Reminder: Frequent Traveler University, The Freddies and Chicago Seminars
I’ll be speaking at three upcoming events about maximizing miles and points, and I'm on the nomination committee of The Freddies, so I wanted to personally invite TPG readers to each. I really enjoy meeting readers in person, and I could use your support, so please consider attending any or all of these events. There are a few updates about times and registration, so please read carefully to make sure you can attend any/all that you are interested in.
1. The Freddie Awards will be held Thursday, April 26, 2012, at the Renaissance Newark Airport and I've arranged to get a table for TPG readers, so get ready for some ticket giveaways. You can cast your vote HERE.
2. Registration is open for Frequent Traveler University. Following the Freddies, from Friday-Sunday, April 27-29, 2012, there will be workshops on miles and points by the top experts and many chances to meet representatives from airline and hotel programs during FTU being held at the Sheraton Meadowlands (rooms at $129 a night) in East Rutherford, New Jersey. You can find the details here on Milepoint and purchase your tickets, which cost $99 and include lunch on both days, here.
Here is a tentative list of events for the weekend including my debate with Gary Leff on the value of Delta SkyMiles on Saturday, and my talk on how you can leverage your credit card points to travel the world in business class:
Tentative Saturday Schedule:
9:00am - 915am: Welcome, Tommy Danielsen
9:15am - 10:30am: Resolved: that Delta Skymiles Offer Superior Value. A Debate Between Brian Kelly (Affirmative) and Gary Leff (Negative) Alternate session: Introduction to miles & points - how to get started, Daraius Dubash
10:30am - 10:45am: Break
10:45am - 12:15pm: Award Booking: Getting the Most for Your Miles, Gary Leff (Brian Kelly and Steve Belkin comment)
Alternate Session: Family Travel Made Easy,
tips from Mommy Points
12:15pm - 1:15pm: Lunch
1:15pm - 2:45pm: Credit Card: How the Banks Want to Send You Around the World in Business Class for Free, Brian Kelly and Mommy Points
Alternate Session: The End of Elite Status? Why You Shouldn't Care About Loyalty, Steve Belkin
2:45pm - 3:00pm: Break
3:00pm - 4:30pm: Mileage Confidential: Our Experts Each Share and Discuss Tips That You Won't Find on the Forums (and that you agree not to post), Brian/Steve/Gary/Daraius
4:30pm - 5:00pm: Concluding Remarks, Randy Petersen
3. Chicago Frequent Flyer Seminars: Registration and ticket sales have opened up for the 2012 Chicago Seminars, which will take place October 12-14. I'm co-hosting the event with fellow blogger and friend Rick a.k.a The Frugal Travel Guy and it's sure to be a great weekend filled with over 500 mileage enthusiasts. You can check out this FlyerTalk thread for more details, and I'll be giving a talk on Transfers and Bonus Category Credit Cards on that Saturday afternoon. Tickets sell out fast, so be sure to get yours soon. In the meantime, here is the preliminary schedule:
October 12
Friday 6:30-7:20 PM Rookie Bootcamp: with Dave Homyak
7:30-8:30 Delta SkyPesos to Delta Gold: with John Nielsen OR
Travel Technology with Cliff Stratton
October 13
Saturday 7-8:15 Breakfast
8:30-10
Beginner: FF 101 Pudding Guy and Credit Cards
for Newbies with Rick Ingersoll OR
Advanced: Itasoftware and Expert Flyer with
Cara Kreft and Chris Lopinto
10-10:15 AM Coffee Break
10:30 to Noon
Beginner: US Airways Grand Slam with Mommy
Points and Elite Status- Challenges and Fasttracks
with BikeGuy/Pudding Guy OR
Advanced: Captain Denny Flanagan Author
Noon to 1 PM Lunch
1-2:45 PM
Beginners: Mileage Runs with Ben Schalippig OR
Advanced: Transfers and Bonus Category Credit
Cards with Brian Kelly
2:45 -3PM Coffee Break
3-5PM
Beginners: Award Booking with Ben Schlappig
Advanced: Moderated Airline Breakout Sessions
with Geoffco (top tier status all 3 alliances)
5-6PM Meet the Speakers: Cash Bar/Hotel Lobby
6PM Advanced: Q and A Mileage Runs and Award
Booking with Ben Schalippig and Brian Kelly OR
The Cruising Crowd with Marshall Jackson
Sunday October 14
Sunday 7-8:30 Breakfast
8:30-10 AM Sponsors Workshop
10-10:15 AM Coffee Break
10:15-Noon
Beginner: Belkin (Beaubo) as a Beginner
Advanced: Hotel Breakout Session
Noon to 1PM Lunch
1-3PM
Beginner: Gift Card Churning with Frequent Miler
and Shopping Mall Bonanzas with Hans Golden
Advanced: Blogger Questions and Answers
3-4PM Randy Petersen State of the Industry
Finally, I'm grateful to those of you who came to hear me speak at the New York Times Travel Show earlier in March. If you weren't able to make it, you can check out my presentation in this previous post, and let me know what you think.
I'm looking forward to meeting many more of you over the coming months at these exciting events!
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