B-16/04
May 12, 2004
[Papers
and Presentations Now Available]
SUMMARY
The
20th Annual FTA Technology Conference and Exhibition
will be held August 8-11, 2004, in Portland, Oregon,
at the Doubletree
Hotel at Lloyd Center. This announcement contains
a preliminary program as well as registration materials
and hotel information.
The hotel
registration deadline is July 16. FTA suggests
that you make your hotel arrangements early and also
requests that you complete your conference
registration with us by July 16. On-line registrations will be accepted
at the FTA home page at www.taxadmin.org.
Faxed registrations may be sent to (202) 624-7888.
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PROGRAM FEATURES
Developments in e-file programs will again be featured this
year, along with an emphasis on approaches to compliance and
the states’
continuing efforts to integrate revenue applications and “lessons
learned.” In addition information on other developing
areas will be presented relating to fed-state corporate tax
e---filing, tax jurisdiction sourcing, 2-D barcoding, the Streamlined
Sales Tax Project, e-payments, software development tools, and
data warehousing, among others. A
Final program is available.
EXHIBIT HALL
There will also be a vendor exhibit hall providing a concentrated
opportunity to visit with private sector representatives about
new products and services during show hours on Sunday, August
8, and Monday, August 9. A list
of exhibitors for
this year is attached; spaces are filling up fast!
FTA has again outsourced the management of our Exhibit Hall
to an outstanding trade show firm in Annandale, VA, The Bridge
Group. If you are a provider and would like to exhibit your
products and services, please contact Cathy Arevian, Principal
with The Bridge Group, at cathy@tbgevents.com or
703-425-1186.
EVENT SPONSORSHIP
This year we are featuring an expanded Sponsorship Program
that provides the opportunity to support the FTA Technology
Conference and Exhibition. There are our usual opportunities
this year for industry to sponsor the main Conference functions
(covering continental breakfasts, coffee breaks, lunch, and
the Sunday reception) as well as other new and additional modes
of support including a cappuccino bar, ice cream breaks, the
Cybercafe, and attendee goods (tote bags and lanyards). Some
of these also feature additional vendor benefits such as free
registrations and exhibit booths! A list
of Conference Sponsors is included with this announcement.
For Sponsorship (and Exhibit) information, use this link
to The Bridge Group: http://www.tbgevents.com/trade-currentshows.html or
contact Cathy Arevian at cathy@tbgevents.com or
703-425-1186.
RELATED MEETINGS
Again this year there will be a meeting of the ASC
X12/TIGERS Group at the conclusion of the Technology
Conference, from 2:00 p.m. August 11 through noon on
the 13th. This government/industry consensus group
develops electronic standards and is now developing
guidance on the use of eXtensible Markup Language (XML) for
Tax Filing. For more information, see the TIGERS XML Resource
Page. There is a $50 registration fee for the TIGERS meeting,
and we ask that all preregister so that an accurate count can
be made for hotel space planning purposes.
The National Association of Computerized Tax Processors will
again hold its annual meeting August 11-13 in conjunction with
the FTA Technology Conference, in the Doubletree Hotel at Lloyd
Center. Contact Mimi Nolan at mnolan@hrblock.com for
additional information.
For
meeting logistics details, please contact Darrell
Reeves. Meeting
and exhibit information will also be provided
on the FTA home page at www.taxadmin.org.
REGISTRATION
The Conference registration fee is $325 for government
delegates and $475 for industry participants. This includes
the opening Exhibit Hall reception on Sunday, continental
breakfast Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, and the Monday
Exhibit Hall luncheon. Please submit your registration
by July 16. You may do so on-line
at www.taxadmin.org or download the paper
form.
Again, the FTA
Conference registration deadline is July 16, 2004. A late fee of $35 will be assessed if you fail to register
before the workshop. Faxed registrations will be accepted at
(202) 624-7888. If unable to make payment at the time of registration,
registrants are asked to indicate payment method, including
requests for invoicing. Checks will also be accepted on-site
for payment. MasterCard or VISA is accepted; to pay by phone,
call 202-624-5892, or you may also pay via on-line registration
on the FTA
Web site.
Cancellations. Cancellations are accepted without penalty
if received by August 5; cancellations after that date
(except emergencies) will incur a $35 processing fee.
On-site NEW registrants must add a $35 fee.
HOTEL REGISTRATION
The conference will be held at the Doubletree
Hotel at Lloyd Center, 1000 Multnomah
NE, Portland, OR 97232. The hotel’s
direct line is 800-996-0510. FTA Group
Rates are Government $85/Industry $105
single/double. When you make your reservations
ask for the Federation of Tax
Administrators group rate and specify "government" or
"industry." Early
registration is urged, as the block tends
to fill quickly. The cut-off date for
hotel reservations is July 16; rooms
may not be available after that date.
AIR TRANSPORTATION
Portland International Airport (PDX)
is served by 17 international and domestic
commercial airlines (among them Alaska,
American, Delta, Northwest, Southwest and
United) offering many arrivals and departures
daily. Portland's excellent air service generally
results in very competitive fares.
GROUND TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING
TriMet, Portland's public transportation provider, operates
the MAX Red Line light rail service, running from Portland
International Airport through downtown Portland every 15 minutes.
A one-way trip from the airport to downtown Portland takes
38 minutes and costs $1.60. Purchase tickets from automated
ticket machines located in the airport lobby near baggage claim
as well as on the MAX station platform. Taxi fare per vehicle
typically runs $20-25 one way to the hotel; travel time is
20-40 minutes to downtown. The hotel offers a reduced daily
overnight parking rate of $8 for FTA attendees.
CULTURE, WEATHER, EVENTS AND SUCH
The City of Portland has many attractions, including excellent
museums (science, natural history, and art), theatre, ballet
and opera, city hikes and tours, abundant golf and other outdoor
recreation, and much more – and dining opportunities include the nation’s
largest variety of local microbrews.
It also has an excellent local transportation system; the
38-mile network of rails extends to the airport and both east
and west from downtown Portland and the Lloyd Center area.
Buses, light rail and streetcars are free in a 330-square-block
area. You may want to check for more information at: http://www.pova.com/visitors/.
The hotel is just across the street
from the Lloyd Center Mall, featuring
over 200 stores, 18 movie theaters
and an ice skating rink.
The Portland area is ranked as having
one of the five best summer climates
in America. The high and low range normally
from 81 to 57 during August. Dress for
the sessions will be business casual,
meaning collared shirts and slacks for
men but no ties.
FTA welcomes your suggestions for enhancements to the Conference,
and hopes that you are able to attend. We look forward to seeing
you there.
Sincerely,
Harley T. Duncan
Executive Director
