The four conferences will be held at the Hilton Harrisburg Hotel in Harrisburg, PA. The hotel will provide free Internet access to all conference attendees registered at the hotel. The hotel room rate is $124 for single/double occupancy. The government per diem rate is $103 single/double. To make room reservations, call (800) 445-8667 or (717) 233-6000 and mention the group code “ITF” which stands for “IT Financial” to get the discounted room rate. The hotel may be sold out during this popular time of the year, and there is no other hotel nearby that is comparable in quality and price. Reservations must be made by July 23 after which reservations will be accepted on a space and current available rate basis. Calling the hotel before the cut-off date does not guarantee rooms will be available at our special group rate as the hotel is not required to honor this special rate after our block of rooms has been filled, so reserve your room early. You can always cancel it. For complete information about the hotel, go to www.harrisburg.hilton.com.
Hotel and Nearby Attractions
The Hilton Harrisburg Hotel is in the heart of historic downtown Harrisburg, the state capital of Pennsylvania. The hotel offers the area's best accommodations, shopping and entertainment all under one roof. The hotel is just a short drive from the town of Hershey, Historic Gettysburg, the Pennsylvania Dutch Region, and famed outlet shopping in Lancaster County. For complete information about the hotel and local attractions, go to www.harrisburg.hilton.com.
Connected by an enclosed walkway to the Hilton Hotel is Strawberry Square, a retail complex for shopping, the 3-story Whitaker Center for Science & Arts with hands-on exhibits that investigate physical science, natural science, life science, mathematics and technology, as well as the Sunoco Performance Theater that offers a diverse mix of performing arts genre.
In Harrisburg, there is the State Museum of Pennsylvania that includes fine art galleries, a Planetarium, Dino Lab, Mammal Hall, a Civil War exhibit, a hands on learning environment for children ages 7 and under one of the country's largest collections of Civil War memorabilia. The National Civil War Museum is the only museum in the United States that portrays the entire story of the American Civil War without bias to Union or Confederate causes. There is even a Doll House Museum. Opposite downtown Harrisburg is Riverfront Park & City Island with 63 acres of fun-filled, parkland entertainment in the center of the Susquehanna River – a great area for walking, biking, jogging, canoeing, paddleboating, sports entertainment and beautiful skyline views. City Island (off Market Street Bridge) also is home to savory eats and sweets, quaint shops, miniature golf, a restored carousel, train, and carriage rides. Cruise the river on the Pride of the Susquehanna, an authentic stern paddlewheel riverboat.
Within walking distance from the hotel is the Washington Nationals AA baseball stadium. The team is in town all week (August 23-29) and there are plenty of good seats available. They are playing the Portland Sea Dogs (Boston Red Sox) on Monday to Wednesday evenings and the Trenton Thunder (New York Yankees) on Thursday to Saturday evenings. Get a chance to see some of the prospects coming up through the Red Sox and Yankee organizations.
12 miles from the hotel is the town of Hershey where the aroma of chocolate lingers in the air. Here you will find Hershey Gardens, Hershey Museum, Hershey Antique Auto Museum, Hershey Theatre, Hersheypark (with roller coasters, water rides, games and entertainment), free Hershey's Great American Chocolate Tour, and retail shops. 40 minutes from Harrisburg is the hallowed ground of Gettysburg National Military Park. Here you will find one moving tribute after another to the men who fought on this famous Civil War battlefield where more men fought (170,000+) and more men died than in any other battle on North American soil. 35 minutes from Harrisburg is Lancaster County, home to the oldest Amish settlement in the U.S. where the Amish still live without electricity and use mule teams to plow the fields. Relax and unwind to the clip-clop of horses' hooves echoing down quiet country roads. Drive through one of the 28 covered bridges. Enjoy beautiful scenery dotted with one-room schools and handmade clothes and quilts blowing in the breeze. Take in the Dutch Wonderland Family Amusement Park, nearby museums, cultural attractions, and outlet shopping. Nearby Strasburg is home to the National Toy Train Museum and the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. Take a relaxing ride aboard America's oldest short-line railroad through Pennsylvania Dutch Country, a ride on a miniature steam train or authentic pump car.
Airline Reservations and Other Transportation
The speakers and topics scheduled for the last day of the conference are among the best at the conference, and don’t forget that free passes to next year’s ITFMA conferences will be given away at the last sessions at 10:00a.m. on Friday. So make your return flight reservations for Friday afternoon or consider staying over Friday evening to see some of the nearby attractions. The local professional baseball team is in town through the weekend. Search any of these websites for special airfares.
