1) The Saturday night awards dinner has reached it's capacity of 300 attendees-- but have no fear, there are still openings for the rest of the conference events! We have made it possible to register for the conference without the dinner option. Those who have already secured a dinner spot will be given an awards banquet ticket in addition to their conference badge.

2) Looking for a ride to the DWR reception and the Radius Party? IDSA Chicago has hooked you up! For $5 (per ride, per person) you can get on board our White Stretch Limos! The limos will pick you up from the W Hotel starting at 6:15 and take you first to the DWR reception, and then for an additional $5 you can get a ride to the Radius party! A great deal for a great ride. Eleven (11) people per trip so make sure you get in line early on Friday. Pay as you ride. There will also be a map for cab rides or CTA availible at the conference and here on the website.

3) Keep checking the schedule page and speakers/events page for updates!

A basic timetable of events has been posted in the schedule section, so that you can plan your travel and schedules accordingly. We will post a finalized schedule closer to the conference date, but this will give you an idea of what to expect.

Don't forget-- today is the last day to take advantage of the early-registration discount-- save money and register before midnight!

We've been informed that the Spring Breaks at a number of schools overlapped with the Early Registration Discount time period. As
a response, we are extending the Early Registration Period one week-- until Monday, March 22.

Now go register!

This just in:

Fisher/Unitech, North America's top ALIAS reseller for the last 8 years, will be presenting some exciting new technologies from ALIAS and WACOM at this year's IDSA Midwest District Conference. In addition to several product presentations, attendees will be able to participate in a variety of hands-on experiences, including...

Digital Sketching Contest - Stop by our exhibit and show off your sketching skills by using the new ALIAS SketchBook Pro(tm) software along with the WACOM Cintiq(tm) graphics tablet. You'll never go back to traditional tools again. All participants will receive a free trial version of ALIAS SketchBook Pro.

Studio Tools Test Drive - For over a decade, Alias StudioTools(tm) has been the industrials designer's preferred platform for 3D modeling, rendering, and animation. We will be hosting several hands-on test drives so that you can experience the power and flexibility of Alias StudioTools yourself. The test drive is free. Stay tuned for information on how to register. All participants will receive a free license of the Alias StudioTools Personal Edition.


...you hear it. First.

Some quick conference news notes:

- If you need to share a ride or share a hotel room, post a note on the message board.
- Are you financially depressed? Check out the hotel page for more info on a hostel in the loop.
- We need professionals to help with the student portfolio reviews! Interested persons should check out the events page for more details.

Just announced! Design Within Reach - Chicago will be hosting a reception Friday evening (before the Radius reception). DWR will open their new storefront on North Ave. for all Shift attendees. Good times are sure to abound. Stay tuned for more details.

Just announced! Radius Product Development will be welcoming Shift attendees to their new loft-office digs for an opening night party. Music, food, beverages, and good times will abound. Stay tuned for more details.

To those of you that have arrived after the IDSA email-- welcome! The "Shift Happens" organizers are hard-at-work developing an exceptional conference, and we will be posting a preliminary list of events, speakers, and happenings very soon.

For those of you in school or on limited budgets, we have posted information about a hostel within walking distance to the W- City Center in the "Hotel" section. We have also set up a message board to facilitate ride sharing, student housing collaboration, or ID gossip.

Keep an eye out for more updates!