We have lined up a great opportunity for CAR attendees to get out and enjoy a night of laughter with your fellow journalists at The Big Bang Piano Bar in Tempe.

Your $20 admission ticket will provide you with free event admission, a reserved section just for you and 2 drink tickets (beer, wine, soda and water). Tickets can be purchased on your registration form or by contacting Amy Johnston at amy@ire.org or 573-884-1444. Limited tickets are available so purchase yours before they are gone.

The CAR Conference hotel deadline is quickly approaching. We have received a short extension to our deadline – you have until Monday, February 8 to make a hotel reservation in our block at the discounted rate while they last.

This year we are in Phoenix during Spring Training, and downtown hotel rooms and rates outside our block can be higher than our discounted rate and increasingly hard to find. To get the discounted rate of $139 plus tax, please make your hotel reservation by Monday, February 8. For details on how to make a hotel reservation, visit our hotel Web page.

Seminar on Census 2010
CAR Conference 2010: Phoenix

Get ready for the 2010 Census with a special half-day workshop devoted to the big national count. Session leaders and Census experts Paul Overberg, of USA Today, and Steve Doig, of Arizona State University, get you up to speed on everything you'll need to know, from covering the Census process to working with the data when it's released. Learn how the American Community Survey is coming to play a crucial role in understanding the demographics of your town, and get enough story ideas to last the next 10 years.

The workshop begins at 1 p.m. Thursday, March 11, and the sessions are free to everyone attending the conference.

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Fellowships still available for Phoenix CAR Conference and more

The deadline has passed, but we still have fellowships available for Phoenix CAR, March 11-14. Apply ASAP. And the time is ripe to apply to attend the 2010 IRE Conference, June 10-13 in Las Vegas. Fellowship awards cover travel, lodging, membership and registration fees – all you'll need to do is show up ready to learn.

Conference fellowships are available for minority journalists (funded by the Philip L. Graham Fund and the Chicago Tribune Foundation), women (Jennifer Leonard Scholarships), small news organizations (Godfrey Wells Stancill Fellowships) and university students in select states (James Richard Bennett Scholarships).

IRE also offers fellowships to our six-day immersion in computer-assisted reporting – the popular CAR Boot Camps. Openings are available for minority journalists through the Ottaway Family Fund Fellowships and to broadcast journalists through the Holly Whisenhunt Stephen Memorial Fellowships. For more information, or to download application forms, visit our fellowship Web page.

SuperShuttle has offered CAR Conference attendees a discounted rate on its shared ride service between Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport and the Sheraton Downtown Phoenix. For more information on this discount see this PDF.

Monday, Feb. 8 – Last day to make hotel reservations if still available

Monday, March 1 - Last day to register at the early-bird rate

March 11 – Pre-Day begins at 9 a.m.

March 12 – Conference starts at 9 a.m.

March 12 – Special Event: Philip Meyer Journalism Award Presentation at 5:15 p.m.

March 12 – Special Event: Big Bang Piano Bar Tempe at 7:30 p.m.

March 14 – Conference ends at noon