SESAH 2023 ANNUAL CONFERENCE IN LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS

Please join us for the 2023 SESAH Conference to be held in Little Rock, Arkansas from Wednesday through Saturday, September 27-30. The conference hotel is the DoubleTree by Hilton at 424 West Markham Street in the heart of downtown Little Rock near the River Market District and approximately one mile from the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum. The discounted room rate for the conference is $149 plus tax per night.

The conference will kick off with the board of directors meeting on Wednesday evening. The paper sessions, featuring research by scholars from throughout the U.S., will be held Thursday and Friday. The business lunch and awards ceremony will be held on Friday. The keynote address by Dr. Ethel Goodstein-Murphree, associate dean and professor of architecture at the University of Arkansas, will be held at the Old State House Museum, a National Historic Landmark adjacent to the DoubleTree Hotel.

The Saturday study tour includes properties in and around Little Rock dating from prehistoric times to the mid-twentieth century. The tour will kick off with a visit to Plum Bayou Archeological State Park, which features the largest mound complex in Arkansas, and then visit several properties in Little Rock and North Little Rock, including Trapnall Hall (1843), Taborian Hall (1916), the Matthews House (1928), and the National Old Line Insurance Company Building (1954-55, addition 1965). (Most of these properties are privately owned and will be opening exclusively to SESAH members on the study tour.)

The preliminary schedule for the conference is listed below. All times are CST:

Wednesday:

Early check-in 4:00 – 6:00
Board Meeting 5:00 – 8:00

Thursday:

Check-in 8:00 – 2:00
First Timer’s Session 8:00 – 9:00
Plenary Session 9:00 – 9:45
Paper Sessions 1 10:00 – 11:30
Lunch (on your own) 11:30 – 1:30
Paper Sessions 2 1:30 – 3:00
Paper Sessions 3 3:15 – 4:45
Optional Walking Tour 5:30 – 6:30
Dinner (on your own)

Friday:

Check-in 8:00 – 12:00
Paper Sessions 4 8:30 – 10:00
Paper Sessions 5 10:15 – 11:45
Business Meeting/Awards Lunch 11:45 – 1:45
Paper Sessions 6 2:00 – 3:30
Paper Sessions 7 3:45 – 5:15
Keynote Address 6:00 – 7:00
Keynote Reception 7:15 – 9:00

Saturday:

Study Tour 8:00 – 3:45

The Conference Hotel

The DoubleTree by Hilton at 424 West Markham Street in downtown Little Rock will serve as the conference hotel and headquarters. Unless noted, all conference events will take place in the hotel conference center. The modern hotel offers free WiFi, outdoor pool, fitness center, business center, and on-site restaurant. Check in time is 4:00 pm and check-out is 11:00am. On-site self parking is $15.00 per day. EV charging is not available.

Click here to reserve your room – standard king or double – at the special discounted rate of $149.00 per night (not including breakfast). Be sure to adjust your dates if you use this link. The special group rate code is “SSH.” You can also make reservations by calling 1-800-HILTONS (445-8667) and referencing the SESAH 2023 room block. You must book by September 5 for this rate.

Registration

Click here to register (payment for registration may be made here). The early-bird rate is good through August 31. The late fee is $25. Please note that registrations must be made online (sorry, no walk-ups). Registration closes September 13, so don’t delay! Early-bird registration rates are:

$225 current members (email membership@sesah.org to check your membership status)

$275 non-members, includes a $50 one-year membership

$150 spouse/partner of current member

FREE current student members (with a valid ID)

$30 student non-members (with a valid ID), includes a $30 one-year membership

$75 Saturday Study Tour (includes lunch)

If you have registration questions or special requests, please email registration@sesah.org. General conference or study tour questions can be directed to conference chair Ralph Wilcox at ralph.wilcox@sesah.org.