As promised, we're announcing the dates and a few details surrounding Austin Mega Do 2.5, scheduled for March 1 through March 3, 2013. For those of you playing the home game, you'll note that this is before SxSW comes to town, and (hopefully) well before the festering of summer sets in. We've got some great plans in the works and I hope you'll see fit to join us.

You may be asking, why is this a, "2.5" event? This event will be a little different than Austin Mega Do 1 and 2 from 2010 and 2012. Where those events were rather large in scale, often leaving Austin to enjoy more of the Central Texas region, the 2.5 event is almost entirely contained inside downtown Austin. It is also shorter in duration, not starting until Friday evening (with happy hour, of course) and ending early in the afternoon on Sunday. Also, as any 2012 attendee can tell you, we were a tad heavy on the smoked meat consumption. While there will most certainly be denatured proteins, we're focusing on downtown experiences and the dining choices will hopefully reflect that.

Another benefit of being focused in downtown is the lack of long bus rides to get anywhere. Downtown Austin is not terribly large, but it's not terribly small either, and the bus service can be sporadic. For almost all events, you'll be on your own for transportation. The availability of parking can be sparse at times, as it is in almost any city, so plan accordingly. We'll provide links to maps so you can estimate how long it will take to get from location to location.

As with years past, we're announcing these preliminary details quite early. As such, they are all subject to change. I'm in contract discussions with most of the venues and services we'll be featuring, but these things tend to drag out. As always, the website (http://www.ausmegado.com) is your source for the latest and greatest information. I'll do my best to keep the threads on MilePoint and FlyerTalk updated, but the website is the final word on the matter.

With those housekeeping items out of the way, here's the juicy details as we have them today:

Hotel: Austin is well known for its high room rates, and there is no better example of this than downtown Austin. But, being downtown, there are a large number of hotels to choose from. We're excited to announce a tentative agreement with the W Austin for a small block of rooms that will be available for Do attendees at a significantly discounted rate. Keep in mind that a standard room at this hotel regularly sells for over $600 per night. Concurrently, we're working to iron out an agreement with another hotel in the downtown area that will provide the additional room space needed and at a lower price point for those of you who would prefer to go that way. And as always, you're free to book any hotel you like. We'll post more details on this front as they develop.

Schedule Of Events: (subject to change)

Friday, March 1, 2013
5:00PM - 6:30PM - Happy Hour/Pre-game at Serranos on Red River
7:00PM - 9:00PM - Private dinner at Franklin BBQ (pre-paid)
9:30PM - ?????? - Strolling Dirty 6th/Sauntering The Warehouse District (bars and drinking)

Saturday, March 2, 2013
10:00AM - 12:30PM - Visit SoCo food trailers for brunch (a roach coach these ain't)
1:00PM - 6:00PM - Tour two local Austin breweries (limited bus service available for purchase)
7:00PM - 9:30PM - Dinner at Max's Wine Dive (food pre-paid)
10:00PM - 11:00PM - Esther's Follies (pre-paid)
11:00PM - ?????? - On your own.

Sunday, March 3, 2013
10:00AM - 1:00PM - Private screening of Airplane! at the Alamo Drafthouse with brunch and cash bar (food pre-paid)

As we progress through the next couple of months, I'll provide more information concerning the details of each event and what you can expect as far as costs and sponsorships. I expect registration for this event to open somewhere in or around September 2012. Stay tuned to the website, this thread, and the Facebook group for more details as they're released.

We look forward to seeing everyone in March of 2013!