The conference schedule has been finalized and is one heck of a program. Everyone seems to want to know what sessions we’re most looking forward to and, every time, our answers change! It’s that good.

Steve Peters is serving as this year’s Grand Inquisitor and, as such, he’ll be helping to keep the sessions moving and making sure that none of the hard questions go unasked. A definite challenge this year with 10 sessions & 25+ speakers covering everything from gender & engagement issues to more specific looks at television, casual games, and public play.

But the conference isn’t only sessions. We also have workshops & small group gatherings. So, whether you want to spend your time getting your hands dirty (creating a street game, building ARG props & artifacts, or learning about writing for transmedia) or meeting with people facing similar challenges or looking at similar issues as you, you can.

One of the more exciting parts of this years conference is the dotmocracy. Throughout the event, ARGFest attendees & those following along online will be letting us know how they feel about a dozen or more issues & ideas on alternate reality gaming & transmedia & public play. These will help start conversations and, possibly, debates. But more than that, they will be a great way to figure out where some of the current thoughts & trends in this stuff is and where we might be headed. (help us out by tweeting issues & ideas to be included. use the #argfest hashtag)

The festival schedule will be announced on Tuesday – but we’ll tease you with the fact that we’ve got a handful of some of the most creative games we’ve ever seen. And we’re not entirely sure why, but it looks like someone thought this was a job seminar and not a games festival and so, if you’re looking for a job at some company called Socks, Inc, you just might get a chance to apply! And, in this economy, who’s not looking for a job or something to fall back on?

And, of course, there are the parties! This year, they will all be held at the W, in a room with amazing views of Atlanta & Piedmont Park.  The Booze & Shmooze on Thursday, sponsored by No Mimes Media & Fourth Wall Studios, is designed for meeting old friends & making new ones. It’s the first parties and, if history holds, will come with a surprise or two. On Friday is our Keynote Dinner which will not only come with some amazing food, but some inspiring thought as Maureen McHugh gives the keynote address. Saturday Night, after a day of play, we gather again at the W for fun food & good times.

It’s going to be an amazing four days and we cannot wait to see you!

If you haven’t already registered, you’ll want to do that before Wednesday (prices jump at the door). And, of course, if you or your company would like to sponsor us or one of the events – get in touch!

“What’s a ciclovia?” you ask. Well, it literally means “bike path” but it is oh so much more. The streets are closed and people are invited to come out and reclaim them for walking and riding bikes and skating and just plain ol’ people watching. It also means a load of fun activities like jumping rope and yoga and all sorts of dancing and music. Oh, sure, it’s not so much on the street games & urban play (that’s where ARGFest comes in!), but it’s still a heck of a lot of fun and a great way to get out there and do something while you’re waiting for July’s ARGFest fun!

For more information, check out the Atlanta Streets Alive! website or just take a look at this handy dandy interactive map to get a good look at the route.

New this year are Registration Packages. We did this for a number of reasons, but mostly because we want to keep the Fest free in order to encourage locals to come and participate in the games. However, free just will not cover our costs. So we’ve sweetened the deal and are offering a Fest Pass with priority access to games & events for any that may have participation limits. The Fest Pass, like all package deals, also comes with the Official ARGFest T-Shirt, a Bag o’ Swag, and access to the ARGFest Suite where you can hang out with your fellow ARGFesters. Other packages include an Events Pass (all of the events), the Conference Pass (the conference and none of the events) and, of course, the Complete Pass which gives you the Fest Pass, the Events Pass, and the Conference Pass all in one big bundle. We strongly recommend the Complete Pass as it will give you access to all of the events, two incredible days of conference sessions, and two full days of fun location-based games and urban play. When it’s all added up it is, by far, the best bang for the buck. If this sounds confusing, there’s a handy image at the bottom of the registration page showing a grid of all the packages and what they offer. If none of the packages meet your needs, you can mix and match and register for specific events.

Just like last year, there are 4 different registration periods and the earlier you register the better the deal. Early Bird Registration is open from now until May 23. Late registration begins on June 28 and goes until July 14. Then, of course, you can pay at the door. But, really, you don’t want to wait. No matter when you register, you’ll get a great deal for all that ARGFest has to offer, but who wants to pay more than they have to?

In order to make things easier on us and on you, we’ve set up registration through Eventbrite. This is our first time using the service and any feedback you have will help us figure out if we made the right decision. So feel free to let us know about your experience.

Hotel information will be coming shortly. At the last minute, a new hotel came to our attention and it looks like we might be able to get y’all a better deal (at a nicer hotel to boot!). We know that you’re eager to book your rooms (we are too!), but if we can save everyone a few bucks by waiting just a couple more days, we think it’s worth it. We’ll let you know as soon as we can!

If you know what you want and don’t care to look over the registration page, you can skip it and…

Our other exciting news, especially for all of you with ideas out there, is that our submissions deadlines for both the festival and conference have been extended! Panel & Session submissions are now being accepted until May 15 and Game & Event submissions are being accepted until June 15! We’re giving you some extra time, but you might not want to take it. Submissions are reviewed on a weekly basis. The earlier that you get your idea in, the better chance you have of it making the schedule. If you have any questions, feel free to get in touch.

And, saving our favorite news for last… We’ve secured our very first sponsor! Stitch Media! We couldn’t be more excited that our first sponsor announcement went to them – we’re huge fans, not because they’re friends and supporters, but because they’re really good at what they do. So, if you know Evan & co… thank them for their support! If you don’t know them, yet… get to know them! They’re smart and creative people that do great work and “get” transmedia as well as anyone we know.

For more exciting news… stay tuned, become a fan on facebook, and/or follow us on twitter!