Frequently Asked Questions

Venue

Where will this event be held?
The 4th Annual conference will be held at the Westin Galleria Hotel 5060 West Alabama Houston, Texas 77056 on May 15-16, 2008. All  Pre –Conference Events will be held at Rice University’s Jesse H.  Jones Graduate School of Management on May 14, 2008

Registration

Where and at what time do I register?
Registration for the pre conference events at Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management will take place May 14th from 8 am to 3 pm.  Registration for the Texas Diversity & Leadership Conference will take place in the Galleria Foyer of the Westin Galleria Hotel on Thursday May 15th from 6:15 am to 7:00 pm and 7:00 am to 12:00 pm on Friday May 16th.

What will I receive at registration?
You will receive a conference bag, a name badge with lanyard (blue-general attendee or red-college student) and a conference program.

What do the conference registration options cost?
There are four conference registration options to choose from.  They are as follows:  Red- $350 White-$499 Blue-$575 Platinum- $699. Please click here to see what is included with each option.

Can I get a refund on my registration?
No refunds will be issued for registrations completed within 60 days of the conference; however we will gladly carry over the amount paid to an event in the future put on by the National Diversity Council.

Conference

When does the conference begin and end?
The conference begins Thursday, May 15th with a Glass Ceiling Breakfast from 7:00 am to 8:30 am. The conference will end on Friday May 16 at 2:00 pm.

Where are the summits and concurrent sessions being held?
The Mentoring Summit, GLBT Summit, Healthcare Summit, Hispanic/Latino Summit, Workforce Compliance Summit and Chief Diversity Officer Conference are all pre-conference events that will take place at Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management.  The College Student Diversity Summit and all concurrent sessions will take place on the third level of the Westin Galleria Hotel.

Keynote Speaker Sessions

What time do the keynote speakers sessions occur?
The keynote speaker session for Jeb Bush will be a scholarship dinner on Thursday May 15th from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm.  The session for Spike Lee will be held from 9:45 am to 10:40 am.  The session for John Ashcroft will occur on Friday May 16th from 11:05 am to 11:45 am.

Do I need a ticket to attend the keynote speaker sessions?
If you have paid for a full conference registration and have a lanyard with a name badge, you will not need a ticket. Full registration entitles you to attend the keynote speaker sessions.

Where do I sit during the luncheons?
Volunteers working the doors of the sessions will have a seating chart showing the location of the head and corporate sponsored tables and available spots for individuals to be seated.

How many concurrent sessions and summits will there be?
There will be 28 concurrent sessions on during the 2 days of the conference held at the Westin Galleria Hotel. Six summits will take place from May14-16th.  Five of them are pre-conference summits that will take place May 14th at Rice University's Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management .

Who are the keynote speakers for the conference?
Award-Winning Director Spike Lee, Former United States Attorney General John Ashcroft and Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush are the keynote speakers for the conference at the Westin Galleria. Chastity Bono is the keynote speaker for the GLBT Summit being held at Rice University’s Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Management on May 14th. Click here to find the keynote speaker’s bios.

Job Fair

What room is the Job Fair in?
The Job fair will take place in Woodway Hall on the fourth Level of the Westin Galleria Hotel.

What days and hours will the job fair be open?
The Job Fair will be open on Thursday May 15 from 9:00 am to 5:30 pm.

How many companies are participating in the job fair?
The Job Fair will include over 100 leading organizations that are looking to fill professional positions within their companies.

Who can participate?
The job fair is FREE TO THE PUBLIC and is for professional positions only.

Will on site interviews be conducted?
Most of the participating employers will be conducting on site interviews for prospective new hires so come prepared. Click on this link for helpful information on preparing for a Job Fair.