New For Microsoft Convergence 2014 – Preferred Access Pass

For those of you familiar with Microsoft Convergence, you may be curious about the new type of Convergence pass, the Preferred Access Pass. And, you may be wondering which pass is right for you – the Preferred Access or the Full Conference Pass.

The Preferred Access Pass is new to Convergence 2014. Beyond entrance into all Convergence events (keynotes, sessions, experience center, evening celebrations) and meals that you get with a Full Conference Pass, the Preferred Access Pass gives you:

• A reserved hotel room at the Omni Hotel – the closest hotel to the Georgia World Congress Center
• Preferred seating in the Keynote Hall
• Reserved buffet and seating area within the Meal Hall
• Convenient badge & material pick-up at the Omni Hotel
• Express registration line at the Georgia World Congress Center for onsite assistance
• Dedicated lounge/work area with seating, power and connectivity
• Express lines for Convergence luggage check and airport shuttle reservations at the Georgia World Congress Center

The number of Preferred Access Passes are limited and only available until Jan 9th, 2014. They also do come at a premium price – $1845 vs the Full Conference Pass Early Bird Rate of $1545.

Convergence is going to be an amazing experience regardless of which pass you choose. A Full Conference Pass is more than ample; however, there are two main reasons I would consider the Preferred Access Pass.

The first is the hotel reservation at the Omni. The Georgia World Congress Center is huge. You will be doing a lot of walking. Having a place close by to retire to will be greatly appreciated after a long day.

The second is the preferred seating at the opening Keynote. Past keynotes have included Steve Balmer, Malcolm Gladwell, and General Colin Powell. While the keynotes have not been revealed yet, I’m willing to bet this year’s final keynote will be a very distinguished, charismatic speaker.

Regardless of which pass you choose, here are some recommendations:

• If you are planning to go, get approval now and take advantage of Early Bird pricing. Save yourself $300.
• Make registration easy. Let Encore look after it for you. Simply fill out this form. We’ll take care of the rest.
• If you have choose the traditional Full Conference Pass, book your hotels asap. Hotels fill up quickly and you’ll likely want to stay as close as possible to the event site.
• Book your flights early too to help ensure you get the lowest rate.