Convention Registration

MLA registration for members opens in September; nonmember registration opens in October. Visit www.mla.org/MLA-2023 for registration rates and details.

Membership in the MLA

Individuals who join the association while registering for the convention are entitled to register at members’ rates. Join the MLA or renew your membership online or at the membership desk at the convention, which will be located in the MLA registration and welcome center.

On-Site Registration

Attendees who have not registered for the MLA convention may register during the convention at the MLA registration and welcome center. Refer to the online Information for Attendees for the location and hours of operation.

Hotels

Hotel rooms at the special MLA rates are available beginning in September and only to persons who are registered for the MLA convention. Each convention registrant can reserve one hotel room. Housing forms will not be processed if they include the names of persons in the profession who have not paid their registration fees for the convention. (Spouses, friends, and family members who wish to share a room with a registrant and who are also engaged in the study of language and literature must register and pay their registration fees for the convention.) Convention registrants with housing questions during the convention may go to the housing desk in the MLA registration and welcome center. A representative of CMR, the MLA housing service, will be there to help attendees with any hotel issues they may have.

Identification

You may need to have a government-issued photo ID when you check into your hotel. Security personnel may ask to see your hotel room key or may ask that you be accompanied by a hotel guest with a room key.

Appropriate Conduct at the MLA Annual Convention

The MLA is committed to providing an inclusive and harassment-free environment for everyone, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, physical appearance, ethnicity, religion, or other group identity.

MLA guidelines on appropriate conduct at the convention and MLA policies on discrimination and harassment and on professional ethics are included on the website and in the Convention Guide.

Photography and Recording of Sessions

The MLA will be photographing and recording a number of sessions taking place at the convention; attendees’ audio, video, or written participation in the convention may be recorded, and attendees may be photographed as part of this event. Session recordings will be available to convention registrants through the online convention platform. The MLA's recordings and photographs from the convention will also be used to share the work of members and the atmosphere of the convention with a broader public. It is a violation of MLA policy for individuals to record either audio or video of presentations or sessions. Occasional exceptions may be made for members of the media taping short segments designed to convey the convention atmosphere. Such arrangements must be made in advance through the director of outreach and require the consent of all speakers at a session. When taping is approved, a representative of the MLA's media staff must be present during the session. The session organizer will announce to the audience that audio or video recording will take place during a part of the session. Only background taping is allowed, not the taping of an entire session. Requests to use brief recorded elements of the convention as part of a creative or documentary project should be sent to press@mla.org.

Badges

Badges are required for admission to convention sessions, the exhibit hall, and the MLA Professional Development Hub. Badge holders are available at the MLA registration and welcome center, where attendees can also replace lost badges for $20.

Fragrance

The Committee on Disability Issues in the Profession reminds attendees that refraining from using scented products will help ensure the comfort of everyone at the convention.

Reading in Absentia

Sessions at the 2023 convention will take place either in person or online. To encourage discussion and dialogue among panelists and attendees at convention sessions, reading in absentia (whether by Skype, videoconferencing, audio delivery, or presentation by surrogates) is not normally permitted at sessions taking place in person. Presenters who are unable to attend the convention because of unforeseen emergencies may circulate their papers in advance through private or public groups on MLA Commons or upload them to the MLA's open-access repository, CORE.

Smoking

Smoking is prohibited in most public places in San Francisco.

Accessibility

The MLA is committed to making arrangements that allow all members of the association to participate in the convention. Write to Stacey Courtney (scourtney@mla.org) with questions and specific requests.

Accessibility Desk. There will be a desk in the MLA registration and welcome center staffed with personnel who can provide assistance to convention attendees.

American Sign Language Interpretation and CART. Sign language interpretation and real-time captioning at the convention are scheduled based on requests received by 12 November. If resources are available, the convention office will make every effort to accommodate late requests.

Convention sessions that take place online will be set for automated captioning (viewable at the bottom of your screen) or automated transcription (viewable at the side of your screen). You may adjust these settings as desired on your own screen (click the CC box at the bottom of your screen for your options).

Sessions. The MLA requests that all session organizers and presenters take the necessary steps to make their sessions accessible to attendees with permanent or temporary disabilities. See the complete list of guidelines on the Access Guidelines for MLA Convention Session Organizers and Presenters page (www.mla.org/access-guidelines).

Speakers are asked to bring five copies of their papers, even in draft form, for the use of members who wish to follow a written text. We recommend uploading those presentations to MLA Commons before the convention for easy and secure sharing. Speakers who use handouts should prepare some copies in a large-print format (14- to 16-point type size) and should indicate whether they want their papers and handouts returned.

Meeting Rooms. Meeting rooms at the convention are accessible by elevator, and the doors are wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs.

Hotel Rooms. To reserve hotel rooms that are specifically equipped for persons with permanent or temporary disabilities, participants must check the appropriate boxes on the convention registration and housing reservation forms or contact Stacey Courtney (scourtney@mla.org) by 12 November.

Transportation. San Francisco's SFMTA provides a comprehensive outline of accessible transportation services available (www.sfmta.com/accessibility-all). In addition, convention registrants who need accessible transportation during the convention are eligible to be reimbursed up to $150 for rides taken between official MLA locations during convention hours (5–8 January 2023). Receipts must include the travel date, time, and cost as well as the pickup and drop-off locations. Send your reimbursement request and receipts by 23 January to Stacey Courtney (scourtney@mla.org).

Scooter Rentals. To navigate the convention more easily, attendees can rent scooters in advance from Scootaround (888 441-7575 or scootaround.com/en/2023-mla-annual-convention).

Childcare

MLA members who are registered for the convention and use childcare services are eligible for reimbursement. The MLA has funds available for reimbursement of up to $400 each to registered members who use childcare during convention hours. If more requests are received than can be reimbursed with available funds, preference will be given to graduate students and members in lower-income categories.

Members should submit a request for reimbursement, along with supporting documentation such as a receipt from a childcare service, no later than 28 January to Karin Bagnall (kbagnall@mla.org).

Convention App and Online Program

The MLA 2023 online program and convention app provide easy access to session information, maps, the list of exhibitors, and other convention details. Log in to mla23.org or download the MLA 2023 app to create a personal convention schedule and to communicate with fellow attendees, learn about session and schedule changes, and discover exhibit hall events and other late-breaking news.

Convention Guide

The Convention Guide, containing city and hotel maps and providing general information pertinent throughout the convention, will be available as a PDF on the MLA website and as a handout at the convention.

Friends of Bill W.

A meeting room is set aside for the Friends of Bill W. throughout convention hours. Meeting dates and times and exact location will be listed closer to the convention.

Headquarters Office

Members of the MLA convention staff will be available in the headquarters office to handle problems that might arise with meeting rooms or meeting facilities. Program organizers are asked to refer questions on such matters to the headquarters office, not to the venue management. More general questions will be answered by staff members at the MLA registration and welcome center. The headquarters location and hours of operation will be available on the MLA website and in the online program.

MLA Registration and Welcome Center

Visit the MLA registration and welcome center for information about the convention and the association, registration and badges, and free copies of the Convention Guide. The center's location and hours of operation will be available on the MLA website and in the online program.

Press Office

Members of the press who wish to cover the convention should contact the director of outreach (press@mla.org) by 3 January to obtain credentials and get assistance.

Speaker Ready Room

Space for speakers to run through their audiovisual presentations before their sessions will be available; the location will be listed online later this fall. Those who have computer presentations are strongly encouraged to test their presentations in the speaker ready room during convention hours. Please write to Deirdre Henry (dhenry@mla.org) with audiovisual questions. Requests for audiovisual equipment were due 1 April; we regret that we are unable to accommodate late requests.

Wi-Fi Access

The MLA is providing free wireless Internet access in the convention meeting rooms and public areas (except in the exhibit hall).

MLA PubCentral

Visit MLA PubCentral in the exhibit hall for everything related to MLA publications.

MLA Books. Purchase recent MLA titles at a discount or pitch your manuscript to an acquisitions editor.

MLA Style. Explore the ninth edition of the MLA Handbook and sign up for a demo or free trial of our digital resource for libraries, MLA Handbook Plus.

MLA International Bibliography. Learn more about our definitive database and its full-text counterpart, along with our free online course.