Lodging

We have reserved a block of rooms for conference participants at The Read House, an historic hotel in beautiful downtown Chattanooga. You may book a room now at http://bookings.ihotelier.com/bookings.jsp?groupID=4130230&hotelID=97530 or enter the discount code “SLSA24.” Rates are $139 for Thursday night and $179 per night for Friday and Saturday (plus taxes).

Great news - the SLSA rates have been extended as long as room availability lasts. Use the link to book your room in our block today!

Conference Location

Most conference activities will take place on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC), located just blocks from the Tennessee Riverwalk, the Bluff View Art District, downtown restaurants, and historic MLK Blvd. The Guerry Center, home to UTC’s Honors College, will host breakout sessions, film screenings, and performances, and attendees will convene for a plenary and reception at the university’s newly renovated Fine Arts Center. Discounted hotel accommodations will be available at Chattanooga’s historic Read House, where we will gather for a buffet dinner and keynote address. Known as the Scenic City, Chattanooga offers conference attendees opportunities to hike, bike, kayak, and rock climb, as well as abundant restaurants, breweries, shops, and historic sites.

Transportation & Other Logistics

With the start of the SLSA conference just days away, we would like to provide some transportation, parking, and other local information to make your time in Chattanooga as smooth and enjoyable as possible.

Getting to the Hotel

For those flying to Chattanooga, Uber, Lyft, and cab service are available from CHA airport to the Read House. For those who are driving, the Read House offers overnight valet parking for $25 per night, and there are several self-park lots nearby.

Getting to Campus and Around Chattanooga

The weather forecast for Friday-Sunday is warm but dry, and we encourage attendees who are able to do so to walk the one mile to and from the Guerry Center, home to UTC’s Honors College where most conference activities are scheduled (an interactive map of the UTC campus can be accessed here). The hotel does not offer shuttle service, and public transportation routes do not run directly between the Read House and the UTC campus. Parking on and around campus will be relatively challenging on Friday. But visitor parking is available in both the Mocs Alumni Drive Parking Garage (Lot 31, located at 605 Mocs Alumni Drive) or the Visitor Parking Lot (Lot 7, located across the street from the parking garage) for $6. City street parking is available on and near campus, though most is metered on Monday-Saturday from 8am-6pm. UTC’s general and reserved parking lots (including several very close to the Guerry Center) are free and open to the public after 6pm on weeknights and all day on Saturdays and Sundays.

Limited Shuttle Service

UTC’s History Department is able to provide transportation via a 12-passenger university van between the Read House and conference sites to a limited number of attendees at the beginning and end of each day. Because space may be scarce, please reserve seats initially for attendees with disabilities or less ambulatory mobility. The approximate van schedule is:

• Friday, ~8:30-10:15am, Read House to Guerry Center
• Friday, ~5:00-6:00pm, Guerry Center to Read House
• Saturday, ~8:30-9:30am, Read House to Guerry Center
• Saturday, ~6:00-7:30pm, UTC Fine Arts Center to Read House
• Sunday, ~9:00-10:00am, Read House to Guerry Center
• Sunday, ~11:30am-12:30pm, Guerry Center to Read House

Luggage Storage

Secure luggage storage can be provided at the Guerry Center, if necessary, on Friday and Sunday, or at the Read House for hotel guests.

Internet

UTC is providing guest Wi-Fi access to all conference attendees, and detailed instructions for connecting may be found here.

Wireless Network: UTC

Username: SouthernLabor

Password: SouthernLabor24

Meals, Dining Options, and Events

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, conference participants will be provided with a light continental breakfast and coffee on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings, a boxed lunch on Friday and Saturday, and afternoon coffee and tea on Friday and Saturday. Friday’s Awards Ceremony & Keynote Session at the Read House includes a bar and full dinner buffet, and Saturday’s plenary will be followed by a reception with appetizers.

There are an abundance of coffee shops and restaurants within walking distance of the UTC campus and especially the Read House hotel. There is a Starbucks located on the ground floor of the UTC Library just a few blocks from the Guerry Center, and Culture Coffee Co., Rembrandt’s Coffee House (in Chattanooga’s Bluff View Art District), Cadence Coffee Company, and Lantern Coffee Co. are good nearby options. Recommended restaurants near campus include Universal Joint, Community Pie, Bitter Alibi, Tony’s Pasta Shop, Uncle Larry’s, and Six-Eighteen. The Read House is located adjacent to Chattanooga’s West Village shops, restaurants, and bars, and is within walking distance of many additional options along Broad and Market streets. There is a free electric shuttle service with stops at many downtown tourist sites.

Finally, Chattanooga regularly plays host to many events and activities, which this weekend includes the commemoration of the 161^st anniversary of the Battle of Chickamauga at the NPS battlefield park located less than 10 miles south of downtown.

We wish you all safe travels and are excited to welcome you to Chattanooga and UTC! If you have any questions or concerns throughout the conference, please email our local arrangements coordinator Mike Thompson at Michael-D-Thompson@utc.edu.