to attend such Conferences.
Sign on to TransCultural Exchange’s social media pages, including our Facebook page, LinkedIn account, Instagram and listserv in the footer to receive the latest news about the Conference.
Book a place to stay. We have listed several accommodations here. Note: hotels in Cambridge and its next-door neighbor Boston are expensive. If cost is a concern, consider Airbnb, sharing a hotel room with friends or staying at Boston’s 2-star hostel. Ranked #9 in hostel rankings around the world and located in the heart of Boston’s historical center, this hostel’s rates, starting at $49/a night (booked in advance) are a great deal. Also, the Boylston subway station is just a few blocks from there; and, at that station, you can catch the Green Line D subway towards Union Square or Medford/Tufts and get off at Lechmere Station in Cambridge for a short, 10-minute walk to the Foundry.
Familiarize yourself with the Conference location and how to get there.
Detailed maps for all the Conference locations will be available no later than October 2024. Public transportation maps and schedules for how to get to the Foundry can be found here. Note: The Foundry is easily accessible from the Red Subway Line’s Kendall Station or the Green Subway Line’s Lechmere Station. Information about how to get to the Foundry from the airport, bus or train is available here.
Start looking over the schedule and list of presenters to carefully plan what sessions, workshops, tours, talks and portfolio reviews you will want to attend. Each day is jammed-packed with offerings. It is best to plan ahead and to come with a friend. That way, the two of you can attend different sessions and exchange notes afterward.
Plan to network – and not just with the speakers! We suggest that you try to meet at least 2 new people a day. Many of your fellow attendees have shown extensively, been to residencies and are attending the Conference to meet new people, share and learn; so be sure to bring business cards. We also suggest signing up for a Dutch treat, group lunch or dinner at one of the area restaurants. (Sign-ups will be available in the Conference registration area.)
Consider an ad in the Conference brochure (more info on conference advertising), if you want an even more visible presence at the Conference. Also, if you are an artist who offers a service to other artists – such as studio assistance, programming, website development, fabrication, etc. – you might also want to bring a sign for our message board.
Prepare for your portfolio review. These sessions are set up for you to show your work and receive feedback from another professional in the field. To do so, you will need some way of presenting your work to them. For instance, you could bring prints or a laptop. (Please note that you must bring your own laptop. There will be no additional ones for use during these reviews. Internet access will be available, but we highly recommend that you already have your work downloaded onto your laptop in the rare case that the internet service goes down during your review.)
Pack warm clothes. (Cambridge can be quite cold in March and the weather is quite changeable.) Also be sure to take in your hand luggage the map to your hotel and the Conference site.
During the Conference.
Pick up your Registration Materials First. Your registration materials will include a Conference brochure (which includes a full conference schedule and maps), sponsor handouts and your Conference badge. Keep track of your Conference badge. Your badge admits you into all the panels and sessions. If you lose it, there is a $35 charge for a replacement badge! Also, if you registered as a student or at any other special discount rate, you must present a valid ID to confirm your reduced registration status.
Arrive in plenty of time. Sessions typically start on time; and on the first day, you can expect a line at the registration desks to pick up your Conference materials. Therefore, we suggest arriving 30 minutes before your first session. Please be patient; this is a particularly stressful time for those manning the registration tables.
Access WiFi information will be available on site and at the Conference registration desk.
Stay hydrated. In the back of most of the panel rooms are pitchers of water; but you might want to consider bringing your own bottled water. Coffee will also be available at the beginning of each day. Many local restaurants are also within a short 5-minute walk away.
Charge your laptop and phone every night, but don’t forget to silence it during the sessions.
Allow enough travel time. To be safe, you should plan 30-45 minutes to travel from the Foundry to any activity in Boston and 20-30 minutes to Harvard Square. Maps and locations for all the Conference sites will be available here. Public transit maps and schedules are available here.
Ask questions. Each panel will have a question and answer period at the end. Please write down your question in advance and don’t forget to introduce yourself before you ask your question so people will remember you.
Exchange notes. There are a lot of sessions going on at the same time. In order not to miss any valuable information, we suggest that you partner with another attendee to attend different sessions and exchange notes afterward. This is a great way to make a new friend as well.
After the Conference.
Keep in touch. Follow up with your contacts. Let them know you’d like to stay in touch. Many of our past Conference goers have made long-time friendships and are now exhibiting and traveling together.
Give us feedback. Let us know what you think. Please complete the post-Conference survey. For this Conference to continue we must show the funders that artists find it useful. Quotes and feedback from attendees are always needed to ensure we can successfully argue the importance of keeping these Conferences going. We also are interested in promoting your ‘success story’ on our website so others can benefit from your first-hand knowledge.
Spread the word. If you had a great time, please let others know.
Prepare a Presentation for the Next Conference. Guidelines are usually posted a year in advance.