The 2023 National Education Conference (NEC) will take place February 7-9 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. This internal training event brings together IR-4 staff from our field, lab, quality assurance, regional, and HQ teams. The NEC is held every three years.
Registration for the NEC was open via invitation to IR-4 team members. The registration window is closed as of December 1, 2022. Registered attendees may find details for hotel booking and trip planning below.
Event Agenda
Hotel and Travel Information
HOTEL
Embassy Suites San Juan Hotel & Casino
8000 Tartak Street, Carolina
San Juan 00979, Puerto Rico
Check-in 4:00 pm, Check-out 11:00 am
TRANSPORTATION
An airport shuttle service is not offered at this location. If you would like to use a rideshare service, Uber is the only one available in the area. Make sure to download the app so you are able to request a car.
Taxis are plentiful and should cost you around $15 to get to the hotel. There is a fixed “tourist zone” rate of $12 for the fare (the hotel is located in zone 2) plus a $3 airport pickup fee. The driver will take up to five people for that rate, but will charge an extra $1 per suitcase. A tip of 10-15% is customary.
Taxis are located in the following areas:
Terminal A: Baggage claim area
Terminal B: Baggage claim areas of both Terminals B and C
PARKING AND AMENITIES
If you will need parking, the cost will be $12 plus tax/day, but in order to receive the discounted conference rate, you must visit the event registration table to arrange parking for the week.
You can find a listing of the hotel’s amenities on the hotel website. Free made-to-order breakfast for hotel patrons, WIFI and Concierge services are included, to name a few.
AIRPORT
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU)
TRAVEL TIPS
Because Puerto Rico is a U.S. Territory, the local currency is the U.S. Dollar ($).
Puerto Rico is located in the Atlantic Standard Time Zone.
Family Attendance
We look forward to welcoming family members of all ages to our Tuesday night reception (IDs will be checked for the bar, so be sure to have yours on hand). Daily conference activities, including Thursday’s agricultural tour, are designed for the professional development and training of our team. As such, they are limited to registered conference attendees.
Items to Bring
SESSIONS
The Wednesday 9:00 am to 12:00 pm field personnel breakout session titled Electronic Field Data Book – Background, Training, Q&A will feature an interactive, hands-on, component! Bring your own laptop or tablet device and follow along as we test the electronic field data book (eFDB). Along with your laptop or tablet device (iPads will have limited functionality in 2023, but bring it along if that is what you have), please bring your questions. In the meantime, contact Jimmy Byrtus (jpbyrtus@ncsu.edu) and Philip Moore (pmoore@ncsu.edu) with any questions.
AGRICULTURAL TOUR
For the agricultural tour on Thursday, masks may be required (our team will have extras on hand). We will be driving through and exploring some rough terrain, so please dress and pack for the elements. Please note that closed-toed shoes are required as a safety precaution, while a hat and sunscreen are recommended. A hat and small amount of sunscreen will be provided as part of the event swag, but bring your own if you have a particular preference. Those who experience motion sickness may want to bring medicine for the drive.
Participants will be divided into 8 groups; each group will be identified with a unique wristband color and an usher assigned to each group. Please follow the usher all the time. All demonstration spots will be accessible by walking over uneven soil terrain; no mountains, hills or steep slopes are expected. Pre-registration was required to attend this event.
Questions?
Please reach out to IR-4 Project Headquarters (ir-4_project@ncsu.edu) with any questions about the event. We are excited to gather with our team in Puerto Rico!
