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NACC Excellence at the Center Conference 2023

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Virginia Tech’s CommLab is proud to host the 22nd annual meeting of NACC’s Excellence at the Center Conference on March 24-25, 2023, in Blacksburg, Virginia.  

The theme for this year’s conference is:

“This is Home: Cultivating Community at the Center” 

 

Conference Program

2023 Conference Program Link

 
Conference Information

Our hybrid conference will offer participants the opportunity to share their experiences with making their Center feel like home, providing colleagues, coworkers and clients a space to create community and cultivate opportunities for growth. 

Those that register for the in-person conference will be provided a traditional conference experience. 

Those that register for the online conference will have access to live conference proceedings and will be able to interact with the sessions and participants via a Zoom connected classroom. 

Proposal Information

We invite all that are interested in participating and attending to submit a proposal for N​ACC’s Excellence at the Center Conference by February 17th, 2023. 

More information on submitting your proposal is available here.

Conference Welcome

This yearly gathering is designed to serve as professional development for students, administrators, faculty, and staff doing the work of communication centers, advancing the knowledge development of this subset of communication studies, and supporting all who are engaged in the work of communication centers – from those in exploration stages to seasoned veterans, administrators, and everyone else.  Come and connect with your Communication Center Community!

 

Registration is currently closed. 

Registration pricing: 

  • Faculty: $150
  • Student: $90    
  • Virtual Faculty: $90
  • Virtual Student: $45

Registration is now available here: NACC 2023 Conference Registration

In-person registration will include dinner on Friday night, lunch on Saturday, snacks throughout the conference, and a NACC Conference t-shirt. 

 

Getting Here:

The main Virginia Tech campus is located in Blacksburg, Virginia, about 40 miles southwest of Roanoke, Virginia. Use 925 Prices Fork Road or the intersection of University City Boulevard and Prices Fork Road, Blacksburg, VA 24060 as a destination for online routing and mapping software and GPS devices. 

Air Travel:

Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport in Roanoke, Va., is served by major domestic airlines. 

The Smart Way Bus offers regularly scheduled service between the airport and Squires Student Center in Blacksburg. The cost is only $4 each way. 

Private planes may land at the Virginia Tech/Montgomery Executive Airport adjacent to campus (telephone: (540) 231-4444).

Local Transportation:

The Blacksburg Transit is currently operating fare free and has drop off locations near conference locations and around the greater Blacksburg area. For more on the Blacksburg Transit and their routes and locations, visit: Blacksburg Transit.

Hotel Accommodations:

The Hilton Garden Inn is providing a room block for NACC Conference attendees at a rate of $109 a night, including parking and breakfast. 

Reservations may be made at www.blacksburg.hgi.com and entering the group code. Group codes can be provided by emailing the conference hosts. 

Parking:

Parking for Friday afternoon: Parking for Friday's events and panels requires a parking pass. You can either purchase this pass through ParkMobile for an hourly rate or a day pass on their app. You can also buy a daily pass ($6) here: Daily Pass. Click "Get Daily Permits" at the bottom. Both options require your license plate number. 

Squires Parking Lot and Owens Parking Lot are the closest to Squires Student Center (the location for Friday sessions). 

The town of Blacksburg also owns a nearby parking garage. The Kent Square Parking Deck has an hourly rate (contact for price) or daily rate ($10). It is .3 miles from our location on Friday afternoon. 

Parking for the Friday's Banquet: Parking for the banquet is free until space runs out in Lot 4 (image and location information here).  If you have purchased a daily pass through either of the above Virginia Tech options, you can park in any of the available lots near Lane Stadium.

Parking for Saturday: Parking is free on campus on weekends. The best options are the lot at The Inn at Virginia Tech, or the Perry Street Parking Deck

 

Blacksburg is a growing college town with lots to explore, eat, and do. For all of the great local shops, attractions, eateries, and breweries in town, please visit the Explore Blacksburg page here.

We hope you will find that Blacksburg has something for everyone.

 

Brandi Quesenberry, Director, CommLab

Zack Sowder, Associate Director, CommLab

The link to the 2023 Conference program is here: 2023 Conference Program