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Frequently Asked Questions

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General Information

AFROTECH™ Conference is the largest Black tech conference of the year! Get ready to connect with a global community of 20,000+ Black tech innovators during a series of digital and in-person events filled with dynamic programming on emerging trends, networking opportunities with industry leaders and conversations with top tech recruiters.

AFROTECH™ Conference 2023 will take place Wednesday, November 1 through Sunday, November 5, 2023

AFROTECH™ Conference 2023 will be in Austin, TX for the second year in a row.  Programming and Events will be held at the following locations:

  • Austin Convention Center – 500 E Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701
  • Hilton Austin – 500 E 4th St., Austin, TX 78701
  • Fairmont Austin – 101 Red River St, Austin, TX 78701
  • ACL Live – 301 W Willie Nelson Blvd, Austin, TX, 78701

Schedule at a Glance

All times are Central Time (CST).

All times and dates are subject to change.

Wednesday, November 1

8:00 am – 8:00 pm Registration 

4:00 pm – 7:00 pm Opening Ceremony

7:00 pm – 10:00 pm Partner Events 

Thursday, November 2 

7:00 am – 6:00 pm Registration 

9:00 am – 5:00 pm Expo Open

9:00 am – 5:00 pm Educational Programming 

4:00 pm – 9:00 pm Partner Events 

Friday, November 3 

8:00 am – 6:00 pm Registration 

9:00 am – 5:00 pm Expo Open

9:00 am – 5:00 pm Educational Programming 

6:00 pm – 11:00 pm Partner Events 

TIME TBD        Protect the Culture, ticketed event

Saturday, November 4 

8:00 am – 2:00 pm Registration 

9:00 am – 12:00 pm Expo Open

TIME TBD        Official AFROTECH™ Music Stage, ticketed event

TIME TBD        AFROTECH™ Music After Hours, ticketed event

Sunday, November 5 

9:00 am – 4:00 pm Partner Events

The full conference schedule, including session details and speakers, will be released early October 2023

There will be an AFROTECH™ Conference app that will roll out closer to the conference date. Stay tuned!

Mobile scooters can be rented directly from the Austin Convention Center for use during the Expo. Please contact Austin Convention Center directly, at the Business Center on Level 1, for pricing and availability.

Yes, you must be 18 or older to attend the AFROTECH™ Conference. No exceptions.

Attendees can create their professional profile and upload their resumé to the AFROTECH™ network after successfully registering for the conference. Talent Infusion powered by AFROTECH™ connects you with networking and career opportunities at top companies across industries. Click here to submit.

We invite students from all over the world to apply for our AFROTECH™ Conference 2023 Scholarship.  Attending this in-person conference will be a one-of-a-kind experience and opportunity in your academic career.

Scholarship application is now closed. Recipients of the AFROTECH™ Student Scholarship will be notified September 2023.

Many companies sponsor tickets for employees to attend AFROTECH™ Conference as a learning or networking opportunity. Kick start the conversation with your employer by using this cover letter as a template to explain why they should invest in your professional growth.

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Ticket Information

You can purchase your AFROTECH™ Conference 2023 ticket by going to this link.

For the most up-to-date pricing visit our registration page

There are several ticket levels for the AFROTECH™ Conference 2023.

  • Student Admission:

     This ticket level gives the attendee General Admission access and access to student-only meetup spaces and student-focused events. You must be currently enrolled at an undergraduate or post-secondary institution and use your .edu email address to register. Ticket Price: $300.

  • General Admission This ticket level gives access to programming at the Main Stage, Product & Engineering Stage, Learning Lab Stages, and AFROTECH Expo. Ticket Price: $775.If this is your first time at the AFROTECH™ Conference and you want a full experience by submitting your resumé and networking with employers – Buy a General Admission ticket!
  • Corporate Admission This ticket level gives the attendee General Admission access as well as access to the Corporate Experience. Ticket Price: $950.If you want to get the full AFROTECH™ Conference experience with enhanced networking – Buy a Corporate Admission ticket!
  • AFROTECH™ Executive Admission This ticket level gives the attendee General Admission access and access to the AFROTECH™ Executive Stage, AFROTECH™ Executive Reception, and Corporate Happy Hour.  Ticket Price: $1,750.If you want access to custom-curated programming targeting founders, VCs, executives, and mid-level managers, as well as access to exclusive networking and entertainment – Buy an AFROTECH™ Executive Admission ticket!
  • All-Access Admission This is an ALL-ACCESS ticket level to corporate-only events and AFROTECH™ Executive events. This gives the attendee access to the Platinum-only lounge, Premium viewing at the Main Stage and VIP registration, and (access to sponsors, access to Corporate + Platinum events, and AFROTECH™ Executive Reception, and all AFROTECH™ Music programming.

Ticket Price: $2,450

If you want an ALL-ACCESS pass and an upgraded experience at the AFROTECH™ Conference – Buy the exclusive All-Access ticket.

Hotel, airfare, ground transportation, off-site events, meals, and parking are NOT included.

All registered attendees will receive a confirmation by email (please check your junk/spam folder).  The confirmation email is your receipt and verifies the event(s) and/or additional fee sessions you have signed up for and how much you have paid.  If you have questions regarding your registration, please contact afrotechreg@blavity.com.

AFROTECH™ Conference tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE. There are no refunds extended for payments collected for AFROTECH™ Conference.

We currently do not offer discounts specifically for military or non-profits.

Group rates are available for the purchase of 10+ tickets. To purchase group rate tickets, please contact afrotechreg@blavity.com. In addition, be sure to subscribe to our newsletter www.afrotech.com to be the first to know about special promotions.

All promo codes must be applied at the time of purchase. We cannot process refunds for unsuccessful promo code usage. If you are experiencing difficulties using your promo code, please contact afrotechreg@blavity.com for assistance before making any payments.

All badges must be picked up onsite. Badge Pickup locations will be shared in October 2023.

AFROTECH™ Conference tickets are NON-REFUNDABLE, however, they are transferable until October 27, 2023 at 6:00 PM ET. Refunds will not be provided for “no-shows”.Please email afrotechreg@blavity.com if you need assistance with ticket transfers.

Please note: If badge has already been used, a substitution will not be approved.

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Travel Information

We’ve negotiated the best available rates at Austin hotels for AfroTech Conference 2023. Book a room in our hotel block through our official housing vendor, Resiada, to enjoy:

-The best available rates

-Exclusive perks and amenities (varies by hotel)
-No booking or change fees,

plus the option to pay later

Please use the link below to book your room: Book Hotel

Deadline to book your hotel reservation at pre-negotiated rates is 10/06/23.

Shuttle service is not offered at this time.

Attendees should plan to fly to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS).

Downtown Austin is 7.5 miles away from the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) and typically less than a 15 minutes car ride.

 

What are the transportation options from the airport to downtown Austin?

  • Rideshare (Uber/Lyft)
    • Prices vary
  • Taxi
    • Around $30 (one way from the airport to downtown)
  • Airport Flyer Bus Service
    • $1.75 one-way bus service
    • Austin’s Capitol Metro offers direct airport bus service via a dedicated route that travels between the airport and downtown, the Capitol and The University of Texas.
    • 512-474-1200
    • Toll-free: 800-474-1201
  • Ross Elite
    • Black car and executive transfers
    • 580.6611
    • mention “AFROTECH” at booking
  • Carter Transportation
    • Around $15 (one way), around $28 (round-trip from downtown)
    • 512-BLUEVAN: 512-(258-3826)
    • 24/7 Dispatch: 512-929-3900 x 2
    • Group Sales: 512-929-3900
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Participation

Please visit our Partnerships page for more information on partnering with AFROTECH™ Conference.

You may complete this form to apply to be a speaker.

The Submission Form For 2023 Conference Speakers Is Now Closed. All Additional Submissions After 6/30/23 Will Be Considered For Future Events.

Selected speakers will be notified in September 2023.

There are no volunteer opportunities available for AFROTECH™ Conference 2023 at this time.

We will not be launching the pitch competition for AFROTECH™ Conference 2023 at this time.

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General Attendee Photo & Video Policy

  • Personal digital cameras and cell phones (excluding SLR/DSLRs) are allowed at AFROTECH Conference for the purpose of capturing personal (non-commercial) content.

  • Attendees may take photos and shoot video from their seats, as long as they are not standing in the press area, obstructing views, using any sort of device like a tripod or selfie-stick, or using a flash after the session begins.

  • Live streaming of any kind is not permitted.

  • Not complying with a request to move or stop capturing content could result in your removal.

  • Professional photography and videography is only permitted with approved press credentials and camera tags. For approval, please submit the AFROTECH Media Credential Form.

Thank you for your interest in sharing AFROTECH™ Conference 2023 in your news coverage. Professional photography and videography is allowed in specific areas of the conference with proper credentials and a camera tag provided by AFROTECH™. By submitting to become accredited you agree to respect the rules and regulations set forth in this policy.

  • Only AFROTECH approved and accredited press are eligible to receive press credentials and camera tags.
  • Pick up your pre-approved press credentials at the Press Registration desk located at the Platinum registration area of the Austin Convention Center.
  • To obtain camera tags, bring your camera to the Press room located in room 11B, 4th Level of the Austin Convention Center.
  • The camera tag must be affixed to your camera AT ALL TIMES.
  • Under no circumstances are tripods, lights and elaborate set ups permitted in any Hilton or Austin Convention Center hallways
  • Media attendees are not permitted to take photos or shoot video where it is unsafe or disruptive such as in doorways, fire exits, expo floor aisles, hallways, sidewalks, etc.
  • Not complying with a request to move or stop capturing content could result in your removal.
  • Press credentials and photographer/videographer camera tags are issued at the discretion of AFROTECH and can be revoked at any time.
  • Professional photography is allowed on the Expo floor, in public spaces and in Conference sessions with proper credentials and a camera tag provided by AFROTECH.

  • Professional photography is allowed at the music stage with prior approval.

  • Conference flash photography is allowed during conference sessions for the first 3 minutes of each session.
  • Music Stage flash photography is allowed for the first three (3) minutes of each performance, and only if the artist allows. Each artist has different flash photography rules.

  • No photography may impede the ingress or egress of a room.

  • The camera tag must be affixed to your camera AT ALL TIMES.

All interviews must be pre-scheduled prior to conference, do not approach speakers during the conference.

  • Your AFROTECH press credentials and camera tag will NOT allow you to audio or video stream, broadcast or otherwise transmit, retransmit or copy in any form any AFROTECH artist performance or conference programming longer than :45 continuous seconds.

  • Professional videography of the Music Stage is prohibited

All social post should include AFROTECH™ official hashtags

  • #AFROTECH23

Please send all coverage to press@blavity.com

Have more questions? Get in touch with our team

Ticketing Questions (upgrading pass, payment issues, general ticketing inquiries): afrotechreg@blavity.com

Travel/lodging questions: afrotechhousing@blavity.com

Other conference questions (programming, accessibility, conference specific questions): conferenceops@blavity.com