2024 Registration and Housing FAQs

Convention Registration

How do I register for the convention?

Visit the MLA 2024 page for links to registration. Member registration is now open. Registration for nonmembers opens in October, or nonmembers can join the MLA and then register at the member rate. Once your registration is confirmed, you will be able to make your hotel reservation.

How can I find my MLA membership number or password so that I can register for the convention?

Click on Log In at the top right corner of any page on the MLA site, select Recover your username or reset your password, and follow the prompts. If you have additional questions regarding your membership, please write to membershipservices@mla.org.

How do I register if I do not want to pay by credit card online?

Complete the registration process online and choose Pay by Check on the payment screen. Print out the Convention Registration: Pay by Check page and mail it with your payment to the MLA office. Once your registration and payment are received and processed, we will send you a confirmation email that contains a link to the housing website.

How do I become an MLA member or renew my membership so that I can register for the convention?

You can join the MLA or renew your membership as part of the convention registration form. If you have additional questions about MLA membership or are unsure of your membership status, please write to membershipservices@mla.org.

I may have registered multiple times for the convention. How do I cancel the extra payments?

Write to Michael Reilly (registration@mla.org) and include how you registered (online or by mail, with a credit card or by check), how many times you think you may have registered, and what names you registered under. Because of the volume of new registrations being processed, it may take several weeks to process any refunds.

Hotel Reservations

How do I reserve a hotel room for the convention?

Click the Make Hotel Reservations Now button on the Registration Confirmation and Receipt page once you complete your online convention registration. To reserve a hotel room, you must first be registered for the convention.

How do I change or cancel my reservation?

Through 20 December, subject to availability, you may change or cancel your reservation by visiting the MLA hotel support center or by calling 888 644-2282, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Beginning 22 December you must contact your hotel directly. Please refer to the hotel confirmation email for your hotel’s cancellation policy.

I have already registered online. How do I now make a hotel reservation?

Refer to the link provided in your registration confirmation email. So that the confirmation email does not get blocked by spam-blocking software, please make sure that your inbox is set up to receive email from the MLA domain (mla.org).

I called the hotel to make a reservation and they told me to call you for approval.

To reserve a hotel room, you must first register for the convention, then make your reservation using the MLA housing system. Hotel reservations made directly with the hotel will not be at the MLA rate and are not protected by the MLA.

I mailed in my registration payment, but I want to make my hotel reservation online.

Once your registration and payment are received and processed, we will send you a confirmation email that contains a link to the housing website.

Where can I find information about the hotels online?

If you have already accessed the online housing page, click on Select Hotel and then Show Hotel Details for each hotel. Click on Map for an interactive map with the locations of the various hotels being used by the MLA.

How do I reserve more than one hotel room?

Because of the number of convention attendees who wish to reserve a hotel room at the MLA rate and the limited number of rooms available, each convention registrant is able to reserve only one hotel room. To reserve two rooms, a second member of your party must register for the convention and reserve the second room under his or her name. If you wish to reserve a second room for a caregiver or family member, please contact Deirdre Henry (dhenry@mla.org).

I am registered for the convention, but the person I am sharing a room with is not registered. How can we make hotel reservations?

All room occupants must be registered for the convention before any housing request can be processed. If the person you will be sharing the room with is an MLA member, he or she should register online with a credit card beginning in early September to avoid any delay in the processing of your housing request. If that person is not an MLA member, he or she can register as a nonmember beginning in October, but this means that your housing reservation cannot be processed until that time; or, that person can become a new MLA member and register for the convention online.

I plan to bring a guest who will not attend the convention but who will be staying in my hotel room. Does my guest still have to register for the convention?

Roommates who are not professionally involved in the study of language or literature are considered exempt and do not need to register for the convention. Those who are professionally involved in the study of literature and language, including MLA members, must be registered for the MLA convention. When making your roommate request, please select the appropriate option.

Change in Plans

I was planning to attend in person but my circumstances have changed. What are my options?

The one registration rate allows you to attend the convention and access sessions in the manner that works best for you. Your convention registration provides access to the in-person and online sessions. If you’re no longer able to attend in person, you still have access to all the online content.

How do I cancel my hotel reservation?

Please refer to your reservation confirmation email for details.