Information for Inauguration Delegates
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Dear Delegate,
We are delighted that you will be representing your institution as a delegate for the inauguration of Dr. Valerie Kinloch as the 15th president of Johnson C. Smith University on Friday, April 5, 2024 at 10 a.m. The ceremony will take place in The Crown Ballroom located at the Charlotte Convention Center 501 S. College Street Charlotte, NC 28202.
Delegates are asked to arrive by 8:45 a.m. Please bring your regalia and report to Meeting Room E-218 for line-up and final instructions. A light continental breakfast will be available. The academic processional departs robing sites at 9:45 a.m.
The Inauguration luncheon is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. or immediately following the recessional.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame Parking Garage is the closest parking option. Entrance is 500 S. Brevard Street Charlotte, NC 28202. Because parking is limited, we are encouraging delegates and guests to consider using rideshare services. Valet service is available for delegates and special guests at the 501 S. Caldwell Street entrance.
Thank you again for agreeing to participate. If you have any questions, please contact me at jpsprings@jcsu.edu or 704.378.1024.
Joy Paige Springs
Vice President, Institutional Advancement and External Affairs
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Academic Attire and Robing
As a delegate, you are asked to wear academic regalia. If you do not own a cap and gown, please contact your home college or university to acquire the appropriate robing. All delegates will have the opportunity to robe in a designated room on site. The order of delegates in the procession will be chronological, based on the year of your institution’s founding. The assembly of delegates will begin one hour before the ceremony. We ask that you be robed and ready by 9 a.m. University staff members will be available on-site to assist you.
Reception
A reception will immediately follow the ceremony at the Charlotte Convention Center. Details will be provided on-site.
Main Entrance
Main Entrance and Taxi Address
501 S. College St.
Driving from I-277
For your site visit at the Charlotte Convention Center, please plan to park in the NASCAR Hall of Fame parking garage. If you are using a GPS, plug in the following address: 500S. Brevard St.
Once you are parked, follow these instructions:
1. Take the elevator with NASCAR Hall of Fame signage.
(Do not take "tower" or "ballroom.")
2. Inside the elevator, press the button labeled "Convention Center," which will take you to the top floor.
3. After exiting the elevator, take a right turn to the pedestrian bridge.
4. Cross over the pedestrian bridge into the Convention Center. There will be stairs and an escalator that will take you down to the Meeting Level. You should be able to see the Delish Food Court in front of
Light Rail
Light Rail
If you're taking the LYNX Blue Line light rail, plan to get off at either the Stonewall or 3rd Street/Convention Center stations.
The Convention Center is directly in between both of these stations.
From Stonewall:
1. Walk over the pedestrian bridge that crosses over.
Stonewall Street.
2. Enter through the doors into the West Wing Meeting Space.
3. Take a left. Then take the first right at the corridor to arrive in the center of the building.
From 3rd Street/Convention Center:
1. Follow the multicolored sidewalk path toward Martin Luther
King Jr. Bivd. The Hilton hotel should be on your right.)
2. Use the crosswalk to walk across Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
3. Enter the building using the Martin Luther King Jr.
Blvd. entrance.
Directions to meeting room
The Crown Ballroom, where the event will take place, is located next to the Charlotte Hall of Fame Museum between South Caldwell and Brevard Streets.
Both the meeting rooms and the ballrooms are located on the top level of the Convention Center.
Meeting Room E-218 (starred on the map below in magenta) is located on the opposite side of Brevard Street from the Crown Ballroom. There is an elevated walkway that goes directly from the lobby of the Crown Ballroom to the East Wing of the Convention Center where the meeting room is located.
Arriving from East Martin Luther King Blvd.
If you arrive from East MLK Blvd., proceed into the lobby and up the stairs. The Richardson Ball Room will be on your left. Continue forward past the Richardson Ball room until you enter the food court. The grand staircase will be to your right. In front of you will be the East Wing meeting rooms. The rooms are marked by room number and you can use the map below to find room E-218.
Arriving from South Caldwell Street
If you arrive from South Caldwell Street, enter at the street level entrance and go up the stairs. You will be in the Crown Ballroom Lobby, the lobby of the room where the event will take place. Continue straight across the lobby and go up the stairs to get to the elevated crosswalk over Brevard Street. Once on the other side go back down the stairs and you will be in the food court. To your left will be all of the East Wing Meeting Rooms. The rooms are marked by room number and you can use the map below to find room E-218.
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The Charlotte Convention center is ADA compliant. For guests with mobility issues or disabilities, you can find more information on the Convention Center’s website.