Registration closes April 1st for the 2022 convention.
To attend this convention you must:
1) fill out the registration form below,
2) pay the nonrefundable registration fee via PayPal or check the same day you fill out the form (required to validate your registration—no on-site registration), and
3) secure your accommodations.
Important details are below.
“Was very nervous about going to our first convention, and thought of cancelling, but so glad I pushed through my fears and went. I made some great friends and was glad to have the opportunity to train around and with other SDs. I hope to attend many more conventions!” –2021 convention-goer
Registration & fee
The 2022 PSDP convention in Long Beach, California is April 29th–May 2nd. The $100 registration fee* is nonrefundable and cannot be paid on site. You can save 25% by registering by January 21st, at the $75 rate (also nonrefundable). Registration is limited to 25 people and closes on April 1st.
Pay by PayPal or check. You must submit your payment no later than the day you submit the registration form.
When we receive both your registration form and fee, your registration becomes valid. Non-validated registration form submissions will expire after a reasonably short timeframe.
For PayPal, there is are payment buttons just above the registration form. PayPal accepts credit cards and other forms of payment.
If you’re paying by check, mail the check by the day you register. Make checks payable to “PSDP” at 1651 Sandpiper Drive, Rock Hill, SC 29732 with “Convention” in the memo line. Later registrants should keep in mind that the fee must be received no later than April 1st.
*Since the payment is for a convention registration and you stand to gain something of value in return, convention (and testing) fees are not considered tax-deductible donations. Feel free to donate, too, though!
“Absolutely amazing. If I can only go to one event each year, I need this convention to get that feeling of being at home among my chosen family. The memories of the latest convention and the anticipation of the next both help me get through the rest of the year!” –2021 convention-goer
Hotel reservations & travel
The officially scheduled parts of the convention are at or near the Courtyard Long Beach Airport from the evening of April 29th to the morning of May 2nd. There is an optional daytime tourist outing to the shoreline area during the day on May 2nd. We have blocked 10 rooms for the nights of the 29th, 30th, and 1st; these are King/one-bed and Queen/two-bed rooms. Additional nights may be booked at the same rate. To reserve one of our blocked rooms at the Courtyard at our discounted rate (until they are all booked, or by April 1st otherwise), you can use the link below.
Booking Link: https://www.marriott.com/events/start.mi?id=1631054692759&key=GRP
Hotel: Courtyard by Marriott Long Beach Airport
Group Name: PSDP Convention
Discounted Rate: $149/room per night, plus tax and incidentals
(This room rate includes parking and wi-fi, but not breakfast.)
The Courtyard Long Beach Airport is a 5-minute drive from the Long Beach Airport, a 30–45 minute drive from LAX and from John Wayne Airport. Most people wish they had more time with fellow convention-goers by the end, so arrange to extend your stay if you can, and spend extra time with friends old and new!
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“Going to the convention was amazing! I was able to see old friends and make new ones. I felt entirely supported and loved, and my dog had a great time, too.” – 2021 convention-goer
Dog testing (optional)
Participants will have the option of taking PSDP’s SDIT Manners Evaluation and/or PSDP’s Public Access Test (PAT) at our convention.
The Manners Evaluation is useful in marking progress along the SDIT journey. While it is intended for teams with a dog training to be a service dog, even experienced service dogs aren’t robots and can use the Manners Evaluation for a friendly checkup. The PAT is PSDP’s community milestone to help teams figure out when they might consider themselves as “graduates” from SDIT status to being a service dog team.
A maximum of six teams can sign up for each evaluation/test. If you want to guarantee your slot through early signup with registration, pay the low $20 fee (per evaluation/test, nonrefundable). It’s a good idea to bring $20 in cash if you might want to sign up at the convention for any remaining slots.
“I have never been so far away from home yet felt so at home before. This is the best gift I could ever give myself and my service dog.” –2019 convention-goer
Summary
So to recap, to attend this convention you must:
1) fill out the registration form below,
2) pay the nonrefundable registration fee via PayPal or check the same day you fill out the form (required to validate your registration—no on-site registration), and
3) secure your accommodations.
The registration form and payment process (if PayPal) must each be completed separately for every person in your party.
To keep the convention safe, if we do not yet know you we may touch base with you before the convention. We reserve the right to restrict attendance to those for whom we determine the convention would be appropriate. Please provide active contact info through the registration form so we don’t drop your registration if we can’t get in touch with you (it’s happened)!
When you fill out and submit the registration form, it may go blank—please do not resubmit. If you would like to confirm that your registration has gone through, or if you have any other questions about the convention, feel free to contact Veronica Morris through the contact us form.
“If you have a psychiatric service dog and have never understood the term ‘family of choice’, this convention is what you’re missing. Every year I’m amazed at how just one weekend can touch so many aspects of my life and warm my heart for the coming year!” –convention-goer
Click below to pay through PayPal and fill out the registration form on this page below.