[blindlaw] Description of Convention Exhibit Hall

[David Andrews]

Courtesy of Lorraine Rovig:

2006 NFB Annual Convention, Exhibit Hall “Verbal Map”
 
OVERVIEW:  The Khmer Pavilion Exhibit Hall is a perfect rectangle, which will make finding one’s way around the 146 tables an easy shot for the power shopper. There are tables around the 4 walls, with the east and west sides being the long sides.  There are 3 rectangles of tables covering the middle space.  These are called A-Square, B-Square, and C-Square.  A and B and C Squares have their short ends facing the east and west walls, their long ends parallel with the north and south walls, and A-Square is nearest to the entrance.  
 
ENTRANCE:  When you enter the ballroom through the east wall you will be at the southeast corner of the room in a vestibule.  Coming out of the hotel hallway, you will enter the vestibule, turn right, and in a few steps enter the Khmer Pavilion.  (By the way, there is a water station set up just inside the vestibule to your left as you enter.)
 
Upon entering the Pavilion, Information Tables 1 and 2 are on your right. Pick up your room map (print only) and exhibitor lists with table numbers (in Braille or print) here, or ask directions to a specific vendor’s location.  Left of the doorway you will find the Kurzweil–National Federation of the Blind Reader tables (62-64), but let’s continue straight north, (keeping the entrance behind us, the east wall on our right) to check out East Wall tables 1 through 20.  Some of the notable vendors along the wall are NFB-NEWSLINE® (6, 7), Independent Living Aids (9, 10), and Guide Dogs for the Blind (12). 
 
Turn left or west after table 20, passing a water station, and peruse North Wall tables 21 to 34.  Need cash? Diebold’s accessible talking ATM machine (with real money in response to your credit card) and the Diebold (sample) accessible voting machine are at space 21 (straight ahead of the entrance). 
 
The West Wall tables 35 to 52 are next.  If shopping makes you thirsty, the NFB Merchant’s Division is midway at tables 41-44 with their snack packs and free sodas.  The interesting exhibits from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center are at tables 49 to 51, followed by the Jernigan Institute National Center for Blind Youth in Science at 52. 
 
Turn left again to check out the South Wall tables 53 to 64.  Optelec at tables 56 to 61 has the most tables in this stretch.  And now you are back to the Kurzweil–National Federation of the Blind Reader tables, beyond which is the vestibule.
 
To get to A-Square after examining the new handheld reader, put your back to the south wall and cross the aisle.  You have arrived at HumanWare (A65-A71, and A90-A92) on the A-Square’s east end.  Go left to find Sendero Group at A87-88, about midway on the square’s south side, or to the end of the side to find “ifbyphone” at A82-83.  On the other hand, if you wish to find table numbers in ascending order, travel counterclockwise around each square.  
 
B-Square is in the center of the room, with Freedom Scientific taking up its entire east end at tables B93-B99 plus B118-B120.  National Industries for the Blind (NIB) is at B116 midway on the B-Square’s south side.
 
C-Square is furthest north in the room, with tables C121 through C146.  As with the other squares, only 2 or 3 tables are on each end, and 11 tables are on each of the long sides.
 
Happy shopping!
Lorraine Rovig