LMDA strives to create fully accessible programming at all of our events and gatherings. If you have accessibility needs that have not yet been addressed, please reach out to our Accessibility Coordinator at accessibility@lmda.org so that we can ensure your needs are met at the conference.

This year’s conference will be hosted by San Diego State University, the oldest higher education system in San Diego which continues to make a significant impact on the region; the Old Globe Theatre, a Tony-Award winning theatre in its ninetieth year, located in historic Balboa Park which features eighteen museums as well as the San Diego Zoo; and Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT), an essential part of artistic life in Tijuana, including presentations of work from 16 states of the Mexican Republic and more than 19 countries around the world.

The only meal included with full conference registration is Saturday evening’s banquet at the Mingei Museum in Balboa Park. However, there are plenty of places nearby to grab a bite to eat throughout the conference on both sides of the border. Check out this resources page. (link or include info from things to do)

If you purchased a regional lunch with your registration, volunteers will direct you where to go on Friday afternoon at CECUT. If you didn’t pre-purchase a regional lunch in advance, you can do so at the Information Desk for $15-20. (as supplies last)

Our host cities, San Diego, California, and Tijuana, Mexico, provide the perfect site for this bi-national conference. These two cities share the busiest land border in the Western Hemisphere, with over 150,000 pedestrians and passenger vehicles crossing daily. Tijuana has become one of the most visited cities in the world, known for nightclubs, restaurants, beaches, and the famous Caesar Salad. San Diego is known for its cultural heritage sites, richly diverse neighborhoods, and an abundance of craft breweries. While there are barriers, both physical and governmental, this region is interconnected by a shared cultural and environmental ecosystem. Did you know: 1 in 4 people in Tijuana speak English and half of the San Diego population speaks Spanish?

The diversity of the area encompasses the Kumeyaay people and Chicanas/os whose lineage in the area goes back six generations (or more) to communities who trace their origins to places all over the globe. Some of the diverse communities in the San Diego area also include: the Filipino community numbering more than 200,000, one of the largest populations of Iraqis outside of Iraq, the Sudanese community, and military service members from multiple branches. This region understands how to build consensus and work across divides of various kinds.

LMDA has had great success using Slack as a communication platform for the membership and we are happy to provide a Slack channel specifically for keeping in touch before, during and after your time at the 2025 conference.

We hope that Slack can be a useful tool for conference registrants to receive conference announcements as well as communicate with one another about ancillary activities like carpooling/ridesharing, tourist activities, photo sharing, and emergent events.

As a member benefit, you should have received information on joining our Slack channel in the welcome letter you received when purchasing or renewing your membership. If you did not receive the letter or have questions about our Slack community, you can contact Heather Helinsky, LMDA's VP of Membership, at membership@lmda.org.

Volunteers are expected to work a major portion of all three days. 

• Registration fees are waived for those who volunteer. You are responsible for paying for travel and room/board as well as a reduced closing banquet dinner charge of $25, should you want to attend.
• We try to assign volunteers to rooms/panels they want to see, but there is no guarantee. Plus, some shifts require working at the registration table, which means missing an entire session. 

If this interests you, please contact Danielle Ward at conferencecoordinator@lmda.org. She will add you to the list of potential volunteers and let you know more as we get closer to the date.

San Diego International (SAN) is the airport on the US side and Tijuana International (TIJ) is the airport on the Mexico side, where Aeromexico and Volaris are the leading airlines. Travel from SAN to SDSU takes approximately 20 minutes (12 miles). Travel from TIJ to CECUT takes approximately15 minutes (5 miles).

Rental cars can be found at the arrivals area at TIJ. For SAN, the Rental Car Center at San Diego International Airport is located at 3355 Admiral Boland Way, San Diego, CA 92101. There is a free shuttle you can take to/from the airport. Here is a list of rental car agencies available in San Diego. FYI: rental car companies require drivers to be 25 years of age or older, whereas the general minimum age in California is 21 years old.

Taxis and rideshare options (Uber or Lyft) are readily available at both airports to help with transportation to/from the airport. 

Check Your Passports! 

When traveling to Mexico, US citizens must present a valid passport, whether you're flying or driving. (A REAL ID is not sufficient.) For air travel, a passport is mandatory. For land travel, you can enter with just a passport card, but a passport book is still recommended for international travel. 

To get or renew a passport, visit the U.S. State Department's Travel website, or call the U.S. National Passport Information Center: 1-877-4USA-PPT; TDD/TTY: 1-888-874-7793. Additionally, instructions for obtaining a passport are available through the U.S. Postal Service. They now have online renewal for passports with at least 6 months remaining. ACT FAST! Processing of the passport application takes approximately 6-8 weeks.

Currently, Mexican citizens (including children) crossing into the United States are required to present a passport with visa, or a Border Crossing Card. Mexican citizens may present a Border Crossing Card (BCC) as a stand-alone document for entry by land from Mexico. The BCC also serves as a nonimmigrant visa, and together with a valid passport, it meets the documentary requirements for entry at all land, air, and sea ports of entry. Check with US Customs and Border Control for the most up-to-date information

When travelling to the United States by air, Canadian citizens (including children) must present a valid Canadian passport or NEXUS card. However, to travel from Canada to Mexico by land, you will need a valid passport and, if you are staying over 72 hours, you must complete a tourist card (also known as a "Migratory Form") before crossing the border, which can be done online prior to arrival. You do not need a separate visa as a Canadian citizen to enter Mexico by land. Check Consulado General de México en Montreal for more information.

LMDA is providing one group transportation option for those registered to cross between SDSU and CECUT on Friday and CECUT and The Old Globe on Saturday for ease in getting to/from the main conference events.

App-based ride-sharing services are also available throughout San Diego and Tijuana.

While there isn’t an easily accessible way to get from SDSU to Balboa Park via public transit, if you are looking to get around San Diego in general or down to the border, you could use the MTS Trolley. 

The Green Line picks up at SDSU and ends in downtown San Diego where you can transfer to the Blue Line to San Ysidro at the border. If you want to visit UCSD/La Jolla Playhouse, transfer to the Blue Line at Old Town and head north.

Some conference events take place off-site (Beach Bonfire, Dinner in Tijuana, After-hours bar meet-ups), and attendees are responsible for transportation to and from these events if they’d like to attend.

Attendees can reserve their San Diego accommodations until two weeks before the conference. On Wednesday, June 10th the Housing & Accommodation registration form will no longer be available.

We know that there is a lot of uncertainty around travel throughout North America at the moment, and we understand that your needs very well might change. Refunds on accommodations are at the discretion of the venue and their cancellation policies.

• If you have general registration or finance information, please reach out to LMDA’s Executive Director, Lindsey R. Barr at admin@lmda.org.
• For general conference inquiries, please contact Danielle Ward, conference coordinator at conferencecoordinator@lmda.org. 
• If you would like to request accessibility accommodations please connect with us at accessibility@lmda.org.