PantheaCon

How to get to the Hotel

Airport Directions 0.5 Miles E from San Jose International Airport: Go to Airport Blvd at the light turn left. At the next light, turn onto Airport Parkway. Go two blocks and turn left at Gateway Place. Shuttle buses run from the airport to the Hotel. For pick-up use the Courtesy Phone in Baggage Claim. Advance Shuttle Reservations: 408.453-4000.

You can phone the hotel and ask them directions if you are unsure about how to get there. You can also check their website, www.doubletreesanjose.com, for links to directions to the hotel.

Hwy 101 South: Exit North First St./Brokaw Rd. Make the first Right onto Airport Parkway. Hotel will be on the right.

Hwy 101 North: Exit Brokaw Rd. Make the first Left onto Brokaw Rd. and proceed under Hwy. 101. Hotel will be on the right.

I-880 North: Exit First Street. Make the first Left and go 3/4 of a mile North. Turn Left on Brokaw Rd. Hotel will be on your right.

I-880 South: Exit Brokaw Road. Turn Right on to Brokaw and go 1 mile, passing First Street. Hotel will be on your right.

I-280 North: Take 87 North (Guadalupe Parkway) towards downtown. Exit Skyport Drive. Make the first Right onto Skyport Drive. Turn Left at the next light, Technology Drive. Pass Airport Parkway. Hotel is on your right.

I-280 South: Take 87 North (Guadalupe Parkway) towards downtown. Exit Skyport Drive. Make the first Right onto Skyport Drive. Turn Left at the next light, Technology Drive. Pass Airport Parkway. Hotel is on your right.

Hotel Parking

ATTENTION: Parking change! Parking used to be free, but now is pay parking lot at $10 a night. However the hotel has agreed to the following: Parking charges for all attendees and overnight guests with the PantheaCon 2008 convention will be $5. Just show your badge.

Be aware that parking is in short supply and you may have to park at a distance. We will be working on this issue

Public Transportation

East Bay: Take BART all the way to Fremont. Make sure to get a transfer on your way out in Fremont! Once outside, look for VTA Route 180. The fare for this will be $1.40, or free with the transfer from the BART station, and the bus runs every half-hour (on average).
Take this bus to the Civic Center Light Rail station at the corner of First and Mission in San Jose. The fare for the light rail is another $1.50, as VTA does not do transfers!

Next, take the light rail north (back the way you came) from the Civic Center station to the Metro/Airport station. You can, if you like, walk from here; it's about a ten-minute walk. Just walk down Metro Drive (the street the light rail crosses) to Technology Drive, turn right on Technology, cross Airport, and the Doubletree will be just on the other side of Airport on the right.

If you have mobility issues ('my luggage is full of ritual garb' counts!), you can catch the VTA 10 at the Metro/Airport light rail station. This bus is free, but information on whether or not it would stop at the corner of Metro and Airport was unavailable at this time; ask the driver.

San Francisco and the Peninsula: Take Caltrain to the Santa Clara station. Fare for this leg will be variable based on distance traveled, up to $6 for people traveling all the way from San Francisco, and trains run every 30-60 minutes. From Santa Clara take the VTA 10 bus to the airport. At the airport pretend you just got off a plane and take the hotel shuttle described above.

An alternative to the hotel shuttle is to stay on the bus which passes very close to the hotel on its way to the Metro/Airport light-rail station. According to the hotel it will stop on request. If they lied and you end up at the light rail station, it is about a ten-minute walk to the hotel. Just walk down Metro Drive (the street the light rail crosses) to Technology Drive, turn right on Technology, cross Airport, and the Doubletree will be just on the other side of Airport on the right.

Update:The current fare for an express bus from BART to San Jose is $3.00, or $1.50 with either a transfer from the station or a valid BART Plus pass. Light rail fare is currently $1.50.

Check In/Check Out times

Like most hotels the Doubletree check in time is 3 pm with check out at 12 noon.
You can ask for early check in and late check out and also store your bags with the bellman. If you are planning to split the room rate tell them at check in so check out is swift and easy.

Convention Registration

The Registration desk will open at 12 noon on Friday, Feb. 17. After you register you will receive a registration packet that will include a map of the hotel showing locations of our hospitality room, vendor rooms and where the events will be held. Registration packets will contain the complete program guide, pocket program, up to date changes, and other useful information, like places to eat.

Convention Programming

Great people from all over the Bay Area, California and from other parts of the country are coming, and from other countries! Programming starts Friday afternoon at 2:00 pm and continues through Monday afternoon till 4:30 pm. We will have up to fourteen simultaneous workshops going on during the day. At night we will have up to six different programs plus postings for parties and possibly some discussion groups that can reconvene at night in some "extra" rooms.

Masquerade Ball

There will be no Costume Contest this year, we will still have a Masquerade Ball. The theme for it is Gaia, the Earth and Activism. Dress up, have fun. "Hall Award" prize ribbons will again be presented for costuming as in other years. There will be music for the Ball, followed by a DJ who will take requests for music. (see our website bulletin board to make them or make them in person).

Food

We will have lists of Restaurants located nearby at the Information table, but, in truth there is little nearby except what you find at the hotel. The hotel has Spencer's, an expensive restaurant, the sushi/quiet bar, or the Garden Cafe. During the day they will have snack carts with sandwiches etc. We have set aside 1 hour for lunch, and 2 hours for dinner (with only a very few events during that time) and half an hour between the two sessions each morning and afternoon.

How to throw a Convention Party

The Conference will have a Hospitality Suite (room 954) where you can go for a snack, coffee, etc. This year, there will be two rooms- one that is kid-friendly, where adults can bring their children (adult must stay with child), and the Adult-Only room, for more quiet interactions.

Several groups have Hospitality Suites. They will be hosting parties at various times which will be posted at the Information area. Other groups hosting parties should post their information at the Info table bulletin board. If you wish to have a party in your room, you can email us the information or post that information on the day before and on the evening of your party. You don't have to go to great expense or have your room open for any longer than you want.

What to wear?!?

This is always an important question!

On Friday night you might want to wear your dancing shoes for the music at 9 pm and maybe something red, black, and strumpet-like for the PombaGira devotional at 11 pm. (Please remember that we share the elevators with other hotel goers, so cover up if needed.)

On Saturday everyone is encouraged to wear their kilts! Certainly on Saturday night dress in costume for the Masquerade Ball or a ritual robe. You'll also need dancing shoes for the bands afterwards and other dancing, or a drum for the drum circle.

On Sunday night dress in ritual robes and dancing shoes for the other rituals. Monday has a more relaxed pace to it.

Become part of running the Con

If you wish to help us in this mammoth task of putting on the biggest and only West Coast conference on paganism, email us or please come to the "Gryphon's Lair" after you register.

A Gryphon is a work trade Volunteer. PantheaCon take a lot of work to put on as it is all done by Volunteer Staff. A work trade Volunteer is someone who has paid their way into the Con but by Volunteering time and helping out various departments, earns their money back.

Please consider helping us with this; it takes a lot of work to put on an event of this size. We need your help. Why Volunteer? You get to meet and get to know other pagans better. You get many karmic Brownie Points. You get to see the inner workings of PantheaCon. You get your money back.

Vending at PantheaCon

Tables in the Vendors room are full for 2008. PLEASE NOTE – Vending is under the aegis pf PantheaCon. No unauthorized vending is permitted, and there is NO vending permitted outside of PantheaCon authorized spaces. Your cooperation is appreciated.

General Hotel Rules

We are sharing with Mundanes --- Be cool. The elevators, hallways and pool are always "Public" areas. If you are wearing something scanty, please wear a cover-up for when in these shared areas. Costumes are okay, but nudity is not.

Keep "weapons" secure and unobtrusive. No crashing in public areas. There are lots of places to meet and visit. The Coffee Shop has a fair amount of staff turnover, so there may staff waiting on you who will not be used to large 'fluid' groups of people at tables -- tip generously.

Sleeping Rooms

Be as honest as possible about how many people are in the room, but the hotel has a strict "4 people to a room" policy.

Tip early and often. This will help ensure good service, extra towels and pillows etc. (Write "for the maid" on hotel stationary envelope with $ inside and leave by the phone.)

Roll-aways can be available at a $20 per night charge, if you ask early. They allow these in King or Queen Rooms.

Volunteers or 'What is a Gryphon'?

The dictionary explains the Gryphon as a fabled monster, usually having the head & front body of an eagle and the rear body of a lion. Our department is called Gryphons because we have combined several different departments into one (hence the multi-animal mascot) and we do so many different things. We can be called upon at a moment's notice to help any other department or do our own specific duties such as monitoring access to presentations and parties. There is a place for just about every kind of volunteer within the Gryphon department. The minimum Volunteer shift is 2 hours and a total of 6 hours over the run of the Con must be worked in order to receive a refund. Current work trade rates are available in the Gryphon's Lair on your Volunteer form. We have an immediate refund policy, which means we will be able to write you a check on site at the Con for your refund. You will receive your money back after you've worked your specified number of hours. Our work trade agreement also specifies that once you are assigned a shift and have agreed to work it, you must show up or face serious repercussions (such as losing all your hours previously worked on that day).

When you come to the Con, register as usual. If you are pre-registered, go to the registration desk to pick up your badge and conference information. If you are not pre-registered, you must pay on-site. There will be an on-site registration table in the lobby area. Sorry, there is no way to just do work trade without first paying your way into the conference.

Once you have registered, you will come to the Gryphon's Lair. Our friendly Staff will be there to assist you. You will fill out a Volunteer Form and will be given a Gryphon number and a time sheet which will be kept in the Gryphon's Lair. You MUST check in at the Lair prior to and at the end of your shift and have your time sheet updated and initialed by a Staff member. This is how we determine your refund.

You cannot earn more money back than you paid to get in to the conference.

Unfortunately, we do not have crash space for people to sleep. There will be many attendees to the conference and a bulletin board for networking (as well as a board online). You may be able to hook up with someone who has extra bed space for you. No guarantees, but a thought. Also, please be aware that Volunteers are responsible for feeding themselves throughout the Con as meals are not part of the work trade arrangement.

If you wish to help us in this mammoth task of putting on the biggest and only West Coast conference on paganism, please e-mail us: gryphons@pantheacon.com or come to the "Gryphon's Lair" located on the 2nd floor near OPS after you register. Lair Hours: Friday: 10:00 am - 11:30 pm, Saturday & Sunday: 7:45 am - 11:30 pm, Monday: 7:45 am - 5:00 pm.

Please consider helping us with this; it takes a lot of work to put on an event of this size. We need your help. Why Volunteer? You get to meet and get to know other pagans better, see the inner workings of the Con and you can get your money back.

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.