2026 edition

The venue is about a 15-20 minute drive from the BTR airport. Uber cost about $30. It’s not in the best area, but within walking distance are things like Starbucks, Walmart, Chili’s, IHOP and a few other places. I love the outdoor pool party. It was a great way for people to get together and hang out before competing. Ice cream sundaes were nice too. The “trivia” portion was not that interesting, but you don’t have to participate. It’s fun to just watch too. The hotel itself has been updated but has certainly seen better days. For whatever reason only the two elevators on one side of the elevator bank ever worked. One elevator on the opposite side was the service elevator so it helped when we figured out there was a separate button for the service elevator. Baton Rouge in June - for the uninitiated - is not just hot but humid. You’re in a sub-tropical climate. I don’t mind it because I grew up with it but it’s not for everyone. Bring a jacket for Al the air conditioning. The dance hall wasn’t well fanned/air conditioned. It got muggy in there. Same with hotel rooms. It’s either ice cold to keep the mugginess at bay or sticky if the A/C is turned off. I really appreciate the refrigerator and microwave in each room. We had groceries delivered from the nearby Walmart. My shoes got caught in the floor panel seams a handful of times but the floor smoothness was good. Not sticky. In fact a little extra slick in some spots. I love the chill atmosphere of this event. I didn’t feel pressure to attend a bunch of workshops. I only did two. It was a really good event to meet people and bond.