Welcome to the 2018 CAR Conference!

The 2018 CAR Conference begins on Thursday. Below you'll find a few bits of information to help you prepare for this great conference! For the latest up-to-date information about panels, speakers and special events at the conference, please visit our conference website at https://www.ire.org/conferences/nicar18/.

Hotel information

The conference is taking place at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile, 540 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611.

Thank you to GO Airport Express for offering a discount to conference attendees. Details on making reservations can be found here. 

Driving to Chicago? Hotel parking rates are available here.

Registration

Registration opens Wednesday at 1 p.m. and will be open Thursday, Friday and Saturday on the 7th floor of the Marriott.

Weather

Weather looks to be in the 30s and 40s during the week. See the 10-day forecast thanks to weatherchannel.com.

Wireless internet during the conference

Stop by the registration desk or check the app for the wireless access code to access the complimentary internet offered throughout the meeting space during the CAR Conference. 

Have a question or need help in a session?

Room monitors will be stationed in the hallways during sessions and will be happy to answer your questions.

Hands-on classes

We have a big crowd this year, and it's exciting to have so many new faces. We've added a number of hands-on sessions, but seating is limited. If there's a hands-on class you really want to take, plan on getting there early.

CAR Conference mobile app

You're tech-savvy and care about the environment, and so do we. Rather than printing 1,000 schedules, we're giving you two ways to track the full schedule of panels, hands-on sessions and special events with accurate, up-to-the-minute details: 

• The full conference schedule on the IRE website has all details organized by day.
• Download the Guidebook mobile app for the 2018 CAR Conference on your smartphone or tablet. The app is available for iOS, Android, Blackberry and web-enabled devices. Then, create an account on the app so that you can enjoy all of its features and functions. Read speaker bios, plan your own schedule, and keep up-to-date with any panel changes. You also have the option to network with other attendees and complete session/panel evaluations directly from the app (you will also receive a daily email with the evaluation if you prefer to complete it that way). Please be sure to complete evaluations, as these help us plan next year's conference. Once you enable push notifications, you can receive updates throughout the conference from IRE.

Internet is not required for the app to work once it's downloaded. However, a connection is necessary to receive any updates sent by IRE. 

If you feel most comfortable with a printed schedule, a PDF version is available here. We've also added a downloadable csv version of the schedule this year.

Twitter/Student Blog

Use #NICAR18 during the conference and stop by the registration desk to see live tweets on the announcement monitor. A team of bloggers will be covering panels, and you can see their work online and in the conference app.

Special Events

Be sure to check out the list of special events taking place this week.

Updated IRE Principles (Code of Conduct)

Investigative Reporters & Editors is committed to providing a friendly, safe and welcoming environment for all, regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, physical ability, age, appearance or religion.

IRE supports vigorous debate and welcomes disagreement, while maintaining a civil and respectful community.

IRE may take any action it deems appropriate to deal with those who violate our principles, including exclusion from our events, forums, listservs and the organization itself.

Anyone who feels threatened or in immediate jeopardy during an IRE event should call building security in Chicago (312-245-4761) or local police by dialing 911.

Additional concerns can be brought to the attention of IRE staff or board members in person. Contact information for both staff and board members can also be found on IRE's website.

We thank you for your continued support and are looking forward to seeing you in Chicago!