Contact
Emi Behan
The Chromosome 18 Registry & Research Society
office@chromosome18.org
(210) 657-4968
Nichole McVicker, 2018 Chromosome 18 Decoded Chair, mcvickern@chromosome18.org
Where
Renaissance Baltimore Harbourplace Hotel202 East Pratt Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
Driving Directions
2018 Chromosome 18 Decoded
Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel
July 2nd - 4th
Check-In: Afternoon of Sunday, July 1st
REGISTRATION STIPEND NOW CLOSED
LATE REGISTRATION AVAILABLE THROUGH JUNE 24
Welcome!
New name - nothing's changed! We are celebrating our 25th Annual Conference this year under the new name Chromosome 18 Decoded. We feel this signifies more about the depth of the education, learning, community, and research that are rolled into these exciting few days every year.
The 2018 Chromosome 18 Decoded will be held at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel from Monday, July 2nd through Wednesday, July 4th. Baltimore is located just an hour outside of Washington, DC and is easily accessible by all methods of travel. Come and join us in what is sure to be a great conference where you’ll get to see some old friends and meet many new friends. If this is your first time, we strongly encourage you to come with the whole family as we have lots of different programs and fun events for everybody.
Over the course of the three days, many different speakers and events are available including four tracks of presentations for: the families of young children, the families of adolescents/young adults, siblings, and self-advocates. The sibling track is planned and run by our adult siblings trained in child development and facilitation. The self-advocate track is for those affected individuals over the age of 16 who can function independently within the conference environment. There will be breakout discussion sessions for each syndrome group as well as for regional groups.
The conference culminates on Wednesday evening with the Starfish Dinner and Dance and can guarantee that you will have so much fun, making it hard to say goodnight and goodbye to your Chromosome 18 family. The Starfish Dinner & Dance is open to all (registered conference attendees, family, friends, community partners and sponsors). Tickets for unreserved seating are included in the conference registration. All others may purchase tickets once registration opens. This is a perfect opportunity for anyone who is not attending the conference to be part of our special event. The evening will end with Fourth of July Fireworks over the Baltimore Harbor – it will definitely be a night to remember!
Registration for Men's Night, Ladies' Night, Self-Advocate Outings, and Sibling Outings will be available soon through a different registration page. There will be NO on-site registration for activities this year.
Details
The countdown is on to the 2018 Chromosome 18 Decoded to be held July 2-5 at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel. This year there will be one conference price for all participants and you have the option to choose a stipend from Chromosome 18 or purchase a ticket at regular price. Stipends are generated from funds raised throughout the year and distributed to help offset the price of conference fees. Upon registering, you will notice the regular participant conference fees is $325 and you can choose to use the $125 stipend, bringing the conference fee to $200 per participant. For those participants needing supervised care (baby, child, and teen childcare by childcare professionals) you will also find two registration options. You can choose to register these participants with the stipend of $300, reducing your cost to $250 or at the full conference price with childcare fees at $550. Everyone must pre-register online. There will be no on-site registration.
Everyone attending, even children, need to register. People who do not need to register might be, for example, grandparents or others who are coming for the purpose of babysitting your child. They do not need to register if they will not:
- Attend any sessions (for parents, siblings, or self-advocates)
- Eat conference planned group meals
- Attend any evening sessions - such as Ladies' Night, Men's Night, etc.
They may attend the Starfish Dinner & Dance if they pay for their own seat ($100 each) or as the guest of someone who purchases a Starfish Dinner & Dance Table.
The conference check-in will begin on Sunday, July 1 from 3pm - 6pm. This will give you an opportunity to get your conference materials, find out the schedules of speakers, purchase merchandise, and sign up for events and childcare. After registration has closed a opportunity will be available to get together and meet with some of the other families in a more social setting.
On Monday morning, the conference starts in earnest, and childcare will be offered during the day Monday through Wednesday. If you want to take advantage of this, please make sure that you have registered and paid for this service. Times of childcare will be posted at the conference.
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Lunches will be provided Monday & Tuesday. Dinner will provided at the Starfish Dinner and Dance on Wednesday evening. Additional meals will be at your own expense, please plan accordingly. The hotel is near many restaurants and food options. Helpful Resources |
Lodging
Book your room with the Chromosome 18 Discounted Rate by calling Frances Johnson at (410) 547-1200, ext. 2192
You can also book your room through the online portal here. If you require double room accommodations, please see the details below.
* Due to a shortage of Double Bed rooms at the conference hotel, you can request a roll-away bed in your King room when you make your reservation. King rooms will be available to transfer to Double Bed rooms after the first night of the conference, but please liaise with the hotel to ensure this is noted in your reservation.*
You can read a letter from the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel explaining King Room & Double Room accommodations here.
The Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel is offering a discounted group rate of $159/night (Excluding Tax). This rate will be available until mid-June 2018, so please book your room in advance. The hotel will provide enough refrigerators for our group. However, not all rooms come equipped with refrigerators. Some rooms you may need to request a refrigerator be delivered, please inquire when booking. If you require a bath tub this request needs to be made when reserving as most rooms just have showers. Rooms do not have microwaves. Please plan accordingly. The Registry has negotiated that you will not be charged for internet in your hotel rooms. Please make sure you ask for this at Registration. Click links for a full list of hotel amenities and accessiblity.
Parking is $33 per day and Valet Parking is available for $43 per day. There are many restaurants within walking distance of the hotel.
No shuttle service is available from Baltimore/Washington Inernational Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI - 8 miles) or Martin State Airport (MTN – 10 miles). More details can be found here.
Book your room with the Chromosome 18 Discounted Rate by calling Frances Johnson at (410) 547-1200, etxt. 2192. Please be sure to mention that you are with The Chromosome 18 Conference in order to receive the discount. Families often comment that staying in the same hotel as the conference, and with the other families, is critical for the full "Conference Experience". Please reserve your accomodations early. Once the Registry's block of rooms are fully booked, our members are not guaranteed a room in this hotel. Your reservation is your responsibility. First come, first served!
Schedule
We are excited that this year's conference will have a wide range of speakers and topics. There is definitely something for everyone! Our schedule is not final and is subject to change. We will keep you updated.
Click here for the current tentative schedule.
Childcare
Childcare will be provided by a professional childcare company, as in years past. In addition, we will be offering program tracks for Self-Advocates and Siblings. We will have a lounge and hang-out space for kids in each of these groups. It will be a place where the kids can sign themselves in and out (with their parent's permission).
Schedules will be available for childcare activities closer to the date of the conference!
Starfish Dinner & Dance
Everybody will be enjoying a wonderful night to include a three-course meal, awards presentation and silent and live auctions and lots of dancing as the culmination of a fantastic few days as the annual conference draws to a close at our Starfish Dinner & Dance that will take place on Wednesday, July 4th from 5:15pm to 9:15pm.
The Starfish Dinner & Dance is open to all (registered conference attendees, family, friends, community partners and sponsors). Tickets for unreserved seatting are included in the conference registration. All others may purchase tickets here. This is a perfect opportunity for anyone who is not attending the conference to be part of our special event.
Reserved Table Fundraiser
Raise at least $1,500 and you'll be able to pick your choice of table (that seats 10) in the Ballroom for the Starfish Dinner & Dance and choose how you would like to be recognized by selecting your table name along with reserved seating. This sponsorship allows you to have up to 9 guests join you for the evening at no additional cost. These could be guests who are not attending the conference and who would like to attend the Starfish Dinner & Dance; they would not need to pay the ticket fee of $100 per person. You can also invite families from the conference to join you at your table!
Want to be right in the front, up close and in the center of the action? Prefer to be at the back to take it all in? You decide.....
Click here for more information on this special fundraiser!
Frequently Asked Questions