GETTING HERE
The nearest and easiest airport to travel from is the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
The Tempe Mission Palms offers a free shuttle service to and from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to all hotel guests.
From Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the easiest way to get to the Tempe Mission Palms is a combination of public transportation options - the PHX Sky Train and the Metro Light Rail.
The PHX Sky Train is a free shuttle accessible from Terminals 3 and 4, which runs 24 hours/day and will take you directly to the 44th Street/Washington Metro Light Rail Stop. Metro Light Rail tickets are available ($2 USD for a one-way ticket, $4 USD for the day) at the stop. From there, take the eastbound train to the Veterans Way/College Ave station.The Tempe Mission Palms is about a five minute walk from there. All Valley Metro services are wheelchair and scooter accessible. Please be aware the Metro Light Rail only runs from 4:40 AM to 11:00 PM Arizona Time. For additional questions or a train schedule, please contact Valley Metro, via their website or by phone: (602) 253-5000 or TTY (602) 251-2039.
Additionally, on-demand rideshare services are plentiful here. Both Lyft and Uber have Wheelchair accessible vehicles available by request, as well as drivers trained to assist. You can estimate costs using ride.guru - though base fare from Sky Harbor to Tempe Mission Palms is approximately $12 USD, barring surge pricing.
Conference Hotel
- TEI Shuttle - a free shuttle service will begin departing Tempe Mission Palms at 5pm on March 19 and make several trips to Tempe Center for the Arts. This service will begin departing from the Tempe Center of the Arts at 8.30pm to bring attendees back to Tempe Mission Palms.
- Public Transport - there are several options via public transit, however, the fastest option is to take the 48 from the Transit Center (conveniently located next to the Mission Palms), and get off at the Rio Salado & Tempe Center for the Arts stop. Please consult Valley Metro for more information and time schedules). Fare is $4 USD for an all-day pass. Transit passes can be purchased onboard the busses or at a Fare Vending Machine at the Transit Center. This will take you about 8 minutes.
- Ride Share - Uber and Lyft are the two largest providers of rideshares in Tempe. Fares vary, but estimates are around $6-$10 USD. This should take about 5 minutes.
- Walking - It is about a 20 minute, 1 mile walk. This will take you through our Downtown area, as well as through Tempe Beach Park. This is a link to the Google Map for walking directions.
- Dockless Scooters - Generally, these are scattered around the area. Prices and availability may vary. Please be aware, local law requires riders to wear a helmet. Bird, Lime and Razor are three of the scooter companies. Please consult the City of Tempe's Safety Guide before using a scooter.
Make sure to book your hotel stay at the Tempe Mission Palms conference hotel. The Tempe Mission Palms offers a free shuttle service to and from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to all hotel guests.
The Tempe Mission Palms hotel is at the center of the conference activity, and will allow you to network easily with other conference attendees. Also, it's a quick trip to get to the program and functions, and just as quick to nip back to your room for a break. Staying at the conference hotel will provide a better conference experience!
The Tempe Mission Palms is a fantastic conference venue, which will provide services, facilities, and support to host the TEI studios, demos, exhibits, plenary sessions, and other exciting activities at the conference. As the transaction for those services and support, the conference guarantees that a percentage of attendees will stay in the hotel. The contract with the hotel then guarantees a specific number of sleeping rooms will be used each night during the conference. If the conference does not meet the contracted sleeping room commitment, the hotel gets paid anyway. Those unfilled rooms will cost the conference thousands of dollars.
Please support TEI 2019 and the SIG by staying at the Tempe Mission Palms hotel!
Reservations can be made online at the Mission Palms website, or by calling 800-547-8705 (from the USA) or 001 (480) 894-1400 (from outside the USA) and mentioning TEI 2019 to receive the booking discount of $219/night.
If you are interested in connecting with other TEI attendees for a room share, you can email the Student Volunteer Chairs at sv_chairs@tei.acm.org
Free Tempe Mission Palms Airport Shuttle
The Tempe Mission Palms offer s a free daily shuttle transportation to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, 5:30am - 10:00pm to all hotel guests.
To the hotel: When you arrive at baggage claim and have luggage in-hand, please call our hotel at 01 (480) 894-1400. The operator will direct you to the proper curb-side location for your terminal, and advise you of the estimated pick up time.
To the airport: The airport shuttle runs on an "as-needed" basis, leaving every 30 minutes, on the hour and half-hour. Reservations are not required.
Unfortunately we cannot "Pre-schedule" shuttle pick-ups due to the variations in scheduled versus actual arrival times, and transportation requests for all of our guests, both arriving and departing.
Travel between Main Conference Venue (Tempe Mission Palms) and Arts Track Venue (Tempe Center for the Arts)
Getting to Tempe Center for the Arts from Tempe Mission Palms
There are five basic options for getting to Tempe Center for the Arts for the Arts Track presentations: